Waiting on Juiced CrossCurrent S, considering Haibike Urban Plus instead

Captain Walnut

Captain Walnut

Member
Hi gang. I'm looking for the best value and performance I can get from a sub $2k urban commuter. I test road a RadCity, and didn't like how much it fought me above 20mph. I've been excited for the Juiced CrossCurrent S, but bummed out by the delays and sold out status of many models. But when a size M with the medium 19Ah battery pre-order became available a few days ago (someone must have gotten sick of waiting), I jumped on it. Yet I'm still super tempted by the incredible value of the Haibike Urban Plus marked down to $1699, and keep going back and forth.

I don't love that I won't get a chance to test ride either (though I could return the Juiced within 7 days). I am leaning towards the Juiced because it has (basic) suspension forks and a much larger battery. But the high end components and cleaner look of the Urban Plus are still calling out to me. I just worry that the 500Wh battery is a little small, though I know mid drive is more efficient, and I worry that the stiff forks will be a pain. But I could get this bike much sooner, and I want to get out riding! I could also order the Juiced CCS with the small battery off Amazon and get it in a few days, so that's another option, but it seems worth the upgrade for $300 (especially with no sales tax through Juiced). Gah, what to do! What would you do?

I'm in a hilly city, am 5'9" with a 29" inseam, weigh 240, and my commute is about 26 miles round trip.
 
They are both really nice bikes. You'll likely be very happy either way.
Some of the best advice I can give you is that you'll never regret getting a too big battery, but you may very well regret one that is too small. The battery is the most expensive component on any ebike. If you find yourself unsatisfied with a battery that doesn't have enough range, its very expensive to upgrade. In many cases (as is the case with the Haibike) you can't even upgrade the battery, your only option is to buy a second battery and carry it with you, or bring your charger/ buy a second and recharge at work.
If you find yourself uphappy with any other components, its far less expensive to upgrade or change.
26 miles round trip is far enough that if you want to ride at higher speeds you will definitely come close to depleting the battery on the Haibike if you don't recharge at work. The quick math is at 28mph most ebikers use ~ 30 watts / mile. Thus your 26 mile round trip would use 780 watt/hours. The Haibike only has a 500 Wh battery, compared to the 920 Wh on the Juiced.

If you are happy with the idea of recharging at work then the Haibike is perfectly acceptable. If not go with the Juiced.
 
You absolutely won't have to recharge the Haibike at work on a 26 mile trip, unless you keep it in Turbo for the entire trip. I own two Haibikes, am 2" taller than you, and 10 pounds heavier. I just put 28 miles on today, and had 2 bars left and estimated 19 more miles range while riding in Tour. I had two hills to climb that are steep. I had to ride them in Turbo.
 
Captain Walnut said:
Hi gang. I'm looking for the best value and performance I can get from a sub $2k urban commuter. I test road a RadCity, and didn't like how much it fought me above 20mph. I've been excited for the Juiced CrossCurrent S, but bummed out by the delays and sold out status of many models. But when a size M with the medium 19Ah battery pre-order became available a few days ago (someone must have gotten sick of waiting), I jumped on it. Yet I'm still super tempted by the incredible value of the Haibike Urban Plus marked down to $1699, and keep going back and forth.

I don't love that I won't get a chance to test ride either (though I could return the Juiced within 7 days). I am leaning towards the Juiced because it has (basic) suspension forks and a much larger battery. But the high end components and cleaner look of the Urban Plus are still calling out to me. I just worry that the 500Wh battery is a little small, though I know mid drive is more efficient, and I worry that the stiff forks will be a pain. But I could get this bike much sooner, and I want to get out riding! I could also order the Juiced CCS with the small battery off Amazon and get it in a few days, so that's another option, but it seems worth the upgrade for $300 (especially with no sales tax through Juiced). Gah, what to do! What would you do?

I'm in a hilly city, am 5'9" with a 29" inseam, weigh 240, and my commute is about 26 miles round trip.
Click to expand...
Just ordered a CCS 19 AH XL in brushed aluminum. I too am tired of waiting. Im tempted to cancel order and go for something sooner. Can you cancel an order placed a few days ago? Has anyone ever tried the M2S brand bikes?
 
Given:
  • You are looking for a sub $2k urban commuter.
  • You have a hilly, 26-mile commute.
  • The most significant difference between the two bikes is the battery.
Then I would recommend sticking with the CrossCurrent S and the bigger battery. You're on a budget, and the battery is the most expensive part of an e-bike to replace. With a brand new Haibike, you will be depleting your battery from 100% to below 40% (using rich c's numbers, riding mostly in "tour"). This performance will only get worse as the battery cells age. Fully charging and/or depleting your battery does wear on the life of the lithium-ion cells, and replacing your battery is going to be the biggest cost of maintaining your e-bike.

That being said, whether the Haibike battery is still sufficient for your needs depends on your riding style. If you use the assist primarily on hills and pedal with the same effort of a non-electric bike, it seems to me you won't need to make any expensive electrical component replacements for many years, as long as you only need the bike for commuting and not riding to the store or a friend's place after work. But if you are like me and like to cruise around 20mph with light effort on your way to work, I think you'll appreciate knowing that you're treating the battery as best you can while getting the best bang for your buck.

I understand the impatience, waiting is painful! But when it comes to making a multi-year, multi-thousand dollar investment, you'll want to wait the extra few weeks to get the perfect commuter for your needs.

Full disclosure: I own a 19.2Ah CrossCurrent S and it's fantastic.
 
Darrin NC said:
Just ordered a CCS 19 AH XL in brushed aluminum. I too am tired of waiting. Im tempted to cancel order and go for something sooner. Can you cancel an order placed a few days ago? Has anyone ever tried the M2S brand bikes?
Click to expand...
I looked at their bikes during my research, but they didn't ship to Hawaii. They're located in Arden, NC and assuming the "NC" in your username stands for North Carolina I'd call and see if it's possible to take a test ride. I know if I was still living in NC, I'd make the 3-hour trip to check them out.
 
Darrin NC said:
Just ordered a CCS 19 AH XL in brushed aluminum. I too am tired of waiting. Im tempted to cancel order and go for something sooner. Can you cancel an order placed a few days ago? Has anyone ever tried the M2S brand bikes?
Click to expand...
From what I understand M2S is quite literally a one man show. There was some discussion about this a while back on this site, you could search for it. But by all appearances, M2S is some guy who bulk ordered a bunch of bikes and has a decent advertising presence on Facebook. I wouldn't expect any service or product support from them. I have no idea about the quality of their bikes though.
 
Yeah I feel ya. I'm still waiting myself. I'm planning on emailing Juiced tomorrow. I was slated for April delivery when I ordered, they only have a few days left to make that a reality. Very frustrating.
 
Chris Hammond said:
Yeah I feel ya. I'm still waiting myself. I'm planning on emailing Juiced tomorrow. I was slated for April delivery when I ordered, they only have a few days left to make that a reality. Very frustrating.
Click to expand...

When did you put in your order? I think Juiced could really step up their communication game, no excuses for that, really.
 
Chris Hammond said:
From what I understand M2S is quite literally a one man show. There was some discussion about this a while back on this site, you could search for it. But by all appearances, M2S is some guy who bulk ordered a bunch of bikes and has a decent advertising presence on Facebook. I wouldn't expect any service or product support from them. I have no idea about the quality of their bikes though.
Click to expand...

Most of these small ebike companies are one man shows who bulk order Chinese bikes including Biktrix, M2S, Teo and Juiced. They may have other help but essentially they are one man operations. Not saying this is bad, just saying there isn't that much difference between the companies, bikes or even the prices. Service is the real deal maker or breaker. Roshan with Biktrix has good rep as does Rad Power bikes. The others are spotty based on what I have read here.
 
Asher said:
Amazon Prime has ruined us all :).
Click to expand...

You are so right, I ordered shoes from a not Amazon store it has been 5 days and not even a shipping notice yet and I am sitting here thinking wtf. It is really sad how impatient I have become. I did wait 6 months for a custom-made underquilt for my hammock and it was well worth the wait.
 
jazz said:
Most of these small ebike companies are one man shows who bulk order Chinese bikes including Biktrix, M2S, Teo and Juiced. They may have other help but essentially they are one man operations. Not saying this is bad, just saying there isn't that much difference between the companies, bikes or even the prices. Service is the real deal maker or breaker. Roshan with Biktrix has good rep as does Rad Power bikes. The others are spotty based on what I have read here.
Click to expand...

Juiced is definitely not a one man operation. Try not to make things up.
 
jazz said:
Most of these small ebike companies are one man shows who bulk order Chinese bikes including Biktrix, M2S, Teo and Juiced. They may have other help but essentially they are one man operations. Not saying this is bad, just saying there isn't that much difference between the companies, bikes or even the prices. Service is the real deal maker or breaker. Roshan with Biktrix has good rep as does Rad Power bikes. The others are spotty based on what I have read here.
Click to expand...
I don't know about Biktrix, M2S, or Teo. Maybe you are right about them. You are definitely wrong about Juiced. Some components are sourced, just as with any computer, automobile, or microwave you might buy. But the owner, Tora Harris, is an engineer and has put a lot of work into the design, and then going to China to ensure that his bikes are made to his specs. He also has a staff here in the US, such as Luis and Rich and one other I've had contact with (can't remember her name at the moment.) Small company? Yes. But not a re-seller of "bulk ordered Chinese bikes."

It is to laugh, as Bugs Bunny always says.

1524687696330.png
 
Biktrix
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

I think you will find these smaller companies have a hand full of employees. Not really one man bands. But let's face the facts these guys design a bike and have them mfg. overseas and you do not need a large staff for that. I do not believe that they ( Juiced, Biktrix, Teo') are just rebranding as there is no evidence of that. These bikes all have certain qualities that are unique to the brand. Just look at the difference between them and the Giant bikes that Luna adds drives on.
 
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