Congrats on the bike! I can't offer much advice about transporting it, as the Current is literally my primary means of transportation.
Regarding removing the front wheel, I've only done it a couple of times, but it's pretty easy. All you have to do is open the cam, rotate it counter clockwise to unscrew the axle until it slides out and you're done. Putting it back is the same process, just have to make sure that the brake rotor fits appropriately between the pads and that the wheel is properly positioned overall.
Thanks! I do worry about the brakes getting misaligned accidentally with the wheel off. Removing the battery also makes the lift easier, but my bike mechanic warns against that as a practice, given some potential issues with the contacts. (He was not referring to the Current per se, but e-bikes in general). I'll have to experiment though going forward, and might wind up with a rack after all.
As for the bike itself, I think Priority chose the seat wisely for a wide variety of butts, and my backside is okay with it. Since it's a relatively inexpensive upgrade though, I'm thinking of getting a wider saddle, and perhaps a suspension seat post.
It's super easy. Priority has posted a Youtube video on how to assemble the Current. (Do a search to find it.) You can watch him put the front wheel on.
The biggest issue with removing the wheel is that you must never apply the brakes while the wheel is off. Because they're hydraulic, the pads will close up, and it's a pain to get them back apart. If you make this mistake once, you will likely never make it again. For this reason, I always save the plastic brake pad spacer that comes with bikes with hydraulic brakes and put them in whenever I take the front wheel off. It sounds like you had someone else assemble your bike. Did they give you the plastic spacer? If not, you can buy one for a few bucks.
I got my Current two days ago. What tires does yours have? Priority told me this batch has the WTBs (Horizon), but I got the Goodyears (Transit Tour). Too bad -- I prefer the WTBs. My bike also has Promax brakes rather than the Tektro that you see in most pictures and reviews.
I'm curious: What were your other two e-bikes, and how would you compare the Current with them?
Thanks! I had the bike assembled by a mechanic within Priority's "Beeline" network. (For any fellow Vermonters that might read this thread sometime, the local store is called Green Mountain Bikes, and the owner is a great guy). The mechanic went above and beyond custom fitting the seat and handlebars precisely when I picked it up, but I did not leave with the spacers or know enough to ask for them. With that said, I'll definitely look for them. (Is this something carried on Amazon?). I've been warned in the past about not applying the brakes with the wheel off, but concerned it might happen anyway if the handlebars are not properly seated in the car, or jolted a little while driving.
My Current also came with the Goodyear Transit Tour tires (and I think the Promax brakes but I'd have to double check). I'm not disappointed about the tires at all. I believe they're nominally wider (50mm) than the WTB and have decent tread. I'm pleasantly surprised by the overall secure road feel, and having crashed a bike with hydraulic brakes (very twitchy, but I blame myself for not getting accustomed to them initially) I'm very comfortable with the smooth response and stopping power of these brakes.
I believe I was the first kid on my block to ride an e-bike back in 2008. I rented one when I got off the ferry on Catalina Island. I was so impressed that I rented it again for my second day on the island. The bike was produced by an Italian manufacturer (I can't remember the name) and I have no memory of gears, different levels of pedal assist or throttle. I do remember how much of a blast it was to ride, and I raved about it when I returned home from my vacation. E-bikes pretty much dropped into my memory hole though until the pandemic began in March of 2020.
My first purchase was the Aventon Pace 500. I liked it, but didn't love it, for much the same reason I didn't love my 1990-something Saab 500 Turbo. I still think it's a very decently made entry level e-bike, (although I'd recommend their similar but much sleeker "Level" bike for a few hundred dollars more) but the bolting rocket blast-off never felt natural. Still, I had mixed feelings about selling it at an annual bike charity swap meet in May of this year, but it met my floor price, so that was that.
I replaced the Aventon with a 4 inch folding fat tire bike (Like a cow, I followed the herd, in a case of "what-the-hell-was-I-thinking"?). It handled and rode more like a tractor than a bicycle in my opinion. I've never come down with a case of buyers remorse faster, but I sold it for close to what I paid. I'm still mystified by the popularity of these things after having owned one for a few weeks.
Although the frame is a little different, the Current reminds me of the Raleigh bike I rode as a teenager, in a good way. That was also a comfortable cruiser as I recall.
