Hey all,
Trek has now archived the 2021 Allant+ 8 listings from their US and Canadian websites. The US website does have the 2022 Allant+ 8S, and since all the parts except for the motor are identical to the Allant+ 8, I'm expecting that they will list the Allant+ 8 at some point. I wish they would list it and let me order it.
But I'm getting tired of waiting on Trek, so yesterday I went to one of our larger local ebike shops that specializes in ebikes only. They are also officially a Trek dealer, but the didn't have any on the floor, and it seems they don't actually sell them. However, they did have a lot of other brands such as Bulls, Cube, Gazelle, Riese & Mueller, Davinci, Kona, etc. I talked with the guys there for a bit and they really knew their stuff - they are WAY more knowledgeable and seem a lot better than the LBS that was trying to sell me the damaged Allant+ 8 (detailed at
https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/thoughts-on-allant-stagger-frames.44386/). I could definitely tell that these guys knew their stuff about all things ebike - whereas at the Trek LBS, the employees didn't seem to know much specifically about ebikes (I actually felt like I knew more about the Trek ebikes than the employees there did).
Anyway, I told them I'm looking for a commuter and wanted to buy the Allant+ 8, but couldn't, and they gave me some models to look at. After a bit of reading yesterday, I've found one that is very comparable to the Allant+ 8: the Bulls Cross Lite EVO (
https://www.bullsbikesusa.com/cross-lite-evo-diamond.html). In Canada, the price of this bike is identical to the Allant+ 8, and it's very similarily specced. Here are the main differences:
- 625 Wh powertube, vs. 500 Wh in Trek
- Bosch Kiox vs. Bosch smartphonehub in Trek
- SR Suntour SF13-NRX-E LOR AIR 63mm fork, vs. rigid fork in Trek
- Shimano SLX vs. Deore in Trek
So overall, this is a better specced bike for the same price as the Trek. Unfortunately, it only comes in matte black (I'd prefer a lighter color), but that's not a deal breaker for me. I haven't seen the bike yet, they do have it in stock but I don't think it was in the location I visited yesterday (they have 5 locations). I'm going to phone them early this week to see if I can give it a test ride.
I really, really like the Allant+ 8, but if Trek can't sell me one, then I can bring my money elsewhere. I purchased my first Trek in 1999 and it's still my daily commuter, so I feel like I'm cheating a bit, but if Trek doesn't want my money, I guess this is how it will have to be!
EDIT: any thoughts on the Kiox vs. smartphonehub? I thought I'd really like the smartphone hub, but looking at the Kiox and seeing it now has navigation, it looks pretty great too! Also don't have to worry about using my phone on the bike and exposing it to the elements (we get a lot of rain here in Vancouver).