I just got my Riese & Muller Cruiser Mixte HS (large frame) a couple of weeks ago. With 70 miles on the odometer, I am very happy with this bike so far. Since there are so few reviews on this bike, I am posting some of my early impressions. I will throw in some comparisons to my wife’s IZIP Zumo as this is the only other electric bike that I have experience with. Keep in mind though that the R&M Cruiser cost almost twice as much as the IZIP Zumo.
Compared to any bike that I have ridden in the past the R&M Cruiser Mixte looks big and that’s mostly due to the 28” tires. Those big Schwalbe tires, along with the suspension, smooth out the ride tremendously. Even though this is a big bike, the Mixte frame design gives me easy standover and step-over height without sacrificing stiffness. And despite looking big the bike feels just right when riding.
In addition to cruiser ergonomics and superior craftsmanship, my other priorities were the Bosch power system and the NuVinci hub. The Bosch control is smooth and feels like riding a tandem with your riding partner perfectly plugged into you brain. The Bosch power delivery matches exactly what I want with no surprises. Compared to the Currie system on the IZIP Zumo the Bosch system seems to always put up some percentage of my effort whereas the Currie system will put up 100% of the effort if you are just turning the crank, with or without any pedal pressure. Let up on the Bosch peddles and you slow down; not so on the Currie. Although the Bosch system is intuitively smooth it requires some effort all of the time. The Currie system is jumpy, but requires no effort at all to go. However, the trade off on effort and distance is the same on both systems; minimal rider effort goes minimal distance whereas maximum rider effort goes maximum distance. Also (thanks to Court’s ‘Reeee’ comments) the Bosch system is much quieter than I expected and on par with or even quieter than the Currie.
On the NuVinci, no derailer means minimal wear on the gears and chain. The prospect of lower maintenance and positive recommendations from Chris at Propel Bikes sold me on this transmission. I know it’s probably a bit heavier and a newer technology, but if the NuVinci holds up I think it will be worth it.
On flat ground or on moderate hills the Cruiser is a pure joy to ride. At 60 years old and out of shape, I can easily maintain speeds over 25 mph, but I generally dial back the power assist to maintain 20 mph. Speeds over 25mph do require a bit more effort. On a short 15 mile ride this morning, in a mix of street traffic, bike trails, University sidewalks, and hills, I averaged 17 mph without breaking a sweat.
I got this bike the day before leaving on a vacation to Yosemite, CA. Since I was planning to drive anyway, I took the Cruiser along with my wife's IZIP Zumo. After that experience, I would highly recommend the Bosch Performance CX motor over the Performance Speed if you plan to ride steep mountain roads and you’re out of shape like me. We climbed 8 to 10% roads that were a couple of miles long and I was huffing and puffing up those hills. My wife’s Zumo, with it’s 500 watt motor and a simpler control system, handled them with ease; although my wife would tell you that she’s in better shape (and lighter) than me too.
In summary, I really appreciate the fact that R&M didn’t skimp on the power system, frame, and transmission on this bike as they are all top notch. Besides a very solid construction, the beautiful fit and finish are exactly what you expect from premium German engineering and craftsmanship. And for a couple of small gripes: although the suspension is adequate, I would have liked options for a better front fork and seat post suspension that are found on the R&M Charger. Also the battery charger that comes with this bike is a 2.5 amp and not the 4.0 amp; its more compact, but takes 7 hours for a charge. On the other hand, I like the chain guard, ABUS cafe lock, brakes, and tires. I added a Busch & Muller 701 mirror that looks perfect on this bike and is a simply brilliant design that folds out of way when storing the bike or pushing the bike through a gate or doorway. I will probably upgrade the seat post suspension and maybe the peddles.
One last shout out for Propel Bikes in Brooklyn as they were super responsive, courteous and very helpful in my selection. Before ordering a bike, I emailed a couple of other bike shops on the West Coast and they didn’t respond anything like Chris at Propel Bikes. It’s clear to me that Propel Bikes is top notch bike shop and Chris Nolte manages his business with passion and care. I ordered before Court made his phenomenal visit to NY and I had to wait a crazy 12 weeks for this bike. Propel shipped the bike on the same day that they received it. And even though I was on the receiving end of R&M’s growing pains, I am very happy with the Cruiser Mixte and would repeat the purchase if I had it all to do over again.
Compared to any bike that I have ridden in the past the R&M Cruiser Mixte looks big and that’s mostly due to the 28” tires. Those big Schwalbe tires, along with the suspension, smooth out the ride tremendously. Even though this is a big bike, the Mixte frame design gives me easy standover and step-over height without sacrificing stiffness. And despite looking big the bike feels just right when riding.
In addition to cruiser ergonomics and superior craftsmanship, my other priorities were the Bosch power system and the NuVinci hub. The Bosch control is smooth and feels like riding a tandem with your riding partner perfectly plugged into you brain. The Bosch power delivery matches exactly what I want with no surprises. Compared to the Currie system on the IZIP Zumo the Bosch system seems to always put up some percentage of my effort whereas the Currie system will put up 100% of the effort if you are just turning the crank, with or without any pedal pressure. Let up on the Bosch peddles and you slow down; not so on the Currie. Although the Bosch system is intuitively smooth it requires some effort all of the time. The Currie system is jumpy, but requires no effort at all to go. However, the trade off on effort and distance is the same on both systems; minimal rider effort goes minimal distance whereas maximum rider effort goes maximum distance. Also (thanks to Court’s ‘Reeee’ comments) the Bosch system is much quieter than I expected and on par with or even quieter than the Currie.
On the NuVinci, no derailer means minimal wear on the gears and chain. The prospect of lower maintenance and positive recommendations from Chris at Propel Bikes sold me on this transmission. I know it’s probably a bit heavier and a newer technology, but if the NuVinci holds up I think it will be worth it.
On flat ground or on moderate hills the Cruiser is a pure joy to ride. At 60 years old and out of shape, I can easily maintain speeds over 25 mph, but I generally dial back the power assist to maintain 20 mph. Speeds over 25mph do require a bit more effort. On a short 15 mile ride this morning, in a mix of street traffic, bike trails, University sidewalks, and hills, I averaged 17 mph without breaking a sweat.
I got this bike the day before leaving on a vacation to Yosemite, CA. Since I was planning to drive anyway, I took the Cruiser along with my wife's IZIP Zumo. After that experience, I would highly recommend the Bosch Performance CX motor over the Performance Speed if you plan to ride steep mountain roads and you’re out of shape like me. We climbed 8 to 10% roads that were a couple of miles long and I was huffing and puffing up those hills. My wife’s Zumo, with it’s 500 watt motor and a simpler control system, handled them with ease; although my wife would tell you that she’s in better shape (and lighter) than me too.
In summary, I really appreciate the fact that R&M didn’t skimp on the power system, frame, and transmission on this bike as they are all top notch. Besides a very solid construction, the beautiful fit and finish are exactly what you expect from premium German engineering and craftsmanship. And for a couple of small gripes: although the suspension is adequate, I would have liked options for a better front fork and seat post suspension that are found on the R&M Charger. Also the battery charger that comes with this bike is a 2.5 amp and not the 4.0 amp; its more compact, but takes 7 hours for a charge. On the other hand, I like the chain guard, ABUS cafe lock, brakes, and tires. I added a Busch & Muller 701 mirror that looks perfect on this bike and is a simply brilliant design that folds out of way when storing the bike or pushing the bike through a gate or doorway. I will probably upgrade the seat post suspension and maybe the peddles.
One last shout out for Propel Bikes in Brooklyn as they were super responsive, courteous and very helpful in my selection. Before ordering a bike, I emailed a couple of other bike shops on the West Coast and they didn’t respond anything like Chris at Propel Bikes. It’s clear to me that Propel Bikes is top notch bike shop and Chris Nolte manages his business with passion and care. I ordered before Court made his phenomenal visit to NY and I had to wait a crazy 12 weeks for this bike. Propel shipped the bike on the same day that they received it. And even though I was on the receiving end of R&M’s growing pains, I am very happy with the Cruiser Mixte and would repeat the purchase if I had it all to do over again.
