ST1 Platinum

[James]

Hey Court,

Having a dealer close by is a huge benefit for sure! I'm going to upgrade my 11Ah to 14.4Ah (both are 36V) because it's pretty new they'll just charge me the $300 upgrade so it was a free trial on the smaller battery. I agree with your point about the larger battery... it's just got to last longer if it's not worked to the bone every day. I'll be getting my GoPro out one of these days and I'll upload a condensed ride to work or something, and I'll be sure to take on a bear or alligator along the way!

 

[Admin]

Ha! Can't wait to see that James... Guess who else just got a GoPro and is aching to try it out! I'm also doing some special modding to reduce the wind noise that seems to plague most of my videos

 

[Aubrizzle]

Hey Aubrizzle, I haven't tried the ST2 yet but have heard little marketing blips about it being "awesome" like this one. I liked what Stromer did on their ST1 models after having tried the earlier Sport. It's nice that their prices are within reason compared to the Specialized Turbo but frankly, they aren't as feature rich or refined, so you get what you pay for. I'll be keeping my eye out for sure, some companies have shown me stuff recently that's pretty cool but then I'm asked to keep it mum until they announce. Haven't had a lot of direct contact with Stromer to date but we'll see if that changes as the ST2 launch date nears, sounds like sometime in March.

What have you heard about it?

I by chance found a stormer dealer right down the street from my house. After my test ride (awesome machine BTW ) I met the store owner and he told me some interesting things about the st2. It is supposed to have upgraded range/ power as expected, but it sounds likes stromer is gunning for companies like specialized, at least from a price point perspective. The new bike is going to be a lot more expensive. He told me there will be integrated Touch screen on the top of the down tube which will likely contain similar components as what we see on Audi ebike. It will be theft proof according to him.

But who knows, he said it's expected to release around March so I guess we will have to wait and see.

 

[James]

I was told the same thing about the increase in price and features etc. I was even going to wait until it came out, but with the price increase it didn't really matter because I wasn't gonna spend 6-7 G's on a bike!
I'm stoked to see what it looks and rides like though!!

 

[Brambor]

James, great to see your reports. This site is super to include all of the information and a chance to discuss. I am also shopping for a Stromer. Being in Maine, however, my commute won't start until about late April. My commute is 12-18 miles each way. 18 miles if I take the safer back roads as opposed to duking it out with texting drivers on a zero shoulder road. I'm 6' 240lbs. The ride will be all paved roads on rolling hills. I am planning on going for the largest battery (the 48) just to make sure I can make it to work and back. For the record I am not looking at a full assist ride. I do like to pedal and I do like to get some workout but I also understand that doing a commute like this several times per week could wear a person out so I am hoping increased uphill speed and 'erasing' hills will be a great positive boost to my commute. I also want to get the city kit and I want to get the basket they have in their city kit picture.

My first question to you is this: if you completely remove the battery and want to ride the Stromer, does it feel like a regular bicycle or do you feel some kind of resistance from the pedal assist machinery?

 

[James]

Hi Brambor,

Putting the larger battery in is a good call for a guy your size, if your hitting any hills at all. Are you going to get a 2nd charger for your office? Probably not a bad idea just to be sure.

I've never ridden the bike without a battery, but I have run out of juice, and it sucks!! The Stromers are heavy bikes. My platinum tips the scales at 60lbs (battery weighs 6?) I can tell you that without assistance you will be getting a gnarly workout.

One of the features that drew me to the ST1 was the fact I had to pedal, cause I'm with you, I want a workout too! I just didn't want to show up to work a hot mess... Well anymore a mess than normal! I'll try it without a battery this weekend and let you know how harsh it is.

Cheers,
James

 

[Brambor]

Hi James,
Thanks for answering. My second question:

Do you have to use your brakes a lot? I'm thinking about situations where you just want to go slow - does the bike accelerate too much sometimes and is the acceleration increase proportional to what program you choose i.e. Eco mode: slow acceleration - Power mode: fast acceleration ?

Thanks.

 

[James]

Hey Brambor,

I don't use them too much, but that's because my route to work doesn't warrant that much brake use. Once I get into the city then yeah I am using them a lot, which is fine since they are big hydraulic brakes that work fantastic!
If you want a leisurely cruise just put the eco mode on and you'll be loping along at whatever slow pace you like!

Cheers,
James

 

[Admin]

Thanks for the feedback James! To add a question and clarify on Brambor's point. It looks like both the Stromer ST1 Elite and ST1 Platinum employ regenerative braking. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this James because when I've used regen it seems to save the discs by just slowing the bike whenever I barely pull in on the levers.

As a follow up opinion on riding without a battery pack and the weight of the ST1 bikes specifically. These ebikes both use direct drive "gearless" rear hub motors which are heavier than gearless and can add more resistance when the bike is completely off because they still have magnets inside. This resistance would be negligible and I didn't test for it in my reviews so hard to say... Still, it's going to be a heavy bike, keep in mind most regular bikes are >= 25lbs and that's for a mountain bike. If the Stromer bikes weigh ~52lbs without a battery you're going to notice, especially when starting out and climbing hills.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

After reading so much about the Stromer St1, I really wanted to experience the ride, so I looked up the dealer info and found a BMC dealer in D.C.. voila..
Today afternoon, I took the Elite ST1 model (step-through) for an extended test ride (~45 minutes) along the waterfront in Washington D.C. This was truly a great way to experience the city.

Ride experience:

You definitely feel like a superman on this bike. Very smooth acceleration and compared to other pedal assist bikes like Pedego or Neo line of Easy Motion, this is more smoother and gives more of a gradual acceleration than immediate burst of speed.
Elite model that I rode had excellent torque and this would make it a ideal commuter bike. The bike eats hills for breakfast and it is agile to certain extent but you certainly can not say it is very nimble.
Certainly not made for rough trails because going on over bumps with 62 lbs bike is going to induce lot of momentum shifting on the body. The car version of the bike is going to be a heavy Cadillac or similar, heavy but plush ride.

The bike I rode did not have suspension and even though the carbon forks helped, I wish I had a thudbuster seatpost. Having a suspension seatpost/front suspension would really make for an excellent riding experience in city like setting.

As someone previously suggested, the bike is NOT 48 lbs, it is 62 lbs with the battery (specifications page on this and other websites confirm this). With the city kit, close to ~63 or 64 lbs.
I rode this bike in Washington D.C along the waterfront ( dealer) and I imagined myself lifting this bike on the steps, if I ever wanted to go on the metro trains. I quickly realized, it is going to be an herculean task. However, I had a great time riding this bike along the Rock Creek Park trail and the bike trails near the monuments.

Build quality

I spent good 15 minutes looking at the bike and high-quality craftsmanship is very apparent and the bike (black version) looks stealthy and very appealing.
The front side of the bike weighs very light (thanks to carbon forks) but the back side is like twice the size of Jennifer Lopez (thanks to ultrasmooth gearless motor).
Ergo grips are nice and the Magura hydraulic disk brakes are top-notch.
Schwalbe big ben tires are huge and definitely helps in curbing the stiffness of the ride.
Chain ring guard and kickstand come prebuilt and helps.

Battery and range

I started with 15% battery and after 12 miles of absolutely flat terrain riding, I had 10% left. I used the bike mostly in eco/recoup 1-2 modes. Recoup mode 2 makes pedaling a tiny bit more resistant but I gained 2% more while riding in that mode.

I also attempted riding the bike without any assistance for ~1 mile and it felt like a good workout for my legs. This could be a great way to improve muscle and bone strength but pushing 62 lbs bike without any assistance for more 5 miles will certainly tire you out.
The charger looks high-quality and can charge your battery in 4 hours (as told by the mechanic).

I really enjoyed the bike and the features it offers.

 

[Admin]

Ravi! Thank you so much for the thorough rundown on this bike, your correction on the weight and for making me laugh with "the back side is like twice the size of Jennifer Lopez". Indeed, I've done some research on the Stromer ST1 and Jennifer Lopez and both do qualify as having the proverbial "junk in their trunk".

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

That is a very visual description of the features of ST1 and Mrs.Lopez. Thank you for enlightening on that, Court. Now I know why ebikes need insurance....!!

Well, I would like to add, going over rough bumps on the Neo Jumper full suspension was like a smooth lap dance but the same thing on the Stromer ST1 was like grinding at a high school dance... God bless those souls who wish to ride this great bike without front forks or thudbuster.

Jokes aside, there are a lot of great features on this bike. If only they lowered the price point, they could flood the ebike market and create monopoly. I heard ST2 will be out in 40 days and priced similar to Specialized Turbo. Looking forward to that.

 

[James]

Lol, well that discussion went south in a hurry! Thanks for the clarification guys. Have you seen this suspension seat post by Cirrus Cycles? Looks pretty sweet but it ain't cheap! The BodyFloat suspension seat post costs $395 but uses springs instead of a rubber bumper like the Thudbuster.



Maybe it'll make it an easier ride when you go to the club!

 

[Brambor]

wow. 400 bucks for that.

 

[Aubrizzle]

After reading so much about the Stromer St1, I really wanted to experience the ride, so I looked up the dealer info and found a BMC dealer in D.C.. voila..
Today afternoon, I took the Elite ST1 model (step-through) for an extended test ride (~45 minutes) along the waterfront in Washington D.C. This was truly a great way to experience the city.

Ride experience:

You definitely feel like a superman on this bike. Very smooth acceleration and compared to other pedal assist bikes like Pedego or Neo line of Easy Motion, this is more smoother and gives more of a gradual acceleration than immediate burst of speed.
Elite model that I rode had excellent torque and this would make it a ideal commuter bike. The bike eats hills for breakfast and it is agile to certain extent but you certainly can not say it is very nimble.
Certainly not made for rough trails because going on over bumps with 62 lbs bike is going to induce lot of momentum shifting on the body. The car version of the bike is going to be a heavy Cadillac or similar, heavy but plush ride.

The bike I rode did not have suspension and even though the carbon forks helped, I wish I had a thudbuster seatpost. Having a suspension seatpost/front suspension would really make for an excellent riding experience in city like setting.

As someone previously suggested, the bike is NOT 48 lbs, it is 62 lbs with the battery (specifications page on this and other websites confirm this). With the city kit, close to ~63 or 64 lbs.
I rode this bike in Washington D.C along the waterfront ( dealer) and I imagined myself lifting this bike on the steps, if I ever wanted to go on the metro trains. I quickly realized, it is going to be an herculean task. However, I had a great time riding this bike along the Rock Creek Park trail and the bike trails near the monuments.

Build quality

I spent good 15 minutes looking at the bike and high-quality craftsmanship is very apparent and the bike (black version) looks stealthy and very appealing.
The front side of the bike weighs very light (thanks to carbon forks) but the back side is like twice the size of Jennifer Lopez (thanks to ultrasmooth gearless motor).
Ergo grips are nice and the Magura hydraulic disk brakes are top-notch.
Schwalbe big ben tires are huge and definitely helps in curbing the stiffness of the ride.
Chain ring guard and kickstand come prebuilt and helps.

Battery and range

I started with 15% battery and after 12 miles of absolutely flat terrain riding, I had 10% left. I used the bike mostly in eco/recoup 1-2 modes. Recoup mode 2 makes pedaling a tiny bit more resistant but I gained 2% more while riding in that mode.

I also attempted riding the bike without any assistance for ~1 mile and it felt like a good workout for my legs. This could be a great way to improve muscle and bone strength but pushing 62 lbs bike without any assistance for more 5 miles will certainly tire you out.
The charger looks high-quality and can charge your battery in 4 hours (as told by the mechanic).

I really enjoyed the bike and the features it offers.

View attachment 92

Small world, I think we rode the same exact bike on the same trail 1 day apart! For me my next ebike will either be the st1 or the dash e3. I believe there is a curry dealer in Takoma park. Have you checked them out yet?

 

[Dave]

Ravi, when you rode the ST1 Elite, do remember if the motor cut out at 20mph as advertised?

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Small world, I think we rode the same exact bike on the same trail 1 day apart! For me my next ebike will either be the st1 or the dash e3. I believe there is a curry dealer in Takoma park. Have you checked them out yet?

Hi,
It is indeed a small world...!!
I really enjoyed the biking on that day and I have contacted the "Green commuter" and they did not have the E3Dash or Ohm cycles that I wanted to test ride. Looks like the dealer at Takoma Park has been downsizing the inventory on higher end models.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Ravi, when you rode the ST1 Elite, do remember if the motor cut out at 20mph as advertised?

Hi Dave,
I remember that I was able to push it to 22mph and until that point, motor was assisting me and beyond that I had to pedal hard and I reached 24mph max.

 

[Dave]

Thanks Ravi, that's seems to be along the lines of what I've been reading in one review. The other reviews just mention that the motor cuts out at 20mph, so I was just wondering.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Thanks Ravi, that's seems to be along the lines of what I've been reading in one review. The other reviews just mention that the motor cuts out at 20mph, so I was just wondering.

I was also in Eco mode, and I think it might be a tiny bit higher in boost mode.
Have you test ridden one? NYCE Wheels has them I think...