ST2 owner checking in

[Admin]

Why do the bikes from site sponsors always seem to get a slightly better rating than the upstarts, and non sponsors? Not a big deal, but I take note.

I hand pick companies that make products I have already tested to become sponsors. These products are of good quality in my opinion and the companies offer good customer support. They don't have to be large but most have been. Note that Easy Motion is no longer an advertiser but their new models still score high based on the quality of design, availability and price point. I continue to reject proposals from companies who expressed interest in advertising but do not offer products I feel comfortable promoting. Most of my scoring is inflated but it also varies year to year as new models come out... so a 10/10 in 2013 is much different than a 10/10 in 2015. I also provide the full writeup and pros/cons to help clarify and extend the rating... There are no reviews without at least a couple of cons and some have many despite receiving a higher rating. Also, some of the older reviews have less insightful or irrelevant cons given the product in question, this is just me getting better over time and trading new reviews vs. reworking older ones. I hope this helps clarify, thanks for your support

 

[Bike_On]

I hand pick companies that make products I have already tested to become sponsors. These products are of good quality in my opinion and the companies offer good customer support. They don't have to be large but most have been. Note that Easy Motion is no longer an advertiser but their new models still score high based on the quality of design, availability and price point. I continue to reject proposals from companies who expressed interest in advertising but do not offer products I feel comfortable promoting. Most of my scoring is inflated but it also varies year to year as new models come out... so a 10/10 in 2013 is much different than a 10/10 in 2015. I also provide the full writeup and pros/cons to help clarify and extend the rating... There are no reviews without at least a couple of cons and some have many despite receiving a higher rating. Also, some of the older reviews have less insightful or irrelevant cons given the product in question, this is just me getting better over time and trading new reviews vs. reworking older ones. I hope this helps clarify, thanks for your support

Court,
You are the man for the job! This site is very unusual for brand name, OEM offerings. Your response to my question is appreciated and interesting. The interesting comments being, "but do not offer products I feel comfortable promoting", can have several implications: This company has less quality. This company make unsafe bikes. This company does not support my style of bike. This company is not green enough. This company has too expensive products. This company has a rude CEO, lol. I know you are a super positive, nice and friendly person who tries to be more + than - and supports the industry as a whole. My concern/comment is that this site is likely viewed and visited with a neutral expectation. What I mean is people watch and read, expecting an objective and neutral presentation. Of course, no one does that perfectly and you are not required to not give your preferences, it's you site! I believe people accept personal preference and opinion if it is stated as such, or given reasons why. "I think mid drives are better than hubs because I ride off road a lot and it gets me further..." for instance. Too expensive and too cheap is often subjective, but you can compare to measureable market data. What is THE average cost of an ebike in the market? Of a Hub? Of a mid drive? With 360 Whrs, 450whrs, 800 Whrs? A $5000 could be expensive, depending. Just a few issues/comments we filter and sift through , and it is ok.

About the ratings. Yes, I've noticed that the analysis and predictability has evolved over the past 2-3 years. Water bottle posts use to be expected and got a strong emphasis. Now it is practically a comment formality. At least you recognize some inflation of the scores. I suppose a person looking for a quick confirmation would say a 9-10 rating is desired, but an 8 or less should be looked at more closely.

Good rides!
Dan