The FLX Blade - Solid FUN!

[jasonatepaint]

Thanks for your review. I may just order one - but hard tail concerns me; do you have a seat post suspension? Considering thudbuster or bodyfloat. Other concern is the weight - I believe it is 58lbs with battery - a monster to lift onto bike rack!
Also it would be great if you posted all the mods you have - some thingy under horizontal bar, bottle cage, phone holder, lights etc.
thanks again!

I do have a seat post... the Suntour SP12-NCX It works great but probably not a true replacement for a FS bike. For my light trail riding and the terrible roads we have in Austin, it does the job.

It is a heavy bike, but I knew that going in... however, while riding with non-electric bike friends, I will turn off the power completely and I find that the bike is completely useable in a non-powered situation. As far as weight for lifting it... yeah, it can be a handful. I have one of these Bikehand Repair stands and can do it on my own but it's a heavy lift.

And here's the list of all the upgrades I have on my bike:

• Suntour SP12-NCX seat post
• Serfas RX Cruiser Bicycle Saddle
• OUTERDO Bike Fork Stem Extender Bicycle Handlebar Riser
• KBROTECH GUB 31.8MM Double Clamp Carbon Fiber Super Long Bike Bicycle Handlebar Extender
• Handlebar grips
• Ram Mounts Phone Holder
• Kickstand
• Mirrycle MTB Bar End Mountain Bicycle Mirror
• Water Bottle cages
• Bicycle Bell
• Wheel Lights (These and These) -- Need these for late night rides where I want to be visible from all angles
• Security
  • Abus Bordo GRANIT X Plus 6500
  • Mindy Disc Lock Anti Theft Lock Security Disc Disk Lock

Hope that helps!
Jason

 

[Sushi]

Thanks for the pic, the review and for listing your mods - your bike looks great!
I’ve followed this bike for a long time. Seems FLX had trouble first making deliveries, then shipping damage, then with gen1 motor failures, then their batteries were falling out...but at each step it appeared to me that they addressed the issues. Looks to me like it’s now ready for prime time!
Do you agree? Have you had any problems with the bike? If so, has FLX been responsive? Would you buy this bike again?
Thanks!

 

[jasonatepaint]

Do you agree? Have you had any problems with the bike? If so, has FLX been responsive? Would you buy this bike again?
Thanks!

Yeah, I love this bike. It's been about 4 months and 900 miles and it's been a great ride. It's my first mid-drive so I'm learning that drive components (chain, cassettes, etc) wear happens much faster. The torque on this bike is ridiculous. While I spend most of my time in "Eco - level 1" so that I'm getting a work out, it's puts an absolute smile on my face when I switch it into "Sport - level 5" mode. In a low enough gear, you can pop a wheelie on take off. I would buy it again without hesitation.

The only issue I've had popped up recently in a more consistent way.... skipping in the 2 smallest cogs on the back cassette. Those 2 are the ones I live in the most, once up to speed (meaning I never start out in those small cogs -- it's stress on the motor and the chain/gears). The cassette (and the entire SRAM EX1) is designed for e-bikes, so I would expect a longer lifespan on the system. I just reached out to FLX customer service last night and got a reply this morning for some more info and pictures while we attempt to see if this expected/a warranty issue.

Once I have some sort of outcome, I will report back. If it's true that you can only expect 900 miles on heavily used cogs, it will be a bit of a bummer (and a lesson learned with mid-drive systems)... because that means if I keep up the similar pace, it's a $300-400 cost of replacement + install every 4 months. Something I'll have to learn how to do myself.

 

[scootscoot]

Where are you getting the $400 + install figure from?

A new chain and cassette and chainrings?

 

[jasonatepaint]

Where are you getting the $400 + install figure from?

A new chain and cassette and chainrings?

Google “Sram xg-899” and you’ll see the price, for the cassette alone. The issue is that it’s just 2 cogs but you have to replace the whole thing. I found a place that sells it for 240 in the US, but gonna see what FLX has to say first. The chainring and chain are fine.

The cassette had some problems earlier on, with the locking ring coming loose and the gears spinning free. The shop was able to tighten it back down but several hundred miles later the skipping got worse to the point I have to feather those last two cogs.

 

[Sushi]

Thanks for the update, Jason!

My FLX Blade is supposed to arrive on Monday. I’ll be very interested to hear how your current cogs issue with FLX is resolved.

 

[jasonatepaint]

Support got back to me today... actually I woke up to an email that my order had shipped and another email that said they shipped the 2 small cogs. So it should just be a matter of getting them installed, which they said they would also cover the cost.

My impression after talking to a few mechanics and research online was that replacing individual cogs wasn't an option in most cases... and a full replacement is the only option, so it's good to know we can replace worn cogs. I'll need to see if they will sell them moving forward and stock up!

 

[Sushi]

Good news - glad to hear that FLX is taking of things. As it should be with a warranty.

And I hope you don’t mind (imitation after all IS the sincerest form of flattery) but I just added about 1/2 of your bike mods to my Amazon shopping cart! If you ever visit Seattle and see a bike that looks suspiciously like yours, it’s me.

And also...I’m glad that you’re out in front of me by 3+ months - thank you for your service! (I’ll be watching you; cogs).

 

[sd_tom]

going to be copying some of your mods as well. I had already decided the Super Moto-X tires were probably the way to go for commuting but seeing it on your bike sealed the deal!

 

[iamjcl]

I recently purchased the FLX Blade and couldn't be happier. I got in touch with FLX and Rob, one of the founders, called me back immediately and answered my questions and confirmed that the bike was in stock and ready to ship. I made the purchase on a Thursday and had the bike the following Tuesday morning.

This is the third eBike in my personal fleet. The others are an Easy Motion Evo Cross 48v 500w hub and a Juiced OceanCurrent 48v hub, so I was excited to transition into a mid-drive system. All of the specs listed on the website were 100% accurate. It was packaged and secured perfectly in a box (inside another box) with padding and other instruments to make sure no component on the bike could be damaged in shipping. Following the youtube video for assembling the bike, I had it put together in less than 30 minutes.

This bike is fast. It is scary-fun fast. I mostly ride in eco mode as I'm trying to actually get a workout when I bike, but man... when you put it in SPORT mode and set it to assist-level 5, it's insane. I put on Schwalbe Super Moto-X tires on it for a smoother ride in town... they're great for the road and the hike/bike trails.

I've put on about a 130 miles on it so far and it's been an amazing time! I am in bike-love. Austin is pretty hilly and the Blade just tears it up and is so much more battery-efficient when it comes to drivetrain power. Something that would eat 20% or more battery on the hubs, takes a 1-2% hit to the battery on the same given path. That's not a scientific study, just an observation of riding the same paths everyday.

If you're questioning or considering the Blade, feel free to reach out and I'll give my honest answers to your questions. I'm not affiliated with any eBike company... just became a fan of FLX with this purchase.


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I know this is an older thread, but I've been considering the FLX bikes (m600 and the Ultra motor bikes), and I currently have a Juiced Ripcurrent S.

I noticed you had (or maybe still have) a Juiced, but not sure if it has the torque sensor like the current ones do (it is an electronic sensor that somehow gets feedback from your pedaling - not what I'd call a "real" torque sensor, but it is a whole lot better than cadence alone...)

I'm curious how you'd compare the pedal "feel" between the two bikes, and how natural it is in terms of the bike just doing what you expect it to do as you ride.

I'd also like to know how often you need t change gears - could you just leave it in a mid-gear and still pedal from a stop, and still go say 18mph w/out changing through the gears?

I realize you should for maximum efficiency etc..., but wondering about casual riding or forgetting to downshift before a stop etc...

Thanks for any insight - and any further insight on your ownership experience.

 

[E-Bike Joe]

Hey thanks for all the great upgrade information. I ordered some for my Blade and Blade 2.0.

Thank you.


Tom

 

[E-Bike Joe]

Is there a trick to installing those new grips?