very impressed with the Diamondback Current.

[mjeds]

2 weeks ago, I received my Diamondback Current.

I was in the market for a road/gravel style bike, I really wanted the Specialized Creo, but could not justify the price point. I test road the Yamaha Urban Rush a few times and I really liked it, but I couldn't get past the cheap Chinese look of the downtube battery setup.

then I accidently came across the Current in a search on google. I really liked the looks, the price point was in between the Specialized and the Yamaha, so I sought out a dealer that had one I could try out. had to drive 150 miles to do so, and they only had a medium. but I was sold. The ride was smooth, the shifting was smooth, the range was incredible on ECO and the bike could easily be used with the Bosch motor turned 100% off. I was able to maintain 16mph with no assist, and in Turbo it can easily hit the stated 28mph, actually my GPS and the Kiox both say I have hit 32mph.. I ended up with the large size as the medium was too small for me.

I ended up buying it. bought it with financing @ 8.99% at the dealer, then as soon as I received it, paid it off with a CC I had that was offering 0% for 18 months on balance transfers, I talked to the CC company beforehand, and they said this would qualify.

I immediately added a suspension stem and seat post as my commute is over awful L.A. roads and I needed something to absorb then road vibration. Also added some tri-bars, my boomerage gps alarm and locator, my preferred seat, as well as a rear rack and some fenders.

I have 220 miles on it now, and it is night and day difference over my fat tire. The workout is much better, maintaining a 100rpm cadence and 150BPM heart rate.

I really like this bike. I can't say enough good things about it, the only real issue I have with it, is that it didn't come with any lights. But after talking with Diamondback I found out it is prewired for front and rear lights, all I had to do was remove the battery to access the tucked away wiring and wire in a 12v front and 12v rear light. Then I have to take it to a Bosch dealer to have the light feature activated in the Kiox display/control.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Congratulations, mjeds! It looks a very nice e-bike!

What is the black water-bottle on the seat-tube?

 

[mjeds]

Congratulations, mjeds! It looks a very nice e-bike!

What is the black water-bottle on the seat-tube?

Tool box. Has a spare tube, patches, multi-tool, etc.

Elite 0111804 Byasi Water Bottle, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CG68NQE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_SQM2H667TPAD461XGF4F

Shortly after taking the picture i fashioned a bracket to lower the bottle cage so that it wasn’t hitting the triangle pack.

As you can see here:

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Tool box. Has a spare tube, patches, multi-tool, etc.

Elite 0111804 Byasi Water Bottle, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CG68NQE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_SQM2H667TPAD461XGF4F

Shortly after taking the picture i fashioned a bracket to lower the bottle cage so that it wasn’t hitting the triangle pack.

As you can see here:

View attachment 113867

You seem to have added the aero-bars yourself? Very, very nice!

 

[mjeds]

You seem to have added the aero-bars yourself? Very, very nice!

yeah, $40 on amazon. though I am not used to them, I don't feel stable using them except for long straight-a-ways with no incline or decline. though they are a great place to house my phone and I moved the Kiox display up there using a profile design aerodrink bracket I found on amazon. this keeps everything directly in my line of sight, so I don't have to look down or take my eyes off the road to see the data I want to see.

I'm thinking of getting the Aerodrink bottle though, I find reaching down for my Contigo bottle to be a bit cumbersome while moving, which means I have to stop to hydrate.

 

[Dan89yj]

Yes I read the specs on the new Diamondbacks when they came out last year! The specs for the money seem like a good deal. Been trying to get my hands on the Response but they were gone as soon as they came out .................and like everyone else they are trying to get shipping caught up to date. How long does the 500 watt battery hold up?

 

[mjeds]

Yes I read the specs on the new Diamondbacks when they came out last year! The specs for the money seem like a good deal. Been trying to get my hands on the Response but they were gone as soon as they came out .................and like everyone else they are trying to get shipping caught up to date. How long does the 500 watt battery hold up?

depends on the mode used.

straight eco - I maxed at 67 miles
straight touring - I maxed at 41 miles
straight sport - I maxed at 27 miles
straight Turbo - I maxed at 15 miles.


I've tested each mode from 100% to 10% (never let it completely go flat). the range indicator is pretty precise, and the % of charge left is as well near as I can tell.

I am riding in mixed modes now, eco when on the dedicated riverbed paths, touring when on residential streets or streets with a dedicated bike lane, sport when on streets without a bike lane. This makes up most of my commute.

From my home to the riverbed trail is ~3 miles of residential streets or 2 lane 35mph zones with a dedicated bike lane. then 14 miles on the riverbed, then ~5 miles on mixed busy road (45mph speed limit) with and without a bike lane.

The difference for me is in ECO it is pretty much all me, 155-165bpm HR and 85-90rpm cadence with a speed of about 17mph. In touring I pick up about 5 mph in speed, in sport or turbo I max out at 28mph. I like the higher speed when dealing with traffic, I find people to be less ashholish when you maintain the same speed/pace as them. during rush hour traffic the average speed on the roads I travel is about 22-25mph due to the number of cars and the timing of the lights.

with my former fat tire, I was always maintaining speeds above 25mph regardless of the mode, mostly because it was a 1500-watt peak motor and there was very little difference in the different PAS modes. in PAS 5 it was easy to maintain 30+ mph. and while I changed the gearing to get rid of the ghost pedaling, I still struggled to get my HR above 130 and my cadence above 75. Anything above 75 and it was ghost pedaling.

The Current is only 350watt and the way it appears to work to me is the more power I put in, the less power it puts out. So I end up working harder, which is what I want.

 

[Dan89yj]

Great info. Thanks for the response!

 

[Brendon@OEB]

depends on the mode used.

straight eco - I maxed at 67 miles
straight touring - I maxed at 41 miles
straight sport - I maxed at 27 miles
straight Turbo - I maxed at 15 miles.


I've tested each mode from 100% to 10% (never let it completely go flat). the range indicator is pretty precise, and the % of charge left is as well near as I can tell.

I am riding in mixed modes now, eco when on the dedicated riverbed paths, touring when on residential streets or streets with a dedicated bike lane, sport when on streets without a bike lane. This makes up most of my commute.

From my home to the riverbed trail is ~3 miles of residential streets or 2 lane 35mph zones with a dedicated bike lane. then 14 miles on the riverbed, then ~5 miles on mixed busy road (45mph speed limit) with and without a bike lane.

The difference for me is in ECO it is pretty much all me, 155-165bpm HR and 85-90rpm cadence with a speed of about 17mph. In touring I pick up about 5 mph in speed, in sport or turbo I max out at 28mph. I like the higher speed when dealing with traffic, I find people to be less ashholish when you maintain the same speed/pace as them. during rush hour traffic the average speed on the roads I travel is about 22-25mph due to the number of cars and the timing of the lights.

with my former fat tire, I was always maintaining speeds above 25mph regardless of the mode, mostly because it was a 1500-watt peak motor and there was very little difference in the different PAS modes. in PAS 5 it was easy to maintain 30+ mph. and while I changed the gearing to get rid of the ghost pedaling, I still struggled to get my HR above 130 and my cadence above 75. Anything above 75 and it was ghost pedaling.

The Current is only 350watt and the way it appears to work to me is the more power I put in, the less power it puts out. So I end up working harder, which is what I want.

For what it's worth the nominal 350w rating of the Bosch system isn't the same thing as a Chinese hub motor claiming 1500w. They're not saying the motor can put out 1500 watts, that'd rip the motor out of the frame as a motor makes peak torque at 0rpm. The torque rating is the real value, the Bosch Speed system can put out up to around 750 watts in terms of what's going through the drive train. On the Kiox display it'll tell you how many watts you're generating in terms of work load, that'll give you an idea of what 700+ watts feels like, it's a ton!

True on the Bosch system helping less if you're working more, but on Turbo it's giving you everything all the time! Have you played with toggling between Eco and Off from a range standpoint?

You've got lots of fun parts on there, congrats on the bike!!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Brendon:
First of all the nominal rating of Bosch mid-drive motors is 250 W (Euro standard).
Secondly, 750 W on Kiox is the electrical power. Typical efficiency of a mid-drive motor is around 80%, giving the maximum peak power of around 600 W. Such Peak Mechanical Motor Power is accepted in Austria, which is not an unimportant Euro country but has slightly different rules than the rest. (It is the only Euro country naming Max Power in their law).

I don't need to comment the rest of your post, which is fine.

 

[Brendon@OEB]

Brendon:
First of all the nominal rating of Bosch mid-drive motors is 250 W (Euro standard).
Secondly, 750 W on Kiox is the electrical power. Typical efficiency of a mid-drive motor is around 80%, giving the maximum peak power of around 600 W. Such Peak Mechanical Motor Power is accepted in Austria, which is not an unimportant Euro country but has slightly different rules than the rest. (It is the only Euro country naming Max Power in their law).

I don't need to comment the rest of your post, which is fine.

I thought the nominal rating is 350w for the Performance CX and Speed motors here in the states? Could be wrong though!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I thought the nominal rating is 350w for the Performance CX and Speed motors here in the states? Could be wrong though!

Nay, it is always 250 W. Same with other Euro-centric brands. You know that nominal means nothing, though.

 

[BlackHand]

Nay, it is always 250 W. Same with other Euro-centric brands. You know that nominal means nothing, though.

I say nay to your nay. The gen2 PL Speed motor in my model year 2019 Haibike was advertised as 350w nominal.

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Price: $4699.00 | Model Year: 2019 | A fully loaded and feature rich trekking bike with rack, fenders, suspension fork, integrated lights, powered by a 28mph speed pedelec Bosch mid-drive and optional dual battery setup

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As you say though nominal is pretty meaningless. I don't think Bosch even lists the spec for current gen drive units.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I say nay to your nay. The gen2 PL Speed motor in my model year 2019 Haibike was advertised as 350w nominal.

I can see that's true. Unusual. You know how restrictive the German are.
Perhaps it was a North American version? Or, a Performance Line Speed motor?

 

[mjeds]

the diamondback has the performance line speed unit claiming 350 watts (i'm in USA), can't speak for Euro, top speed of 28mph, actually I've hit 32mph according to the kiox and gps.

I have played with all the modes, with the Kiox off I can maintain 15mph no problem, in eco i bounce around 17-18mph, tour around 20-21, sport 22-24, and turbo I have seen it hit 32mph on flat in highest gear pushing myself to my limit, 180bpm heart rate for about 2 miles before I pooped out.

I love the bike. as for the bafang hub drive bike I have, the display shows peak watts, I've hit 1500 according to the display, highest gear highest PAS running flat out, and hit 40mph doing it. kills the battery fast. normally run it is PAS1 or 2 and the display shows 300-500 watts and speeds of 22-28mph doing so. don't know how accurate it is, but I as I said, I struggled to get my Heart Rate above 130 with those bikes. which was fine when I was 400lbs and struggling to move. at 190lbs now and wanting real exercise but still have the speed to get to and from work in a reasonable time, which is why I got a mid-drive and not a regular acoustic bike.

love the DB Current, as I have said, I have nearly 2,000 miles on it now since Jan 10 and it is performing like a champ. got my first flat. had the tube completely blow out, had a spare tube in my pack, less than 10 minutes to change. not sure what caused it to blow but is scared the crap out of me, thought someone was shooting at me, was humming along the riverbed bike path at a good clip when it happened.

 

[Brendon@OEB]

the diamondback has the performance line speed unit claiming 350 watts (i'm in USA), can't speak for Euro, top speed of 28mph, actually I've hit 32mph according to the kiox and gps.

I have played with all the modes, with the Kiox off I can maintain 15mph no problem, in eco i bounce around 17-18mph, tour around 20-21, sport 22-24, and turbo I have seen it hit 32mph on flat in highest gear pushing myself to my limit, 180bpm heart rate for about 2 miles before I pooped out.

I love the bike. as for the bafang hub drive bike I have, the display shows peak watts, I've hit 1500 according to the display, highest gear highest PAS running flat out, and hit 40mph doing it. kills the battery fast. normally run it is PAS1 or 2 and the display shows 300-500 watts and speeds of 22-28mph doing so. don't know how accurate it is, but I as I said, I struggled to get my Heart Rate above 130 with those bikes. which was fine when I was 400lbs and struggling to move. at 190lbs now and wanting real exercise but still have the speed to get to and from work in a reasonable time, which is why I got a mid-drive and not a regular acoustic bike.

love the DB Current, as I have said, I have nearly 2,000 miles on it now since Jan 10 and it is performing like a champ. got my first flat. had the tube completely blow out, had a spare tube in my pack, less than 10 minutes to change. not sure what caused it to blow but is scared the crap out of me, thought someone was shooting at me, was humming along the riverbed bike path at a good clip when it happened.

Good notes! Yeah, US Performance Speed motors are branded 350w nominal. From a rider perspective they assist up to 700+ watts if you were using your own power which is a ton! The Kiox does have a power output to show what work YOU are doing which is super helpful. If you're pushing it to 32mph on your own power, you'll be well north of 300w if not close to 400w which is awesome!

For what it's worth on our weekday road race series at Portland International Raceway it's a 1.9m auto racing course that we'll do an hour or more on and I'm averaging 250-275w in the draft! A pull at the front is in the solid 300's if not close to 400w and that's on a 15lb road race bike with deep carbon wheels