Tough choice on ~1500 Ebike

[clayjulio69]

Hi Everyone,

I feel like I am unable to finally pull the trigger on an ebike and would appreciate some advice. I am looking for a bike that would be my mode of transportation to work and also be used to get out of the city where I would highly value speed. I need something that I can lock-up outside of work during the day and be rained on that I could also take on 20-mile rides where I really want to fly. I am looking at:

RIde1up 700 (I like the look and it appears to have everything I need)-$1495
Juicedbikes Crosscurrent S-2 (don't like the look as much - I get a $200 first responder discount) -$1699
Wingbike Freedon (with increased battery capacity, I like the looks a lot but likely will not be as fast) - around $1400
Voltbike Yukon 750 (thing seems like a beast) around $1800 ---probably will avoid due to price point.

Let me know your thoughts, and if I should consider another

 

[PDXzap]

If you "really want to fly" the first two you list are 28 mph bikes, the last two are 20 mph. I'm not sure about Philadelphia but I would be worried if I was locking up an ebike all day, outside, just about anywhere in Portland.

 

[TMH]

One of the earlier bikes we bought this year was a Ride1Up 700. We bought it as a kind of do-it-all bike for my wife. She was kind of 'meh' about it and liked riding her other bikes much better. I dug a little deeper to find out why she didn't like it, and found out she didn't much like the riding position with the swept back bars. Changed those out to straight bars for less than $20, and now it is the bike she picks to ride more often than not. You are correct - it pretty much has everything you need right out of the box. No problems with it at all, other than the spokes were kind of softly tensioned from the factory. Easy enough to deal with.

I like Juiced bikes based on our experience with our RipCurrent S. We also have a HyperScorpion on order for my wife. I agree with you that the CrossCurrent doesn't look quite as nice as the R1U 700, mostly because nothing was done to attempt to integrate the battery into the downtube on CC. It would probably be a more efficient commuter due to the wheel/tire difference between it and the 700, but the ride would also likely be a little harsher than the 700's, for the same reason.

The Voltbike Yukon is different from the others being a fatty. Much less efficient for the commute, but possibly more fun on the weekends. Also has a lower top speed. Personally, I like having the Class 3/28mph top speed available to me when riding, even if I don't ride much over 20mph that much. The 20mph cut-off just feels like a handicap to me on Class 1 bikes.

If you truly are looking at a fat tired bike, you might also want to look at the NCM Aspen or Aspen Plus, both of which are at or near your price cap. My little sister just bought an Aspen after riding our RipCurrent S and FLX Gladiator because she wanted to spend a little less money. She loves her NCM.

At $1,499 (and you can usually call them and get a better deal) the FLX Gladiator is a really nice fatty bike, with a higher top speed as compared to the Yukon. I negotiated a deal for $1,450 all-in shipped, including the optional thumb throttle and sales tax. But that was just pre-Covid, and I don't know whether they are still 'dealing'. Word of caution - I have found that FLX's pre-sale communications are much stronger than their post-sale ones. I've only tried email and their on-site 'submit a question' form, and haven't had any luck getting a response. Maybe phone or chat would work better. Also know that the Gladiator does not come with a sidestand.

Sorry but I don't know anything about the Freedom, but from a quick look it looks like it might be one of those 'style over substance' bikes. But I could be completely out in left field there.

Good luck!

 

[clayjulio69]

Thank you both for your replies. I am also worried about leaving the bike locked up every day, but I don't have much choice and, fortunately, it will be locked up in a well-traversed area. I worry both for the bike being stolen and weather. I hear the Yukon can be "unlocked" to allow more than 20MPH speeds, but I'm not certain on this.

Good to hear some first-hand info on the Ride1up 700. I, too think I would end up replacing the handlebars if I went with the 700.

Thanks for the info on the Aspen, I will look into that! I also looked at the Gladiator, but it looks like they are not shipping until August 2020, which is a bummer.

Thanks again!

 

[clayjulio69]

I think I may go with the NCM Moscow... good price at $1050 and it seems to have what I'm looking for. Thanks again

 

[jkvt]

I bought a Moscow Plus a few weeks ago which is nearly the same as the Moscow (except I believe shocks, brakes and battery and the seat). Only have around 90-95 miles on it but it's great so far. The battery range is excellent and the motor can really pull you along. It reduced the settings to eco mode and within that use different PAS levels for different levels of laziness or max speed I want to go and it has no problems, even on that eco setting. I think the Moscow is a really good choice. I would have gone with that one vs. the Plus if I didn't live in a fairly rural area. I need all the battery/range I can get.

 

[clayjulio69]

Great to hear. Ordering mine in the next few days. I hope they get the rack/light kit back in stock at Leoncycle soon.