Surface 604 Rook - 2017 or 2018?

[David M]

Hi Court, I have been a long-time audience of EBR and fan of your ebike reviews. I find your reviews very comprehensive and detailed, and I have learned a great deal about what to consider in an ebike. You really explain things in clear and easy to understand manner. I am 50 but have been thinking about ebikes for a very long bike since I rode my very first one back in 2000! It was a boxy kind of an ebike and was nothing close to what is available today, but it was still an amazing experience that I never forgot. 18 years later I have slowed down a little and need a little help especially with some health issues.

I am 5'10" and 145 lbs and I had narrowed my choices to the Surface 604 Rook and Voltbike Elegant but finally settled on the Rook. Between the Rook 2017 and 2018 models, which is the better model from the perspective of:

Quality of components
Performance
Battery

The price difference is not really a factor. There are certainly differences between the two model years but does one model year come out ahead?

Thank you and keep up the great work.

David

 

[Old]

I was told I cannot get the 2017 model anymore..It had a torque sensor and hand-adjustable stem, 10 speeds, and I liked the color better. So I got a 2018: the 2018 speed sensor is totally smooth, and I am more comfortable with the idea of a torque-spec-tight stem riser; 9 speed is quite OK, and the black and white scheme is quite nice.. 500 km done and very happy about it.

 

[David M]

Hi Old, thanks very much for sharing your feedback. I am glad that you are happy your bike. I think you can't really go wrong with either model year. In my case the local bike shop only has the 2017 model of the Rook, and the 2018 is not available in the shop unless I wanted to place an order. In fact both model years are priced the same at one shop, and they hinted that they might even be able to give me some discount on the 2017 model. I was just curious to know if the 2018 model year had any "improvements" or advantages over 2017.

 

[Old]

The 2018 model is 100$ cheaper on the Surface604 site; there are a few downgrades vs the 2017, ( wrench adjust stem; 9 speeds instead of 10; different saddle). no wonder your shop wants to get rid of the 2017 first. Personally I would take the 2017, no problem. Just make sure it has not been used a s a demo and the battery is still "new". Myne, when folly charged ( as per the red and green light of the charger,) reads 72.2 volts between the two contact sockets ( the larger ones, labeled + and -) Dont ask how can that be on a 48v.. have not figured that one out.. see my post on the forum " known problems" by make. I do a fuller review.

 

[David M]

You made some very good points. The bike that is being sold is the one that is on the floor that is used for test rides. But I think that might be the case for any bike shop. Also, the battery will be relatively new but not "brand new", and I suspect the battery would have been charged a number of times already for a 2017 floor model.

I was aware of some of the differences between the two model years such as the 10 speeds (2017) versus the 9 speeds (2018) but not sure which gearing system is "better": 10 Speed 1x10 SRAM X5 or 9 Speed 1x9 Shimano Altus.

I will check out your more detailed post in the other thread. Thanks again.

 

[Old]

If they moved large numbers of bikes they would have a dedicated demo bike. Maybe you can negotiate a brand new, in the box, battery for your 17 model..
I am not an expert in geartrains of one make vs the other; however consider that 10 speed, while a bit more flexible than 9, has a wider cassette, and with a single plateau in front, there is more misalignment in the extreme gears... I would not be surprised if that is the main reason that they went to 9 speed, after seeing the complaints ( on EBR) of chain jumping off on the 17 model.. As for myself, with 9 gears, I do not feel I am missing any gear; and after two half-turn adjustments of the cable in the first 100 km, ( normal stretching of the cable) the shifting has been flawless for the last 400km. I am 190 lbs and am on hilly terrain. One last thing: I found the fork suspension quite hard, so did turn the preload on, and run 35-40 lbs. So much more comfortable. Aalso the saddle cannot be oriented for tilt; I transplanted my old one, with the post,and got an adaptor for the tube on amazon, cost 5$ and lets me use standard seat posts. Good luck with your purchase!

 

[AZOldTech]

@David M Have you made your decision yet? Cause if not I can tell the single most important reason why NOT to get the 2017. Brake motor inhibitor. The 2017 does NOT have one, the 2018 does. And IMO it is a huge safety issue that no 10speed vs 9 speed or slightly easier adjustable stem could replace. On the issue of 10sp vs 9sp, the difference is in the mid lower gears. (11,13,15,17,19,22,25,28,32,36T) vs (11,13,15,17,20,23,26,30,36T ). If you have lots of hills you will have 19,22,25,28,32,36 on the 10sp where 20,23,26,30,36 on the 9sp (that is the only difference between the two). ALL the higher gears are not affected with 11,13,15,17 on both bikes. I'm in Mesa/Gilbert area of Arizona and I can't remember when last time I used a >20T gear. And it's not like you don't have plenty of gears for hills with either bike. So for me the 2018 bike wins because and especially for having the brake motor inhibitor.

 

[David M]

@Larryv Not yet. Unfortunately, I have been dealing with some health issues and have had to put this aside for now. Thank you very much for your feedback. I wasn't aware that the 2017 Rook did not have brake motor inhibitors (I thought it had this?) What you said about the gears makes sense, and I do not have a lot of hills where I live.

 

[bob armani]

@David M Have you made your decision yet? Cause if not I can tell the single most important reason why NOT to get the 2017. Brake motor inhibitor. The 2017 does NOT have one, the 2018 does. And IMO it is a huge safety issue that no 10speed vs 9 speed or slightly easier adjustable stem could replace. On the issue of 10sp vs 9sp, the difference is in the mid lower gears. (11,13,15,17,19,22,25,28,32,36T) vs (11,13,15,17,20,23,26,30,36T ). If you have lots of hills you will have 19,22,25,28,32,36 on the 10sp where 20,23,26,30,36 on the 9sp (that is the only difference between the two). ALL the higher gears are not affected with 11,13,15,17 on both bikes. I'm in Mesa/Gilbert area of Arizona and I can't remember when last time I used a >20T gear. And it's not like you don't have plenty of gears for hills with either bike. So for me the 2018 bike wins because and especially for having the brake motor inhibitor.

Larryv- I agree regarding the brake inhibitors. Both my E-bikes have them and cannot imagine being without them. Safety first on these bikes especially if you have torque sensors that may cause some speed fluctuations when riding over bumpy terrain.