Surface 604 Colt vs Magnum Metro +

[Andy_in_CA]

reposting from the main forum

Hey everyone,

I've been trolling this site for a while and I'm on the verge of making my first ebike purchase. My budget is 2K and the two bikes that have caught my eye are the Surface 604\Magnum Metro +.

I can't ride my road bike any more because of neck issues, and I want to commute to work 2 twice a week. It is about an 11 mile one way trip.

I'd love to hear pros and cons from people who have these bikes. I've done an exhaustive amount of research and I need help deciding.
Here is my pro\con list

Pro: Colt - sturdy frame, torque sensor, integrated lights, adjustable stem, 10 speed cassette, Can purchase at a LBS.
Con: Colt - slightly smaller batter in amps vs the metro, no motor cutoff, top speed 20mph, meh tires.

Pro:Metro+ - faster bike(28 mph), higher amp battery, motor cutoff,adjustable stem, better tires (Kevlar lined)
Con: Metro - lights not integrated, cadence sensor**, can purchase LBS but special order only.

Now I've only ridden an ebike with a cadence sensor, and I'm waiting for LBS to get a Colt in stock to test drive. There is a Magnum dealer in town (Los Angeles) but the metro + is a special order for them... so no test drive before I would order.

thoughts? Thanks for you help in advance

 

[Bob H]

reposting from the main forum

Hey everyone,

I've been trolling this site for a while and I'm on the verge of making my first ebike purchase. My budget is 2K and the two bikes that have caught my eye are the Surface 604\Magnum Metro +.

I can't ride my road bike any more because of neck issues, and I want to commute to work 2 twice a week. It is about an 11 mile one way trip.

I'd love to hear pros and cons from people who have these bikes. I've done an exhaustive amount of research and I need help deciding.
Here is my pro\con list

Pro: Colt - sturdy frame, torque sensor, integrated lights, adjustable stem, 10 speed cassette, Can purchase at a LBS.
Con: Colt - slightly smaller batter in amps vs the metro, no motor cutoff, top speed 20mph, meh tires.

Pro:Metro+ - faster bike(28 mph), higher amp battery, motor cutoff,adjustable stem, better tires (Kevlar lined)
Con: Metro - lights not integrated, cadence sensor**, can purchase LBS but special order only.

Now I've only ridden an ebike with a cadence sensor, and I'm waiting for LBS to get a Colt in stock to test drive. There is a Magnum dealer in town (Los Angeles) but the metro + is a special order for them... so no test drive before I would order.

thoughts? Thanks for you help in advance

 

[Bob H]

Hello Andy,

I bought a Colt back in April and have about 1700 miles on it. So far, I've had no major problems with anything including the tires. With 1700 miles, they are hardly showing any wear and no flats so far - touching wood as I type this!!!!! I read the report on the Magnum Metro and these bikes seem very similar.

The Colt is built like a tank and therefore is quite heavy but it rolls very well. I much prefer a torque sensor over a cadence sensor. I didn't think a motor cutoff switch was important but I now think it is a good thing to have. Many times when I have stopped and am moving the bike around a bit, it is easy to put some pressure on the pedals and have the bike take off if you aren't careful. An example would be stopping at an intersection and having to maneuver around to push a beg button and then get lined up better when the light changes or doing a tight turn into a bike box. Very easy to put pressure on the pedals when you don't want to. A motor cut off switch can help a lot.

I don't know how your commute will work so I have a few questions. Do you have a lot of hills? Do you wish to get some exercise or do you want the bike to do the work? Are you riding primarily in traffic or are you using bike lanes and bike paths or quieter streets? I expect that either of these bikes will do the job well and you have an advantage in that you can get them from a LBS which should smooth out any problems initially.

Anyway, let me know about your commute and maybe I'll be able to comment with a little more insight.

Bob Hynes

 

[Andy_in_CA]

Bob,

Thanks for the reply. I live in Los Angeles (West Side\South Bay) and will be commuting to Santa Monica. I am lucky as there is an abundance of Bike paths and Bike lanes. So i'll be about 50\50 paths vs bike lanes. There will be a good amount of start and stop on the bike lane portion. It is "mostly" flat with some gradual inclines with a few small climbs (at least on the route I'm taking).

As far as what kind of ride. I want to get some exercise but not be a sweaty mess when I get to work. I work a 10+ hour day so I'm guessing on the way home I'll lean a bit more on the throttle. I really like the Colt, but the motor cut off and the extra speed in the Metro+ is why I'm teetering. But by not being able to test the Metro+ is a big turn off and the LBS where the Colt is sold is along my route for work. Versus the LBS is downtown for the Metro+ so service and tuneups would be problematic.

Traffic is definitely a concern for me so i'm probably going to add a bunch of LED running and night time lights.

I know there are more pricey bikes, but $2k is nothing to shake a stick at and I want to be happy with my investment and safe.

Thanks for taking the time.

Andy

 

[Bob H]

Andy,

It doesn't sound like your route is too hilly so both bikes will have plenty of juice for a 22 mile round trip. Blue Monkey bicycles in Salt Lake does distance tests on lots of bikes. They put the bike on maximum assistance (level 5 for the Colt) and pedal enough to get the motor to stay at top speed and see how far they get on their test route. The Colt did 35 miles under those circumstance and the Magnum has a bigger battery so you'll be good there. I normally ride on setting 2 as I am trying to get lots of exercise. I only up the level around hills and even then, I pedal hard up the hills. I have gone 80 miles in those conditions and the battery still has life.

I find the 20 mph top speed to be more than adequate. Most folks who really want the 28 mph speed, are not using bike lanes and paths, but are commuting on the roads right with the traffic and need to keep up. This would not be my cup of tea but if I had to do it, I'd probably opt for a bike closer to a road bike - lighter and more nimble than the Colt or Magnum. Riding at that speed ups the danger level significantly. Also, once you get above 20 mph, pushing yourself thru the air will use up a lot more battery especially with the more vertical riding position that these bikes offer.

I know California is more serious than most states about identifying E-bikes as class 1, 2 & 3. I don't know how enforcement there is, but are Class 3 bikes allowed on bike paths and lanes in your area since you did state that you will be using them. Your comments about traffic being a concern is good to hear because you can never be too safe. Definitely add some lights and wear hi-vis clothing.

When you test drive the Colt, really pay attention to the torque sensor as I think they are vastly superior to a cadence sensor. I climb a long hill regularly on a bike trail that comes to 2 switchbacks where you must make a right 180 followed by a left 180 in a very short distance. I have the assist level set at 4 or 5 for the hill so I'm moving fast when I get to the first turn. I'm able to stop pedaling and coast to bleed off speed and just as I'm about to enter the turn, I start pedaling gently and even though the bike is in max assist, it senses how I'm pedaling and just gives a little assist. As soon as I'm through the second turn, I put more pressure on the pedals and the bike takes off. A cadence sensor will attempt to take you to max speed as soon as it senses that you are pedaling. There are many other scenarios where the torque sensor has advantages - crosswalks, bike paths with lots of people where you must slow down etc.

Anyway, I don't think I've really helped you much. If 28 mph is really important to you, only the Magnum can do it. If not, then is is mainly a choice between a cadence sensor and a brake cut off against a torque sensor with no cut off. I'd take the torque sensor and adapt to not having a cut off. I'd like a cut-off but the torque sensor is more important to me. A third choice is continuing your search for a bike where you get a torque sensor and a cut off switch. There are many fantastic bikes and perhaps your LBS has some ideas or someone else on the Forum with more experience than me will chip in with some recommendations.

The last thing I'll say though is that buying an E-Bike was the best money I've spent in a while. Whatever you choose, I hope you enjoy it. I envy your location as I'm sure you can bike year round. I'm in Canada and I've only got a couple of months before the snow and cold hit and I put the bike away for about 5 months.

Bob

 

[Andy_in_CA]

Thanks for the insight Bob it has been very helpful! End of the day I need to ride both of these bikes before I buy. I am working with a LBS to make it happen.

Andy

 

[Dunbar]

Check out Bike Attack Electric in Santa Monica, CA. I got a Colt loaner from them last year. It felt more like a cadence sensing bike than a torque sensing bike. I would also test ride a Cross Current while you are there. The Cross Current is a much sportier ride with a 28mph top speed and well tuned torque sensor. If you like the Cross Current you should buy the new Cross Current S which has quite a bit more power than the original and comes better equipped out of the gate.

 

[Andy_in_CA]

Yeah, I am talking to Bike Attack. I purchased a bike from them years ago. They are going to call me once they get a Colt back in stock.

Speed isn't really a big deal for me... geometry and riding position are since I have neck issues now and can't ride my road bike. The CCS doesn't have an adjustable stem and I've not hear great things about Juiced Customer support and its a brand new bike, first production run... so I don't want to be a test subject.

Also Interbike is next month so i'm hoping some new models will come out and I can get a deal on the 2017s...

Andy

 

[Dunbar]

If you want an upright riding position there is also the Ocean Current. It’s super comfortable. Even with the Cross Current there are ways to get the bars up and back. A dealer can help you out with that. With an 11 mile commute each way you will eventually want a bike that goes faster than 20mph. My customer service has been excellent through Bike Attack. They fix the bike quickly and give me a loaner bike in the meantime. A lot of the complaints on Juiced are from people who bought over the internet and have no local dealer support.

I would advise test riding these bikes before buying. Many bikes that look good on paper, or in a video review, turn out to be uninspiring once you ride them.

 

[Andy_in_CA]

Thanks... I'll consider it. Either way I got I'm doing to test ride and buy from. LBS