Got my 5.0 delivered earlier today. First thoughts:
I might have made an expensive mistake. I had a 15 min test ride on a 4.0 two weeks ago and was initially impressed but a couple of hours on my 5.0 today and I am distinctly underwhelmed at present.
Likes:
- I like the way it looks.
- Power is plenty, motor noise is not nearly as annoying as I thought it would be.
Dislikes:
- First and foremost is the saddle, I know saddles are subjective but this one is horrendous for me. my last bike had no suspension at all and I could happily sit on the WTB Volt saddle all day - the seat on the 5.0 was uncomfortable in the first 10 mins. As the rear light is connected to the seat I am not sure how easy this is to change.
- Tyres, I knew these would have to go before I got the bike, the stock ones just do not suit the bike and give it a wooden, uncomfortable ride.
- The GX Eagle 1x12 is supposedly 2 levels above the SRAM Apex 1x11 I had on my last bike but feels cheaper and the gear change is harsh and noisy - this could be setup of course.
- The brakes are also supposedly better than the SRAM Level on my last bike but again feel cheaper in both action and feel.
- The bike feels very heavy and nowhere near as light, fast, supple or enjoyable to ride as my last bike (which although not motorised was a 1/4 of the price and 5 kg lighter)
- Handlebars do not feel like the ones I had on the test ride with the 4.0 - these feel awkwardly wide and also a bit high with too much of an upsweep.
- 28 kph limit really is much too low, so much so that if you live in a relatively flat area then I just cannot see the point of the bike. I can reach that limit in half a dozen rotations on a normal bike and from then there is no assist.
- Bike does not feel well put together and I detect an annoying rattle from somewhere past the limit on the flat, I fully expect this to drive me mad in the next few weeks attempting to locate it.
Reading all that back it sounds like a bit of a vent and I suppose it is at this stage but I will counteract it with the fact that it usually it takes me a while to gel with a bike and a lot of the above is fixable I suspect in one way or another.
I didn't even mention the pedals! what I thought would be an immediate change finds itself a long way down the priority list