Trek Super Commuter 7 - $3599

[Papa G]

Hello Papa G. Thanks for the insight. Owner's manuals are an important source of official information from the company. I will pursue this with Trek, since they have owners manuals for other bikes. I'll wait a bt before I think about changing the pedals. One change for sure I will make is the seat. In my older age guess I look for comfort. I agree the SC+7 is a very nice bike. It is a very stable bike. More tomorrow as I have ridden this now 10 miles, and had to stop due to the thunderstorms and heavy rain in my area. I hope to have a better evaluation on this bike tomorrow.

Hi Eliot. It is a bit more expensive, but I decided to add a suspension seatpost, then see if the original saddle seemed comfortable. The Kinect BodyFloat 2.1 is all that was needed and the original saddle seems fine now. Maybe in part because I have been riding a lot more lately?

 

[eliot3b4]

20 Mile Ride:

This was my first sustained distance riding with the SC+7. Some statistics:


Distance: 20.2 miles
Time: 1:37:24
Average Speed: 12.5 mph
Max Speed: 28 mph
Elevation Gain 784 ft

I found peddling this bike with no power was easy. A huge change from the previous bike I had owned. I found I turned off the power a lot because it was not needed. But, when I wanted the assist it was there to get up some hills. The turbo assist worked great going up the heart break hill back to my home. That hill is the primary reason for the electric bike.

I found I could go slightly over 20 mph in turbo mode, and did not feel like the bike was holding me back. Again, a change from my previous bike.

I feel like the bike is shifting or changing gears without input from me. Which is ok as it seems like the bike is saying this is needed and idiot if you are not going to shift I will. I feel like the motor is the “brain” on this bike. I found I like the whine of the motor, and by listening to the motor could feel when to shift. Reminded me of driving a car with a clutch.

Questions for people who have knowledge with electric bikes:

• Does it hurt the battery or motor to turn the battery on/off so much?
• Does the motor store information on the cadence, etc?
• Will using the higher amp battery (the 4 amp vice the 2 that came with the bike) to charge the battery hurt either the motor (electronics) or the battery?

One last question. I know it is August, but here in Maine we are getting ready for winter. How does this bike perform in light snow showers, and any issues riding this bike in cold weather, other than the operator staying warm?

Court, thanks for the information in this web site. It is because of your comprehensive reviews that I was able to make informed decisions on the bikes I was considering purchasing. Keep up the good work!

 

[bob armani]

20 Mile Ride:

This was my first sustained distance riding with the SC+7. Some statistics:


Distance: 20.2 miles
Time: 1:37:24
Average Speed: 12.5 mph
Max Speed: 28 mph
Elevation Gain 784 ft

I found peddling this bike with no power was easy. A huge change from the previous bike I had owned. I found I turned off the power a lot because it was not needed. But, when I wanted the assist it was there to get up some hills. The turbo assist worked great going up the heart break hill back to my home. That hill is the primary reason for the electric bike.

I found I could go slightly over 20 mph in turbo mode, and did not feel like the bike was holding me back. Again, a change from my previous bike.

I feel like the bike is shifting or changing gears without input from me. Which is ok as it seems like the bike is saying this is needed and idiot if you are not going to shift I will. I feel like the motor is the “brain” on this bike. I found I like the whine of the motor, and by listening to the motor could feel when to shift. Reminded me of driving a car with a clutch.

Questions for people who have knowledge with electric bikes:

• Does it hurt the battery or motor to turn the battery on/off so much?
• Does the motor store information on the cadence, etc?
• Will using the higher amp battery (the 4 amp vice the 2 that came with the bike) to charge the battery hurt either the motor (electronics) or the battery?

One last question. I know it is August, but here in Maine we are getting ready for winter. How does this bike perform in light snow showers, and any issues riding this bike in cold weather, other than the operator staying warm?

Court, thanks for the information in this web site. It is because of your comprehensive reviews that I was able to make informed decisions on the bikes I was considering purchasing. Keep up the good work!

eliot-This is the first I have heard this bike having 'auto-shifting'. When I did a test ride, this feature was not present. Perhaps it needs to be enabled somehow by Trek? Interesting...

 

[Papa G]

Hi All: Eliot, I've now logged about 600 miles on the SC +7 and the only auto-shifting I have noticed is a rare occasional miss-shift? Maybe your derailleur needs adjustment? Also, backing off on the pedals when shifting may make shifting smoother.

 

[Papa G]

Hi Eliot3b4. You've hit a couple of the weak spots, I agree that an owner's manual would be nice, but I am not surprised it wasn't included. The battery charge cap is not well designed. While riding the other day, I saw that I had left mine open, so I reached down with my left hand to close it, then looked down again to see if it was properly closed, and saw that it had fallen off, guess I should have stopped or used my foot to close it. Fortunately I doubled back and found it. I reinserted it, but it is loose and will likely fall off again soon. Charge time is slow, but after purchasing other upgrades, I didn't really want to spend another $190 for a 4 amp charger. I have found that charging the bike right after riding 30 miles or so is a good plan, so the bike has enough charge for my next ride at all times. The pedals that came on the bike were just way too small. The Wellgo magnesium pedals and the Kinect Bodyfloat 2.1 suspension seatpost that Court mentioned are great. I bought my bike one month ago and now have ridden over 500 miles on it. I still have two issues. First, my preferred cadence is around 80 rpm. To ride right at a sustained 19.5 mph (which is just slightly under the speed limiter) puts me at a 90 cadence (which is a little too fast) on one cog and a 75 cadence (which is a little too slow) on the other. I think the 10 speed cog jumps a little too far between the gears at the 19.5 mph speed I want to maintain. Upgrading to an 11 speed system with tighter ratios between cogs might solve this, but seems like a lot of trouble and a boatload of money. Since the SC +7 came with a 17t sprocket at the motor, I went ahead and ordered an 18t, a 19t and a 20t to see if I could find a ratio that gets me closer to the 80 cadence at 19.5 mph? Second, the grips are nice, but having only one hand position is not great. I think adding a pair of Ergon GP3 grips with bar ends would be nice. These are minor gripes that can be overcome, overall the SC +7 is great.

Hi All: For those who might have an interest. I think I may have figured out the simplest way to achieve the 80+- rpm cadence at 19.5+- mph in "Tour" mode (which I primarily use on my daily 15 mile each way commute). I measured my cadence and speed while riding at a constant 19.5+- mph on a flat section of the AR Bike Trail with the stock 17 tooth sprocket. I prepared the attached chart, and have ordered 18t, 19t and 20t sprocket replacements (about $8 each). It looks like the 19t may be the right choice for me? Thanks

 

[Papa G]

Hi All: Eliot, I've now logged about 600 miles on the SC +7 and the only auto-shifting I have noticed is a rare occasional miss-shift? Maybe your derailleur needs adjustment? Also, backing off on the pedals when shifting may make shifting smoother.

Do you think what you are feeling is the pedal assist kicking in when you resume pedaling after coasting? As soon as you stop pedaling, the pedal assist stops as well. When you resume pedaling, there is a slight lag before the motor resumes and pedal assist kicks in.

 

[Papa G]

Hello Papa G. Thanks for the insight. Owner's manuals are an important source of official information from the company. I will pursue this with Trek, since they have owners manuals for other bikes. I'll wait a bt before I think about changing the pedals. One change for sure I will make is the seat. In my older age guess I look for comfort. I agree the SC+7 is a very nice bike. It is a very stable bike. More tomorrow as I have ridden this now 10 miles, and had to stop due to the thunderstorms and heavy rain in my area. I hope to have a better evaluation on this bike tomorrow.

I found this link to the 2017 Trek Super Commuter 8S Owner's Manual:
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

Maybe some useful information could be found there. Hopefully Trek will release a 2018 Owner's Manual for the Super Commuter +7.

 

[burtjason]

Been interesting reading all of the posts. I ride fat bikes (have 3) or play tennis in the mornings and get a good 2 hour workout about 5 or 6 times per week. Was looking to get some light exercise in the evenings. Tennis or cycling interferes with my digestion. Walking isn't enough plus it's hot and uncomfortable (Florida). And , frankly, walking is kind of boring. Also, been condidering commuting to work. Only 10 miles round trip. Only thing is.....I'd get all sweaty. So, I just bought a brand new Super Commuter +7. Will post my impressions shortly.

 

[chriskmee]

Since the SC +7 came with a 17t sprocket at the motor, I went ahead and ordered an 18t, a 19t and a 20t to see if I could find a ratio that gets me closer to the 80 cadence at 19.5 mph?

Please let me know how that works out for you. I think I read that changing the front sprocket might cause errors to happen. If its the same as my SC8, it looks at cadence and speed, and if those numbers are off it might think a sensor has gone bad and report an error.

 

[Papa G]

Please let me know how that works out for you. I think I read that changing the front sprocket might cause errors to happen. If its the same as my SC8, it looks at cadence and speed, and if those numbers are off it might think a sensor has gone bad and report an error.

Hi Chriskmee. Thank you for the heads up, I haven't made the change yet. I will research this further before I do.

 

[Papa G]

Hi Chriskmee. Thank you for the heads up, I haven't made the change yet. I will research this further before I do.

I was thinking about this and wondered if a similar error might occur if the cogset were replaced with a cogset with different cogs/ratios?

 

[Papa G]

I was thinking about this and wondered if a similar error might occur if the cogset were replaced with a cogset with different cogs/ratios?

I went ahead and sent the "potential error messages caused by changing the sprocket (chainring)" question directly to Bosch from the contact section of their website. I will post their response. Thanks again.

 

[chriskmee]

I was thinking about this and wondered if a similar error might occur if the cogset were replaced with a cogset with different cogs/ratios?

From my understanding it could, and if it doesn't now it might in future updates. I think Bosch expected that people will try to beat the speed limit by messing with the sensors, changing gears, etc, so they implemented ways to detect modifications like that. The bike definitely has the sensors to be able to detect a change like that.

On that note, I was checking the SC7+ specs and online it says it comes with an 18T front cog. Did yours really come with a 17T? https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/...ter/super-commuter-7/p/22616/?colorCode=black

 

[Papa G]

From my understanding it could, and if it doesn't now it might in future updates. I think Bosch expected that people will try to beat the speed limit by messing with the sensors, changing gears, etc, so they implemented ways to detect modifications like that. The bike definitely has the sensors to be able to detect a change like that.

On that note, I was checking the SC7+ specs and online it says it comes with an 18T front cog. Did yours really come with a 17T? https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/...ter/super-commuter-7/p/22616/?colorCode=black

Thanks for pointing out that my SC +7 may have an 18t stock chainring. That may be a new spec as the price is now shown at $3,899 vs. $3,699 as well. I will check mine to confirm what I have before making the change. If my SC +7 has an 18t, I may need to go to a 20t to get the desired result (I can change my spreadsheet table to confirm) . But I need to hear back from Bosch. I am not trying to alter the 20 mph assist limit, I just want to ride at an 80+- rpm at 19.5 mph on the flat sections of my daily commute.

 

[burtjason]

First impressions: The first thing that hit me was how smooth the ride was. I normally do the 2 hr urban assault with my fat bike (4.6 tires @ 7 psi). These super motos are so smooth....and efficient. No way do I need to buy a suspension seat or stem. It handled the rough sections of broken concrete, pot holed street and short sections of dirt with aplomb. When I stand and coast, it's like an owl in flight. Absolutely NO sound. No one can hear you coming if you are on the sidewalks...so I easily pass on the grass or dirt. I guess it's why there is an included bell. I thought it was kind of funny when I first saw it. I expected more noise when pedaling too. Pretty quiet and smooth overall. The 2nd thing that I noticed the most was the weight. It felt so stable at speed and cornering. Even the short climbs over bridges were no problem at all with the power off. I rode the 1st 15 minutes without power. Then I switched to ECO. OMG. I've never ridden an e bike before so I guess everyone have their face lit up the first time. Anyway, the weight isn't too much of a problem till you have to push it up the stairs to your 2nd floor apt. It's twice as heavy as my fat bikes. I am a fit 65 yr old , 150lb man. Was hard but not overly so. Getting it back downstairs was a problem. I easily roll my fat bikes downstairs on their rear wheel. The back fender is too long and prevents this. So, since I won't be riding in the rain, I had my LBS remove the fenders and install a Bontrager rear rack on. (I didn't like the one it came with) The mechanic was able to re-install the tail light on back of the new rack. So problem solved. I called Trek about the walk mode to help me get it upstairs but that feature was disabled. However, if the dealer has the appropriate equipment, they can re-enable the walk mode through the computers software. My dealer sadly doesn't have the appropriate hardware yet. The 3rd thing I noticed was the efficient powered drivetrain. The shifting is great but I always ease off on the pedals some by habit. For me.....the ECO drive was great. All the power I'll need for relaxed cruising (which is what I bought it for). You don't need to peddle hard to get to 20mph though. TOUR drive was wonderful for higher speed effort less riding. For flat riding, the SPORT drive was just too damn easy. I tried it a few times and it made me laugh. There are no steep hills in Jacksonville, Florida but I assume TURBO drive was included for steep hills. If I take it up to the mountains on a road trip, I may use it. Otherwise, it's way overkill in flat Florida. Another thing.......I don't need to run my saddle at top height for the most efficient peddling. Halfway through my ride, I lowered my saddle mountain bike style and had plenty of power in TOUR to do fast comfortable cruising. With saddle lowered, I can really lean the bike over for fast cornering. Makes for more fun riding through the neighborhoods. The one thing I didn't like much were the peddles. They were ok but I am used to the wider platform peddles. I tried to switch them out at home but the spindles are half inch instead of 9/16. Half inch are popular with BMX. I may or may not bother with switching them out. One last thing, the headlight is supposed to be nowhere near as bright as the SC 8's headlight. Well, let me tell you.....it is plenty enough light. I brightly lights up the road ahead so I see everything....even frogs on the street.....lol. The taillight is sufficient but I may add a seatpost light. In summary, I love this bike after just one evening ride. I could have rode another 2 hours. I felt really good afterwards considering the distance I rode......especially after having eaten dinner. Sometime in the next few days, I'm going to try riding it on the beach at low tide. The wide 2.4" tires on our relatively hard beaches should work just fine.

 

[MadProphet]

Hey Papa G, did you ever hear back from Bosch about the gear change? I have the 8s but live in a very hilly area. Would love to have a bit more range on the high end.

 

[Luv2ride]

Hey Papa G, did you ever hear back from Bosch about the gear change? I have the 8s but live in a very hilly area. Would love to have a bit more range on the high end.

I ride the 8s and have had my bike "tuned" with the bikespeed rs from day 1. This allows for the motor to still assist me as long as I can pedal.
I changed the front chainring to a 22 which I found in Australia and in the rear I run an 11x46. The 22 tooth chainring is equivalent to a 55 on a road bike which gives me the ability to pedal at 25 mph with a manageable cadence and the 46 in the rear allows me to still climb 15-20 percent grades.
I have 13,000 miles on my bike in the first year and have gone through 3 chains, 1 rear cassette, 1 rear tire and 3 sets of brake pads.
Absolutely no motor problems, the bike is awesome!
I also carry at least one extra battery with me and sometimes two which allows me to ride 50 to 100 miles with no range anxiety.

 

[MadProphet]

Since you don't mention any, I'm assuming you had no issues with the new gearing. Do you attribute that to the bikespeed or does the stock setup allow for the changes?

Is the sole purpose of the bikespeed to allow for higher assisted speeds or does it offer other functionality?

 

[Papa G]

Hey Papa G, did you ever hear back from Bosch about the gear change? I have the 8s but live in a very hilly area. Would love to have a bit more range on the high end.

Hi MadProphet. I originally submitted the question to Bosch in Germany and received no reply. On 08/21/18 I sent the question to the Bosch US website. So far no reply, but I will keep you posted. I have put 890 miles on the SC +7 since early July, 2018 and have no complaints. I would still like to change out the front chainring sprocket to a 19 tooth, so hopefully Bosch will reply soon.

 

[MadProphet]

If you're a member of Facebook, you might try messaging them. They were very responsive to my questions.