ST1 Elite vs Platinum

[Admin]

Hi Glenn, I think Gus and JoePah above made some great points. For ebikes that rely on torque sensing only (without input from pedal cadence and wheel speed) you may experience and inconsistent ride if one of your feet can't actually provide torque. The motor may end up pulsating as the active foot pushes and the other foot coasts along.

Consider the IZIP Dash as Gus mentioned because it has three sensors (torque, cadence and speed) and note that having a throttle in addition to assist could be a huge support. It would be best to try these bikes in person and see how they respond to your ride style. One other scenario to consider... the IZIP Path+ only uses one type of sensor (cadence) but in your case that would be smoother than torque given the variation in strength from one foot to another.

Hope this helps you out, excited to hear what you end up with and more about your rides

 

[glen]

Thanks again and yes I have considered the way I will be riding as how the torque sensor works. Let me clear up my situation a little. I had cancer in my right pelvic in June of 2001. Had an "Internal Hemipelvectomy" on my right side in Nov. 2001. The Dr.s remover my right leg except for nervs and arteries. then sewed it back on. (staples) I spent just under a yr. in a hospital and then 2 yrs. in a wheel chair. I have continued doing physical therapy to this day to get stronger. I have use of my right leg now from the knee down and a little strength in my thigh. I have no right hip / pelvic / and no top of my femur. Scar tissue has formed to hold my leg on over the yrs. and with physical therapy I have built up some strength in my thigh. I have no control of my right leg as there is no hip. Yes this is a little crazy but it is where I am at.

I have tried riding a bike and can but have little strength in my right side. I owned a tandem back in 2001 and re built in but tried to ride it to soon and I had a lot of pain issues so I sold it yrs. ago. I gave my single bike away as it was to hard to sell. Now in 2014 I am stronger and believe I am ready.

I have thought this over a lot as it is a big commitment as you all know. The e bike could be my way to get back on a bike. I will let you all know how it goes as I really am grateful for all your concern and input. I ordered a ST1 Elite and with luck it could ship out next week. I will be ordering some clip in pedals to put on and then I am ready to go. Cheers to all. gp

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Thanks again and yes I have considered the way I will be riding as how the torque sensor works. Let me clear up my situation a little. I had cancer in my right pelvic in June of 2001. Had an "Internal Hemipelvectomy" on my right side in Nov. 2001. The Dr.s remover my right leg except for nervs and arteries. then sewed it back on. (staples) I spent just under a yr. in a hospital and then 2 yrs. in a wheel chair. gp

Wow, you're a very brave person, Glen. I like your super positive attitude.
Hearing your story makes my ACL+meniscus sport injury a tine one. After my knee surgery, I had to undergo physiotherapy but I think I dint do a good job at that. For almost one year, my left leg felt weak and I couldn't run fast. With ebike, its a lot easier to train my left leg. I have noticed a significant build of muscle mass with increased biking.
I have no idea what it means to walk without a right hip but I am sure you have considered all medical aspects before the purchase, because ST1 is a heavy bike. It's a fantastic bike but slightly heavy.

Post a pic when you start riding again. It will a reminder for all those who are on the verge and inspires many more to consider green ebiking. A true story of triumph of human will and technology.

Best
Ravi

 

[Admin]

Yeah, what Ravi said! Good for you getting out there Glen and working to heal and recondition yourself. I'm sure you'll have a blast on the ST1 Elite and even if you decide to get a recumbent like the Outrider or a trike or something someday at least you've got a name brand product here that will be easier to pass along (hopefully easier than your last bike). I'd also love to see some pictures of you on the new setup

 

[Brambor]

I called them Crazy Lenny today about a Platinum for my wife and they did not match the price claimed here. So I'm puzzled although not shocked.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

I called them Crazy Lenny today about a Platinum for my wife and they did not match the price claimed here. So I'm puzzled although not shocked.

Hi Brambor,
Did you speak to Len or his shop personnel?
He has 4 working for him and they tend to mention MSRP because they are not the owners.
Len is different. I can message his personal number to you if you want.

 

[Brambor]

yes please


I did not speak to Len but to one of his henchmen

 

[John2911]

Ravi, if you would, I would like Len's number as well. I am within a couple weeks of ordering a Platinum, perhaps even 2 -- one for my wife. When I am ready I will be calling to order and will not waste Len's time. Thanks.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

yes please
I did not speak to Len but to one of his henchmen

I was speaking to Len the other day and he seemed little distressed with the company he founded, later handed over to someone, completely shutdown a month back.

Also during the conversation, I asked him how he can afford to sell the bikes at a price that doesn't seem to yield profit at all, he laughed and said he just lost $12 million in cash and a lot more in assets and his ebike business is not to make money but more of a passion and hobby.

More info here:
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/lo...cle_0cbd0e61-aa47-5148-bd59-48e8b4365df0.html

Crazy Lenny and his business:
http://www.jsonline.com/business/fo...y-laments-closings-b99244331z1-255053561.html

 

[Brambor]

wow

 

[Admin]

I was speaking to Len the other day and he seemed little distressed with the company he founded, later handed over to someone, completely shutdown a month back.

Also during the conversation, I asked him how he can afford to sell the bikes at a price that doesn't seem to yield profit at all, he laughed and said he just lost $12 million in cash and a lot more in assets and his ebike business is not to make money but more of a passion and hobby.

More info here:
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/lo...cle_0cbd0e61-aa47-5148-bd59-48e8b4365df0.html

Crazy Lenny and his business:
http://www.jsonline.com/business/fo...y-laments-closings-b99244331z1-255053561.html

I can see how he got his nickname... I guess it's nice that he can offer some deals but I hope it's not hurting other dealers who are trying to make a living with electric bikes like Chris Nolte. Sounds like a rough time for him, hope he's alright.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Just like every successful businessman, Len has his humble beginnings. His brother was dying from cancer and he came to save the shop but ended up making it into a retail giant, with his hardwork. Most of his customers in Wisconsin have nothing but positive experience in his store.

[His story from back in 1980's.]

I am forever grateful to Len because, ebikes are notoriously overpriced compared to what Currie, BH Easy Motion, Stromer etc pays their Chinese/Taiwanese counterparts and Len was the only guy who helped me out when I needed most.

People like Chris or Brett are very good ebike retailers and they will always survive and thrive.
But, if ebike has to go mainstream and make an impact in the society, someone like Len needs to push it.

 

[Brambor]

it's a reality. Business is savvy to make a profit and customer can be savvy to reach the best circumstances for their purchase.

 

[Gus]

People like Chris or Brett are very good ebike retailers and they will always survive and thrive.
But, if ebike has to mainstream and make an impact in society, someone like Len needs to push it.

If there any Stromer dealers on this board, they may be able to confirm, but Stromer may require it's dealers to sell the product at a certain price point. I only say this because I was working with a dealer on the east coast (will remain nameless) who was cut off after they started selling their Stromers below MSRP - or at least that is what they told me and were trying to unload their remaining stock dirt cheap.

The wholesale prices on the the Elite ($2300) and the Platnium ($2700) is crazy compared to how much they sell for. I think Stromer is taking the Apple approach of inflating the price significantly so it's perceived as a premium product and they may want their dealers to support that. If one dealer goes rogue, it's almost impossible for other dealers to compete and stay competitive and still stay within the restrictions of the dealer agreement.

Don't get me wrong though. As a consumer, cheapest always wins so go LEN! I love his approach. In order to get the eBike's popular in the US on a large scale, they must be priced accordingly. The MSRP on Stromer's will scare away way too many potential customers.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Yes, I have spoken to him about this and he thinks its far too early to be firm on pricing.

Many people think Bose headphones are overpriced but Bose doesn't care because nothing on the market comes close to their technology.
But there are many ebike brands which offer nearly same performance (especially with Bosch plunging into the market fully).

Sales managers can't afford to lose a person like him and he makes barely $100 or so per bike but he will have gained loyal customers in the process. First when he opened the shop in March 2013, all his friends came out to support him and he sold 90 bikes the very first month.
I had called every ebike shop in the east/west coast last year asking if they were able to let go of a demo or last year's model at $2.5 K range and I just couldn't convince myself to pay $4K on a bike when I could lease a Nissan Leaf for 2 years at a cost of $4.7K.

As Gus pointed out, so many people on our campus wants to use ebikes but price is what deters them. In future, it will be interesting if Court goes to China and review bikes there. Perhaps, interview the people who make our batteries, motor etc. We get to see the other side of the coin.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Also, found a neat video overview of Stromer ST1.
Just adding some info here

 

[glen]

Hello Stromer fans;

I just received my Elite today. It came just about ready to ride unlike most bikes that need a little putting together the ST1 just needed pedals put on, tires pumped up and the handle bars tightened up. I went threw the whole bike though as I have built many a bike. It was pretty good, better than some new bikes from shops. I put clipless pedals on right away " Crank Bros Candy 3" and adjusted the rear derailleur a little. I ordered the 14ah battery and it came fully charged. Over all happy at the way it came.

I have been readying the Stromer Support web site and there are some things one can do to adjust the computer that I found interesting. Like " Set Sensor Sensitivity", "Enable/Use Boost Mode" and "Enable/Use Move Mode" I understand how to do these things but am not clear on what they actually do. Dose any one here know about the above listed? Or has any one done any of those adjustments on there ST1? I would love to talk to some one who has experience with the "Interface-Basic Setting" and how they effect the ride. I will be ridding soon and will give you all an up date on that. Hopping for some warmer weather or just some sun. It has been a long winter.

A big thanks to Ravi for the heads up on Len. His price and professional domineer made it possible to buy a ST1 where I might be still thinking about it otherwise. The bike was dropped shipped to me from BMC. I understand the whole retail price and dealers undercutting price can be a problem as I was in outdoor retail for 20 yrs. My justification is that the E-bikes are expensive and are a big risk still. They are very new to the market and have little history to back them up so I was very concerned about such a big purchase. No local dealer was willing to budge there price and Len was willing. It was a very lg. savings and I needed to buy special pedals and shoes. So I did it. Some times one has to do what one has to do. I will be buying all my parts for repairs local. The goal for me is to try to get out there and ride.
gp

[edit] attached the Stromer user manual with computer setting info, begins on page 10.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Glad to see your update Glen.

Sometime back, Chandlee from Electric Bike Specialists was talking about the exact same thing.
One can adjust the Torque sensor sensitivity and he shared a file and I'm attaching that here.
If you need any specific info, just contact them and he will certainly help you out.

Cheers

 

[Gus]

Hello Stromer fans;
Like " Set Sensor Sensitivity", "

This allows you to adjust the torque assist sensitivity. So you can play with the balance of battery range VS power. Less sensitive get more out of the battery but you'll have to put in more work. More sensitive and you'll get more electrical motor power, but battery range will take a hit. Tweak the number to get the right feel for you.

Hello Stromer fans;
"Enable/Use Boost Mode"

This is kind of like a poor mans throttle. If you have the bike in POWER mode, you can press and hold the + button and the bike will accelerate up to 12 mph with no pedaling.

Hello Stromer fans;
"Enable/Use Move Mode"

I use this feature a lot. It makes the bike accelerate along at a very slow pace based on wheel rotation. Useful when you are off the bike and just walking with it. You will not have to lug along 60 lbs of bike, since it will move itself. This feature does make the bike a bit more prone to accelerate from a stop, so always make sure you are holding the right brake lever to kill the motor power when you want to stay put.

 

[opimax]

Hi, in my riding I will use move almost anytime I am walking and remember to use but I find boost is too slow to be of much interest. It is also an uncomfortable position to hold my hand for extended periods of time from the seat. Maybe sometimes after I fall and still hurting lol

Splitting hairs on the statement you get more power when adjust the torque sensor. You cannot get more power from the same system but you can increase the level that the power comes in. More power would be a bigger motor. I am not attempting to be jerk but thought it best be said here, I was confused when I got my 1st Stromer and it was explained to me in a similar fashion so nobody is misunderstood

Mark