Rode the BionX for the first time

[Berry78]

So far I have only tried 3 ebikes.... 2 Pedegos and a hybrid? bike equipped with a 500w Bionx kit.

Loved the Bionx, although couldn't try it out on a hill. The Pedegos didn't feel quite as natural to me. Didn't ride the Pedegos long though, just around the block.

Can't wait for the DC expo!

Edited to add:

The Pedegos rode like I was sitting on a pillow, kinda floating. Super comfortable, but disconcerting. I am accustomed to feeling more grounded.

The Bionx bike was kinda the opposite. It had fairly narrow tires and no suspension. Found I needed to stand up when going over minor bumps. The actual bionx system felt wonderful. Fast response, plenty of power....I was riding a bike, but the motor took the leg-burning, breathless part away. The Pedego felt quite foreign, like hardly a bike at all. But then, I have only owned hybrid bikes (like the Giant Sedona). I haven't owned cruisers or mountain bikes. But then, I kinda hate my hybrid bikes because they hurt my hands/wrists.

Time to really try out various frame configurations to figure out my ideal setup before worrying too much about the electric aspect.

 

[Berry78]

Good to hear that you're able to get some hands on with those demos.

I'm curious as to which BionX drive you demoed. Was it the D500?

Sorry, yeah. D500. Wished for a hill to try it out on, but smooth as silk on the flat. I weigh 300lbs, and felt the motor wasn't struggling a bit, in fact, had it on the hardest gear just about the whole time and assist level 3. Realized later should have lowered the gear, then probably wouldn't have needed the higher assist.

 

[Berry78]

Thank you very much! You have given me much food for thought. Yes, indeed, I have some very steep hills to get home.

@JayVee, were you able to try the mountain mode? Assuming it would give enough power after the start, maybe standing on the pedals would get it started. ??

Fortunately the hills around me don't tend to have stops in the middle, at least not the steep ones.

I like the idea of the parking garage, cool! Oh, and yeah, it was the G2 that I tried. Kit on random demo bike.

My LBS brought in a Trek with Shimano Steps to rent out. Gonna try that out for half a day tomorrow. Not holding out too much hope because saw someone else say it is a really noisy drive. I will frequently be riding in quiet areas and am sensitive to noise, so a quiet system is extremely high on my priority list.

Some of Court's noisy reviews make me cringe

 

[Berry78]

Wow, the difference is crazy! Thanks for posting these. Definitely have to take this into consideration...

The rain hasn't stopped yet, so haven't taken that test ride.

 

[Jewel]

I commute to work 6.4 miles each way and the last mile coming home are very steep hills. Pitch runs 15-22% with a short stretch that levels out a bit. My D500 on an old Obed frame eats it up and gives this me a great workout. Priceless.