mjl_toronto
New Member
I did it...I joined the world of ebikes and ordered a 2020 eProdigy Magic Pro! I plan to contribute in this forum as time will allow. This community has been so helpful throughout my decision process that I figured I would give back to help other prospective owners. There wasn't much info about this brand or model, so I hope I can help. I plan to provide regular updates, along with pictures (maybe videos?) throughout my journey of owning this.
Some background info:
About me: I'm not a bike/ebike enthusiast. I simply saw an opportunity to reduce my commute time a lot by buying an ebike and taking local trails to work. I used to bike to work in all weather, including ice storms, but gave that up several years ago when I got hit by a construction truck! Fortunately, I survived with only bruises, a sprained ankle, and a lot of pain. I miss the freedom of biking to work and recently decided to get back on the 2 wheels. I'm not much of a gear head, and I definitely don't know how to repair bikes well. However, I am a tinkerer that enjoys fixing things, but sometimes end up breaking things more.
Why an eBike: After my accident, biking wasn't very fun anymore. I was quite nervous for a while, and found any reason I could to avoid biking. I'm fortunate that I live and work close to a huge network of bike trails, however the meandering trails meant my commute doubled compared to taking roads directly to work. I never considered an ebike until this year when I went on a Fat ebike winter trail tour in Mt. Tremblant. I was hooked. That took me on journey of researching ebikes which led me to my purchase.
Why eProdigy Magic Pro: I wanted an ebike that would be comfortable for commuting, and something I could share with my wife occasionally. I didn't care for long range or high speed, but wanted strong brakes, front suspension, decent quality components (not bleeding edge), and low maintenance. There wasn't much info about this model but I read and watched the review by @Court (thank you!) and was really intrigued. I was drawn to the idea of a belt drive and IGH because of the low maintenance and clean factor (hated getting chain grease on my pants, even with chain guards somehow). However, the 2018 Magic Pro model didn't come with suspension, so I put it low on my short list of ebikes. The suspension was a must have because of the icy trails I ride during winter. Then I came across a post/video by @scout592 that mentioned a 2020 version with suspension. I contacted eProdgiy asking when that would be available, and they said I could purchase it now. So I did, and now I wait.
Bonus factors: A few non bike related things that helped me make the decision were as follows:
Some background info:
About me: I'm not a bike/ebike enthusiast. I simply saw an opportunity to reduce my commute time a lot by buying an ebike and taking local trails to work. I used to bike to work in all weather, including ice storms, but gave that up several years ago when I got hit by a construction truck! Fortunately, I survived with only bruises, a sprained ankle, and a lot of pain. I miss the freedom of biking to work and recently decided to get back on the 2 wheels. I'm not much of a gear head, and I definitely don't know how to repair bikes well. However, I am a tinkerer that enjoys fixing things, but sometimes end up breaking things more.
Why an eBike: After my accident, biking wasn't very fun anymore. I was quite nervous for a while, and found any reason I could to avoid biking. I'm fortunate that I live and work close to a huge network of bike trails, however the meandering trails meant my commute doubled compared to taking roads directly to work. I never considered an ebike until this year when I went on a Fat ebike winter trail tour in Mt. Tremblant. I was hooked. That took me on journey of researching ebikes which led me to my purchase.
Why eProdigy Magic Pro: I wanted an ebike that would be comfortable for commuting, and something I could share with my wife occasionally. I didn't care for long range or high speed, but wanted strong brakes, front suspension, decent quality components (not bleeding edge), and low maintenance. There wasn't much info about this model but I read and watched the review by @Court (thank you!) and was really intrigued. I was drawn to the idea of a belt drive and IGH because of the low maintenance and clean factor (hated getting chain grease on my pants, even with chain guards somehow). However, the 2018 Magic Pro model didn't come with suspension, so I put it low on my short list of ebikes. The suspension was a must have because of the icy trails I ride during winter. Then I came across a post/video by @scout592 that mentioned a 2020 version with suspension. I contacted eProdgiy asking when that would be available, and they said I could purchase it now. So I did, and now I wait.
Bonus factors: A few non bike related things that helped me make the decision were as follows:
- eProdigy is a family owned father/daughter company that's been around since 2011. I thought that was a pretty cool story, and I love supporting small businesses. Just hope they support their customers too!
- They have a bike tour brand called Bees Knees that seems to get decent reviews online. Figured if they built their own bikes for these tours, they must build them to last. Right?
- They weren't hit by shipping delays from China, and are sending my bike next week.
- Their communication was prompt and really helpful.
- Buying online without ever trying the product. But that seems to be normal for ebikes.
- I know a lot of people say belt drives are low maintenance, but I'm not entirely confident about that. Guess I'll have to learn that myself.
- eProdigy seems like a small company, so not sure how future warranty, service, repair, or parts will turn out. That being said, a lot of ebike companies seem small.
- Dost Drop: I really wanted this bike. Unfortunately, they, like others, were hit with shipping issues. I did appreciate Sam's quick and thorough communication via email. Maybe I'll buy a model from them in the future.
- Riese and Muller Nevo: Heard lots of great things about this brand and model, but the price was too steep for me.
- iGo Discovery and Biktrix Swift: There were a lot of bikes like these that had a great price. Unfortunately there just wasn't enough to push it to the top of my short list. I'm sure they're great products, but nothing about them made them stand out above others. No offence to the companies or anyone owning these.
