This is a cool bike

[Ann M.]

April in Mass was still cool enough for long sleeves? Sigh, hopefully you're in short sleeves, now! The Juiced is a cool bike not often seen on Austin streets. Here, we see more stretch cargo ebikes which are great for hauling a bunch of kids, but your Juiced is more practical for carrying 'stuff' and one rider. Don't let any of those folks discourage you!

 

[maraetsky]

We still had snow on the ground in April. Today it was in the 90s andfelt hot riding the bike in a tank top.

As the others said above, I think this will be a very popular ebike. Thanks for the encouragement!

 

[Jim W]

Way to go, Maretsky. How long do you think the riding season will be where you live? I wonder if they make snow tires for the ODK.

 

[maraetsky]

Way to go, Maretsky. How long do you think the riding season will be where you live? I wonder if they make snow tires for the ODK.

Ha! Snow tires sound like a great idea, although I think you will find the traction is already quite good. Ice scares me because I slipped on ice and broke my wrist a couple of years ago, but I have had no trouble so far riding over small patches of ice and have ridden through a light snowfall.

That's a good question about the length of the riding season here. Extreme cold may damage the battery, if I understand correctly. We have a barn that has a warm room and I kept the bike in there after riding when it was below freezing. I read there are heaters for motorcycle batteries. Do you know anything about those?

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

View attachment 4117 Hi Guys! I'm so happy to have found this forum. I love my ODK 500, but I am feeling pretty lonely out here in Massachusetts... I haven't met anyone here, outside of a bike store, who even knows what a cargo bike is. I did a fair amount of research and talked to Tora via email before placing my order. My car had died last March and I decided to replace it with the 23 ah ODK 500. The photo is of me on my way to work last April. Since the picture was taken, I have added the JR front basket and a back rack basket by Basil. Today I ordered the dual kickstand to help stabilize the bike when it is loaded with my groceries.

For me, buying the bike seemed a no-brainer. When I was commuting 10 miles round trip, I figured it saved me at least $5 per day. I am currently working PT from home; now it's great for groceries and other errands, plus just getting out and enjoying a ride. I would love to find someone else with an electric bike for pleasure riding company.

Even though the bike was an easy choice for me, switching from a car to a cargo bike had some issues. Commuting by bike is not common here, and most friends had endless questions and made dire predictions about my safety. Some said I would certainly be smooshed. A work friend who is an ex-cop told me not to buy an electric bicycle; when I did, he was very angry and ridiculed me at length. My husband was initially upset about the price. It costs less than 2o¢ to charge the ODK. How can it not be a good investment?

Anyway, I am loving the bike and DH often rides it for errands now, too.

Great choice there!
I believe Juiced is coming up with a new heavy duty front basket rated at 25kg or something.
It certainly is a very wise investment.

PS: good rear view mirror helps in avoiding callous drivers.

 

[Jim W]

Ha! Snow tires sound like a great idea, although I think you will find the traction is already quite good. Ice scares me because I slipped on ice and broke my wrist a couple of years ago, but I have had no trouble so far riding over small patches of ice and have ridden through a light snowfall.

That's a good question about the length of the riding season here. Extreme cold may damage the battery, if I understand correctly. We have a barn that has a warm room and I kept the bike in there after riding when it was below freezing. I read there are heaters for motorcycle batteries. Do you know anything about those?

I don't know anything about battery warmers. I'm lucky enough to live in Southern California where I can ride all year long. The only problem I have to worry about while riding, or any time really, is where will I get a drink of water.

Also, like Ravi said, that's a good looking helmet mirror you got. It's the largest one I've ever seen. What brand is that?

Are you getting the kind of mileage you expected from the 23Ah battery? Since you added the center stand, do you notice any issues with it? Have you had any flats?

 

[maraetsky]

I don't know anything about battery warmers. I'm lucky enough to live in Southern California where I can ride all year long. The only problem I have to worry about while riding, or any time really, is where will I get a drink of water.

Also, like Ravi said, that's a good looking helmet mirror you got. It's the largest one I've ever seen. What brand is that?

Are you getting the kind of mileage you expected from the 23Ah battery? Since you added the center stand, do you notice any issues with it? Have you had any flats?

Jim, I'm jealous of your riding season! Tora shipped my bike to a local bike shop who put it together and mounted a wire water bottle cage on it. They took the cage from a big bin of them, so I think it must not be hard to find one that fits or the wire cages are flexible.

Jim and Ravi, the mirror in the picture wasn't very secure and broke after about a month. I replaced it with one that fits into the end of the left handlebar. That one is bigger and much better. They are available at bike shops and online. I'm sorry I don't remember the name of it, but will try to look it up.

The mileage has been great. My longest round trip so far has been 30 miles. The ODK has a battery indicator with 4 little red lights. Near the end of the 30-mile trip, the last light flashed on and off. That was the first time I saw the indicator change. Weight is supposedly a factor; I am 123 lbs.

The bike can carry up to 300 lbs. I did buy the front basket designed by Tora. It carries up to 50 lbs. and is fantastic. They are coming out with a rear basket to match soon. I may add a liner to catch smaller items that could fall out of a bag. I have one of those insulated shopping bags and usually carry that in the front basket. One caveat: for a small person like me, the 75 lb. bike is a bit heavy to handle when loaded with a week's groceries. For that reason, I just ordered the dual kickstand for more stability when loading the bags and baskets, and I am also considering getting a bike trailer for bigger shopping trips.

The tires are heavy duty; no flats yet. (I am definitely going to study the ebike maintenance thread on this forum. (The manual for the bike does not discuss maintenance.) I am lucky that DH said he will come for me with the pickup truck if I get a flat. I know, I know, I should learn to change a flat.

The biggest problem I have had to date was when we went shopping together. There is a very steep hill going into the shopping center and DH was riding in front of me, peddaling hard. But he was going so slowly and I started to wobble and ended up falling against a guard rail. I was a bit banged up, but all recovered in a couple of weeks. Now I ride in front on steep hills. Anyway, I usually shop alone, since I can cruise along at 20 mph

 

[Jim W]

Great story, Maraetsky. I can't wait to share my own experiences. I should e-mail Tora and ask if he would put together a YouTube video demonstrating how to fix a front or rear flat specifically on the ODK, or how to do any other "User Maintenance."

 

[maraetsky]

Great story, Maraetsky. I can't wait to share my own experiences. I should e-mail Tora and ask if he would put together a YouTube video demonstrating how to fix a front or rear flat specifically on the ODK, or how to do any other "User Maintenance."

Thanks, Jim. I look forward to reading about your new bike and experiences. In September, right? I love your user maintenance video idea. It would be a great resource.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

@maraetsky , @Jim W

Tora had a terrific idea of using a pedal assist system on 32Ah battery to get ~ 100 mile range.
Here is a pic of a bike that was showcased last Interbike. 32Ah battery, Nuvinci 360 HSync for shift-free operation and snazzy rear carrier box for cargo.
It'll be interesting to see what they plan to offer this year.

 

[Jim W]

That would be interesting. Maybe I'll be able to talk my girlfriend into that version. Don't know if she'll be able to wait for it though. She's not even a fan of Juiced Riders. She's more of a Pedigo Beach Cruiser rider.

By the way guys, I got a call from Juiced Riders this afternoon telling me that my bike is being assembled and painted soon, and should be ready for pickup by mid-September. I had a long conversation with Aind Ocallaghan, one of Tora's business partners. He's a really cool guy, and very funny too. In a way, it's very comforting to know that the company you are supporting is run by people who are tirelessly motivated to help you get the most out of their product.

 

[maraetsky]

@maraetsky , @Jim W

Tora had a terrific idea of using a pedal assist system on 32Ah battery to get ~ 100 mile range.
Here is a pic of a bike that was showcased last Interbike. 32Ah battery, Nuvinci 360 HSync for shift-free operation and snazzy rear carrier box for cargo.
It'll be interesting to see what they plan to offer this year.
View attachment 4161

That's very cool... shift free and pedal assist are big changes.

 

[maraetsky]

That would be interesting. Maybe I'll be able to talk my girlfriend into that version. Don't know if she'll be able to wait for it though. She's not even a fan of Juiced Riders. She's more of a Pedigo Beach Cruiser rider.

By the way guys, I got a call from Juiced Riders this afternoon telling me that my bike is being assembled and painted soon, and should be ready for pickup by mid-September. I had a long conversation with Aind Ocallaghan, one of Tora's business partners. He's a really cool guy, and very funny too. In a way, it's very comforting to know that the company you are supporting is run by people who are tirelessly motivated to help you get the most out of their product.

The company commitment to quality and service are impressive. The Pedago bikes are tempting, too, in a different way.

 

[Tara D.]

Very cool maraetsky that you replaced your car with the bike! How is the balance when you are all loaded up with your groceries while riding?

 

[maraetsky]

Very cool maraetsky that you replaced your car with the bike! How is the balance when you are all loaded up with your groceries while riding?

Thanks, Tara! I do my best to distribute the weight well. The balance is excellent while riding with a heavy load. I need to be careful not to let it tip to one side when standing next to the bike (when it's loaded) so I don't drop it, since I'm on the small side. It's a great bike.

I am grateful to EBR for the opportunity to do a lot of research before making a decision on what to buy.

 

[Mr. Rabbit]

For those who saw my post in Accessories when I said of these cool Juiced Riders, "But alas, they are sold out— so I have to wait until the November 2015 shipment," Well, I am pleased to share that there has been a cool change in the winds of fortune for Mr. Rabbit. My local ebike dealer, Wake at the E-Bike Store in Portland OR. worked with the Juiced Riders dealer in Bend to get my bike to me by mid-September! Picture Mr. Rabbit doing the Happy Dance to strains of "Let's Go To The Hop." Just wanna say, another good reason to go through a local dealer is, sometimes when something you want doesn't seem to be available, your local dealer, with their many business connections just may "pull a rabbit out of a hat" for you. So, a big shout-out to:

In Portland and

 

[maraetsky]

For those who saw my post in Accessories when I said of these cool Juiced Riders, "But alas, they are sold out— so I have to wait until the November 2015 shipment," Well, I am pleased to share that there has been a cool change in the winds of fortune for Mr. Rabbit. My local ebike dealer, Wake at the E-Bike Store in Portland OR. worked with the Juiced Riders dealer in Bend to get my bike to me by mid-September! Picture Mr. Rabbit doing the Happy Dance to strains of "Let's Go To The Hop." Just wanna say, another good reason to go through a local dealer is, sometimes when something you want doesn't seem to be available, your local dealer, with their many business connections just may "pull a rabbit out of a hat" for you. So, a big shout-out to:

View attachment 4179 In Portland and View attachment 4180

Way to go, Mr. Rabbit! Tell us when the bike arrives. Gear Works in Leominster, MA received and assembled my Juiced Riders bike. They don't carry e-bikes, but they were great to work with for my unusual request.

 

[Jim W]

I'm jealous, Mr. Rabbit, but I'll be dancing soon, by golly!

Well, while I'm waiting for mine, I was looking around the internet and found another board with a forum about the ODK: <https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=47808&hilit=juiced+riders>.

Here's a photo a guy posted there with a picture of his trailer setup:

I've got a similar kind of trailer attached to my mountain bike, but it looks like I can take it off and put it on the ODK once it gets here. That's great news for my granddaughter who loves riding in it. She calls it her "carriage."

 

[maraetsky]

I'm jealous, Mr. Rabbit, but I'll be dancing soon, by golly!

Well, while I'm waiting for mine, I was looking around the internet and found another board with a forum about the ODK: <https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=47808&hilit=juiced+riders>.

Here's a photo a guy posted there with a picture of his trailer setup: View attachment 4183

I've got a similar kind of trailer attached to my mountain bike, but it looks like I can take it off and put it on the ODK once it gets here. That's great news for my granddaughter who loves riding in it. She calls it her "carriage."

Jim, I'm so glad you posted that picture! I've been wondering if that kind of trailer attachment would work on the ODK, and now I can see it does. Taking your granddaughter for a ride sounds like a lot of fun. My granddaughter is still a baby, but maybe we can do that sort of thing someday, too.

 

[Mr. Rabbit]

Jim W wrote:
"Well, while I'm waiting for mine, I was looking around the internet and found another board with a forum about the ODK"
Hey Jim, thanks for putting us on to that other Juiced Riders forum. Looks like that one began with the ODK V2 back in 2013. I'd like to share another one I found for really enthusiastic Juiced Riders fans like us, although I'll always consider this forum my "home base." It's called the Juiced Riders Fans Wiki, and the link is:
http://juiced-riders-fans.wikia.com/wiki/Juiced_Riders_Fans_Wiki