Riese & Müller Delite review

[RMK!]

Kickstand, yes or no?

My 2019 Delite GX Extreme Rohloff HS came without a kickstand. There seem to be several who have had to modify their kickstands to stop them from rattling. I like the utility of a kickstand but do not want to add a rattle producing component on the bike. This (Pletscher Comp 40 Flex) is the model R&M uses on my bike. The frame is drilled for a kickstand so is this all I need?
Comments are appreciated.

 

[SD2021]

Not sure if the OEM kickstand develops noises over time but no rattles or noise from mine, identical to your link photo, on dirt/grass/gravel trails. In addition to that concern I also wondered how stable it would be considering the weight forward of it. Much to my surprise the bike has remained vertical in a number of questionable spots.

 

[RMK!]

Not sure if the OEM kickstand develops noises over time but no rattles or noise from mine, identical to your link photo, on dirt/grass/gravel trails. In addition to that concern I also wondered how stable it would be considering the weight forward of it. Much to my surprise the bike has remained vertical in a number of questionable spots.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm ordering today.

 

[webcurl]

Noise from Bosch is minimal, and when you're outdoors it gets drowned out by the level of background noise anyway. Noise from Rohloff on some of the lower gears is very pronounced and sounds a bit weird.

Hi, have you upgraded to a Gen4 Delite/SuperDelite or still getting your money's worth out of all the mod's you did?

 

[JVBulman]

Humm, I can't think of a single manufactured product that is "way better 3 years later".

Anything with a computer in it.

 

[RMK!]

Anything with a computer in it.

Guess I misunderstood what Law was saying. I thought he meant that a product like wine gets better with age. He was referring to product evolution and on that we can agree.

Since this is a Delite review Thread, I continue to have nothing but good things to say about my GX Extreme Rohloff HS. I had a beautiful 43 mile ride this morning (took just over 2 hours) to this reservoir near my home. Its Folsom Lake near the prison Johnny Cash made famous. Note, the dropper post at full extension and the riding seat height on this 56cm frame.

What shocked me about this ride was the lakes water level. Normally the expanse of mostly barren land beyond the bike is underwater. Seems drought conditions are back here in CA just in time for fire season. So climate change is fake news and the Clintons drink baby blood ... What a Country!

 

[webcurl]

Since this is a Delite review Thread, I continue to have nothing but good things to say about my GX Extreme Rohloff HS.

Curious about what is this "Extreme" you include in your model spec, is it your's or your dealers terminology?
I can't see it or remember it as part of R&M terminology.

 

[RMK!]

Curious about what is this "Extreme" you include in your model spec, is it your's or your dealers terminology?
I can't see it or remember it as part of R&M terminology.

When I go to My Bike on the Riese and Muller website, that is their description of my bike. It is a late 2019 model (note visible batteries) so that may explain the unfamiliar description. Perhaps Extreme was the precursor to Super designating the 2 battery version.

 

[RMK!]

Hi temp ride. Although I rode early, it topped out at 111 degrees yesterday and the large insulated Fabric bottle was needed. That was a 50.3 mile ride with 6-7 miles on single track trail and jeep road around a lake (85% Tour mode). It took me 2.3 hours to complete with an average cadence of 80 but I needed Sport and Turbo mode as well as the low gears to get up the steepest/rough terrain.

The bikes capability gives me the confidence to ride harder and take on trails that push me to the limits. I had to stop and walk it up for the first time on a steep/rough trail section that I started in 3rd gear. I should have dropped to 2nd or even 1st gear before the climb but as great as the Rohloff is, shifting underload is not an option so I tried to power through. Understanding yours and the bikes limits is helpful if you want to stay healthy and capable of these activities.

The Delite GX Rohloff E14 dual battery is such a versatile and fast bike that works great as a somewhat stout mountain bike while being a very capable mile gobbler on paved trails/roads. I'm starting to feel like a shill for R&M but I just can't say enough good stuff about this bike. This is a case where I have found a perfect match for my large frame, age and riding style. Having just turned 70, I'm still working and have discovered bike riding as a sport I can do alone, keeps me fit and provides a healthy fun activity. I have no doubt there are other bikes that would work for me but having owned and ridden many ebikes, this one is the one I hope to ride for as long as I'm capable.

 

[Alanzo]

Hi temp ride. Although I rode early, it topped out at 111 degrees yesterday and the large insulated Fabric bottle was needed. That was a 50.3 mile ride with 6-7 miles on single track trail and jeep road around a lake (85% Tour mode). It took me 2.3 hours to complete with an average cadence of 80 but I needed Sport and Turbo mode as well as the low gears to get up the steepest/rough terrain.

The bikes capability gives me the confidence to ride harder and take on trails that push me to the limits. I had to stop and walk it up for the first time on a steep/rough trail section that I started in 3rd gear. I should have dropped to 2nd or even 1st gear before the climb but as great as the Rohloff is, shifting underload is not an option so I tried to power through. Understanding yours and the bikes limits is helpful if you want to stay healthy and capable of these activities.

The Delite GX Rohloff E14 dual battery is such a versatile and fast bike that works great as a somewhat stout mountain bike while being a very capable mile gobbler on paved trails/roads. I'm starting to feel like a shill for R&M but I just can't say enough good stuff about this bike. This is a case where I have found a perfect match for my large frame, age and riding style. Having just turned 70, I'm still working and have discovered bike riding as a sport I can do alone, keeps me fit and provides a healthy fun activity. I have no doubt there are other bikes that would work for me but having owned and ridden many ebikes, this one is the one I hope to ride for as long as I'm capable.

Excellent effort and very respectful especially in high heat

Sometime in the future if you have funds available an extra battery may be a good option. I take an extra battery with when I do a solo metric in turbo. Only takes a minute to stop riding and change the battery. It's fun to go fast with the Delite and you accomplished that goal on your ride.

 

[RMK!]

Excellent effort and very respectful especially in high heat

Sometime in the future if you have funds available an extra battery may be a good option. I take an extra battery with when I do a solo metric in turbo. Only takes a minute to stop riding and change the battery. It's fun to go fast with the Delite and you accomplished that goal on your ride.

Good suggestion. I try to stay in Tour mode as much as possible and that extends the dual battery range out to approx 80 miles. I may keep an eye out for a 3rd battery and do some longer faster rides using more Sport and Turbo. Fast is fun ...

 

[RMK!]

Now that I'm 3 months into ownership with 1500 miles on the bike (GX Extreme Rohloff HS) I continue to be nothing but happy with the purchase of this incredibly versatile ebike. From the solid mostly quiet Bosch motor, good suspension, fast and reliable Rohloff E14 IGH, Kiox controller and the perfectly capable Shimano brakes it is without question a well designed, fully integrated bike system.

As described above, my favorite ride is approximately 50 miles and is a combination of paved road, paved bike trail, gravel road and single track mountain bike trail. I don't think there is a better bike than my Delite GX for that kind of mixed use riding. With the dual batteries I commonly have from 35-45% battery (500W) remaining using mostly Tour Mode. By riding more conservatively, I could easily get over 100 miles in Tour Mode but this ebike, and it's 70 Y/O owner, aren't content riding conservatively. I don't see ever needing that 3rd battery.

 

[Drumulac]

Great to see this thread resuscitated! As one of the original contributors from 2017, I'm happy to report that my Delite GX HS ("manual" Rohloff) is, with basic routine maintenance, alive and well in its 5th riding season with 12K mileage now on it, which would be higher, but my office moved far away from realistic bike commuting distance 2 years ago - grrr!.

@RMK!: sorry I missed your post about the kickstand. My experience - the Delite came with the 40mm Pletscher. It did develop a rattle within a few months, but nothing too aggravating. I came out of my local deli one day and a guy had somehow knocked over the bike. He had half of my kickstand and a broken mirror in his hand. Nice guy, actually stuck around and even offered to pay for the damage . . . I declined to take his money, but long story short, I ordered a replacement Pletscher from Amazon the same day. Had to cut back the lower leg, but no biggie. It very quickly developed a rattle, but worse, I hit a pothole one day and it decided to extend and lock out in the open position, which I discovered, much to my surprise, when I took a left turn on to the next street. This was not an isolated incident. It started to happen whenever I went over RR tracks, large bumps, etc. I did a work-around by attaching it a small bungee between the kickstand and the frame, but though this worked, it was not exactly an eloquent long term fix. This year, I searched around for an alternative and found this one:
https://ridepdw.com/collections/car...power-stance-kickstand?variant=35089512693928
Stock for the black version runs out quickly at Portland Design, but they did inform me when it came back in and I received it 2 days after I ordered it. $20 US vs. $40 US for the Pletscher. Very pleased with the quality. It does fit the 40mm holes on the R&M frame using the old bolts. The shortest length setting work works on my Delite, though if I want to make it any shorter, I'd be SOL since you can't simply cut down the leg as you can with the Pletscher. So far, so good. No rattles, no "auto-extensions"(!). I suspect that it will start to rattle at some point. I think that's the nature of the beast. You can find solutions for the Pletscher rattle issue elsewhere in the EBR forums. Drilling and screwing in a rubber shim does work - I did that for the last Pletscher, but of course it didn't resolve the weak spring issue.

Now that I can't commute to work, my Delite has been relegated to a weekend ride (today, not so much - hurricane here in NY), but no complaints. It is still a fantastic bike. Yup, I do lust for the newer, improved features - hey, mine has a chain - but I'm still confident enough with it to be planning some self-contained camping tours with my Tout Terrain trailer around upstate NY and New England this Fall.

 

[RMK!]

Hi @Drumulac, I had for gotten about that conversation and I'm on my second Pletscher stand. I'd prefer no kickstand but wife and I regularly ride to local restaurants so a kickstand is a necessary evil. The spring on the Pletscher seems fine and no rattles noticed but it does need to be cut down an inch or so as the bike sits nearly upright at the stock minimum length.

Thank you for the link to the Power Stance kickstand. They are indeed sold out but for $20, I will get one when available as a backup.

 

[Drumulac]

Hi @Drumulac, I had for gotten about that conversation and I'm on my second Pletscher stand. I'd prefer no kickstand but wife and I regularly ride to local restaurants so a kickstand is a necessary evil. The spring on the Pletscher seems fine and no rattles noticed but it does need to be cut down an inch or so as the bike sits nearly upright at the stock minimum length.

Thank you for the link to the Power Stance kickstand. They are indeed sold out but for $20, I will get one when available as a backup.

Available here for $20 + shipping:
https://www.modernbike.com/product-2126305690?TID=394

Also currently available on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088NM4HTX/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A1DYHG7ZNG7ZDH&psc=1
but they want $9.99 more! They actually were getting $36 back in the Spring.

Portland Design Works will probably have them back in stock soon and they don't charge shipping over $25. I ordered an extra set of tire levers to bring the cost up to that minimum. Still cheaper than Amazon . . . no surprise there. PDW has quite a few inexpensive gizmos. Overly cutesy website, but their products are interesting and seem to be quality.

So far, very pleased with the kickstand. As heavy duty as the Pletscher. Looks good too.

 

[Jay Kay]

I had my 2020 Delite Vario for a year before swopping out for a SD Mountain Rohloff. My kickstand was rock solid with no rattles the whole time I had it, and I ride 80% off road fire trails/single track. On the other hand my wife's 2020 Homage kickstand was a rattler. I swopped it out with for my Delite's kickstand and now she has a rattle free experience.

There are obviously small differences in materials/build quality coming into play with the Pletscher.

The Delite is a great bike. I do love my Mountain more however, which suits my riding style/routes better, and I no longer miss not having a kickstand. It wouldn't be so good parked up outside a restaurant however!

 

[amayers]

Available here for $20 + shipping:
https://www.modernbike.com/product-2126305690?TID=394

Also currently available on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088NM4HTX/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A1DYHG7ZNG7ZDH&psc=1
but they want $9.99 more! They actually were getting $36 back in the Spring.

Portland Design Works will probably have them back in stock soon and they don't charge shipping over $25. I ordered an extra set of tire levers to bring the cost up to that minimum. Still cheaper than Amazon . . . no surprise there. PDW has quite a few inexpensive gizmos. Overly cutesy website, but their products are interesting and seem to be quality.

So far, very pleased with the kickstand. As heavy duty as the Pletscher. Looks good too.

I too have the rattle, and I could have swore that my kickstand has swung down and hit the road when jumping off a curb. So I figured I give this one a try. Looked at both Modern Bike & Amazon. Yes Amazon is $9.99 more, but that includes "free" shipping. With Modern Bike, shipping is $6.99 more. So in the end only $3 difference.

 

[Alaskan]

It is such a capable, durable bike and has classic good looks IMO. @RMK! , you are certainly putting yours to the use for which it is best suited, giving it and your self a robust workout and having great fun doing it.

No rattle on the stock Pletcher that came on my 2018 Delite Mountain (derailleur version) The bike has almost 6,000 miles on it. I purchased a Homage Rohloff HS in 2018 and another Homage Rohloff HS in 2019. They have both been sold after putting 5,000 miles on the 2018 and 3,500 on the 2019. I still have the 2018 Delite. It does share our garage with a Trek Allant 9.9S and a Cannondale Topstone Neo Carbon 3. My wife rides the Trek and I must confess for workouts on the road or even on rocky dirt, logging roads, the Cannondale has been the top choice as of late. I still love the Delite though, ride it from time to time and it is the go to when I need to use the trailer for a trip to the farmer's market, lugging gear down to the boat or on weekend getaways. One of my sons will inherit that Delite as it has earned a permanent berth here.

Mine is Pearl White with matt black and is vaguely reminiscent of older BMW motorcycles. The bike has been much modified. The Bosch CX motor has been delimited so the assist has not top end. The suspension has been upgraded to Fox Factory, The cassette is a SunRace 11-46. The Headlight has been swapped out for a Supernova M99 Pro 45. The Intuvia display was replaced with an 8gb Nyon. The stock dropper post was replaced (don't lift the bike by the saddle) with a PNW Coast dropper. The handlebar is a Surly Terminal with a 34 degree sweep back, a Ergotech Swell Ahead adjustable angle stem, and a center mounted accessory bar. An Abus folding combination lock was added, as was a Ballz axle for towing a Burley Coho trail trailer. The 2.8' Johnny Watt tires from Schwalbe are a great match for this bike, look great and work even better.

And yes the stock kickstand still works just fine with no rattles. Pletcher must have subed out the hinge or spring for something cheaper.