Rize RX – Hits and misses new owner version

[WildWillie]

Hello fellow Rize owners.

A week into my new RX and here are some hits and misses for the bike, components and accessories. Overall very pleased, bike is a blast and feels solid on the road and handles well with good-to-great power. At this short point in time, I am very pleased with the purchase and would recommend this bike to anyone.

Hit’s for the Bike –

• Build quality – While I am not an expert, I have looked at a LOT of bikes in local bike shops (LBS) and online. The welds are good, frame is solid nothing squeaks or rattles.
• Components – I am coming from a 25 year old Schwinn, so for me the shifters, derailers, brakes…etc are all working very well and feel solid. Brakes have good stopping power without noise. (I did bed the brakes and too great care to keep them clean from oils).
• Lights - The headlight and brake, really like the brake lights coming on when I brake, are working well but I have not ridden after full dark so I don’t know about the headlight power.
• Powertrain – The Bafang mid-drive is strong and powerful. I personally like the 5-level pedal assist and it works for me in my daily driving thus far. It can always get me up to a speed I am not fully comfortable with or even need honestly just commuting around the area. (31mph+ easily on the flats with fresh battery) I do use the throttle a bit too much as it is just soo much fun. The engine makes a small bit of noise, but not too much.
• Packaging and build experience – For me, the box arrived in good shape and everything was well protected. Other than a few mild scuffs, the paint is in good condition. Building the bike took about 2 hours, but I could have rushed and done it in 60 minutes. Handlebars, seat, wheel all went on without a hitch. I might have been lucky, but the brakes and shifter/derailer were all pretty close to spot-on out of the box.
• Cable management – Between the brakes, throttle, shifter, Bafang display and lights, there are a fair number of wires all over the front of the bike but for the most part they all quickly tuck into the frame, have good cable protectors/cable management wraps and never seem to get in the way of my hands or vehicle operation. The cables pop-back out of the frame near where they need to get the job done and again seem to be decent craftmanship.
• Front fork/shock – I realize this isn’t a top-end front fork but for me its doing a good job of absorbing the bumps and keeps the tire firmly planted.

Misses for the Bike – (all IMHO)

• Instructions were OK- given you have to put together a few of these items, I would appreciate better instructions, details on where/how to grease and what to maintain as well as how to adjust the derailer. (I will just use the great Park tools videos)
• Bafang display – Bright and easy to see but that 24 hour clock. Come on man!
• Sport -vs- Eco mode – Difference is so very negligible as to be useless. I forgot about the sport mode for a few days and then thought, oh shoot – I gotta try this. Imagine my disappointment when it wasn’t really much of difference at all.
• Tire noise – I like quiet – The tires started out pretty quiet, but after just 70 miles they are getting louder or I am getting more sensitive. I like a smooth, quiet, powerful bike. Right now, only 2 of those 3 are working.
• Hydraulic seat – Just not doing too much for me. Hardly even feel like it is smoothing out anything.
• Cockpit layout – Not a huge fan. The layout feels a bit cramped (large hands) and the bell is on top of the shifter. It is not easy for me to shift up in gears. I will need to re-do this at some point and perhaps move the bell.
• Battery – Seems like we are burning thru the battery pretty quick. Yes, I am hitting the throttle a bit, but right now the battery is not lasting as long as I would suspect it should. More on this later as my 'joy' with the throttle settles down a bit and I try a few long rides.
• Battery charger port – This is a nit, but why is the battery plug on the bottom of the battery and very low to the ground. Pain in the you know what.

Now, a few accessory notes.

• Rize bottle hold – IMHO – Miss – This thing sucked.
• My quad-lock iphone bike mount and case – Hit – Love that thing, fits nice to the left of the Bafang display and is very solid. Not worries about the phone getting loose.
• Topeak Trunkbag DXP – Hit – The versatility of this is huge. Can even fit my tennis racquets in the pannier.
• Rize fenders – Hit – I like them, they appear fairly lightweight, fit close to the tires and cover what appears to be the right areas.
• Rize battery charger – feels and acts like a miss – Seems a bit cheap, not sure this will contribute to long-healthy battery life.
• Rize Bike Grips – Hit – Very comfortable
• Rize Seat – Undecided. I have not rode enough to offer opinion and I am too far out of practice to say it’s the seats fault I am sore.
• My jeep-top-lift that doubles as a bike lift – Hit – Love that Harken Hoister – Only takes 20 seconds to utilize the straps to lift the bike to any height I desire.
• Kryptonite bike lock – Hit – about 5 foot and not too heavy. Simple and effective and has worked well in 4 different situations.

FWIW - Black Rize RX - Not the pro model.

 

[Herr Wolf]

This is why I know I'm going to need a 2nd Battery. That throttle looks like too much fun, and I want to have fun instead of constantly being concerned with saving battery!

Thanks for the in depth feedback.

 

[Ransil]

Hello fellow Rize owners.

A week into my new RX and here are some hits and misses for the bike, components and accessories. Overall very pleased, bike is a blast and feels solid on the road and handles well with good-to-great power. At this short point in time, I am very pleased with the purchase and would recommend this bike to anyone.

Hit’s for the Bike –

• Build quality – While I am not an expert, I have looked at a LOT of bikes in local bike shops (LBS) and online. The welds are good, frame is solid nothing squeaks or rattles.

argee, except we had 1 controller rattling, some packing foam fixed it.

• Components – I am coming from a 25 year old Schwinn, so for me the shifters, derailers, brakes…etc are all working very well and feel solid. Brakes have good stopping power without noise. (I did bed the brakes and too great care to keep them clean from oils).

same here, i live on a hill one quick ride bedded the brakes whether i was attempting to do that or not( I was)

• Lights - The headlight and brake, really like the brake lights coming on when I brake, are working well but I have not ridden after full dark so I don’t know about the headlight power.

I was in a dark tunnel with other riders, lets you see the other dark riders better , first trip thru tunnel i could not remember how to turn on the lights , it was dark and I could not see others until up on them, return trip better, not sure i would ride after dark with this light, however i was coming from bright daylight and eyes may not have adjusted to the dark.

• Powertrain – The Bafang mid-drive is strong and powerful. I personally like the 5-level pedal assist and it works for me in my daily driving thus far. It can always get me up to a speed I am not fully comfortable with or even need honestly just commuting around the area. (31mph+ easily on the flats with fresh battery) I do use the throttle a bit too much as it is just soo much fun. The engine makes a small bit of noise, but not too much.

my max speed has ben about 31 mph its fun eats battery

• Packaging and build experience – For me, the box arrived in good shape and everything was well protected. Other than a few mild scuffs, the paint is in good condition. Building the bike took about 2 hours, but I could have rushed and done it in 60 minutes. Handlebars, seat, wheel all went on without a hitch. I might have been lucky, but the brakes and shifter/derailer were all pretty close to spot-on out of the box.

Build time was 45 minutes for both of mine, helper would take 15 minutes off. all my adjustment were spot on out of the box.
Packing was good took 5 minutes to get all the zip tied padding off.

• Cable management – Between the brakes, throttle, shifter, Bafang display and lights, there are a fair number of wires all over the front of the bike but for the most part they all quickly tuck into the frame, have good cable protectors/cable management wraps and never seem to get in the way of my hands or vehicle operation. The cables pop-back out of the frame near where they need to get the job done and again seem to be decent craftmanship.

I like the way they are in the frame vs some other brands on the outside, the used of water proof connectors is a plus.

• Front fork/shock – I realize this isn’t a top-end front fork but for me its doing a good job of absorbing the bumps and keeps the tire firmly planted.

agree not a top end shock, makes the rough roads nicer.

Misses for the Bike – (all IMHO)

• Instructions were OK- given you have to put together a few of these items, I would appreciate better instructions, details on where/how to grease and what to maintain as well as how to adjust the derailer. (I will just use the great Park tools videos)

meh, i'll just google what i need for any adjustments

• Bafang display – Bright and easy to see but that 24 hour clock. Come on man!

dont think mine has a clock, would be nice to have one.

• Sport -vs- Eco mode – Difference is so very negligible as to be useless. I forgot about the sport mode for a few days and then thought, oh shoot – I gotta try this. Imagine my disappointment when it wasn’t really much of difference at all.

not a feature on the leisure ST, to conserve power we will ride pas 2 or 3

• Tire noise – I like quiet – The tires started out pretty quiet, but after just 70 miles they are getting louder or I am getting more sensitive. I like a smooth, quiet, powerful bike. Right now, only 2 of those 3 are working.

we ride rail trails mostly compacted gravel dont notice anything with the 4' fat tire

• Hydraulic seat – Just not doing too much for me. Hardly even feel like it is smoothing out anything.

stock seat sucks IMO, have a Brooks B17 on now, lots of butt hurt first ride, made some tweeks moved handle bars forwarded, leveled seat, raised seat much better, wife is still complaining ordered a Rideoout Carbon and might try a suntour suspension post.

• Cockpit layout – Not a huge fan. The layout feels a bit cramped (large hands) and the bell is on top of the shifter. It is not easy for me to shift up in gears. I will need to re-do this at some point and perhaps move the bell.

had to tweek all the controls on wifes bike mine were ok, just takestime to figure out where everything is at.

• Battery – Seems like we are burning thru the battery pretty quick. Yes, I am hitting the throttle a bit, but right now the battery is not lasting as long as I would suspect it should. More on this later as my 'joy' with the throttle settles down a bit and I try a few long rides.

we have 19ah me and wife 16ah 190 & 140 lbs our usage is almost exact the same at the end of the ride, longest was 66 miles conserved on the way out pas 2&3 still had 30% remaining.
yesterdays ride hers seem to drop pretty quick came off 100% at about 10 miles, I road mine before loading up after the bikes sat for over a week, and peaked my battery before leaving, might have been the difference.

• Battery charger port – This is a nit, but why is the battery plug on the bottom of the battery and very low to the ground. Pain in the you know what.

Agree, but we usually take battery's off to charge, the cover takes some practice to get inserted too.

Now, a few accessory notes.

• Rize bottle hold – IMHO – Miss – This thing sucked.

Have not installed, figured it would be in the way when dismounting the ST, we have the Rize rack bag with a holder and use it.

• My quad-lock iphone bike mount and case – Hit – Love that thing, fits nice to the left of the Bafang display and is very solid. Not worries about the phone getting loose.

• Topeak Trunkbag DXP – Hit – The versatility of this is huge. Can even fit my tennis racquets in the pannier.
• Rize fenders – Hit – I like them, they appear fairly lightweight, fit close to the tires and cover what appears to be the right areas.

they get the job done, I have a Thule bike rack with the thing that locks on the tire and they are compatible

• Rize battery charger – feels and acts like a miss – Seems a bit cheap, not sure this will contribute to long-healthy battery life.

No issues gets the job done

• Rize Bike Grips – Hit – Very comfortable

agree

• Rize Seat – Undecided. I have not rode enough to offer opinion and I am too far out of practice to say it’s the seats fault I am sore.

IMO seat sucks..on seat #2 brooks B17 ( carryover from previous bike) with adjustments getting better, have a Rideout Carbon on order.

• My jeep-top-lift that doubles as a bike lift – Hit – Love that Harken Hoister – Only takes 20 seconds to utilize the straps to lift the bike to any height I desire.

still working on storage, bike is heavy simple hook in ceiling isn't gonna get it.

• Kryptonite bike lock – Hit – about 5 foot and not too heavy. Simple and effective and has worked well in 4 different situations.

Bought 2 no used for them yet.

FWIW - Black Rize RX - Not the pro model.

my $.02 to your points imbedded above based on 2 Leisure ST bikes

 

[Ransil]

Rize needs to get some dealers or rental places involved like RAD has. I would have liked to try before I bought taking a WAG on what would fit me and my needs better.
I'm pretty sure I would have ended up with a Rize RX or Pro.

 

[AHicks]

Only 30 miles on the RX Pro at this point, my 4th e-bike. LOVE this bike! Hand grips are really nice. 12 hour clock would have been nice.

This isn't my first performance bike (1000w+), so there's no tendency to push to see what that's all about here. I KNOW there's way more available than I need going into it. With just a few exceptions, most of my riding has been in PAS 1, so finding 19.2 Ah battery range very acceptable.

Stock 4.0" tires, which are new to me, aren't as loud as I thought they might be, but they do have that "buzz" vibration they throw into the bike when on pavement. Nothing dramatic, more of a personal taste thing I don't care for. New street tires due in this week. Of note, the 4.0 tires do respond noticeably to minor changes in air pressure. They came with 8 or 9 psi, so I thought I'd try that. Very heavy steering, and they bottom easily, where you can feel the rim hitting. Next stop was the Rize suggested 20psi. Much lighter steering, but a pretty stiff ride. Now playing in the mid to low teens.

In a perfect world, I would soften the initial throttle response a little - doable for those that want to venture into the controller setup. OK now, but could be much better. Same with the PAS 1 torque settings. I think those could be dialed back/softened a bit. This would result in better battery range, without creating excessive pedaling effort.

Bottom line, I couldn't be happier with this bike at this point. As experience is gained, and more refinements made in tuning to MY tastes, I see this bike and I are going to see a lot of use. VERY happy with the purchase. I feel like all the research done prior was worth it! -Al

 

[Herr Wolf]

Only 30 miles on the RX Pro at this point, my 4th e-bike. LOVE this bike! Hand grips are really nice. 12 hour clock would have been nice.

This isn't my first performance bike (1000w+), so there's no tendency to push to see what that's all about here. I KNOW there's way more available than I need going into it. With just a few exceptions, most of my riding has been in PAS 1, so finding 19.2 Ah battery range very acceptable.

Stock 4.0" tires, which are new to me, aren't as loud as I thought they might be, but they do have that "buzz" vibration they throw into the bike when on pavement. Nothing dramatic, more of a personal taste thing I don't care for. New street tires due in this week. Of note, the 4.0 tires do respond noticeably to minor changes in air pressure. They came with 8 or 9 psi, so I thought I'd try that. Very heavy steering, and they bottom easily, where you can feel the rim hitting. Next stop was the Rize suggested 20psi. Much lighter steering, but a pretty stiff ride. Now playing in the mid to low teens.

In a perfect world, I would soften the initial throttle response a little - doable for those that want to venture into the controller setup. OK now, but could be much better. Same with the PAS 1 torque settings. I think those could be dialed back/softened a bit. This would result in better battery range, without creating excessive pedaling effort.

Bottom line, I couldn't be happier with this bike at this point. As experience is gained, and more refinements made in tuning to MY tastes, I see this bike and I are going to see a lot of use. VERY happy with the purchase. I feel like all the research done prior was worth it! -Al

Are you going to change the stock Bafang programming on the Pro? I thought you mentioned doing so, I'm curious in the future to hear about the 'before vs. after' . The stock settings are supposed to be more geared toward MTB from what I read.

There is an interesting video on YT about it.

 

[AHicks]

My bike is more of a cruiser, and my preferences are about maintaining good control - while cruising at my normal 8-12 mph cruise speed. Also I LOVE riding in the woods. There, even more subtle control required as those speeds are often just over the range of speeds where you can keep your balance easily. Maybe 6-7mph?

Anyway, the bike as-is is not screaming for any necessary changes. I want to ride it for a while so that when I do start making minor programming changes, I'll be able to judge their merit easily, based on what it's doing now. Better or worse decisions should be much easier.

Last, regarding that video, his 100% max settings, for all PAS levels, is something I would have no use for. My PAS 1 is going to be a much softer start and max than my PAS 2, which will be softer than 3, etc. This way I can set it for the different conditions I ride in, based on the amount of power I want at any given time - similar to how a cadence based PAS is set up. Different maybe, but that's what I'm thinking at this point in time - which is subject to change!

 

[WildWillie]

Well, just an update on battery discharge time/speed.

Had the need to take the jeep in for service today, so I unhooked the front tire, threw bike in the back and when I got to the shop I rode the bike home about 3+ miles. (had to get back to work!)
Bike was fully charged just this AM. Volts showed roughly 52+ volts? (not sure how it shows over 48 but not complaining)
Rode 3+ miles home on PAS1 and some PAS2. Throttle only once to cross a 4-lane to keep up with traffic for about 300 foot.
Then hours later rode the bike back (3+) miles to pickup jeep using same route and the same PAS1/2.
Still have 49+ volts showing and barely a touch of the battery gone. Now, 6+ miles is not a lot, but to have almost 100% battery left, was pretty cool and encouraging.

SUMMARY: When I lay off the throttle and actually pedal, bike seems like it is going to get some good range. Hmm- Not sure I want or can lay off the throttle however. \

Little bit of bad news - The front wheel quick-release axle on the 'plastic nut' side is already wearing away. The plastic housing over the nut is stripping. Likely my fault, but I will be looking for a better thru-axel solution that is a bit more durable and can withstand multiple disconnects and reconnects.

UPDATE - And of course I just did some starter research and we have a quick-release, not a thru axle. So - Lots more learning to go on bikes and components.
Enjoy the ride!

 

[Kevin8tor]

I've been out of town, but today was able to ride the bike more than any day since it's arrival. Botched the bar end mirror install and am waiting on a replacement, too stupid to discuss. Mounted the folding etook lock behind the front wheel/opposite side of the battery. Honestly feel like in my area a regular coil-wire lock will be easier to use, but it's a nice lock and mount, I'll see how it goes over time before I make a change. As you can see the Rock Bros. tail bag looks nice, and while the side pockets don't replace panniers, they can unfurl to hold a 4 pack of beer, once removed from their holder. Top compartment held a 6 pack, wallet, cigars, and still had a little extra room for more. Also mounted the electric, usb-rechargeable horn. It's loud, too loud to use for pedestrians, great for cars, I hope. I'll just keep saying "on your left" or that horn will have walkers jumping out of the way.

I live in a hilly area and rode in a multitude of PAS levels, never used the throttle, and limped it home at 24 miles with the battery % in the low teens. Was able to work around the house and charge the bike some more, up to 80%, and made a run for my "Dad" groceries that was about 11 miles. Again, the battery was nearly tapped as I came home, but I rode at high levels of PAS and the hills between me and the beer store are considerable. Hopefully, range will improve, but the bike rides great. Trying to go easy on the drivetrain. Some of the shifts kind of crash more than I'd like. Have to learn to finesse it better to save the cassette.

 

[Kevin8tor]

Also, want to add the included bottle cage was crap. Lost my water bottle on some washboard roads, despite adjusting it's retention screw to hold the bottle securely. Also, can't use really tall water bottles or you hit the top bar. I took an old aluminum cage off my road bike and it mounts just enough lower that I can accomodate a taller bottle, and hold it securely over bumps.

Finally, the rubber bung over the charging port is a tempermental bitch, and is destined to live a short life. I'm sure everyone will agree with that. Now let's all be sure to share our best solutions as these little buggers fail on us all, one by one.

 

[AHicks]

The clock can be set to 12 hour display. Just go to the settings. It does reset, lose the time, every time the battery is removed, however.

Thank you! Must have missed that. Will have another look.

Drink holder issue noted. Will start looking for a replacement.

Enjoying the heck out of this RX Pro. After puttering with it for several days now, many test rides, etc. , tire pressure spot on after messing with that, derailleur adjusted spot on, etc. everything now tweaked perfectly. Upright seating now established with a 2" riser placed under the stock handlebar mount, which is positioned nearly vertically. Cables are long enough, but theres no room to go any higher. Mustache handlebars installed, with a comfortable angle for my wrists and the grips set just right, this bike is now a pleasure to ride..... generating big grins from it's new owner.

The OEM seat is rock hard when it comes to this old man's butt seat hardness meter. I've been a Cloud 9 seat user for quite a while after having tried several seats a couple of year ago. Just to eliminate the chance I might not try it because it's so ugly, to prove to myself I have an open mind on the topic, I decided to try a "noseless" seat. After mounting it up this morning, and noting that clearly, it IS ugly, we went for a short test hop to get the height and angle set correctly. When I got back, I went for another test hop. Initial impression is this stupid looking thing really might have some potential. It's VERY comfortable. Pressure spot right under my "sit" bones nowhere near as sensitive, causing me to constantly shift by butt around on the seat. Seems like that pressure has been spread out over a bigger, or different, area. Longer ride set for tomorrow, weather permitting, to see if I can firm up the initial impression - which is pretty good. -Al

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QHTZHXD/ref=sspa_dk_detail_3?psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzUFQ2NFhaWktXM1pTJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMjgzNTU0MVU4QkRRWlJPRllFSCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODM1NzkzSkc1RkNFREQ4OUtGJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfZGV0YWlsMiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

 

[Kevin8tor]

Thank you! Must have missed that. Will have another look. -Al

Nope. I was wrong. Sorry, I thought it could be toggled to 12 hour time keeping.

 

[gpac7778]

I have the RX....been crazy busy and haven't ridden it too far but so far I am so impressed. I went up a grass hill the other day that was really steep.... so steep that if I didn't lean forward the front tire would have come up and i would have somersaulted backwards....yikes.... the bike made it up the hill with ease...and I weigh 222 pounds. It is soo much fun and makes me feel like have super powers....at 61 years of age!

 

[Herr Wolf]

I've been out of town, but today was able to ride the bike more than any day since it's arrival. Botcted the bar end mirror and am waiting on a replacement, too stupid to discuss. Mounted the folding etook lock behind the front wheel/opposite side of the battery. Honestly feel like in my area a regular coil-wire lock will be easier to use, but it's a nice lock and mount, I'll see how it goes over time before I make a change. As you can see the Rock Bros. tail bag looks nice, and while the side pockets don't replace panniers, they can unfurl to hold a 4 pack of beer, once removed from their holder. Top compartment held a 6 pack, wallet, cigars, and still had a little extra room for more. Also mounted the electric, usb-rechargeable horn. It's loud, too loud to use for pedestrians, great for cars, I hope. I'll just keep saying "on your left" or that horn will have walkers jumping out of the way.

I live in a hilly area and rode in a multitude of PAS levels, never used the throttle, and limped it home at 24 miles with the battery % in the low teens. Was able to work around the house and charge the bike some more, up to 80%, and made a run for my "Dad" groceries that was about 11 miles. Again, the battery was nearly tapped as I came home, but I rode at high levels of PAS and the hills between me and the beer store are considerable. Hopefully, range will improve, but the bike rides great. Trying to go easy on the drivetrain. Some of the shifts kind of crash more than I'd like. Have to learn to finesse it better to save the cassette.
View attachment 68615

Great looking Bike! I think that chain lock adds 10 pounds. Plus the beer in the back. How much do you weigh? You're giving me more range anxiety before my RX Pro even arrives. I'm 220 on a good day and I too have hills all around me. 24 miles is not going to cut it!!

I agree those electric horns are too over the top. The old ringer bell is sufficient people know instinctively that a bike is approaching. If it ain't broke don't fix it. I'd rather mount an air horn that the electric horn.

Hopefully as we ride more often we start to shed a few pounds giving us more mileage.

 

[Ransil]

Great looking Bike! I think that chain lock adds 10 pounds. Plus the beer in the back. How much do you weigh? You're giving me more range anxiety before my RX Pro even arrives. I'm 220 on a good day and I too have hills all around me. 24 miles is not going to cut it!!

I agree those electric horns are too over the top. The old ringer bell is sufficient people know instinctively that a bike is approaching. If it ain't broke don't fix it. I'd rather mount an air horn that the electric horn.

Hopefully as we ride more often we start to shed a few pounds giving us more mileage.

I have been thinking about an electric horn
the ding bell is ok most of the time, i give a warning ding a ways back then another closer.
some people just don't get it, had to pass 4 spandex riders in the grass cause they were riding side by side, some people my more encouragement.
then there are the just plain stupid people, get off bike in middle of trail and turn bike side ways blocking the both lanes.

 

[Kevin8tor]

Great looking Bike! I think that chain lock adds 10 pounds. Plus the beer in the back. How much do you weigh? You're giving me more range anxiety before my RX Pro even arrives. I'm 220 on a good day and I too have hills all around me. 24 miles is not going to cut it!!

I agree those electric horns are too over the top. The old ringer bell is sufficient people know instinctively that a bike is approaching. If it ain't broke don't fix it. I'd rather mount an air horn that the electric horn.

Hopefully as we ride more often we start to shed a few pounds giving us more mileage.

I weigh 220. The folding lock is probably 3-4 lbs including its mount. I switched my original order for RX Pro to the RX because I determined the 2.75 inch wide tires are plenty for my riding, and the RX is 6 lbs lighter. Weight is definitely on my mind, and I would like to get myself down below 190. 35 miles yesterday is a good start towards that goal.

 

[ElevenAD]

i have hade mine for 2 weeks and i have zero complaints!

Hello fellow Rize owners.

A week into my new RX and here are some hits and misses for the bike, components and accessories. Overall very pleased, bike is a blast and feels solid on the road and handles well with good-to-great power. At this short point in time, I am very pleased with the purchase and would recommend this bike to anyone.

Hit’s for the Bike –

• Build quality – While I am not an expert, I have looked at a LOT of bikes in local bike shops (LBS) and online. The welds are good, frame is solid nothing squeaks or rattles.
• Components – I am coming from a 25 year old Schwinn, so for me the shifters, derailers, brakes…etc are all working very well and feel solid. Brakes have good stopping power without noise. (I did bed the brakes and too great care to keep them clean from oils).
• Lights - The headlight and brake, really like the brake lights coming on when I brake, are working well but I have not ridden after full dark so I don’t know about the headlight power.
• Powertrain – The Bafang mid-drive is strong and powerful. I personally like the 5-level pedal assist and it works for me in my daily driving thus far. It can always get me up to a speed I am not fully comfortable with or even need honestly just commuting around the area. (31mph+ easily on the flats with fresh battery) I do use the throttle a bit too much as it is just soo much fun. The engine makes a small bit of noise, but not too much.
• Packaging and build experience – For me, the box arrived in good shape and everything was well protected. Other than a few mild scuffs, the paint is in good condition. Building the bike took about 2 hours, but I could have rushed and done it in 60 minutes. Handlebars, seat, wheel all went on without a hitch. I might have been lucky, but the brakes and shifter/derailer were all pretty close to spot-on out of the box.
• Cable management – Between the brakes, throttle, shifter, Bafang display and lights, there are a fair number of wires all over the front of the bike but for the most part they all quickly tuck into the frame, have good cable protectors/cable management wraps and never seem to get in the way of my hands or vehicle operation. The cables pop-back out of the frame near where they need to get the job done and again seem to be decent craftmanship.
• Front fork/shock – I realize this isn’t a top-end front fork but for me its doing a good job of absorbing the bumps and keeps the tire firmly planted.

Misses for the Bike – (all IMHO)

• Instructions were OK- given you have to put together a few of these items, I would appreciate better instructions, details on where/how to grease and what to maintain as well as how to adjust the derailer. (I will just use the great Park tools videos)
• Bafang display – Bright and easy to see but that 24 hour clock. Come on man!
• Sport -vs- Eco mode – Difference is so very negligible as to be useless. I forgot about the sport mode for a few days and then thought, oh shoot – I gotta try this. Imagine my disappointment when it wasn’t really much of difference at all.
• Tire noise – I like quiet – The tires started out pretty quiet, but after just 70 miles they are getting louder or I am getting more sensitive. I like a smooth, quiet, powerful bike. Right now, only 2 of those 3 are working.
• Hydraulic seat – Just not doing too much for me. Hardly even feel like it is smoothing out anything.
• Cockpit layout – Not a huge fan. The layout feels a bit cramped (large hands) and the bell is on top of the shifter. It is not easy for me to shift up in gears. I will need to re-do this at some point and perhaps move the bell.
• Battery – Seems like we are burning thru the battery pretty quick. Yes, I am hitting the throttle a bit, but right now the battery is not lasting as long as I would suspect it should. More on this later as my 'joy' with the throttle settles down a bit and I try a few long rides.
• Battery charger port – This is a nit, but why is the battery plug on the bottom of the battery and very low to the ground. Pain in the you know what.

Now, a few accessory notes.

• Rize bottle hold – IMHO – Miss – This thing sucked.
• My quad-lock iphone bike mount and case – Hit – Love that thing, fits nice to the left of the Bafang display and is very solid. Not worries about the phone getting loose.
• Topeak Trunkbag DXP – Hit – The versatility of this is huge. Can even fit my tennis racquets in the pannier.
• Rize fenders – Hit – I like them, they appear fairly lightweight, fit close to the tires and cover what appears to be the right areas.
• Rize battery charger – feels and acts like a miss – Seems a bit cheap, not sure this will contribute to long-healthy battery life.
• Rize Bike Grips – Hit – Very comfortable
• Rize Seat – Undecided. I have not rode enough to offer opinion and I am too far out of practice to say it’s the seats fault I am sore.
• My jeep-top-lift that doubles as a bike lift – Hit – Love that Harken Hoister – Only takes 20 seconds to utilize the straps to lift the bike to any height I desire.
• Kryptonite bike lock – Hit – about 5 foot and not too heavy. Simple and effective and has worked well in 4 different situations.

FWIW - Black Rize RX - Not the pro model.

OP you can adjust the seat post to make it softer, the adjustment screw is just inside the seat post,+ makes it more firm- makes it softer

 

[ElevenAD]

here is an RX Pro "all throttle ride" from another new owner! Not Me

that is one aggressive motor! RIP cellphone

 

[gpac7778]

I weigh 220. The folding lock is probably 3-4 lbs including its mount. I switched my original order for RX Pro to the RX because I determined the 2.75 inch wide tires are plenty for my riding, and the RX is 6 lbs lighter. Weight is definitely on my mind, and I would like to get myself down below 190. 35 miles yesterday is a good start towards that goal.

Good luck with the weight loss... I was 246lbs 3 months ago and am 222 now trying to get to 200 ...at 61 years of age.... i think i would get more out of the battery if I can continue to lose the weight.

 

[Kevin8tor]

Good luck with the weight loss... I was 246lbs 3 months ago and am 222 now trying to get to 200 ...at 61 years of age.... i think i would get more out of the battery if I can continue to lose the weight.

Gpac,

That's some solid progress. You'll get there.