Wanted: Lightweight (less than 20kg), high Torque (90NM), Motor offering large amount of power 500w+, removable large battery

[Aneesa Chaudhry]

Turbo Vado SL: You cannot remove the main battery yourself and that's the price for the bike being so lightweight. You can buy an additional battery extender for more support uphill (since riding uphill uses a lot of battery) and remove that extender. But not the main battery.

Do you know how well this one does up steep hills? If the battery doesn't come off it's not the end of the world so long as I can lift it up steps. It's already 15kg. Thanks

 

[Aneesa Chaudhry]

(Not allowed in the UK where she lives).

Can I just ask why I'm not allowed the eMulekick in the UK? Thanks

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Can I just ask why I'm not allowed the eMulekick in the UK? Thanks

You are not allowed to ride the 28 mph ebike in the UK unless you have registered it as a moped, have a registration plate, insured it, wear a motorcycle helmet and don't ride bike paths but only roads. The L1e-B class ebike must also have all day lights, horn and whatnot. ,

 

[Aneesa Chaudhry]

You are not allowed to ride the 28 mph ebike in the UK unless you have registered it as a moped, have a registration plate, insured it, wear a motorcycle helmet and don't ride bike paths but only roads. The L1e-B class ebike must also have all day lights, horn and whatnot. ,

Ah. Thanks for that. Still looking.....x

 

[WilliamT]

SO... with this Specialised Turbo Vado SL, the weight is pretty good (15KG) but do you think it would provide a high level of pulling power up the steep hills I have to go up?

I think Grandma Joan rode a Vado when she beat Sagan up that steep hill. All jokes aside, what they claim at 250 watts is probably close to 2-3x that power.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I think Grandma Joan rode a Vado when she beat Sagan up that steep hill. All jokes aside, what they claim at 250 watts is probably close to 2-3x that power.

It was a 2018 Como with the Specialized 1.2s motor. It would to too heavy for the OP.
And yes, the peak power of that motor is 510 W at 80 Nm.

 

[FlatSix911]

Can I just ask why I'm not allowed the eMulekick in the UK? Thanks

You are not allowed to ride the 28 mph ebike in the UK unless you have registered it as a moped, have a registration plate, insured it, wear a motorcycle helmet and don't ride bike paths but only roads. The L1e-B class ebike must also have all day lights, horn and whatnot. ,

Is it not possible to fly under the radar with regard to a Class 3 bike in the UK?

 

[TomD]

Probably less possible than in the US. I think the solution is bikee's lightest ebike kit (see post #2) when it is available this fall. Pay a mechanic to install. OP will still be looking for her unicorn ebike by the time it is available. It will be much lighter than BBSHD and it will have torque sensing and an app that she can probably switch on/off road profiles to be legal when she needs to.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I don't want to quote a press article FlatSix911 but there was an accident in Poland recently (March) in which the idiot riding an illegal ebike (technically, e-motorcycle) seriously wounded a pedestrian and killed himself during his fall at mere 38 km/h (his vehicle could reach 79 kph). So you can do things that are illegal but it is your risk (and you might become a killer of some innocent person).

L1e-B ebikes are allowed in the UK. Now, which of the bikes we are talking has the Certificate of Conformity, eh?

The whole discussion is pointless. The ebike as specified by the OP is an unicorn.

 

[Aneesa Chaudhry]

I think Grandma Joan rode a Vado when she beat Sagan up that steep hill. All jokes aside, what they claim at 250 watts is probably close to 2-3x that power.

Thanks Stefan. So would you say that the Vado offers a high level of power like the Trek powerfly or Cube Acid? They seem the closest in terms of power to what I wanted. I'm in Brighton in the UK so need to find out where I can try one. Cheers

 

[Deacon Blues]

Aneeesa wants it all. The Holy Grail of ebikes, which is light weight, has power for the hills, and has a decent range. I'm not sure such an ebike exists, but if it does I suspect the members on this forum will find it.
Five years from now I'm sure the ebike that Aneesa wants will be fairly common, but for now the search continues.

What the Vado SL needs, to be the perfect bike, is a 'boost' button that gives the bike a short, but powerful boost for those steep hills. At least 500W of kick-ass power please, and while your at it also give it to the Creo.

 

[Aneesa Chaudhry]

Aneeesa wants it all. The Holy Grail of ebikes, which is light weight, has power for the hills, and has a decent range. I'm not sure such an ebike exists, but if it does I suspect the members on this forum will find it.
Five years from now I'm sure the ebike that Aneesa wants will be fairly common, but for now the search continues.

What the Vado SL needs, to be the perfect bike, is a 'boost' button that gives the bike a short, but powerful boost for those steep hills. At least 500W of kick-ass power please, and while your at it also give it to the Creo.

Hi Deacon Blue
Do you have any experience of the Vado SL or Creo and know how it performs up steep hills?
Thank you
Aneesa

 

[Aneesa Chaudhry]

What do you consider a steep hill? Grade and length?

I have a Creo and I've used it at roughly half power up a long hill that is roughly a 6% grade for 4.5 km's and to me it goes up well but I'm working reasonably hard. Although I am over 50, I am probably younger than most on here and thus a bit fitter. I will ride a conventional bicycle and go on 70 - 100 km rides unpowered.

One thing I would point out, is that after regularly using the bike for 4 weeks you will see an improvement to your fitness so that will help.

But I think you need to find a shop, ideally near your route, and ride whatever your commute will be. That's really the only way to tell.

Hi Captain Slow
I logged the last 2 test rides I did on Strava. I'm on as Aneesa Chaudhry. I don't use it a lot but hope you can see the gradients of the hills and speeds I managed on the 2 bikes I tested.

 

[Deacon Blues]

Hi Deacon Blue
Do you have any experience of the Vado SL or Creo and know how it performs up steep hills?
Thank you
Aneesa

I test rode a couple of Creos before the virus hit. Just a note that I consider myself to be fairly fit for my age (68), but I'm not in the same league as Captain Slow, and I don't like hills.
The Creo, which I'm sure is very similar to the Vado SL had enough power on medium hills, but on a really steep hill I tackled (on my light carbon road bike I would have really struggled) I was surprised and how much work I had to do to get up the hill. I guess I was expecting something close to Vado 4.0 power.
Guessing at your fitness level, I'd say on all the the really steep hills the Vado SL will be fine, but it won't be close to the power output of something like a Vado 4.0.

 

[Aneesa Chaudhry]

Aneesa I looked up your Strava and found your test ride on the Cube Acid bike. I went to the UK website and it lists that bike as a MTB hardtail that does not have a motor. So you're test riding conventional bikes as well?

If that Cube is an unpowered hardtail then you're a much faster rider than you're giving yourself credit for. I checked the steepest climb you went up which was the Bear Road segment and it's 0.83 mile at an 8% grade. You went up on a mountain bike in 5:44 which I'd consider very good. Interesting to note that the KOM on that segment is none other than Michal Kwiatkowski who is a top level pro and he did it in 3:20. He's not even on a MTB, so your time is good.

Your VAM or vertical ascent in meters per hour was 1,135 which is really high. I'd say you don't even need an electric bike if you're that strong a rider. In fact that's so fast I'm now wondering if I read the website incorrectly. I mean that VAM on a MTB is fast enough that you should be a pro racer ……………..

So how did it feel going up that hill. If you test rode a bike with more power than a Creo then you'd still get up that hill, you might have to work a bit harder and go a bit slower. Strava said you averaged 14.1 km/hr. up that segment.

Hi Captain Slow, sadly that info is incorrect. I was using an electric bike - Cube acid as far as I was aware. If only I was that fit....
Made me smile to read this. What next Captain? X

 

[FlatSix911]

Made me smile to read this. What next Captain? X

Your unicorn has finally arrived... with the claimed range a bit questionable.

A very cool design with a lightweight 26 lb frame, gates belt drive, and integrated battery in the rear hub... with no seat tube for carrying up stairs.

Gogoro unveils 26 lb Eeyo 1 electric bike, shows off innovative new Smartwheel

If you’re already familiar with Gogoro, it’s probably from their hugely popular electric scooters and novel battery-swapping program. In their...

electrek.co

The new Eeyo line of electric bikes from Gogoro focuses on high tech and ultra-lightweight design, to the tune of just 26 lb (11.9 kg) per bike.

In a call with Electrek, Gogoro’s founder and CEO Horace Luke explained that the Eeyo e-bike is intended for e-bike commuters who want a quick, lightweight e-bike that offers a premium experience over other brands. There are many cargo, utility, and mountain e-bikes out there, and Gogoro decided to take their e-bike in a different direction, aiming for a premium ride experience with an ultralight design.This isn’t an e-bike that you wait for the elevator with at the train station. It’s 10 steps, you can just toss the Eeyo over your shoulder and jog up the stairs with it.

The word premium might be an understatement here. The Eeyo 1 features a carbon fiber frame and fork, while the Eeyo 1s also includes carbon fiber rims, seat post, and handlebar. Pretty much anything that can be made out of carbon fiber is made out of carbon fiber. The frame also uses a novel design that removes the typical seat tube. Other than the extra carbon and the paint color options, the two models are otherwise nearly identical.

Both feature a Gates carbon belt drive transmission with a torque sensor for ultra-smooth pedal assist as well as front disc brakes and rear V brakes. The inclusion of V-brakes on the rear struck me as a bit odd at first, but they make room for the biggest innovation of all: the Gogoro Eeyo Smartwheel. The Smartwheel hides the motor, battery, and controller in the hub of the rear wheel, giving the Gogoro Eeyo 1 its clean look. It offers Sport Mode and Eco Mode, and uses the bike’s torque sensor to provide more accurate power application based on the rider’s own power output. The motor propels the bike up to 19 mph in the US, or a slightly slower 25 km/h in the EU.

The battery is rather small compared to other e-bikes, at just 123Wh. But Gogoro claims that by designing the entire powertrain in-house, their system has been made efficient enough to reach as far as 40 miles (64 km) in Sport Mode or 55 miles (88 km) in Eco Mode. That range equates to an efficiency of around 3 Wh/mi — an efficiency that I have hit before on other e-bikes, and so this range is entirely possible with enough rider input — despite sounding fairly extreme.

 

[Ebiker01]

For 7k , the Trek Domane +HP . Use the stimulus check to boost the ebike economy and is 5.8k.
Real class 3 performance, Bosch gen. 4 not the vastly inferior Specialized Creo which is 9k !

Other then that, there are no other options rigjt now. That says a LOT about this Domane +HP. Can take an xtra 625battery.

Total- 1125WH, from Uk you could almost go to India and back if it were a direct route...
And yes it takes rear rack /fenders.. probably 25kg limit for rear rack though. Still that's plenty of groceries or books.

Check it out

Domane+ HP - Trek Bikes

Discover your next great ride with Domane+ HP. See the bike and visit your local Trek retailer. Shop now!

www.trekbikes.com

 

[Stefan Mikes]

or 7k , the Trek Domane +HP . Use the stimulus check to boost the ebike economy and is 5.8k.
Real class 3 performance, Bosch gen. 4 not the vastly inferior Specialized Creo which is 9k !

It would really help if you stop thinking the U.S.-centric way. The Domane+ HP is not available in Europe because it doesn't and will not meet the requirements of the European/UK S-Pedelec. See the U.K. site (no HP there):

eRoad bikes for wherever you ride – Trek Bikes (GB)

Trek electric road bikes are designed to let you ride further and faster than you've ever imagined. Meet your new favourite riding buddy online and in-store.

www.trekbikes.com

 

[Aneesa Chaudhry]

It would really help if you stop thinking the U.S.-centric way. The Domane+ HP is not available in Europe because it doesn't and will not meet the requirements of the European/UK S-Pedelec. See the U.K. site (no HP there):

eRoad bikes for wherever you ride – Trek Bikes (GB)

Trek electric road bikes are designed to let you ride further and faster than you've ever imagined. Meet your new favourite riding buddy online and in-store.

www.trekbikes.com

So frustrating! Thanks for picking up on these aspects. If only I the laws here in the UK were the same as those in the USA....

 

[Aneesa Chaudhry]

If you can test out this new Eeyo bike maybe it's for you. One thing I thought I read earlier in the thread though was that you want to carry cargo. I'm not sure if a rack can be fitted to this bike. I'm also not sure about fenders. Personally I wouldn't want a commuter bike that didn't have provision for fenders.

You're right though, if I can't add a rack and mudguards it's a no go. Can you see what the motor / power is on it?