Nicolas Rouquette
Member
I had an important birthday recently (June 21) and decided to splurge and indulge myself with an ST5; a major upgrade from my ST2; which was damaged in an accident.
Marcus (pictured right) from Electric Bikes ZZZ was amazing; he ordered a bike that shipped from Swizterland just to make sure I'd get a fresh build. Of course, this would incur some shipping delay. When the bike arrived Friday July 5th, Marcus checked that it was in working order and charged the battery. When I picked up the bike, there was no power assist at all, as if the motor was off. Fortunately, the store had ordered another ST5 for their Santa Barbara location, which the owner drove to Santa Monica the next day, Saturday. Today, Sunday, the store delivered the bike to my house! I'm very impressed by the level of customer service that I received from both this dealer and, in turn, from Stromer.
I had read many reviews and even tried a few other ebikes (incl. a Specialized Turbo Vado 5). Mid-drives have become much quieter and definitely contenders. In the end, there's nothing like the feeling like that of a Stromer. It's truly in their DNA that they engineer this ultimate feeling of riding the best ebike in the world. What convinced me about the ST5 was a combination of several practical details that matter for frequent & short commutes in heavy city traffic:
- With the ST5, I feel that I can ride defensively and assert clearly my space on the road.
- Electronic shifting: I shift up & down a lot and this makes adjustments less worrisome.
- The powerful light helps establish a visible presence on the road early in the morning (I commute before 6AM) and in the evenings when it gets dark (thanks to daylight saving times, this happens 4x a year!)
- The brake lights -- finally!
- The horn -- it's much easier to use than the ST2 bell
The ST5 could be better if it had front/read ABS & turn signals. Given that Bosch is still testing from ABS, I suspect it will take a few more years before this feature will be available. For turn signals, the left/right turn controller for my Lumos helmet; I prefer use that and keep my hands on the handlebar for safety.
Finally, I got ebike insurance.
Now, I'm ready!
Marcus (pictured right) from Electric Bikes ZZZ was amazing; he ordered a bike that shipped from Swizterland just to make sure I'd get a fresh build. Of course, this would incur some shipping delay. When the bike arrived Friday July 5th, Marcus checked that it was in working order and charged the battery. When I picked up the bike, there was no power assist at all, as if the motor was off. Fortunately, the store had ordered another ST5 for their Santa Barbara location, which the owner drove to Santa Monica the next day, Saturday. Today, Sunday, the store delivered the bike to my house! I'm very impressed by the level of customer service that I received from both this dealer and, in turn, from Stromer.
I had read many reviews and even tried a few other ebikes (incl. a Specialized Turbo Vado 5). Mid-drives have become much quieter and definitely contenders. In the end, there's nothing like the feeling like that of a Stromer. It's truly in their DNA that they engineer this ultimate feeling of riding the best ebike in the world. What convinced me about the ST5 was a combination of several practical details that matter for frequent & short commutes in heavy city traffic:
- With the ST5, I feel that I can ride defensively and assert clearly my space on the road.
- Electronic shifting: I shift up & down a lot and this makes adjustments less worrisome.
- The powerful light helps establish a visible presence on the road early in the morning (I commute before 6AM) and in the evenings when it gets dark (thanks to daylight saving times, this happens 4x a year!)
- The brake lights -- finally!
- The horn -- it's much easier to use than the ST2 bell
The ST5 could be better if it had front/read ABS & turn signals. Given that Bosch is still testing from ABS, I suspect it will take a few more years before this feature will be available. For turn signals, the left/right turn controller for my Lumos helmet; I prefer use that and keep my hands on the handlebar for safety.
Finally, I got ebike insurance.
Now, I'm ready!
