Rize RX – Hits and misses new owner version

[Kevin8tor]

Commuted to work today. 8.25 miles round trip, with about an extra half mile thrown in for my lunch run. Not far, but hilly. Stayed in Eco PAS 1 with brief forays to 2 and 3 for the steepest hills. Returned home with range at 44 miles and 82% battery remaining. Will avoid Sport for best economy going forward. Someone commented on here that they didn't feel there was much between eco & sport......I'm not so sure, but I'm having fun and the RX is a hoot. Best purchase I've made in a while. I've got 4 cars and 2 motorcycles, but I'm happiest on this lately. Time to cull the herd?

 

[Kevin8tor]

Rode 24.4 miles of rolling up and down, hilly roads with a full charge. Finished with 52% of battery and plenty of range remaining. All riding in eco, zero throttle, PAS 1, except for big hills where I briefly used 2-5. Growing more confident in range and how far I can venture from home before turning back.

 

[Herr Wolf]

Rode 24.4 miles of rolling up and down, hilly roads with a full charge. Finished with 52% of battery and plenty of range remaining. All riding in eco, zero throttle, PAS 1, except for big hills where I briefly used 2-5. Growing more confident in range and how far I can venture from home before turning back.

Nice to hear your getting more mileage and able to extend your distance based on your style of riding. I still want that 2nd Battery for back up!

 

[theemartymac]

Hey Gang, just a couple of thoughts. I have both an RX, and an RX Pro that I commute with.

Don't trust your battery percentages too much. L-ion batteries have an odd curve, where they stay high for ages, then drop fast and Bafang doesn't do a great job of plotting an algorithm that matches most batteries (not a criticism, it's just hard to do). My RX shows 80%+ until I'm within the last third of my range. I've tested it to very noticeable power drop, and it still shows 40% or more, but voltage is down in the very low 40's. My Rx Pro by comparison errs the other way, and drops off to 80% within the first 10km of my ride, and by the time is shows 40% I'm still at 46v+ with tons in the tank. I have ridden my RX down to 20% on the indicator a few times and that gets me easily 70-80km, or more if I ride with lower assist. I usually ride at 5, but can usually hit the advertised range of 100km if I run at assist 3. I'm a 300lb guy, so that's quite good.

And in response to someone's post back a few about voltages, a 48V battery actually charges to 54V if 'full'. Here is a link with a good chart in post #1 for roughly estimating your actual battery level by voltage for the common system voltages. And again, volage won't usually drop off evenly, and fluctuates with temp, etc.. You can change the settings in your display to show the actual voltage instead of percentage, and see for yourself what your real max range might be. Either way, a 48V system will start to drop off in peak power long before it is 'dead', but you won't always notice if you are using low assist settings. That's why the new 52v batteries (which charge to 58V) are popular to pair with 48V motors for extending range without the noticeable power decline.

Luna hardcase battery documentation - Electricbike.com Ebike Forum

<td style="background-color:MediumSeaGreen"> Luna Hardcase Battery Documentation ESSENTIAL READING FOR NEW EBIKERS: Charging brand new batteries (https://electricbike.com/forum/forum/knowledge-base/batteries-aa/20988-charging-brand-new-batteries) Beginners guide...

electricbike.com

 

[Two is Better than Four]

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.

Thanks for the review. I’ve had my RX for the past 2 weeks and can shed some light. I’m totally sold on this bike and it has not disappointed for what it offers.

I’m a mountain biker so when it comes to suspension, the RX is more Of a cross-country commuter bike. The seat suspension is good but can’t be measured to what rear suspension offers. I think the seat suspension does make a difference but that’s an easy one to compare by switching it out for a non suspension post - you’ll no doubt notice a difference.

I was surprised that you don’t notice the difference between eco and sport mode? Yes, sport will eat the battery and I ride mainly in eco 1 and 2 but when I kick it not sport I’m easily hitting top speed rather quickly and effortlessly! My suggestion is to ride mainly in eco 1,2 and maybe 3 so that when you do ride in 5 or sport mode it’ll still amaze. If you ride in throttle (as fun as it is) or in high assist then that soon starts to become your ‘normal’ and the lower assist numbers will feel slow.

The clock...that’s subjective but I don’t see problem.
Remember that any company will over state the range of the bike and that comes down to the battery. Throttle will kill it fast. There are so many variables when riding (weight of rider, terrain, wind, avg. speed, level of assist, tire pressure, etc) that a rough conservative estimate for the RX is around 75km. Best to fully charge 2-4 times when new to help balance the cells and then to stay within the 20-80% charge range. Fully charge either right before a ride or once every month.

For components, comfortability, price and looks, this bike has it all.

 

[Two is Better than Four]

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.

Cage holds my coffee well and keeps it warm...wait, maybe that’s the mug.

 

[tarhead]

Received my Pro on Oct 10 and assembled it that day. Some notes from assembly:

• VERY well packed. I especially appreciated the wood block in the front fork and the block of foam wedged between the back wheel and fender. The block supported the bike while I installed the rear rack and handlebars and the foam acted like a third hand on the brake lever to keep the bike stable. While I do have a bike tuning stand rated to 75 lb., I prefer not to “push” it and these little touches made it easy to complete assembly without using the stand.
• There were a few small nicks in the paint job that appear to have occurred at the factory as they have been touched-up with paint.

Riding notes:

• Winter came early to Calgary. We’ve had temperatures as low as -16o C since the bike arrived and when it wasn’t freezing, it’s been snowing or howling and/or very cold winds.
• Being a fair weather recreational rider, I haven’t had a lot of chance to use the bike; one unpowered trip up and down the driveway just after assembly to test the derailleur while the battery was charging and two short tears around the neighbourhood (about 15-30 minutes each).
• Shifting is smooth. The throttle response is wait for it, wait for it, YEE-HAH!!! Hopefully this can be tuned a bit with the programming cable; a future project. Brakes good. Seatpost good. Throttle power is impressive!
• It’s a bit odd riding the torque sensor (I have another fat bike with cadence sensor). Can definitely notice that my pedal rhythm is not smooth as the motor winds up and down based on the amount of pressure exerted throughout the pedal strokes. Will likely need toe clips or clipless pedals so that I can ankle better to smooth this out and/or maybe it can be programmed to rely more on cadence vs. torque if/when I get around to purchase of a programming cable.
• I purchased the mirror that mounts on the handlebar vs. the one that installs in the end based on “compatible” choices on the Rize site. The Pro does have end plugs in the grips so the bar end mirror would be a better choice. The handlebars have so much gear on them that it’s hard to mount the mirror far enough outboard to get a good view to the rear. I could shift the brake and throttle more inboard but then they’d be harder to reach. Will likely get a bar end mirror in future.

 

[Kevin8tor]

Received my Pro on Oct 10 and assembled it that day. Some notes from assembly:

• VERY well packed. I especially appreciated the wood block in the front fork and the block of foam wedged between the back wheel and fender. The block supported the bike while I installed the rear rack and handlebars and the foam acted like a third hand on the brake lever to keep the bike stable. While I do have a bike tuning stand rated to 75 lb., I prefer not to “push” it and these little touches made it easy to complete assembly without using the stand.
• There were a few small nicks in the paint job that appear to have occurred at the factory as they have been touched-up with paint.

Riding notes:

• Winter came early to Calgary. We’ve had temperatures as low as -16o C since the bike arrived and when it wasn’t freezing, it’s been snowing or howling and/or very cold winds.
• Being a fair weather recreational rider, I haven’t had a lot of chance to use the bike; one unpowered trip up and down the driveway just after assembly to test the derailleur while the battery was charging and two short tears around the neighbourhood (about 15-30 minutes each).
• Shifting is smooth. The throttle response is wait for it, wait for it, YEE-HAH!!! Hopefully this can be tuned a bit with the programming cable; a future project. Brakes good. Seatpost good. Throttle power is impressive!
• It’s a bit odd riding the torque sensor (I have another fat bike with cadence sensor). Can definitely notice that my pedal rhythm is not smooth as the motor winds up and down based on the amount of pressure exerted throughout the pedal strokes. Will likely need toe clips or clipless pedals so that I can ankle better to smooth this out and/or maybe it can be programmed to rely more on cadence vs. torque if/when I get around to purchase of a programming cable.
• I purchased the mirror that mounts on the handlebar vs. the one that installs in the end based on “compatible” choices on the Rize site. The Pro does have end plugs in the grips so the bar end mirror would be a better choice. The handlebars have so much gear on them that it’s hard to mount the mirror far enough outboard to get a good view to the rear. I could shift the brake and throttle more inboard but then they’d be harder to reach. Will likely get a bar end mirror in future.

I got the bar end mirror and it is a perfect fit for my RX, and location is out of the way, but perfectly placed for viewing.

 

[tarhead]

Received my Pro on Oct 10 and assembled it that day. Some notes from assembly:

• VERY well packed. I especially appreciated the wood block in the front fork and the block of foam wedged between the back wheel and fender. The block supported the bike while I installed the rear rack and handlebars and the foam acted like a third hand on the brake lever to keep the bike stable. While I do have a bike tuning stand rated to 75 lb., I prefer not to “push” it and these little touches made it easy to complete assembly without using the stand.
• There were a few small nicks in the paint job that appear to have occurred at the factory as they have been touched-up with paint.

Riding notes:

• Winter came early to Calgary. We’ve had temperatures as low as -16o C since the bike arrived and when it wasn’t freezing, it’s been snowing or howling and/or very cold winds.
• Being a fair weather recreational rider, I haven’t had a lot of chance to use the bike; one unpowered trip up and down the driveway just after assembly to test the derailleur while the battery was charging and two short tears around the neighbourhood (about 15-30 minutes each).
• Shifting is smooth. The throttle response is wait for it, wait for it, YEE-HAH!!! Hopefully this can be tuned a bit with the programming cable; a future project. Brakes good. Seatpost good. Throttle power is impressive!
• It’s a bit odd riding the torque sensor (I have another fat bike with cadence sensor). Can definitely notice that my pedal rhythm is not smooth as the motor winds up and down based on the amount of pressure exerted throughout the pedal strokes. Will likely need toe clips or clipless pedals so that I can ankle better to smooth this out and/or maybe it can be programmed to rely more on cadence vs. torque if/when I get around to purchase of a programming cable.
• I purchased the mirror that mounts on the handlebar vs. the one that installs in the end based on “compatible” choices on the Rize site. The Pro does have end plugs in the grips so the bar end mirror would be a better choice. The handlebars have so much gear on them that it’s hard to mount the mirror far enough outboard to get a good view to the rear. I could shift the brake and throttle more inboard but then they’d be harder to reach. Will likely get a bar end mirror in future.

One thing I forgot to mention on my first post is the excellent fit of the fenders. We have three other ebikes with front shock forks and the fenders on all three are “slap on, hope they work” with little clearance to the tires. I had to “modify” the one on my wife’s bike by bending some of the curvature out of it so that it would clear the tires. The Rize fenders fit well with lots of clearance; a small but thoughtful touch.

 

[WildWillie]

An update to my original post. Hit 200 miles today and here are few additional observations.

• Ride quality - Still loving it, although I still think it takes a lot of force for the seatpost to actually flex and provide some shock absorption.
• Shifting - Was missing some gears on occasion, did a slight tweak to the derailleur and all is well now. Considering a larger front chainring to help with high speed cruising.
• Power and drivetrain - Good power and all the speed I want. Mostly using pedal assist now, with the occasional throttle bump at a few large intersections to keep up with traffic.
  • Like Ahicks pointed out, off-the-line the pedal assist comes on a bit too strong. Going to re-program that to smooth it out a bit when time allows, likely Jan-Feb when weather turns a bit bad and I get the itch.
• Headlight - I find it a bit weak. I would like to stick with the wired light (powered from bike battery) and wondering if anyone is considering an upgrade?
• Family - My son loves it and has put in around 50+ miles. My wife and Daughter both enjoy it, but also find the bike a bit too large. They are both 5'8".
  • The family dog, a rescue hound mix LOVES to race with the bike. He has clocked in at 23+ mph as he has some greyhound in him and he can scoot! Off the line, I have to pedal hard and hit the throttle as he leaves me in the dust for the first 50 yards or so. Pretty cool watching him switch into that high-speed greyhound stride as I catch up and sloooowwlly pass him.
• Commuter vehicle to tennis matches - Outstanding. I picked up the Topeak DXP trunkback with velcro straps and strapped it right in. My racquets fit, ball can fits, towel, drinks and a small foldable bag all secure well and travel well. Great fun to get to the matches with a light warmup.
  • Somehow, this has not helped my tennis game. Really thought I would win more matches due to the bike factor, but sadly no, results about the same. Perhaps if I ride the bike onto the court and try to intimidate the opponents (you know, like I am such an athlete I can ride my bike to the match, beat you and ride home) that might work. Hmm.....doubtful.
• Bottle cage - Replaced the Rize freebie with a best seller at Amazon and very happy with that.

Here are some newbie things I just don't understand or get

• When I do use throttle, just for the fun or heck of it, should I shift? Does it matter what gear? I have not done any tests, but does the gear determine top speed via throttle? I watched some videos of folks using pure throttle for a number of minutes and they were switching gears. Seems to me 4th or 5th gear is pretty good from very low to high-speed so why are they shifting on a pure-throttle only video? What am I missing?
• I put a bit of grease on the seatpost. Not sure I should have done that. Seat stays put vertically but swivels left/right a bit under pressure. Perhaps I took the Park-tool dudes too literally when they said grease everything. (or that is what I thought I heard)
• For some of my longer rides, my hands and arms get a bit tired, especially my wrists. Likely need to add some extensions or perhaps a more swept-back bar because once I raise the seat up a bit for good leg extension I am leaning down a lot. (6'1") So a fair amount of weight is transferred to my arms. I have looked and I don't see how I could adjust the current bars to be closer to me unless I missed it.
• Twice now on charging after a ride (yes, I let the bike cool for an hour before charging) it stopped charging in the 80% range and charger went green and shutdown. Last time I unplugged for 15 minutes, came back, plugged it in and it stayed green and didn't charge bike anymore. I fully unplugged/plugged in the entire charger and let bike sit for 3 hours and it stayed at roughly 80%. However after riding it down to about 40%, the next charging went right up to 100% and 54.6 or whatever volts. Not sure what's happening here.
  • Yes, I realize charging to roughly 80% extends the life of the battery and unless I am going on a long ride my target is roughly 80-90% charge. However the times above, I intended to get a full charge and it didn't happen.

Finally, a few things to watch out for

• Was about done with a nice long ride thru some trails, including some easy forest trails downhill and kept feeling 'looseness' in the front' Finally stopped and noticed my front quick-release had 'released'. I know it was tightened up days earlier but the wheel was just hanging out, waiting on my to screw-up. UGH!
  • LESSON: Check these - Be careful to work to get proper tension so they stay in the close position but check them every ride or two.
• Next day or so- Noticed my kick-stand was loose. Both bolts loose, front one about out.
  • LESSON: I then put the bike on my hoist and gave it a complete check-over for every bolt and connection I could find. Aside from the headlight (my fault with front fender install) most of the rest appeared good. As everyone here on the forum says - CHECK YOUR BIKE before you ride! I got soo lucky with that front wheel, wow.

 

[Taylor57]

An update to my original post. Hit 200 miles today and here are few additional observations.

• Ride quality - Still loving it, although I still think it takes a lot of force for the seatpost to actually flex and provide some shock absorption.
• Shifting - Was missing some gears on occasion, did a slight tweak to the derailleur and all is well now. Considering a larger front chainring to help with high speed cruising.
• Power and drivetrain - Good power and all the speed I want. Mostly using pedal assist now, with the occasional throttle bump at a few large intersections to keep up with traffic.
  • Like Ahicks pointed out, off-the-line the pedal assist comes on a bit too strong. Going to re-program that to smooth it out a bit when time allows, likely Jan-Feb when weather turns a bit bad and I get the itch.
• Headlight - I find it a bit weak. I would like to stick with the wired light (powered from bike battery) and wondering if anyone is considering an upgrade?
• Family - My son loves it and has put in around 50+ miles. My wife and Daughter both enjoy it, but also find the bike a bit too large. They are both 5'8".
  • The family dog, a rescue hound mix LOVES to race with the bike. He has clocked in at 23+ mph as he has some greyhound in him and he can scoot! Off the line, I have to pedal hard and hit the throttle as he leaves me in the dust for the first 50 yards or so. Pretty cool watching him switch into that high-speed greyhound stride as I catch up and sloooowwlly pass him.
• Commuter vehicle to tennis matches - Outstanding. I picked up the Topeak DXP trunkback with velcro straps and strapped it right in. My racquets fit, ball can fits, towel, drinks and a small foldable bag all secure well and travel well. Great fun to get to the matches with a light warmup.
  • Somehow, this has not helped my tennis game. Really thought I would win more matches due to the bike factor, but sadly no, results about the same. Perhaps if I ride the bike onto the court and try to intimidate the opponents (you know, like I am such an athlete I can ride my bike to the match, beat you and ride home) that might work. Hmm.....doubtful.
• Bottle cage - Replaced the Rize freebie with a best seller at Amazon and very happy with that.

Here are some newbie things I just don't understand or get

• When I do use throttle, just for the fun or heck of it, should I shift? Does it matter what gear? I have not done any tests, but does the gear determine top speed via throttle? I watched some videos of folks using pure throttle for a number of minutes and they were switching gears. Seems to me 4th or 5th gear is pretty good from very low to high-speed so why are they shifting on a pure-throttle only video? What am I missing?
• I put a bit of grease on the seatpost. Not sure I should have done that. Seat stays put vertically but swivels left/right a bit under pressure. Perhaps I took the Park-tool dudes too literally when they said grease everything. (or that is what I thought I heard)
• For some of my longer rides, my hands and arms get a bit tired, especially my wrists. Likely need to add some extensions or perhaps a more swept-back bar because once I raise the seat up a bit for good leg extension I am leaning down a lot. (6'1") So a fair amount of weight is transferred to my arms. I have looked and I don't see how I could adjust the current bars to be closer to me unless I missed it.
• Twice now on charging after a ride (yes, I let the bike cool for an hour before charging) it stopped charging in the 80% range and charger went green and shutdown. Last time I unplugged for 15 minutes, came back, plugged it in and it stayed green and didn't charge bike anymore. I fully unplugged/plugged in the entire charger and let bike sit for 3 hours and it stayed at roughly 80%. However after riding it down to about 40%, the next charging went right up to 100% and 54.6 or whatever volts. Not sure what's happening here.
  • Yes, I realize charging to roughly 80% extends the life of the battery and unless I am going on a long ride my target is roughly 80-90% charge. However the times above, I intended to get a full charge and it didn't happen.

Finally, a few things to watch out for

• Was about done with a nice long ride thru some trails, including some easy forest trails downhill and kept feeling 'looseness' in the front' Finally stopped and noticed my front quick-release had 'released'. I know it was tightened up days earlier but the wheel was just hanging out, waiting on my to screw-up. UGH!
  • LESSON: Check these - Be careful to work to get proper tension so they stay in the close position but check them every ride or two.
• Next day or so- Noticed my kick-stand was loose. Both bolts loose, front one about out.
  • LESSON: I then put the bike on my hoist and gave it a complete check-over for every bolt and connection I could find. Aside from the headlight (my fault with front fender install) most of the rest appeared good. As everyone here on the forum says - CHECK YOUR BIKE before you ride! I got soo lucky with that front wheel, wow.

I agree with you WW on the quick releases-check em, you never know. As far as your throttle, I dont think it matters what gear you are in when you apply throttle, you are going to get the same effort from your back hub...

 

[theemartymac]

An update to my original post. Hit 200 miles today and here are few additional observations.

• Ride quality - Still loving it, although I still think it takes a lot of force for the seatpost to actually flex and provide some shock absorption.
• Shifting - Was missing some gears on occasion, did a slight tweak to the derailleur and all is well now. Considering a larger front chainring to help with high speed cruising.
• Power and drivetrain - Good power and all the speed I want. Mostly using pedal assist now, with the occasional throttle bump at a few large intersections to keep up with traffic.
  • Like Ahicks pointed out, off-the-line the pedal assist comes on a bit too strong. Going to re-program that to smooth it out a bit when time allows, likely Jan-Feb when weather turns a bit bad and I get the itch.
• Headlight - I find it a bit weak. I would like to stick with the wired light (powered from bike battery) and wondering if anyone is considering an upgrade?
• Family - My son loves it and has put in around 50+ miles. My wife and Daughter both enjoy it, but also find the bike a bit too large. They are both 5'8".
  • The family dog, a rescue hound mix LOVES to race with the bike. He has clocked in at 23+ mph as he has some greyhound in him and he can scoot! Off the line, I have to pedal hard and hit the throttle as he leaves me in the dust for the first 50 yards or so. Pretty cool watching him switch into that high-speed greyhound stride as I catch up and sloooowwlly pass him.
• Commuter vehicle to tennis matches - Outstanding. I picked up the Topeak DXP trunkback with velcro straps and strapped it right in. My racquets fit, ball can fits, towel, drinks and a small foldable bag all secure well and travel well. Great fun to get to the matches with a light warmup.
  • Somehow, this has not helped my tennis game. Really thought I would win more matches due to the bike factor, but sadly no, results about the same. Perhaps if I ride the bike onto the court and try to intimidate the opponents (you know, like I am such an athlete I can ride my bike to the match, beat you and ride home) that might work. Hmm.....doubtful.
• Bottle cage - Replaced the Rize freebie with a best seller at Amazon and very happy with that.

Here are some newbie things I just don't understand or get

• When I do use throttle, just for the fun or heck of it, should I shift? Does it matter what gear? I have not done any tests, but does the gear determine top speed via throttle? I watched some videos of folks using pure throttle for a number of minutes and they were switching gears. Seems to me 4th or 5th gear is pretty good from very low to high-speed so why are they shifting on a pure-throttle only video? What am I missing?
• I put a bit of grease on the seatpost. Not sure I should have done that. Seat stays put vertically but swivels left/right a bit under pressure. Perhaps I took the Park-tool dudes too literally when they said grease everything. (or that is what I thought I heard)
• For some of my longer rides, my hands and arms get a bit tired, especially my wrists. Likely need to add some extensions or perhaps a more swept-back bar because once I raise the seat up a bit for good leg extension I am leaning down a lot. (6'1") So a fair amount of weight is transferred to my arms. I have looked and I don't see how I could adjust the current bars to be closer to me unless I missed it.
• Twice now on charging after a ride (yes, I let the bike cool for an hour before charging) it stopped charging in the 80% range and charger went green and shutdown. Last time I unplugged for 15 minutes, came back, plugged it in and it stayed green and didn't charge bike anymore. I fully unplugged/plugged in the entire charger and let bike sit for 3 hours and it stayed at roughly 80%. However after riding it down to about 40%, the next charging went right up to 100% and 54.6 or whatever volts. Not sure what's happening here.
  • Yes, I realize charging to roughly 80% extends the life of the battery and unless I am going on a long ride my target is roughly 80-90% charge. However the times above, I intended to get a full charge and it didn't happen.

Finally, a few things to watch out for

• Was about done with a nice long ride thru some trails, including some easy forest trails downhill and kept feeling 'looseness' in the front' Finally stopped and noticed my front quick-release had 'released'. I know it was tightened up days earlier but the wheel was just hanging out, waiting on my to screw-up. UGH!
  • LESSON: Check these - Be careful to work to get proper tension so they stay in the close position but check them every ride or two.
• Next day or so- Noticed my kick-stand was loose. Both bolts loose, front one about out.
  • LESSON: I then put the bike on my hoist and gave it a complete check-over for every bolt and connection I could find. Aside from the headlight (my fault with front fender install) most of the rest appeared good. As everyone here on the forum says - CHECK YOUR BIKE before you ride! I got soo lucky with that front wheel, wow.

Just a few thoughts for you:

1. I assume you know you can adjust the seat post stiffness inside the seat tube right? It takes an allen key. Thread counter clockwise to soften it up.
2. For the headlight, you can upgrade. The one that comes on the RX Pro is significantly better. 3rd party options are better still. I bought one similar to this to supplement (2 beam model), and it works quite well on my RX for very cheap. No internal battery, just powers off the bike battery, and gives a nice wider spread to illuminate the trails edges. https://www.lightinthebox.com/en/p/...g-caving-everyday_p6563348.html?prm=1.3.55.11
3. The hub drive is unaffected by the gear. Selecting a "matching" gear for your speed only serves to allow you to keep pace if you want, or use the PAS to maintain your speed once you get to your target. It is nice to be in the right gear to apply a little leg power instantly if you need it for a hill, or want to back off the throttle for a bit.
4. If you ride throttle only, just be aware that if you drop too low in speed with a high assist setting or throttle input (like on a steep hill), you can overheat the hub in a couple of short minutes. Can do damage if you do it repeatedly. Just something to keep in mind, and teach the kids so they don't fry your hub. The overtemp cutoff in the RX works well (I can tell you from experience), but the resistance once it faults out makes the bike very hard to pedal until it cools down.
5. I'm 6' and also plan to adapt the bars in time. Same issues, which I have partially rectified with bar ends for variable grip positions, but ultimately new bars will provide a better fit.
6. I found all the bolts needed re-tightening up to the first 1000km. My RX was factory assembled in Van, and I had loose creaky cranks at 200km, lost a fender nut at 300km, and just did a full overhaul at 1000km, and found a number of additional loose ones. Any that come loose again will get some locktite.
7. The Rize stock chargers seem marginal. I have 2 rize bikes and one charger melted on the first use (fan didn't work - they replaced it within 3 days). I also find the charge level is slightly inconsistent. I'm ordering a Grin Satiator for the house, and will relegate the stock chargers to occasional travel use.

 

[Kevin8tor]

An update to my original post. Hit 200 miles today and here are few additional observations.

• Ride quality - Still loving it, although I still think it takes a lot of force for the seatpost to actually flex and provide some shock absorption.
• Shifting - Was missing some gears on occasion, did a slight tweak to the derailleur and all is well now. Considering a larger front chainring to help with high speed cruising.
• Power and drivetrain - Good power and all the speed I want. Mostly using pedal assist now, with the occasional throttle bump at a few large intersections to keep up with traffic.
  • Like Ahicks pointed out, off-the-line the pedal assist comes on a bit too strong. Going to re-program that to smooth it out a bit when time allows, likely Jan-Feb when weather turns a bit bad and I get the itch.
• Headlight - I find it a bit weak. I would like to stick with the wired light (powered from bike battery) and wondering if anyone is considering an upgrade?
• Family - My son loves it and has put in around 50+ miles. My wife and Daughter both enjoy it, but also find the bike a bit too large. They are both 5'8".
  • The family dog, a rescue hound mix LOVES to race with the bike. He has clocked in at 23+ mph as he has some greyhound in him and he can scoot! Off the line, I have to pedal hard and hit the throttle as he leaves me in the dust for the first 50 yards or so. Pretty cool watching him switch into that high-speed greyhound stride as I catch up and sloooowwlly pass him.
• Commuter vehicle to tennis matches - Outstanding. I picked up the Topeak DXP trunkback with velcro straps and strapped it right in. My racquets fit, ball can fits, towel, drinks and a small foldable bag all secure well and travel well. Great fun to get to the matches with a light warmup.
  • Somehow, this has not helped my tennis game. Really thought I would win more matches due to the bike factor, but sadly no, results about the same. Perhaps if I ride the bike onto the court and try to intimidate the opponents (you know, like I am such an athlete I can ride my bike to the match, beat you and ride home) that might work. Hmm.....doubtful.
• Bottle cage - Replaced the Rize freebie with a best seller at Amazon and very happy with that.

Here are some newbie things I just don't understand or get

• When I do use throttle, just for the fun or heck of it, should I shift? Does it matter what gear? I have not done any tests, but does the gear determine top speed via throttle? I watched some videos of folks using pure throttle for a number of minutes and they were switching gears. Seems to me 4th or 5th gear is pretty good from very low to high-speed so why are they shifting on a pure-throttle only video? What am I missing?
• I put a bit of grease on the seatpost. Not sure I should have done that. Seat stays put vertically but swivels left/right a bit under pressure. Perhaps I took the Park-tool dudes too literally when they said grease everything. (or that is what I thought I heard)
• For some of my longer rides, my hands and arms get a bit tired, especially my wrists. Likely need to add some extensions or perhaps a more swept-back bar because once I raise the seat up a bit for good leg extension I am leaning down a lot. (6'1") So a fair amount of weight is transferred to my arms. I have looked and I don't see how I could adjust the current bars to be closer to me unless I missed it.
• Twice now on charging after a ride (yes, I let the bike cool for an hour before charging) it stopped charging in the 80% range and charger went green and shutdown. Last time I unplugged for 15 minutes, came back, plugged it in and it stayed green and didn't charge bike anymore. I fully unplugged/plugged in the entire charger and let bike sit for 3 hours and it stayed at roughly 80%. However after riding it down to about 40%, the next charging went right up to 100% and 54.6 or whatever volts. Not sure what's happening here.
  • Yes, I realize charging to roughly 80% extends the life of the battery and unless I am going on a long ride my target is roughly 80-90% charge. However the times above, I intended to get a full charge and it didn't happen.

Finally, a few things to watch out for

• Was about done with a nice long ride thru some trails, including some easy forest trails downhill and kept feeling 'looseness' in the front' Finally stopped and noticed my front quick-release had 'released'. I know it was tightened up days earlier but the wheel was just hanging out, waiting on my to screw-up. UGH!
  • LESSON: Check these - Be careful to work to get proper tension so they stay in the close position but check them every ride or two.
• Next day or so- Noticed my kick-stand was loose. Both bolts loose, front one about out.
  • LESSON: I then put the bike on my hoist and gave it a complete check-over for every bolt and connection I could find. Aside from the headlight (my fault with front fender install) most of the rest appeared good. As everyone here on the forum says - CHECK YOUR BIKE before you ride! I got soo lucky with that front wheel, wow.

Your RX has QR front axle? Mine does not. What about the rear, is that QR, too?

 

[WildWillie]

Just a few thoughts for you:

1. I assume you know you can adjust the seat post stiffness inside the seat tube right? It takes an allen key. Thread counter clockwise to soften it up.
2. For the headlight, you can upgrade. The one that comes on the RX Pro is significantly better. 3rd party options are better still. I bought one similar to this to supplement (2 beam model), and it works quite well on my RX for very cheap. No internal battery, just powers off the bike battery, and gives a nice wider spread to illuminate the trails edges. https://www.lightinthebox.com/en/p/...g-caving-everyday_p6563348.html?prm=1.3.55.11
3. The hub drive is unaffected by the gear. Selecting a "matching" gear for your speed only serves to allow you to keep pace if you want, or use the PAS to maintain your speed once you get to your target. It is nice to be in the right gear to apply a little leg power instantly if you need it for a hill, or want to back off the throttle for a bit.
4. If you ride throttle only, just be aware that if you drop too low in speed with a high assist setting or throttle input (like on a steep hill), you can overheat the hub in a couple of short minutes. Can do damage if you do it repeatedly. Just something to keep in mind, and teach the kids so they don't fry your hub. The overtemp cutoff in the RX works well (I can tell you from experience), but the resistance once it faults out makes the bike very hard to pedal until it cools down.
5. I'm 6' and also plan to adapt the bars in time. Same issues, which I have partially rectified with bar ends for variable grip positions, but ultimately new bars will provide a better fit.
6. I found all the bolts needed re-tightening up to the first 1000km. My RX was factory assembled in Van, and I had loose creaky cranks at 200km, lost a fender nut at 300km, and just did a full overhaul at 1000km, and found a number of additional loose ones. Any that come loose again will get some locktite.
7. The Rize stock chargers seem marginal. I have 2 rize bikes and one charger melted on the first use (fan didn't work - they replaced it within 3 days). I also find the charge level is slightly inconsistent. I'm ordering a Grin Satiator for the house, and will relegate the stock chargers to occasional travel use.

Thanks themartymac! - #1 - Nope - Totally missed that but I will check. I should have pulled the specs up, my bad and thanks for the pointer! #2 - Thanks for the info and link. #3-6 - Appreciate the info. #7- Thanks - I think I just found my Christmas wish list item with the Grin Satiator!

 

[WildWillie]

Thanks themartymac! - #1 - Nope - Totally missed that but I will check. I should have pulled the specs up, my bad and thanks for the pointer! #2 - Thanks for the info and link. #3-6 - Appreciate the info. #7- Thanks - I think I just found my Christmas wish list item with the Grin Satiator!

Your RX has QR front axle? Mine does not. What about the rear, is that QR, too?

Yes, unless I am confused. Trying to attach a picture. QR's on the front and back. I have the Rize RX. Not the pro.

 

[Kevin8tor]

Interesting, and disappointing for me that mine doesn't.

 

[AHicks]

Yup, my RX Pro has the quick releases front and rear too. Not that I think they're that big a deal. Would be different if I was pulling the front to transport or something.

I'm just coming up on my 4th charge at well over 100 miles now. There was one charge, the second I think, where the fully charged battery voltage seemed to drop pretty quickly. This isn't THAT unusual when you consider the battery isn't really broken in yet, where the individual cells are all equalized. That's going to take several charges - where the charger is left on well after the green light turns on. Mine stays on overnight, and will keep doing that for a few more charges at least to make sure the pack has enough time to fully equalize. And yes, I'm aware the instructions tell you not to do that. I think maybe there's some concern from the legal department, but there's no mention of this need to make sure those cells get equalized on a new battery pack either. 2 strikes when it comes to fully informing new owners as far as I'm concerned....

 

[tarhead]

An update to my original post. Hit 200 miles today and here are few additional observations.

• Ride quality - Still loving it, although I still think it takes a lot of force for the seatpost to actually flex and provide some shock absorption.
• Shifting - Was missing some gears on occasion, did a slight tweak to the derailleur and all is well now. Considering a larger front chainring to help with high speed cruising.
• Power and drivetrain - Good power and all the speed I want. Mostly using pedal assist now, with the occasional throttle bump at a few large intersections to keep up with traffic.
  • Like Ahicks pointed out, off-the-line the pedal assist comes on a bit too strong. Going to re-program that to smooth it out a bit when time allows, likely Jan-Feb when weather turns a bit bad and I get the itch.
• Headlight - I find it a bit weak. I would like to stick with the wired light (powered from bike battery) and wondering if anyone is considering an upgrade?
• Family - My son loves it and has put in around 50+ miles. My wife and Daughter both enjoy it, but also find the bike a bit too large. They are both 5'8".
  • The family dog, a rescue hound mix LOVES to race with the bike. He has clocked in at 23+ mph as he has some greyhound in him and he can scoot! Off the line, I have to pedal hard and hit the throttle as he leaves me in the dust for the first 50 yards or so. Pretty cool watching him switch into that high-speed greyhound stride as I catch up and sloooowwlly pass him.
• Commuter vehicle to tennis matches - Outstanding. I picked up the Topeak DXP trunkback with velcro straps and strapped it right in. My racquets fit, ball can fits, towel, drinks and a small foldable bag all secure well and travel well. Great fun to get to the matches with a light warmup.
  • Somehow, this has not helped my tennis game. Really thought I would win more matches due to the bike factor, but sadly no, results about the same. Perhaps if I ride the bike onto the court and try to intimidate the opponents (you know, like I am such an athlete I can ride my bike to the match, beat you and ride home) that might work. Hmm.....doubtful.
• Bottle cage - Replaced the Rize freebie with a best seller at Amazon and very happy with that.

Here are some newbie things I just don't understand or get

• When I do use throttle, just for the fun or heck of it, should I shift? Does it matter what gear? I have not done any tests, but does the gear determine top speed via throttle? I watched some videos of folks using pure throttle for a number of minutes and they were switching gears. Seems to me 4th or 5th gear is pretty good from very low to high-speed so why are they shifting on a pure-throttle only video? What am I missing?
• I put a bit of grease on the seatpost. Not sure I should have done that. Seat stays put vertically but swivels left/right a bit under pressure. Perhaps I took the Park-tool dudes too literally when they said grease everything. (or that is what I thought I heard)
• For some of my longer rides, my hands and arms get a bit tired, especially my wrists. Likely need to add some extensions or perhaps a more swept-back bar because once I raise the seat up a bit for good leg extension I am leaning down a lot. (6'1") So a fair amount of weight is transferred to my arms. I have looked and I don't see how I could adjust the current bars to be closer to me unless I missed it.
• Twice now on charging after a ride (yes, I let the bike cool for an hour before charging) it stopped charging in the 80% range and charger went green and shutdown. Last time I unplugged for 15 minutes, came back, plugged it in and it stayed green and didn't charge bike anymore. I fully unplugged/plugged in the entire charger and let bike sit for 3 hours and it stayed at roughly 80%. However after riding it down to about 40%, the next charging went right up to 100% and 54.6 or whatever volts. Not sure what's happening here.
  • Yes, I realize charging to roughly 80% extends the life of the battery and unless I am going on a long ride my target is roughly 80-90% charge. However the times above, I intended to get a full charge and it didn't happen.

Finally, a few things to watch out for

• Was about done with a nice long ride thru some trails, including some easy forest trails downhill and kept feeling 'looseness' in the front' Finally stopped and noticed my front quick-release had 'released'. I know it was tightened up days earlier but the wheel was just hanging out, waiting on my to screw-up. UGH!
  • LESSON: Check these - Be careful to work to get proper tension so they stay in the close position but check them every ride or two.
• Next day or so- Noticed my kick-stand was loose. Both bolts loose, front one about out.
  • LESSON: I then put the bike on my hoist and gave it a complete check-over for every bolt and connection I could find. Aside from the headlight (my fault with front fender install) most of the rest appeared good. As everyone here on the forum says - CHECK YOUR BIKE before you ride! I got soo lucky with that front wheel, wow.

Just a couple of tips:

• The quick release lever should leave an imprint in the heel of your palm when you clamp it; an old trick from my bike shop days. Also good to try to keep the lever parallel to the front fork or seat stays in the back to reduce chance that it will hook on something and loosen up.
• As far as gear choice, think of it like this. A hub drive motor functions independently of the crank and chain; it's analogous to having someone run along beside you, giving you a push. The mid-drive motor is like riding a tandem where the stoker also exerts effort through the cranks and chain. A 225 lb rider, standing full weight on a 170mm crank parallel to the ground exerts about 204 N-m of torque on the crank set; in the same ballpark as the new Bafang Ultra drives that Rize uses at 180 N-m. In a high gear, that force pulls hard on the chain, in a low gear, there is less stress on the chain. You can see this effect by trying to pedal from a standstill in both high and low gears without using the motor assist. I thinks it's best to start in a low gear to reduce stress on your drive train then gradually shift to higher gears as speed builds. Likewise, going up hill, best to downshift much as you would riding a non-electric bike.

Safe and happy riding!

 

[AHicks]

Guys, just a quick update on my RX Pro at about 175 miles now.
I swapped the original Kenda 26x4 knobby tires for Origin 8 street tires. Nice tires, some fine tuning of psi dialed out most of the self steering issues. Nice tires overall though. They have a massive look, and they feel heavy, much like the standard knobbies.

Not entirely happy with the Origins, this morning I swapped those tires for some 26x3.00 Kenda Flame street tires. I like these way better. They look great on the stock 4" rims, they ride as good as the Origins on gravel, and there's much less rolling resistance. All else being equal, I can ride in the next tallest gear now - so "noticeable difference" is kind of an understatement. Noteworthy, is though they are very easy to get on the rim when mounting, extreme care must be taken so you don't blow them right off while inflating. Bead must be watched very carefully while bringing the pressure up in maybe 5-10psi steps.

You've likely figured out I'm a "tuner/tinkerer" at heart by now. That in mind, I swapped the stock Bafang DPC18 display (which works fine) for a Bafang 750C display. It was a plug and play swap and I found a deal on a new one. I like the horizontal setup better, with the side by side speed and watt meters. It reminds me of my old muscle and sport cars with the side by side speedo and tach. The watt meter itself is the other attraction. It offers MUCH better resolution for those wanting/needing to know how many watts the motor is pulling at any given time. The DPC18 is very difficult/impossible to tell if it's pulling 100w or 250w for instance. The 750C can tell you within just a few watts. It does jump around a bit, so if something like that would make you crazy, stay away. A good idea of exactly what it's pulling is important to me as I base what gear I'm in and what PAS level to use based on watt usage - not to mention input for ideas on controller programming. This will let me be more precise there for sure.

Hope others are enjoying their new ride as much as I'm enjoying this one!
Stay healthy! -Al

 

[theemartymac]

Guys, just a quick update on my RX Pro at about 175 miles now.
I swapped the original Kenda 26x4 knobby tires for Origin 8 street tires. Nice tires, some fine tuning of psi dialed out most of the self steering issues. Nice tires overall though. They have a massive look, and they feel heavy, much like the standard knobbies.

Not entirely happy with the Origins, this morning I swapped those tires for some 26x3.00 Kenda Flame street tires. I like these way better. They look great on the stock 4" rims, they ride as good as the Origins on gravel, and there's much less rolling resistance. All else being equal, I can ride in the next tallest gear now - so "noticeable difference" is kind of an understatement. Noteworthy, is though they are very easy to get on the rim when mounting, extreme care must be taken so you don't blow them right off while inflating. Bead must be watched very carefully while bringing the pressure up in maybe 5-10psi steps.

You've likely figured out I'm a "tuner/tinkerer" at heart by now. That in mind, I swapped the stock Bafang DPC18 display (which works fine) for a Bafang 750C display. It was a plug and play swap and I found a deal on a new one. I like the horizontal setup better, with the side by side speed and watt meters. It reminds me of my old muscle and sport cars with the side by side speedo and tach. The watt meter itself is the other attraction. It offers MUCH better resolution for those wanting/needing to know how many watts the motor is pulling at any given time. The DPC18 is very difficult/impossible to tell if it's pulling 100w or 250w for instance. The 750C can tell you within just a few watts. It does jump around a bit, so if something like that would make you crazy, stay away. A good idea of exactly what it's pulling is important to me as I base what gear I'm in and what PAS level to use based on watt usage - not to mention input for ideas on controller programming. This will let me be more precise there for sure.

Hope others are enjoying their new ride as much as I'm enjoying this one!
Stay healthy! -Al

This thread is useless without pics!

(But seriously, please?)