Would love some advice on configuration for my upcoming UC Pro

[jjonesx86]

Hi,

I've talked to Pushkar and read through all of the threads to get the collective wisdom of this forum. I could still use some help making a few config decisions.

Me and my use - I'm 46, 5'10" 270lbs and I ride frequently. I use my ebike for family fun and for daily commuting (18 miles round-trip) to work, assuming we ever go back to the office. I live in Seattle and my work commute is mostly city road but we have some really crappy roads, pot holes, construction, etc. and I begin and end my commute with very big hills. I started biking to work for the exercise but need the ebike to help with the hills, at least for another 70 lbs or so We get a lot of rain and I'm very interested in lower maintenance bikes hence my love of belt drives and closed hub systems.

My current bike is a Specialized Turbo X which is long in the tooth and always breaking down. When shopping for my next bike, it came down to FLX Blade 2 or WW but the Blade was available much sooner...or so I thought. I have cancelled that order and now have a UC Pro on order. I have a tendency to get excited by the best of the best but I really don't want to overspec the bike given my usage. My current spec is:

Standard frame Medium - I have short legs and a longer torso so on the fence between Medium and Large but thinking Medium is likely the best fit. I may only be 5'9" at this point...shrinking with age

Kindernay hub - This is where I really need some advice. I picked this one because I like triggers over the twist but not by much. I have also read good things about the Kindernay durability. To be honest, I'm not really sure I need either the Kindernay or the Rohloff and I'm wondering if the stock 3 speed is enough. My wife has an EBC Model S without any gears and that pulls up the hills just fine with a 750 watt hub motor. This is a big dollar item and there isn't a ton of direct comparison data to go on. I'm not against spending the money, I just don't want fully understand the pros and cons of each.

Upgrade to 2300 watt was confirmed but not sure I really need that...assuming it can be dialed back.

Frame integrated battery only. My longest rides are usually no more than 30 miles in a day but on the fence about a 2nd battery. I think it can be added later so not too concerned about this one.

Standard fork...glad it has the front suspension but the basic setup should serve my purposes (pot holes and comfort really).

On the fence about the brakes. I'm heavy and so is the bike and I wan't the most reliable and least noisy.

Any other must have options for a daily commuter? Seems like the best fenders, racks and lights are a no-brainer but the standard light is already a good one.

I appreciate any insight you have based on more experience with these components or just your own thinking as you have made these decisions.

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[TomD]

Welcome to the club.

I'm wondering if the stock 3 speed is enough.

Not for riding in Seattle, you'll want more than 3 gears. Plus, you're investing a lot in this bike, might as well do it right with a hub that can withstand the torque of the Ultra. I am still undecided myself on Rohloff vs. Kindernay.

Upgrade to 2300 watt was confirmed but not sure I really need that...assuming it can be dialed back.

If you are OK paying the premium it gives you options but I think 1000W will be more than enough for most people.

Frame integrated battery only. My longest rides are usually no more than 30 miles in a day but on the fence about a 2nd battery. I think it can be added later so not too concerned about this one.

I would add it later. Stock battery will probably get you 50+ miles.

On the fence about the brakes.

The stock Magura Mt5e are fine. Plenty of braking power.

Any other must have options for a daily commuter? Seems like the best fenders, racks and lights are a no-brainer but the standard light is already a good one.

On thing about Watt Wagons is no detail is overlooked and no expense is spared when it comes to minimum spec. Well thought out and you get what you pay for. You won't regret cancelling your FLX order. I had a buddy that bought a Blade 1.0 and it came with a cheap rack, suspension seat post and plastic fenders. I mean it was ok, but Pushkar wouldn't be caught dead throwing that crap on his bikes.

 

[Ayl]

1. I'm wondering if the stock 3 speed is enough.
2. I'm not really sure I need either the Kindernay or the Rohloff ... and just want to fully understand the pros and cons of each.
3. Upgrade to 2300 watt was confirmed but not sure I really need that...assuming it can be dialed back.
4. Standard fork...glad it has the front suspension but the basic setup should serve my purposes (pot holes and comfort really).
5. On the fence about the brakes. I'm heavy and so is the bike and I wan't the most reliable and least noisy.

Hi Jeff, welcome aboard.
1. I prefer more than 3 speeds. Also with an IGH, as opposed to a cassette and two or more front chainrings, there won't be any duplicate gears.
2. I can only speak about the Rohoff. It's hands down the best IGH I've used between a Shimano 3 speed, and a Nuvinci N330.
3. You can also dial back, but it doesn't take long to get used to 2300 watts. My UC was originally at 750 watts, but the bike inspires confidence so I upgraded the controller to the Archon and now run at 2300 watts.
4. The front suspension, compared to the no suspension on my home brew, makes a world of difference.
5. I can say only good things about the Magura ebike brakes. I've used Shimano, and Tektro, and I'm sold on the Magura.

 

[jjonesx86]

My FLX order was going to be significantly delayed as they work through some frame issues they experienced on the first bikes. Something about a nut that can loosen up and lock up the hub. I expect some quality control issues with a first gen bike but between that, shipping the Rohloff hubs without any oil and the unexpected delivery delay, it was enough to cause me to cancel. Glad I discovered WW in the process.

 

[Deacon Blues]

I've ordered two bikes-one for my wife (step-through) and one for me (regular frame). I've gone back and forth on going with the kindernay or Rohloff hubs.

I think both will be very reliable and I originally thought I'd go with the Kindernay for me and the Rohloff for my wife. She'd rather have a grip shift than two

thumb shifters. I prefer the thumb shifters, but I don't like the idea of having two shifter and accompanying cables, so presently, and I could change my mind

again, I'm going with the Rohloff on my bike too.

I've ordered both our bikes with the 2300W tune. My wife will never need all that power, so I plan on tuning her's down to 1000W. The nice thing about that is

if she ever wants the extra power it's available.

As for going with the front shock, I'd recommend going for it. That's just my personal preference, though. I like riding on gravel pathways and the roads

where I live are not in the greatest of shape.

I'm also going with the standard brakes. I don't think an upgrade is needed, but with your weight it might be something to consider. Ask Pushkar for advice.

 

[byunbee]

My FLX order was going to be significantly delayed as they work through some frame issues they experienced on the first bikes. Something about a nut that can loosen up and lock up the hub. I expect some quality control issues with a first gen bike but between that, shipping the Rohloff hubs without any oil and the unexpected delivery delay, it was enough to cause me to cancel. Glad I discovered WW in the process.

Glad I was able to convince you on the FB group.

 

[jjonesx86]

Unless I'm wrong, the default config for the front fork is the Suntour Auron which should have enough travel for street riding. Are most of you paying $850 for the upgraded Fox shocks and if so, why?

 

[byunbee]

I've ordered two bikes-one for my wife (step-through) and one for me (regular frame). I've gone back and forth on going with the kindernay or Rohloff hubs.

I think both will be very reliable and I originally thought I'd go with the Kindernay for me and the Rohloff for my wife. She'd rather have a grip shift than two

thumb shifters. I prefer the thumb shifters, but I don't like the idea of having two shifter and accompanying cables, so presently, and I could change my mind

again, I'm going with the Rohloff on my bike too.

As for going with the front shock, I'd recommend going for it.

The base configuration of UC Pro come with Suntour Auron which is their higher end suspension fork.

In regard to Rohloff vs Kindernay, my thought is that the best justification for the upgrade is if you want to take your UC Pro on some trails and want to use nobby tires, you can order two sets of wheels and just swap out the hub instead of swapping out the tires on both wheels.

 

[byunbee]

Unless I'm wrong, the default config for the front fork is the Suntour Auron which should have enough travel for street riding. Are most of you paying $850 for the upgraded Fox shocks and if so, why?

For road and light trail use you don’t need Fox 36e. That’s a high end suspension fork even for a full blown mtb. Higher end than Rockshox Yari or Lyrix.

 

[Ebiker33]

For road and light trail use you don’t need Fox 36e. That’s a high end suspension fork even for a full blown mtb. Higher end than Rockshox Yari or Lyrix.

True but aren't these designed specifically for an Ebike upgrade?

 

[Gene02638]

Hi Jeff, welcome aboard.
1. I prefer more than 3 speeds. Also with an IGH, as opposed to a cassette and two or more front chainrings, there won't be any duplicate gears.
2. I can only speak about the Rohoff. It's hands down the best IGH I've used between a Shimano 3 speed, and a Nuvinci N330.
3. You can also dial back, but it doesn't take long to get used to 2300 watts. My UC was originally at 750 watts, but the bike inspires confidence so I upgraded the controller to the Archon and now run at 2300 watts.
4. The front suspension, compared to the no suspension on my home brew, makes a world of difference.
5. I can say only good things about the Magura ebike brakes. I've used Shimano, and Tektro, and I'm sold on the Magura.

Not to hijack the OP's thread but to increase my IGH knowledge, would the Shimano 3 speed be adequate for flat land travel? Most of my ebike travel has been with a throttle only bike. I found my 9 speed gearing inadequate for speeds over 17mph or so...

 

[Zachdds]

Not to hijack the OP's thread but to increase my IGH knowledge, would the Shimano 3 speed be adequate for flat land travel? Most of my ebike travel has been with a throttle only bike. I found my 9 speed gearing inadequate for speeds over 17mph or so...

I have a 3 speed on a bbshd build. It is a 42 in the front and a 22 cog in the back. I have found that I can keep up with the pedaling at 12 mph in low and 23 mph in high. After that I am just clown pedaling. I have some fairly large and steep hills and have not found anything I cannot go up. Overall i have been very happy with the sturmey archer 3 speed. I commute to work on it and ride a fair bit of single track also. I have an 18 tooth cog for the back that I have thought about putting on, but I do feel like that would be geared too high for my terrain. It would allow me to be involved with more of the pedaling during my commute.

I have no idea how that translate to the ultra and 2300 watts, but maybe it helps. If flat I do not see why you couldn’t put a 52 tooth chainring with a small cog on the back. On high gear you are running about 25% higher then the main cog. So if you had a 14 tooth cog that would be like running a 10.5. I would think you would be able to peddle at a pretty high speed with that.

 

[TomW]

jjonesx86

For road and light trail use you don’t need Fox 36e. That’s a high end suspension fork even for a full blown mtb. Higher end than Rockshox Yari or Lyrix.

Agreed the Fox 36e or the new 38's would be my choice if I had infinate money But my Lyriks are pretty great.
But all of the above options are very high end forks which are made for mainly top riders to cope with any type of gnarly terrain. And would possibly be overkill for mostly road use and most riders tbh.
I can not comment on current suntour forks as I have not really tried any for at least a decade but in the past they were always ok and perfectly capable of a few pot holes.
And if you do need more front end damping in the future you could always upgrade.


The 1000W Archon option is so much better than the stock g510 and will power you up anything, i'm happy that I chose this option. But the 2300w version will possibly give more future options and if you want ultimate power you have it.
With my next bike build I may go for the 2300watt version not sure yet but it definatly will be a Archon controller regardless.


MT5's are brilliant brakes I have a set on one of my my other bikes and have had no issues with them over 6 years and 15000 miles. Obviosly I have had multiple pads and a few rotors but have only changed the fluid once in that time.


WW and pushkar have great customer service and strive to make the highest quality bikes with input from there customers from what I can see, also they have the best version of the G510 you can buy. This is why I think you made the right choice not buying a Blade in my opinion.

 

[Westlafadeaway]

Not to hijack the OP's thread but to increase my IGH knowledge, would the Shimano 3 speed be adequate for flat land travel? Most of my ebike travel has been with a throttle only bike. I found my 9 speed gearing inadequate for speeds over 17mph or so...

I just bought a UC Pro and Pushkar noted the 3 speed will not let you go as fast as their IGH offering.

 

[Westlafadeaway]

standard frame Medium - I have short legs and a longer torso so on the fence between Medium and Large but thinking Medium is likely the best fit. I may only be 5'9" at this point...shrinking with age

I just got my UC pro a few weeks ago (see my separate post on it). If you have short legs, def get the medium. If you are used to a road bike, the way you dismount is a little different. There's not a lot of room between the seat and the handlebars to come off the seat and put both feet on the ground (on either side) like you would with a road bike. That took getting used to but once I learned it, I was good.

This is my first e-bike. It's not a cheap option but every piece is well designed. If you can handle the IGH price increase, I'd say it is worth it. I am not using the top gears (maybe downhill) but to get the higher speeds this bike offers, you really want the IGH, IMO.

 

[Ayl]

@jjonesx86 Welcome to the addiction.

1. I'm wondering if the stock 3 speed is enough. In a pinch, it can be, but better to have gearing available via the Rohloff (what I'm using) or the Kindernay.
2. I'm not really sure I need either the Kindernay or the Rohloff ... and just want to fully understand the pros and cons of each. The Kindernay has a thru axle, and although the Rohloff doesn't, I'm really not finding any shortcomings with it. If you prefer the trigger shifters over a twist one, go for the Kindernay.
3. Upgrade to 2300 watt was confirmed but not sure I really need that...assuming it can be dialed back. Trust me on this, go with the upgrade. Better it's there on the blue moons when you need it, then not. Also, I found myself getting comfortable and confident with the UC in a short amount of time. I'm not a speed demon, but I like having the option to move quickly on some streets.
4. Standard fork...glad it has the front suspension but the basic setup should serve my purposes (pot holes and comfort really). Dude, front wheel and seat suspension make for a very noticeable and enjoyable ride.
5. On the fence about the brakes. I'm heavy and so is the bike and I wan't the most reliable and least noisy. I'm very close to your height and weight proportion, and the Magura disc brakes will take care you. I only have good things to say about the Magura disc brakes.