What E-Bikes Have You Bought Which Have Exceeded Your Expectations?

[E-Wheels]

thanks. it is fantastic. I love getting out independently. There may be a trike in my hopefully distant future, but for now this is working well. Good luck to all.

I’ve been toying with the idea of an etrike
What is your fascination with them

 

[opimax]

Stromer , all 6 bikes! Bh Nitro..could have been a Stromer...all electronic gremlins, brake systems, and broken racks ...Major fail for all...worst has been lack of dealer ability/desire to repair, all expensive even in warranty.

Fun factor when working...awesome just not very often at all

No other bikes owned so no positives to report. Working with WattWagon for next 3 bikes, fingers crossed

 

[dodahman]

I’ve been toying with the idea of an etrike
What is your fascination with them

I like my 2 wheeler, but may be forced into a more stable 3 wheel platform one day. More of a resignation than a fascination. I just want to keep riding longer than 'I should' and maybe a etrike will help make that possible, one day, down the road...My wife likes to walk, and a 3 wheeler would go slow enough to go along beside her, which is another attraction. For now, battery is charged, and the day is beautiful. Good luck to all.

 

[ruffruff]

It makes you wonder, if you go into the subforum Discussion by Brand,
I'm always amazed at how many different brands there are. I gotta believe 1/2 will be gone in 5 years.

Might be good might be bad....

 

[dodahman]

It makes you wonder, if you go into the subforum Discussion by Brand,
I'm always amazed at how many different brands there are. I gotta believe 1/2 will be gone in 5 years.

Might be good might be bad....

The dynamics of the industry is fascinating. So much new almost daily. Must have been like this in the early days of autos? Everyone gets a shot at getting it right, and more importantly continuing to get it right over time(much much harder). I would go along with your 1/2 gone, but by then we might have 3x more? Fun times.

 

[steve mercier]

My 2018 R + M Charger GT tour has met and I would say exceeded my expectations. I bought it new on clearance at $4000 cdn and after 18000km it is still the bike I measure all others by. The reason I would say it exceeds my expectations is that by comparison my previous bike ( bought on clearance for $1800 cdn) is now resting in the scrap heap behind my back fence. I gave up on it's many failings after 6,000 km . Also when I compare this bike to any other new bikes that I am interested in at any price up to $10,000 ,I still would not trade it for any that I have seen yet ( with the possbile exception of a brand new Gen 4 SuperCharger GT touring) . My Charger still feels rock solid and I would not hesitate to use it on a cross country trip. #### FOLLOW UP At 25,000 km. The Charger is still performing well, however there are a few things about it that would stop me from buying a new one. The first thing is that. the rear rack bridge has broken twice. They graciously sent me a whole new rack , bungee and modified bridge plate but the 2nd plate broke even sooner than the first one. The LBS said they were now getting no response from R+M ( since they were no longer a dealer ? ) so I just drilled out some holes and re-attached the broken parts in stop gap way that appears to be holding up. I also have come to view thiis model as heavier and longer that it needs to be for my riding. Yes the frame feels solid as a rock like no other bike I have ridden, but the bike feels like an SUV compared to my FS Moustache Race 4 ( which is 12 lbs lighter and shorter). Also I upgraded the brakes long ago to 203 mm because the orignal ones were not adequate for the local mountains , causing the rotors to overheat and warp in summer. But the thing that bugs me the most is that I feel there is a flaw in the way the rear dropouts are designed , causing too much flex when the bike corners under load. I notice this problem by tilting the bike onto the kickstand ,thus lifting slightly the rear wheel and then giving the pedals a quick turn. This results in the wheel slowing to a stop much too soon as compared to when the bike is on the stand. This means a slight loss of efficiency. This a problem which cannot be remedied by a LBS. Granted it is more of an annoyance than a serious problem. Anyways if the bike was stolen I feel now that I would use the insurance money to replace it with a comparably priced Moustache Xroad FS 7 instead of a Charger.

 

[marcva]

I built a bike with a Bbs02 motor on an old Cannondale f700. It weighed 43 lbs and topped out at 35 mph. Quite an impressive little science project. The v brakes were fine with upgraded pads.

 

[Captain Slow]

Steve, where did you get a R&M for $4k Cdn.?????

 

[steve mercier]

Steve, where did you get a R&M for $4k Cdn.?????

When the Coquitlam Caps owner sold his chain of 4 or 5 stores to Trek they cleared out the R+M s ...They had a dual battery Load for $6k with the child carrier setup which I should have bought also and a few Chargers for 4k and Nevos for $3600. Those prices look pretty good right now but alas they are all gone.

 

[steve mercier]

Ouch.

My 2017 Tern Vektron has been a trouble-free experience. Am I just lucky? Perhaps not, the Tern sub forum appears to be blissfully free of issues/problems. Three factors contribute:

1. The low-torque ActiveLine motor is a polite boost that will probably outlast Its higher-torque brethren.
2. I have been able to do maintenance/service myself. No mysterious black boxes.
3. An assist from Tern’s service dept. I contacted Tern back in 2018 via a generic Contact page at the main site. The head of service got back to me within hours .... on a Saturday. He also addressed my issue directly when he didn’t have to, probably for the common sense reason that it was efficient to do so instead of sending me elsewhere. It was a minor issue but left me feeling confident about Tern. In return, I‘ve never used the Contact page again, but it’s good to know that people are paying attention internally.

Right now, something could go wrong with the Tern but the goodwill reservoir Tern earned means I’ll just take it in stride.

That is good to know...those Cargo Terns are appealing! How do you think your Tern would have served you on your coast to coaster?

 

[dblhelix]

That is good to know...those Cargo Terns are appealing! How do you think your Tern would have served you on your coast to coaster?

I definitely thought about it. I’ve taken the Tern on some shorter (weekender to week-long) distance rides. One annoyance on a much longer ride would be chain maintenance as compared to our belts. I do love the fuss-free belt, and the only thing more annoying than cleaning/changing chains at home is doing it on the road! Another concern is the 20” wheels and constantly having to turn them, which is why I haven’t picked up one of the Tern cargo models. I’ve been eyeing the Benno Boost @Chris Nolte recently reviewed (which has 24” wheels) as a possibility but question the long chain and custom tires. You just aren’t going to have trouble finding the standard parts the Tern family uses out on the road. I’d still enjoy the Boost around home and extended trips, though, and it’s dual-battery capable.

The Vektron front fork is aluminum, so it jars a bit around larger bumps but otherwise is just fine. Prior to ebikes, I’ve never owned any type of suspension and was happy with my carbon or steel forks. A front suspension is nice if it doesn’t feel too heavy or otherwise overwhelm the bike. Here is the truth: between the R&M and the Vektron, there isn’t much of a difference as most of the suspension effect is in the tires. Note: the R&M I am comparing to is not a full suspension model.

The riding position for distance is definitely more comfortable on the R&M. I slept well after 75miles on the Tern.

Those long platform racks on the cargo bikes are tempting. On the Vektron you have a small rack and few attachment points. I’ve used a Burley Travoy (seatpost, no adjustments necessary) and a rear-axle towbar type trailer (adjustments needed bc trailer also has 20” wheels!) successfully.

One Vektron advantage is that I’ve taken it inside a lot, which is nice in strange places. I’ll fold it, or it’s small enough that people have allowed me to take it inside. I tend to not worry about the Vektron.

I have taken the Vektron on shorter (under 500 miles) trips without hesitation, although I didn’t purchase it for this application. It’s not where it’s strongest, but it’ll do the job.

 

[Captain Slow]

When the Coquitlam Caps owner sold his chain of 4 or 5 stores to Trek they cleared out the R+M s ...They had a dual battery Load for $6k with the child carrier setup which I should have bought also and a few Chargers for 4k and Nevos for $3600. Those prices look pretty good right now but alas they are all gone.

Geez, wish I could have gotten in on that. I actually bought my Creo at the Port Moody Cap's owned by the brother of the former Coquitlam Cap's owner.

 

[steve mercier]

Geez, wish I could have gotten in on that. I actually bought my Creo at the Port Moody Cap's owned by the brother of the former Coquitlam Cap's owner.

Yes they have and carry a lot of nice bikes ( drooling over a Norco Sight VLT) and a very good repair man Dan!

 

[Explorer-1]

This bike?

......

.....

Compare this to a Rad Rover,
.....

I'm well aware of Rad products. This thread is not about which bike to buy today, or ever. Just for interest I bought mine over 2 years ago and I suspect DJ is likely why Rad had to increase their specs, but for the record if I was buying today I would still get the DJ over the Rad, but as to why is way beyond this thread. Since we are already OT; I think if one wants to buy today they would obviously shop around for what works best for them and would be considering the current market place which would include any number of new bikes depending on what they needed, and wanted. If they wanted something similar to the so called DJ MTB or similar Rad they should probably start by looking at the NCM Moscow plus on Amazon. However; that has nothing to do with this thread.

 

[Giant Matt]

I thought that this thread might be fun, and would probably be helpful to those who might be looking at getting their first e-bike.

We all do plenty of research before buying, which is so well supported by the reviews on this site and the posts in these forums. Some are lucky enough to have local shops where at least some riding tests can be had. I don't really have shops close by which can provide test rides so all of my purchases have been based on internet research, as well as a long history in bicycling and motorcycling.

—————————————-+—-+++
Happy with my Giant La free 2021 E+2 , so far so good

 

[Dallant]

None.

My expectations of an ebike bought new are that it fulfils the claims made by its manufacturer, that it is reliable and that it is supported by the brand's dealer network.

My Trek Powerfly 5 delivered on all three expectations. It has been an outstanding ebike which has done the Trek brand proud. It didn't need to exceed those expectations: achieving them was sufficient.
View attachment 51574

Trek Powerfly 5 (MY 2018)
In my experience, an outstanding product; but that's exactly what I expected!​

Exactly the way I feel about my Trek Allant+7. With over 1k miles it has been totally reliable with all the power/torque/performance I expected and paid for. And with the many Trek dealers here in the U.S.A. I feel very well supported. This forum has very few discussions about problems with Trek ebikes.

 

[Cowlitz]

I wanted a more bikey feeling bike. I had a radmini, which is fun in the woods but is like pedaling a tank around town. I ended up with a Gazelle Arroyo. I thought I'd just be using the Arroyo on pavement, but reluctantly tried it on a short unpaved stretch of road. Now I'm riding it about half and half, paved and unpaved (I won't say gravel because some roads are just packed dirt). No problems at all with it. I wasn't expecting that so it has exceeded my expectations. It has also lived up to what the dealer told me as far as miles per charge. I am quite happy with it even though I drove 300 miles one way and had my pickup break down in the middle of nowhere on the way home and was rescued by a friend who had the right trailer hitch receiver and lights hookup...I guess the bike had better be good after that.

 

[reed scott]

This Bike From Bolton Ebikes Has Fully Exceeded My Expectations:

The RAPTOR Ultra Mountain eBike

Specifications： Motor: Bafang G510 Ultra Mid Drive 48V 1000W motor, 160N.m torque, peak power 1500w Battery: 48V 21Ah fit with 78pcs Samsung 35E cells Front fork: ROCKSHOX YARI Air suspension 160mm travel Rear shock: ROCKSHOX MONARCH 200*57mm air suspension Handlebar & Stem: 760mm, V style on...

boltonebikes.com

I have raved about it extensively on the Bolton Forum

Yes I changed out the motor to an Archon X1 but only because I very stupidly blew the controller. The performance of the original motor was excellent.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

blew the controller.

How one blows a controller...?

 

[reed scott]

How one blows a controller...?

I hate to talk about it as it was one of the stupidest things I have ever done but it involved cutting the wrong cable, causing a short, while removing the dropper seat I wanted to replace with my Kinekt post. ( Poor eyesight and cable cutter that was longer than I realized combined with cables being tightly bunched together. ) I'm not 'sure' I blew the controller but after replacing the cable I still had an Error 30 fault code that would not clear so since I wanted to experience the Archon X1 anyway I ordered one from Pushkar. Hopefully I will get the damaged motor rebuilt by Pushkar in the future. Then I will have a spare.