Teo fat bike

Hi everyone I've been following this thread and decided to sign up. Seems like there are some good people here with great advise and suggestions
I'm a 47 year old complete newbie to ebikes.
I just placed an order with Teo and I'm second guessing myself so I'm hoping I can get some advise here. Bike will not arrive until mid-june so I should have time to make a change if necessary.
I ordered the TEO S Limited in black with the medium frame, I believe 18" based on what I read earlier from Benoit the owner.
I'm 5'9" tall with roughly a 30" inseam, 200lbs. I'll primarily be using the bike initially on hard surfaces and light trail use. It will be mostly a commuter. I went for the medium for some crotch clearance when straddling the bike at traffic lights etc. I also want my daughter to use it from time to time and she is 5' 6" however she will mostly be using her Trek bike 17.5" frame with 29" tires and she has no problem riding it.
I currently have an older Diamondback mountain bike with a 18" frame however the wheels are 26" but the top of the frame is straight across and my boys just clear it.
The Teo 18" seems like it slopes down quite a bit as does the Large (20") however for some reason I like the look of the large frame for some reason better that the medium frame. It seams that the top frame slope on the large frame sits roughly 2" higher than the medium frame (if that makes any sense). I guess I'm wondering if I made the right choice for a frame size and if all the other dimensions on the frame are the same. Below are pictures of the large and medium top frame slope positions.
Thanks in advance for any replies.


LARGE SIZE FRAME MEDIUM SIZE FRAME
upload_2017-5-19_16-24-59.png
upload_2017-5-19_16-27-29.png
 
Benoit!

Please do yourself and your customers a favor.
Stop using Purolator!

Bunch of idiots, I took the day off expecting delivery, waited all day with a friend.
I even called them at 11 AM again to provide my phone number even though it was already on the delivery instruction.
NOTHING!
 
america94 said:
.... but my tire pressure was at 7psi.... never raised it above 18 or so before either.

So I tried 25psi tonight... wow... just night and day!!! .....

It feel like I just got a new bike! a lot like when I first rode with the Maxxis tires. Almost to the point where I think now I could have done without the Maxxis, especially considering the pain of switching tires....

Took me over a month to figure this out, it was about time!
Click to expand...
@america94
You Sir are a true beta tester for Tèo, every time you make a post i learn something new, very glad and thankful to be able to learn from your experiences.
I`m still hang up between red or black and the more i look at the white one i just want to jump in my Jeep and take a ride to see them all in person just wish it was little closer than 600 km. Still got few more days to decide since the new colors will be available on June 10th to make up my mind.
Thank you for the info and keep it coming.....
 
Wow! I spend a few days working and riding and look what happens to this thread! :)

After catching up on this thread I have a few things to share.

1. To MysticalFists: When I paid UPS for the COD charges, they didn't have an itemized invoice. I wanted my bike so I just paid. Two days ago I got another invoice from UPS with an itemized list. Fortunately, I have the receipt in hand from the first time I paid these fees... so not sending them another check! But it did give me something to share with you!

20170521_055911.jpg


2. Hi america94! You really did make a difference in my decision to purchase. Yes, 27 MPH seems very fast on my bike... but what fun! Since then, I've ridden it to work and to town twice. That is roughly a 25 mile round trip. This past Friday, when I'm off work, I rode it in and several of my co-workers took it for a brief ride in the parking lot. Every person started off saying, wow, this is hard to pedal, immediately followed by "WOW!!! and laughter as the PAS setting of 3 kicked in.... The bike was in 9th gear, which explains the difficulty taking off. Even had the VP of Marketing on it, and he had the very same reaction. Tomorrow, when I go back to work, I fully expect to hear about distracting too many people during business hours.

3. I've followed america94's lead and added a few accessories to my bike. Mounted the same rack and pack on the back. I've also added an extra bar to hold my cell phone, a light (since the shipper broke mine), and soon, a GoPro (currently on my son's bike). Yesterday we rode to town and I bought a set of plastic fat bike mud guards that I'll try to mount today. I will post some pics if it works out.

20170511_170132.jpg

20170511_170227.jpg


4. Tire pressure. I started out with putting 20 PSI in both tires and that has been ideal for me on paved roads. It is a bit dicy on some of the gravel roads around here, but still way better than my other traditional mountain bike. Thought about different tires but after reading about america94's experience with the change in tire pressure, I'll stick with the original tires. Thanks for sharing that america94!

5. Hey, Draenar... I'm an old guy with fading knees. Will be 60 next year and I've been skiing too hard for too long... my knees just kill me on my old bike from all the hard pedaling. On my Teo, I can feel it if I am pushing, but with PAS 3, I don't feel any pain at all and at that setting I'm averaging 18 MPH on paved, flat roads.

6. On yesterday's ride to town, my wife went with me, on her newly converted 350 watt Bionix with the smaller 6.6Ah/317 Wh battery. She has had it about as long as I've had my Teo. All went well on the way TO town... but on the way home, we stopped at a light and she suddenly realized the condition of her battery. As you can imagine, that battery was getting very low so she was now riding without any PAS, saving the remaining charge for the hill she had to climb. Well, after a couple of miles of that, she told me to "just go get the truck!" So I put it in PAS 6 and sped home. Got the truck and went back for her. After we discussed this a bit, I learned that she is using the throttle WAY more than she should. We did switch on her regenerative system so she could build a bit of a charge to help and she nearly made it home before I got back. Moral of the story is that your range will depend on your riding habits. I suspect she will be taking her charger to work when she starts riding to work next month. Of course, I told her size matters and mine was so much bigger!

2017052095163047.jpg


Bottom line, even after all the shipping problems and that extra cost, I'm still VERY happy with my purchase.

Anyone know where we can buy some of that fancy wrap the factory cable wrapping they put on? I'd like to use that same material to clean up my wife's Bionix conversion.
 
Hi Idaho thanks for the post. Can I ask how tall you are? I ordered the medium frame but now I'm thinking I should go for the large.
Any advise? I'm 5' 9" with a 30" inseam no shoes on.
 
Heya, Idaho - great state, by the way (I live in Meridian). Thanks for the info. My fatbike is on its way. I'm watching for issues with the shipping given what you said. I'm just a bit older than you, so your experience gives me hope that this is a good purchase! Thanks!
 
Hello everyone!

Thanks AguassisiM, I'll take a look at those links. :)

K.C. I am 67" tall. Can just barely "safely" straddle the bar in front of the seat. I think you'd like the large frame. I mounted our bikes to our bike rack today and my bike is wider, by several inches, than our Honda CRV!

Draenar, Glad to help... I think you'll be happy with your new Teo bike... I know I am. :) Let us know how your shipping experience works out.
 
Question for those of you who has received the bike, does the throttle on the right hand side do anything?
It didn't matter if I was moving or not it does absolutely nothing for me :(
 
america94 said:
Do you mean it never works or from a standstill? the throttle works only if the brakes are not depressed and after you have pedaled about a turn, turn and a half. If you stop pedaling while in movement, you have to pedal again about a turn and then the throttle kicks in again.... security measure so the bike doesn't buck forward by accident.
Click to expand...

I will try again when I get home, but I tested from 0 to 30 km/h never felt it working...
 
america94 said:
ok, try turning it only as you are pedaling for the test.
Click to expand...

Thank you, I believe that was the problem, I pedal to different speed, and stop to activate throttle to see if I can "feel" it.
which resulted in it not working at any speed.

So yesterday I rode to work and back.
When I got to work, my brake light was 1/2 apart, and I thought to myself, how strange... snapped it back together.
Then on my way home, I stopped at a plaza debating if I want to go in, I realize, the entire brake light was gone.
the mounting 1/2 was still there, but the rest of it gone...

Now this is not the seat post style but the wide version that was meant for the l.uggage rack. obviously I secured it well since that part is still there
but the vibration has sent the other half of the light to who knows where. Kinda disappointed as I really did like that light.
 
Throttle Issue:

This is perhaps my first criticism of the Teofatbike, and I don't mean offend anyone. There is definitely a lot of excellent features and tremendous value for the Teo, but having to turn the crank for 1.5 turns to enable the throttle would be a deal breaker for me. Even more baffling, even if you are already moving at speed, the throttle still doesn't work unless you turn the crank 1.5 turns. Notwithstanding "for safety reasons", I just can't accept it.

I have the Voltbike Yukon 750 (my throttle is available anytime, without pedalling), and I use my throttle to:

1) Get me going from stop, steep hill, wrong gearing, etc. I usually just give it a quick tap to start moving.

2) My throttle has very fine increments. I can throttle much slower than "walk mode". I can literally throttle at 3 km/h (or less) if necessary. Even the lowest PAS is too fast for crowded space. With PAS, I would pedal-brake-pedal-brake. My throttle is amazing in crowded space. I can go as fast or slow as I need.

3) Unlike the "walk mode", the throttle power is immediate. I don't need to Press-and-hold for 2 seconds like the walk mode.

4) My thumb throttle is very easy to engage and control, even on rough, bouncy terrain. I almost never have the need to use my "walk mode", which I find too fast (around 6-8 km/h), but more annoyingly, walk mode has a 2 sec delay, whereas my throttle is instantaneous.

On bumpy terrain (eg. up an steep rooty hill), it is impossible to keep my finger holding the tiny walk mode button. If my finger slips, then there is that annoying 2 secs delay again. To make matters worst, on a steep incline, the bike starts rolling backwards fast! To make matters even worst, I need to hit the brakes to stop the bike from rolling backwards, but then the motor can't engage. With my throttle, I don't have this problem.

5) When my legs are burning, I sometimes just want to coast for a bit to catch my breath with throttle only. On the Teo, you can't do this. Your legs have to keep pedalling!

Again, I don't mean to criticise, but I just want to point out a very important feature IMO. Thank you @america94 and @YYZ2017 and everybody who shared their experience with the Teo throttle situation. For me, this is a deal breaker. The price, battery and hydraulic brakes and many other things on the Teo are absolutely amazing.
 
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Is that a safety feature or a byproduct of using a cadence sensor? I ended up getting a RadRover in the end, but there's just too much good info in this thread that applies to a lot of similar ebikes and have found there are torque sensors available that are pretty much plug and play for the Rover. BeamTS plugs into the battery where the throttle does and the throttle plugs into that. Don't know if it'd be as easy with the battery integration in the downtube, but might something like that bypass the need to turn the crank before throttle kicks in?
 
Not to piss in anyone's coffee but all this time I was under the impression that the bike was power assist while you are pedalling not power bike assisted by pedaling.
Than again I have been wrong before.
 
america94 said:
Hey @AguassissiM. Not sure I understand your post 100%, but to clarify you can either pedal the bike by yourself without any assist; get motor assist while you pedal at various levels; use the throttle only without pedaling (or while pedaling, if you want a quick boost while climbing for instance). The throttle will work even if you are using pedal assist.

For instance, you are using only PAS 1 but start climbing a hill; You can augment the PAS or simply use the throttle to help climb the hill and then let go of the throttle and keep riding in the original PAS 1 level.
Click to expand...
@america94
just being sarcastic about SuperGoop`s post
Sorry if i offended anyone.

about the thumb throttle is it possible to add one in addition to the twist throttle and wire them together, one like this: (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
upload_2017-5-24_16-59-16.jpeg
 
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