Test rides

Bobsiii

Bobsiii

Active Member
Local le-bs (10 blocks) having a demo day Sat, supposed to be in the 50s so a good day for rides. I've done a lot of research here, think I've narrowed things down to 3 bikes - Surface 604 Rook, Amego Infinite and Magnum Metro. Surface for torque sensor, Magnum because le-bs sells/supports, Amego because it really seems like the best overall combo of features & price.

I'll be bike path riding mostly, some roads, need step-thru upright position vs hi/mid-step, lots of hills including one 15-20% grade required to go almost anywhere. I'm thinking I want to test ride a mid-drive and a hub drive, a cadence sensor and a torque sensor and different geometries. The store sells R&M, Stromers,, Blix, Focus, Haibike, IZip, Kalkhoff, Populo, Pedego and Velec. (A different store also sells Bulls, Felt, EMotion Gazelle and Yuba but no demo day asked.

Planning on staying around $2k so most of these are out of my range but I'm wondering if any of you have suggestions, from those choices, what I should ride to get me the best overall info before I purchase (prob Apr/May.) I'll test non step-thru models as well, my problem is a balky hip that makes swinging up and over difficult esp when carrying back bag but may be manageable with panniers vs rear rack bag.

BTW - I know Populo is going out of business/becoming Aventon, it's not on the list for me because of low power motors.
 
Your price point pretty much excludes torque sensing mid drive bikes. You might find some close outs on line though. Your max spend pretty much limits you to Chinese made. Probably best not to test ride bikes that exceed the budget unless you are prepared to increase the spending limit. You will have fun regardless but more fun if you don't know what you are missing.
 
Alaskan said:
Your price point pretty much excludes torque sensing mid drive bikes. You might find some close outs on line though. Your max spend pretty much limits you to Chinese made. Probably best not to test ride bikes that exceed the budget unless you are prepared to increase the spending limit. You will have fun regardless but more fun if you don't know what you are missing.
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I have to agree, stay off the expensive bikes. I loved my Rad Mini and used it half on road, half gravel or dirt. Then I tried the Specialized Turbo Levo. The Mini did not ride so good any more. I was fortunate to find a rental Levo that had only been charged 10 times (the app tells you how many times the battery has been charged) for a good price.

Good luck in your decision. The main thing is to get one and ride.
 
The differences show up in different ways. Not so much performance/speed. Right away there is a seamless, natural feel, ease of control and sense of durability and road feel that a higher end bike gives you. Then, over time, that sense of durability unfolds in ways that bring you back to the mechanic or have you rolling up your sleeves fewer times, with longer intervals in between. If, heaven forbid, you run into issues while still under warranty, your experience with a better bike will be far more satisfying with less time spent awaiting parts and more tech help available from the manufacturer for you or your LBS mechanic getting you back riding sooner.
 
I would avoid Wingbikes at all costs.
Seems like a basement operation with no physical location. They could fold the website tomorrow and nobody would know.

If you can't find the owner's name, phone number, physical address and a photo then rest assured that they are operating for a quick buck.
People don't publish their photos, names if they don't have firm footing in the business.
The bike is very average, a Chinese import with fancy batteries that would be hard to replace in a few years. Be ready to treat your eBike like a heavy paper weight in 3-4 years.

I have seen all kinds of companies come and go in the last 6 years.
 
A word of caution here. Most mid drive riders can't see anything good about hub drives and vice versa. Conversion aficionados can't imagine why you might want a ground up factory-built ebike. Very few respondents will give you advice based on your actual question. In many of these requests for advice, many folks don't bother thinking about the questioner and where they are coming from This is especially true of the do it yourself, conversion crowd. They fail to understand that everyone is not handy with tools, do not have the time, tools, work space or know how to tinker, tweak and engage in projects. They just want a good bike to ride. Confirmation bias is alive and thriving in this forum.

@Bobsiii inquired about test riding bikes at a shop. How about helping him find a reliable bike to ride and a good place to go where it can be tested and after he buys it, fixed quickly so he can keep riding.
 
Bobsiii said:
Now I'm for sure going to ride the expensive ones, just to see what you're talking about!
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@Bobsiii , I strongly recommend that you do! Ignorance is not bliss! You will quite likely realize that for another $500 spend you'll get a significantly higher-quality and higher-performing bike that you'll be much happier with over the long haul. It is less expensive to spend an extra $500 now, than upgrade in just a couple of years.

By the way, I strongly suggest test riding on those 15-20% grade hills you mentioned, that is where you will experience what another $500 can get you with a good torque-sensing mid-drive and hydraulic brakes. I have owned, and enjoyed, both hub and mid-drive bikes, both mechanical and hydraulic brakes, and I have no doubt whatsoever what I'd want for frequent riding of steep grades!
 
Alaskan said:
A word of caution here. Most mid drive riders can't see anything good about hub drives and vice versa. Conversion aficionados can't imagine why you might want a ground up factory-built ebike. Very few respondents will give you advice based on your actual question. In many of these requests for advice, many folks don't bother thinking about the questioner and where they are coming from This is especially true of the do it yourself, conversion crowd. They fail to understand that everyone is not handy with tools, do not have the time, tools, work space or know how to tinker, tweak and engage in projects. They just want a good bike to ride. Confirmation bias is alive and thriving in this forum.
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Thanks for striking a blow for critical thinking.
 
Alaskan said:
A word of caution here
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It does make sense that each of us can only share our own experience. Most of us don't have broad experience with ebikes, but know our own bikes. So it's great to hear what each person likes, but we need to take it all as each person's perspective, not as general "truth," and we need to understand that different bikes suit different needs, so what one person loves another may be quite unhappy with.
 
It's an interesting discussion. I have ridden a lot of e-bikes and some I liked, some I didn't. One very expensive bike surprised me on a hill (and not in a good way). At home we have a mid-drive Shimano that I use all the time, and also a hub-drive Juiced. They are both great, but very different.

I hired a Bosch mid-drive bike recently for a 40km ride. At first it felt odd, not like my usual bike, but after a short while we bonded and I had a fantastic ride.

So, as I've said before... try loads of bikes and get the one that makes you smile the most.
 
Test rode a Pedego, an IZip, a Blix, a Yamaha, the Metro - and a R&M Delite! Saved the Metro for last, right after the R&M.

I definitely noticed the more solid feel of the R&M and it really chews up hills, made the previous bikes seem sort of flimsy, weird to say for a 60 lb metal machine but that was the word that came to me.

Not, however, the Metro. It felt lighter and more agile than the R&M but still solidly made. Took the steepest hill in PAS 6, second gear, no problem. Riding position felt very comfortable, controls were easy to reach and use, positive feeling. I like the ride, and coming from skinny tires I was impressed with how well the Schwalbes handled the ice layers remaining on roads in the shadow of construction sites, no squirmy feel, after the first one I felt confident in the stability.

If my money was unlimited I'd get the R&M but it's not and I didn't - put the Metro on layaway instead. Really glad for all the info and friendly folks here, you made a daunting task easy.
 
I am happy for you. Enjoy the new ride. When you get it on the road, give us a ride report and some first impressions.
 
Bobsiii said:
Test rode a Pedego, an IZip, a Blix, a Yamaha, the Metro - and a R&M Delite! Saved the Metro for last, right after the R&M.

I definitely noticed the more solid feel of the R&M and it really chews up hills, made the previous bikes seem sort of flimsy, weird to say for a 60 lb metal machine but that was the word that came to me.

Not, however, the Metro. It felt lighter and more agile than the R&M but still solidly made. Took the steepest hill in PAS 6, second gear, no problem. Riding position felt very comfortable, controls were easy to reach and use, positive feeling. I like the ride, and coming from skinny tires I was impressed with how well the Schwalbes handled the ice layers remaining on roads in the shadow of construction sites, no squirmy feel, after the first one I felt confident in the stability.

If my money was unlimited I'd get the R&M but it's not and I didn't - put the Metro on layaway instead. Really glad for all the info and friendly folks here, you made a daunting task easy.
Click to expand...

Awesome! The Magnum Metro is really popular in my town, and I have to say the people riding them look pretty happy.
 
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