SoCal riders needed to test new e-bikes between 3/17 - 3/25

[Acey]

Hello everyone. My name is Mark Schlautman and I'm starting a new e-bike company, Acey DC E-Bikes. After nine months of meeting with component manufacturers and tweaking designs, I finally received the first prototypes of each of the four models I will be introducing in May/June.

Now I need to get some real-world feedback, so I'm reaching out to any local riders who would like to stop by and take the bikes for a ride in exchange for honest opinions. While I will value the feedback of experienced riders, I'd also love for anyone who's considering an e-bike to come by and take them for a spin. I live by Canyon Park with a mix of dirt and paved trails that connect to Talbert Regional Park, the Santa Ana River Trail and the beach, so a great place to ride.

I don't have a website yet, so here's the basics: two beach cruisers (high bar and step thru) and two commuters (high bar and step thru). All bikes are powered by 500W geared hub motors and 48V systems and feature bottom bracket torque sensor and full color display.

If you are interested, message me and we'll set up a date and time for you to come by. Thanks in advance for your interest!

MJS

 

[Nova Haibike]

I wish I was in SoCal so I could help you out (and have fun doing it!) I like the name, but who is Acey? The model names don't match the company name. Anyway, good luck!

 

[Acey]

I know about the model names. They painted the bikes and asked if I wanted decals on them before the clear coat was applied. I designed those in about 15 minutes, inadvertently naming the Tailwind the same as a Schwinn e-bike. LOL No wonder it sounded familiar!

Just out of curiosity, what types of names do you think tie into the brand better? I'm targeting Boomers and Gen X (my ilk) and had been thinking of naming them after NASA missions and rockets - Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Saturn, Juno, Delta, Challenger, Discovery. Just don't suggest AC/DC songs or band members. Nobody wants to ride a Highway to Hell or Angus e-bike. LOL

 

[Nova Haibike]

To be honest, I know zippo about AC/DC and their songs, but I did look up some of the album names. I didn't suggest anything 'cause I wondered if you might get into legal trouble doing so. LOL. But what is wrong with Angus for a bike name?!

Perhaps with a name like Acey DC, the models should be the Edison, the Telsa, the GE, and the Westinghouse. LOL.

 

[MisterM]

I know about the model names. They painted the bikes and asked if I wanted decals on them before the clear coat was applied. I designed those in about 15 minutes, inadvertently naming the Tailwind the same as a Schwinn e-bike. LOL No wonder it sounded familiar!

Just out of curiosity, what types of names do you think tie into the brand better? I'm targeting Boomers and Gen X (my ilk) and had been thinking of naming them after NASA missions and rockets - Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Saturn, Juno, Delta, Challenger, Discovery. Just don't suggest AC/DC songs or band members. Nobody wants to ride a Highway to Hell or Angus e-bike. LOL

I'd ride a Highway to Hell ebike Where are the batteries mounted on the Tailwind? Not a fan of the rack-mounted batteries. Just about obsolete on all but the cheapest bikes.

Not sure what you can offer with those bikes that a dozen other Chinese-rebrands haven't done already? Crowded space already, isn't it?

Avoid NASA names - too many of their rockets exploded. How about planets/stars? Or Greek mythology?

 

[harryS]

Hard to tell if there is a throttle. Couldn't see any. Class I then? No front derailleurs?

Might appeal to the geezers who haven't ridden a bike in decades. I'm a geezer by the way. The frame designers sure didn't skimp on metal. They look solid. Cheap bell though. Nothing sounds better than a bell with the rotating strikers inside.

Rack mount batteries aren't so bad. Only about 8-9 pounds these days. OK for a cruiser ridden at 14 mph, and you can get the cost down.

 

[Acey]

Harry, currently the commuter bikes have half twist throttles and the cruisers have thumb throttles on the left side. They are class 2 and easily hit 20 MPH uphill. The cruisers and step-thru are currently 7-speed, but I'm already planning to change to Deore 10 speed components to match the high-bar commuter and improve pedalling at higher speeds.

The cruisers are my entry level models and will be priced accordingly. I'm 57 and never thought I'd like the cruiser (I built the high-bar commuter to suit my own tastes), but I have to admit the upright seating and cushioned ride feels good after logging tons of time and miles on the commuters. They're also more fun if you like to look around while you ride and the bottom bracket torque sensor makes all that weight move effortlessly. They are the favorites in the neighborhood. I'm currently discussing a different iteration of the cruisers with changed battery placement for 2019 - as well as a new commuter with a Bosch mid-drive.

All bikes are aluminum, but the front forks on the cruisers are steel for vibration absorption. The bells were a "surprise" gift from the factory and did not make the grade. I'm actually looking at an electronic bell that also has a super bright flashing light to alert people when you pass. The photos were taken as they were being unboxed, so the batteries on the commuters are not shown, but they are in the frame on the down tube. I'll attach a photo.

Mister M, these are not Chinese re-brands, but custom built from frame selection to completion over nine months. I spent three days at Interbike meeting with component manufacturers, builders and industry experts. I hand selected almost every component on each bike. When I added Bafang bottom bracket torque sensors, engineers from Bafang spent two days with "my" engineers then returned to their factory and made torque sensors specific to my bikes. It required a controller and display upgrade and caused a six week production delay, but that $100+ investment per bike shows the level of customization and lengths I went through to build a high quality bike packed with "high-end" features and functions. BTW, here's an easy way to see if a bike is a rebrand: drag your fingernail across the paint by a sticker or decal. Is it on the outside of the paint? If so, higher probability it's a rebrand that had a sticker applied after it was built and painted. On better quality bikes like mine, the frames are painted, decals applied and then painted over with a UV clear coat to protect and preserve the paint and colors. Initially I was using reflective materials on areas of the frame, but the clear coat eliminates the effectiveness of every variation we tested. Instead, I include a sheet of color-coded reflective stickers in the box so people can apply them to the frames or their helmet or jacket... Safety is a big deal to me.

There are a few things in the photos that are not accurate for production. The tires in the photos are wrong and will be swapped when the correct tires arrive: 30 MPH e-bike rated 2.2" Kenda Kwick Drumlin KS+ (http://bicycle.kendatire.com/en-us/find-a-tire/bicycle/commuter/kwick-drumlin/). They are grippy in wet and dry, fast rolling and extremely durable and flat resistant. They are new and they had to manufacture my samples, which should arrive in two weeks. The cruisers do not show the powerful front lights. The high-bar commuter shows Tektro Dorado (E-715) disc brakes because it was originally going to be a speed pedelec. The brakes will be downgraded one level to hydraulic e-brakes designed for stopping at 20 mph instead of 30mph. Also the Venture (high-bar commuter) does not show the Suntour SP12 NCX suspension seat post. Other things like paint scheme, stickers and names will be changed and improved now that I have the prototypes to play with and test.

I will list the prices after I've gathered input from some riders. I don't want price bias to inflate or detract from the feedback I receive. To be honest, I'm not doing this to promote sales. I just want some riders to give me some honest opinions. When it's time for sales, I'll post a limited-time EBR only price under "Crowd Funding" in the forums and invite Court to come and ride for a couple days. I hope to place my first production order in the next 2-3 weeks and will not offer pre-sales until the order is placed and delivery is guaranteed. As part of the EBR special price, I'm trying to arrange to also offer custom color selection on orders placed prior to frame painting.

Sorry for the long post and the defensive tone of some passages. I'm very passionate about what I do and extremely proud of the e-bikes I personally created. This business has been humbling as I've had to dispel my own bias and myths concerning the quality of "Chinese" bikes. The bottom line is that the brand controls the quality of the bike they sell, not the factory that assembles them. If a brand doesn't care about anything but profit, you probably won't be happy with your purchase. Me? I started this business because I was frustrated that the features I wanted were only on bikes out of my price range. To be sure, I'm not trying to be Mercedes, but Toyota. Reliable. Dependable. Long lasting. High value to cost ratio.

mjs

 

[harryS]

Wishing you success at this, Mark.

 

[AguassissiM]

@Acey
Wish i lived closer than 4204 km to Canyon Park to go for a test ride.
Like all your designs especially the Eclipse Cruiser.
Wish you all the best and i`ll keep an eye out for the final pricing.
Will you ship to Canada? Thank you Mark.

 

[Acey]

I'll have hazmat approval for North America, so yes! I will be offering free shipping to the lower 48 and would have to check into pricing and regulations for your location. I'd certainly pay part of the shipping up to the maximum I pay for U.S. shipping. Ride safe!

 

[Acey]

Thank you to all for your support and to those who were able to come by and brave the horrible weather to ride in the wind tunnel, aka, my neighborhood. Thank you also for your insights and especially the kind words. The most common comment (after how cute our Aussiedoodle is) concerned the gearing on the 7-speed models. I discovered that right away as well, so I just got off Skype, finalized pricing and ordered 8-speed cassettes and components on the bikes. The production process starts in two weeks (after Qingming Festival). That puts the first order of all four models at the port in early June. Stay tuned...