WheelsOntario
New Member
I picked up my shiny red Téo Limited, Size L earlier this week and thought I'd share my initial impressions.
First, some background on me and why I decided to go with an electric fat bike. I'm fairly large at 6'4" 285 lbs, in my early 50s, with the attendant knee problems you might expect of someone with that description. I purchased a new Colnago road bike last year and loved it, but I eventually realized it's just not the right bike for me at this point. It was exhilarating to ride, but also painful to my back, knees and wrists. I'll miss it!
I did my research and decided that something sturdier with pedal assist was the way to go. I was one of those considering the Voltbike Yukon 750, but just couldn't say no to the upgrades available on the Téo for only a few hundred extra $. The key factors were the larger battery capacity and hydraulic disc brakes.
The Purchase Experience
Benoit was great right from the start; quick to respond to queries and very accommodating. I live close enough to Montréal pick it up, so I'm not able to comment on the shipping process. The website is fairly straightforward to navigate, once you figure out how to change the language (for non-francophones, at least). I was only a bit saddened to see that I couldn't get a black or white Limited in Size L, but in retrospect the red colour looks fantastic. I think I prefer it to the black and the white would've been difficult to keep clean, so my third choice just might have been the best one.
Setup
I'm a technical writer who writes manuals for a living, so I'm going to be overly critical regarding most documentation for any goods I buy. I'll give Téo's a solid C+.
plenty of illustrations, but nothing about setting up the fenders, rack and lights for the Limited model. Also nothing about how to use the LCD display, though I was able to find that manual by searching this forum after being unsuccessful trying to find it on the Téo website.
The bike comes out of the box about 80% preassembled, with the most difficult bits happily ready to ride. I'm hardly a mechanically proficient person, but I was able to get most of the remainder put together in what appeared to be a solid fashion. The exception being the front fender--it remains off as the bolt doesn't appear to be long enough to thread through both the fender and the front light. This is a bit frustrating as I spent about an hour trying to make it fit without bending it. I noticed a post on this forum that mentions the same issue, so I'll try that fix over the weekend.
The Bike and its Components
My impression in seeing the fully assembled bike was, "wow, this is huge!" For someone my size, this is a very welcome feeling. The quick-release seatpost is a great touch, because you just know that you're going to have to let all of your buddies try this thing, so the seat will be bobbing up and down as everyone takes a turn. The leather (pleather?) handlebar grips are very attractive and offer a nice balance of comfort versus 'grippiness'.
Overall, I'm extremely impressed with the quality of components Téo has selected. I had expected to replace the grips, pedals and saddle immediately, but in the end decided to keep all of these, as the performance and comfort provided by the original components is more than adequate. The tires, cable-managent, paint/finish and suspension forks are all superior to what I would've expected for this price point. Great job, Téo!
The Ride
It doesn't take long to get used to riding this bike and, once you do, any other bike seems inadequate by comparison. The assist provided even at PAS 1 lends the impression of riding a regular road bike. Bump that up to 5 or more and you'll be feeling as if you're ready for the peloton in Paris. The only way to describe it is exhilarating and the minimal noise and drag created by the knobby 4" tires is more than overwhelmed by the smooth assist of the 500w Bafang hub motor. It's just an absolute blast to ride. Eventually, you might find yourself frustrated by the 32 km speed limit imposed by the government (understandable for bike paths but annoying on the road when a bit more speed would result in increased rather than decreased safety) and the requirement that you pedal a half-term or so before you can engage the throttle. Again, this is a safety feature, but one I'd willingly forgo if possible. (Is it possible?)
I took the bike into the woods on a medium-difficulty mountain bike trail and have yet to be able to wipe the stupid grin off of my face. I feel like I should be handing over $5 to some bored carney ticket-taker every time I ride these trails. Whenever I felt I was getting stuck in foot-deep water and muck, or starting to slide backwards on a particularly steep rock section, a quick blast of throttle was my get-out--of-jail-free card. It's an experience more akin to riding a motocross bike than a mountain bike.
Negatives
These are few and far between, but have to mentioned in the interests of a balanced review:
I love this bike and spend much of my time at work counting down the hours until I can go for a ride. It handles my gravitationally challenged body perfectly, making me feel like a kid again. (I was a very skinny kid, BTW.) Téo has done a great job examining the competition and learning from what works and what doesn't, offering upgrades wherever it makes the most sense, while still maintaining affordability. I would highly recommend this bike to anyone looking to increase the fun factor of cycling while decreasing the pain factor.
First, some background on me and why I decided to go with an electric fat bike. I'm fairly large at 6'4" 285 lbs, in my early 50s, with the attendant knee problems you might expect of someone with that description. I purchased a new Colnago road bike last year and loved it, but I eventually realized it's just not the right bike for me at this point. It was exhilarating to ride, but also painful to my back, knees and wrists. I'll miss it!
I did my research and decided that something sturdier with pedal assist was the way to go. I was one of those considering the Voltbike Yukon 750, but just couldn't say no to the upgrades available on the Téo for only a few hundred extra $. The key factors were the larger battery capacity and hydraulic disc brakes.
The Purchase Experience
Benoit was great right from the start; quick to respond to queries and very accommodating. I live close enough to Montréal pick it up, so I'm not able to comment on the shipping process. The website is fairly straightforward to navigate, once you figure out how to change the language (for non-francophones, at least). I was only a bit saddened to see that I couldn't get a black or white Limited in Size L, but in retrospect the red colour looks fantastic. I think I prefer it to the black and the white would've been difficult to keep clean, so my third choice just might have been the best one.
Setup
I'm a technical writer who writes manuals for a living, so I'm going to be overly critical regarding most documentation for any goods I buy. I'll give Téo's a solid C+.
plenty of illustrations, but nothing about setting up the fenders, rack and lights for the Limited model. Also nothing about how to use the LCD display, though I was able to find that manual by searching this forum after being unsuccessful trying to find it on the Téo website.The bike comes out of the box about 80% preassembled, with the most difficult bits happily ready to ride. I'm hardly a mechanically proficient person, but I was able to get most of the remainder put together in what appeared to be a solid fashion. The exception being the front fender--it remains off as the bolt doesn't appear to be long enough to thread through both the fender and the front light. This is a bit frustrating as I spent about an hour trying to make it fit without bending it. I noticed a post on this forum that mentions the same issue, so I'll try that fix over the weekend.
The Bike and its Components
My impression in seeing the fully assembled bike was, "wow, this is huge!" For someone my size, this is a very welcome feeling. The quick-release seatpost is a great touch, because you just know that you're going to have to let all of your buddies try this thing, so the seat will be bobbing up and down as everyone takes a turn. The leather (pleather?) handlebar grips are very attractive and offer a nice balance of comfort versus 'grippiness'.
Overall, I'm extremely impressed with the quality of components Téo has selected. I had expected to replace the grips, pedals and saddle immediately, but in the end decided to keep all of these, as the performance and comfort provided by the original components is more than adequate. The tires, cable-managent, paint/finish and suspension forks are all superior to what I would've expected for this price point. Great job, Téo!
The Ride
It doesn't take long to get used to riding this bike and, once you do, any other bike seems inadequate by comparison. The assist provided even at PAS 1 lends the impression of riding a regular road bike. Bump that up to 5 or more and you'll be feeling as if you're ready for the peloton in Paris. The only way to describe it is exhilarating and the minimal noise and drag created by the knobby 4" tires is more than overwhelmed by the smooth assist of the 500w Bafang hub motor. It's just an absolute blast to ride. Eventually, you might find yourself frustrated by the 32 km speed limit imposed by the government (understandable for bike paths but annoying on the road when a bit more speed would result in increased rather than decreased safety) and the requirement that you pedal a half-term or so before you can engage the throttle. Again, this is a safety feature, but one I'd willingly forgo if possible. (Is it possible?)
I took the bike into the woods on a medium-difficulty mountain bike trail and have yet to be able to wipe the stupid grin off of my face. I feel like I should be handing over $5 to some bored carney ticket-taker every time I ride these trails. Whenever I felt I was getting stuck in foot-deep water and muck, or starting to slide backwards on a particularly steep rock section, a quick blast of throttle was my get-out--of-jail-free card. It's an experience more akin to riding a motocross bike than a mountain bike.
Negatives
These are few and far between, but have to mentioned in the interests of a balanced review:
- Gear shifting with pedal-assist activated. According to the manual, you're not supposed to do it. I didn't realize this and broke my chain on my first ride. Still a bit unclear as to how I should be handling this, as I discussed in another thread on this forum.
- Front light wires are very susceptible to damage. After my chain broke (see above), the pedals moved on their own as I was walking it, activating the pedal assist and driving the bike out of my hands and into the brush. (Forgot to disable pedal assist.) The handlebars twisted all the way around in the very gentle collision and snapped the wires at the point where they attach to the light. (See photo.) Would like to have it fixed but my LBS didn't know how to and I'm the polar opposite of handy, so I guess I'll just go with a standalone light for now. I'm pretty sure this would just happen again were I to repair it.
- The manual doesn't cover everything and I struggled with installing some of the Limited parts. Front fender in particular.
- Handlebars are way too low with the seat raised to maximum. This is a problem for only a few of us I know and is to be expected for a bike with only two frame size choices. I must confess I look longingly at those whose bikes have the handlebars resting above the seat; sometimes far above. It looks sooooo comfortable! Perhaps a stem riser might work?
I love this bike and spend much of my time at work counting down the hours until I can go for a ride. It handles my gravitationally challenged body perfectly, making me feel like a kid again. (I was a very skinny kid, BTW.) Téo has done a great job examining the competition and learning from what works and what doesn't, offering upgrades wherever it makes the most sense, while still maintaining affordability. I would highly recommend this bike to anyone looking to increase the fun factor of cycling while decreasing the pain factor.
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