The only problem I feel bikes have is that you can't just park them and walk into a store. You have to assume that it won't be there when you leave the store. Park a car, lock the doors with windows up and you are confident it will be waiting for you without worry when you leave the store. Park a heavy motorcycle and it will be there when you leave the store. With a bike, it is light and can be picked up and thrown by a thief ino the back of a truck or car trunk. I love bicycles but I never take my eyes of my bike or leave it unattended and locking it to something is not always even possible. Those Buell Fuell bikes are beautiful and would be ripped off by a lowlife in a second.
Yeah, it’s too nice of a bike to leave out too long, even locked to a secure rack. They’re very nice recreation bikes, or a commuter, if you have secure indoor parking. That’s why I have a less fancy cargo ebike as an errand-runner, though even my favorite recreational commuter can be used as an errand runner as it retails for about $1,600 ($1,800 when I bought it in 2020). Even the sub-$1000 Lectric XP or the Ride1Up Portola can be useful commuters or utility e-bikes. Their integrated rear racks can hold up to 150 or 130lbs, respectively, and they can also be fitted with front baskets for an additional 25-35lbs of capacity. They’re also capable of reaching the full 28mph class 3 speed, and are geared so you are still pedaling at a comfortable cadence even at top assisted speed. More similar models with strong integrated rear racks are coming out, like the Velotric Fold (I think up to 120lbs), for about the same price. But if those are too small for you (they are folders with 20x3 tires), there are many good options with equal or better cargo capacity starting only a couple to few hundred dollars more. You’ll have decent components that bike shops will recognize and service. They won’t be the lightest or fastest responding (those are the characteristics spending more typically gets you), but they’ll be reliable and serviceable. If you want to spend less but stay with a reputable brand, Lectric sells their XP Lite for about $800, and you can find used ones for less.
Frame locks are great for this. For very short trips away from the bike it adds a bit of disincentive against opportunist thieves. Combined with a chain extension, I find I rarely need my heavy-duty chain lock. I still worry about theft, but I think it's closer to the level of worry that drivers are feeling these days.
@@chow-chihuang4903 I ride a motorcycle and have a 2001 Klein road bike that still is going strong. It is too bad a person has to worry about thieves but that is an unfortunate fact of life in the U.S.A. For one reason or other so many of our citizens are just worthless immoral POS that never learned the golden rule.
There should be cycle parking outside stores. Then you have something to lock it to. Pester your council if you haven't got any. Bilton stands (sheffields with crossbars) are best in the vast majority of cases.
Stores will also install bike racks if you ask nicely often enough. The nearby Costco is finally installing a set this week! It’s within 5 miles from home, and except for a large-screen TV purchase, I’ve made every trip by ebike, even when replacing the dead battery from my wife’s SUV!
I have a Chevy Bolt and I love it, but my electric bike has replaced about 80% of my trips that I would have previously taken in the Bolt. More electric bike reviews and analysis please! Your perspective on E-bikes as transportation not just recreation would be very valuable.
I would absolutely like more ebike reviews, hell if anyone has seen Micah of elektric , he's proven that there's lots of demands for enjoyable and info rich reviews for non-car transport, even landscaping vehicles
A bottom-bracket gearbox with gates belt (not sure you mentioned that feature) is the way forward for nice bikes of all types. e-bikes, tourers, MTBs, commuters. Increasingly most people will pick motorised versions, but unless you are racing or a weight-weenie and thus caring about the last few percent efficiency gearboxes and belts are here to stay. Still a little expensive (especially the latest pinion stuff) but it'll get cheaper.
@@mikewallace8087 Granted, 'toothed belt' is the generic term. But the vast majority of bikes have used Gates over the last few years. This one is probably Valeo though as I expect they make them too. And no doubt we will get more competition as it gets more popular. I hope they pick a common tooth size/profile.
@@xxwookeyI’m a derailleur fan because they are lighter weight, less expensive, and have bigger gear ranges than all but the most expensive internally geared rear hubs/gearboxes. But I like the idea, so I’m open to new developments as things improve. :-)
I'm currently riding a Tern HSD S11 and in eco mode it has around 81 miles of range. In Turbo it's around 40 miles of range, which is not bad. It's a mid drive motor, which I think that's why it has better range than my previous ebike, which had a hub motor, with a max range of 24 miles with the larger of the two batteries I had.
Team Tern! I have a five year old GSD that we call my minivan. Ride it to school each morning and afternoon for drop-off and pick-up. Weekly trip to the grocery store. Monthly to the pharmacy. All are within three miles round trip. I know that I'm incredibly lucky to be in a spot where I can do so much on my bike, but the need for a crazy long range has never been an issue. I considered the second battery for the GSD, but I'm just not going that far. The range anxiety on ebikes seems unnecessary to me.
You asserted that it comes with well known parts, but then the only brand name you mention is Valeo (sp?). I’ve worked in a bike shop for over 18 years and I don’t think that’s a common brand that’s on very many bikes, nor is it a name most e-bike users or shop staff would recognize.
Saying it has a 750w motor is not useful information by itself, as efficiency then comes into it. Same as how you wouldn’t want to replace a 10w LED bulb with a 60w incandescent. And even the lighter weight model is very heavy, IMO. My “daily driver” e-bike is 42 lbs, and my “play” e-bike is 31 lbs. And they cost respectively about the same as these two, coincidentally.
It’s not accurate in my experience that you’re lucky to get only 10 miles out of most e-bikes in their maximum assist. In my bike shop, we sell dozens of models from 10 different brands and 100% of them get 25+ miles in their maximum assist, and most get 45+.
No. Next question? It will be stolen, it won't work in winter, where I live I already have a lot of what I need at a walking distance, a little more at an easy pedal bike distance, everything else require a car (we're talking 20 to 30KM away on single lane country roads with no shoulder lane). I try to go to the grocery store as infrequently as possible so there's no way that my 350$ worth of groceries could fit on this bike (it fills my car's trunk already). When I have to go to work (about once a week) it's 70KM on highways (one way only) so impossible on a bike.
Do these provide heated/cooled safety cells to protect me from other traffic. Where I live it’s cold in winter and hot in the summer and it rains all year round. Bikes are nice for pleasure but don’t cut it for the daily commute. I know many do use them - even for long commutes. Not my idea of fun
I agree with M. If you're doing the Tour de France or other pro races then your bicycle will cost (someone else) up to about 27,000 Euros. So yeah 7,000 will get you a very nice bike, but not absolutely top of the race, I mean bicycle without electric motor. Those two look good.
Having a throttle-only mode legally restricts where you can use the bike in many jurisdictions. Unless you really need it for some reason (such as a wonky knee), better to not have it.
This bike sounds like a fascinating tech demonstration, but its pricing is going to put it out of reach of the vast majority of people out there who could make use of it. I could use an electric bike for my around town stuff (although an electric scooter would be better), but not for $6000+. Not a chance. The drivetrain on this sounds very similar to the hybrid drivetrain of a Prius, with a planetary gear set power split device and a motor to control the speed of the gear set, just instead of an ICE there is a person connected to the gear set.
Did you set up the bikes yourselves, or were they set up for you? Because your seat was too low for optional pedalling, Nikki. There’s a tendency to want to set the seat low to make the second off on/off easy, but if it’s at the expense of the hours of riding being harder on your knees it’s not a good trade-off. Better instead to teach someone better ways to mount and dismount with the seat at an appropriate height.
That's definitely a huge price for a regular style bike. That bottom bracket gearbox is probably a big part of that, which does make sense unfortunately. BB gearboxes are pricey, even without a motor paired up with is. Having said that... for that price I'd go for an electric bakfiets personally. I would consider the horn being that loud to be a feature. The horn on my bike is that loud and it has saved me from unaware drivers on a few occasions. I do have a bell for pedestrians, though haha
Throughout my life, I've used a bike to get around. Over the last 7 years or so, I've bike commuted off and on. Lately, I've been on. I have a Chevy Bolt and have been driving that mostly over the last year and a half. Over the last 6 weeks, I've been riding my e-bike to work and other places when it's just me. My setup cost about $2000, but that doesn't bother because my gas savings make up for the cost. It has fenders, lights, a 750 Watt motor, 7 gears, front and rear baskets, weather proof bags (not entirely water proof) that fit in the baskets, and a bike trailer. With that set up, I can easily have everything I need to go to work or do some light shopping. It's not for everyone, but when it comes down to it, it puts me in a good mood. Since I'm in my 50's, having a motor definitely takes the edge off. Highly recommend.
These look like pretty nice bikes. The price is on the high end but that is to be expected with a range like that. Most e-bikes over here range between €1900,- and € 7300,- (new) for a well known bike brand.
Cycles in general increased in price by about 30% during "the event", and now the industry has a crash as the oversupply reaction corrects. £2k for a group set? Naw. £4k carbon bike now £8k? Naw. Best not look at the cost of an electric Brompton (£4k) although the better motor tech and bus/train access might beat nonsense like GPSr automatic gears. Personally, I'd prefer a Bosch mid drive over that motor/belt whine with wasteful suspension forks as this is a little more like an electric motorbike than a pedelec.
“From Velotrics, to Rad City Power bikes, to no name Chinese…” Those are all no name Chinese e-bikes, IMO. Anything that can’t be fully serviced in most bike shops is very likely to become e-waste, sadly.
There’s an inverse relationship between efficiency and noise. You can make a motor quieter, but you make it less efficient by doing so. So it’s a trade-off.
I work in a bike shop, and we get people asking for service on direct-to-consumer e-bikes like this all the time, having already been turned away by many other bike shops. Bikes like these are best sold to do-it-yourselfers, something the manufacturers don’t disclose (in fact, they suggest you can and should go to a bike shop). But these can’t be fully serviced in most bike shops.
I’m again surprised to see more e-bike recommendations from this channel that have a high probability of ending up as e-waste, vs. a brand name mid-drive e-bike (with either a Shimano or Bosch motor) that can be fully serviced in many/most bike shops. And you can get e-bikes like that for much cheaper than these.
I've found that half of riding bikes (both human and electric powered) is having a way to secure them when you can't bring them inside the building. That cannot be an afterthought. Otherwise, these look great.
@@lesliefranklin1870 It's true, bike theft is a problem (a big problem in some places). I was just pointing out that 'a way to secure them' does exist. Something to lock them to and a decent lock. It's not proof against professionals with angle-grinders and vans but it works most of the time if they are mounted properly. And certainly an awful lot better than 'nothing to lock your bike to'. Expensive bikes are getting more sophisticated anti-theft stuff like trackers and beacons and digital locks so they won't actually work if stolen or can be remotely disabled etc. It all helps. Having police actually take it seriously also helps enormously and typically cuts theft rates by a factor of 4-10. Car theft used to be a big problem too but that's got way better with more attention to security. You can never make theft go away entirely, but you can get rates to acceptably low levels.
“Beater” bike, or one made to look like a beater is an option, if neither looks or resale value matters to you. I had a decent early MTB (what would likely be called a flat bar gravel bike today) in college. I immediately wrapped its frame and fork in masking tape and electrical tape to “uglify” it. Nobody ever bothered with it, except a friend who pranked me by taking the seatpost and front wheel one night. I replaced the quick-release levers with bolted versions and didn’t have any issues afterwards. Still have it to this day, though it now stays in the trainer rather than venturing outside.
@@chow-chihuang4903 It's a good policy but it doesn't always work. I put a load of gaffer on a newish Ridgeback flight 04 (hub-gear hybrid) (and changed the QR skewers for security ones), to make it look a bit shit and cover up the shiney. It still got nicked after a few months (this is Cambridge where bike theft is rife). It was such a nice bike I bought another one a year or so later, didn't bother to gaffer-up that one and I've had it for ~6 years now. So yeah - noisy data. I'm sure that sort of thing helps on average. My wife has had the same Marin Muirwoods since 1996. Use to be main MTB, and has been scruffy town bike for 20 years now. It's a very nice bike but looks pretty crap by now
I have a specialized turbo Vado that has the automatic shift shifting the belt drive. It works really well and it’s a lot of fun to ride. It was originally $5500. I got it for 4000 battery lasts over 100 miles and it works incredibly well I look forward to riding the bike as a matter fact I’m going out for a ride now. Thank you. Great review.
Electric vehicles, for total cost of ownership, are typically NOT that expensive, esp. when you factor in savings by not buying gas. Also, the oil and gas industry has been receiving government subsides for DECADES.
On current Atlanta roads? No, regrettably, not a viable alternative. Maybe "soon" (if they don't get regulated off the multiuse trails)... but probably not while I'm still working. 😕
I love the tech, the stats, and the build quality. The paniers look good...BUT, it is UGLY, the lights look like an afterthought...at that price point it needs to look the price. Somehow Bike companies, BMC, Trek, etc. are making electric bikes that look good. And yeah I know looks are subjective, but at that price point it matters.
i've been looking at the cupid, under 2thou cdn from the jungle site, i'd have to register it as a scooter, so it sours things, but i'll look into stuff more, it may be doable. i'll be moving and will need something more than feet, my regular e-bike target is isinwheel m10, 500watt means it's considered just a bike but this is nova scotia, hillsaplenty, i'll carry a small generator on a trailer to charge partway.
I’ve just changed to a small motorbike for commuting and would like to look at an e-bike but either side of a 12 hour shift, the extra time it would take on national speed limit roads is a barrier to me cycling. North Scotland’s weather is another aspect that limits me but I am not ruling an e-bike out in the future, especially if it’s as good as these appear to be. Great review!
Biden is ramping up the import tariff by 4 times. Also the parking and the maintenance, insurance, registering them, and electricity probably cost you more than one of these bikes.
I have a Rad City 4 High-Step and I love it. I don't usually commute, but I frequently take long rides and it has a great range when you pedal along. I recently started a new job and I'm within bike commuting range. What I really like about that bike is the gears and the belt vs. metal chain. I will definitely consider buying.
Can you try to get some info out of Fuell on their Fllow e-moto, I've had a reservation on it for nearly as long as the Cybertruck :/ Supposed to be available Q4 but have seen very few new prototypes since 2019ish
Thanks for reviewing a car replacement grade e-bike. If you're in the market for a bike like this, you might also consider a Stromer. Eric Buell has a lot of background designing innovative motorcycles, and Fuell does sell an e-motorcycle, so not surprised he focused on a poweful, robust e-bike.
Riding a bicycle is a great way to exercise. Ebikes are bringing many older adults back to cycling. Cities need to do more to encourage people to ride bicycles. Safe protected bike lanes and trails are needed so adults and children can ride safely. Speak up for bicycles in your community. Bicycles make life and cities better. Ask your local transportation planner and elected officials to support more protected bike lanes and trails. Children should be riding a bicycle to school and not be driven in a minivan. Be healthier and happier. Ride a bicycle regularly.
I’m surprised how much time it took for the motor to start after you started pedaling. Those Fuell models use torque sensors. They typically respond as soon as you put effort into the pedals, unlike models that use cadence sensors. A “slow start” feature may be enabled. Those Valeo motors with integrated gearboxes are n awesome concept. I’m glad Fuell decided to use them, and I hope more do. One issue with hub motors is they make wheels cumbersome to work with if you need to patch a puncture. I use a brass bell for pedestrians and cyclists but I use a loud siren for cars and trucks. Drivers never notice the bell but they usually hear the siren. So there’s a use case for a loud horn.
No, the editor wasn't to blame - the producer was (Nikki). It's been a really busy week, and we've been doing 60+ hour weeks of late. Sorry - My bad - Nikki.
@@transportevolved I have an E-bike, love it and use it a lot, a proper one (pedal assist). I'll ride it a light shower but I'm not going shopping in the rain. I'll ride twenty miles to the beach and down bike trails but I'm not going 20 miles through traffic to work then back. There are myriad of great light E transport vehicles out there. If only they were legal or safe on the roads full of heavy fast vehicles. Electric cars have become an obscene opposite of what they were supposed to achieve. We need transport that just transports, safely, economically, with reasonable speed and without ravenously consuming resources to cart 3 tons of technology with you. In short we need a complete alternate light weight transport net work. Not gonna happen.
Obviously depends heavily on where you live and your transportation uses. In many cities, this could easily replace a family's second car. In some cities, this could replace someone's only car combined with renting a car for the few times this doesn't meet their needs.
I‘m not convinced by those electric bikes. I’ll wait for Hydrogen bikes to be available - that’ll be much more convenient and it won’t be a write-off once the battery dies.
Hydrogen bikes will never be. The storage pressure, thousand's of PSIG, transport insurance , and production costs will never bring hydrogen powered consumer vehicles . MGUY Australia has the evidence.
So I can see strapping a carrier that would hold a chihuahua to the luggage rack with a LOT of bungee cords, but there is zero way to carry my 73 lb Doberman to the vet on that nor could I haul home 2x4s or bags of garden soil or even the amount of groceries I buy twice a month. Even if the food could be carried it would be at risk of spoiling before I could get it home. I can see the bike being a step up from riding the bus because you can take direct routes and it would work in countries that are set up for bikes already, but most of the US is never going to be that way-everything is too spread out.
Over here in the netherlands I regularly see people transport dogs (big and small) by bike, using a cart attached to there bikes or by using a bakfiets 🙂
That’s what I use a cargo trailer for, though I’ve used mine a lot less frequently since I got a cargo ebike. The trailers I have can carry up to 150lbs. There are models that can carry much more, even long flatbed types for furniture or boards, though you’ll want a strong motor to tow that amount of mass. The integrated rear rack on my cargo bike is rated to carry up to 300lbs, though my own weight and the locks and tools I pack means I can only load up to 200lbs of cargo on it. For frozen food, I just bring a cooler with freezer packs in it. Works just fine. Some ebike brands even sell insulated food carriers customized for their models. The benefit of e-bikes are they make it easier to go further, surmount hills and carry more than acoustic bikes. I ride up to 9 miles one-way (most stores are within 3-7) to run errands, and they have meant I have replaced nearly 100% of my local driving needs, even in my suburban area with little safe bike infrastructure. I still have my car, though it gets driven only about 1-2 times a quarter for the rare distant errand or when hauling something I can’t tow. I put a battery tender on it once a week. As far as infrastructure, it is getting better as more city and township managers are realizing the benefits of supporting micromobility, though some officials are stubborn about it, and it’s still terrible where I live, but for recreational riding, the next city and townships over have much better infrastructure, so I ride there. Since mine is pinched between them and there is a regional project to build a connector path between two large path networks, it has been [reluctantly] building our pieces of it as roads are repaved or greenfields are developed.
My friend, how far away is your grocery store that you're worried that food will spoil on the ride home. I won't try to convince you to switch to a bike, but it's worth mentioning that any car payments and insurance payments avoided are funds that become available to make the transition easier. That might include paying some delivery fees or making grocery trips weekly, or as often as needed.
@@keeblebrox How far sort of depends on how much I would want to take my life in my own hands. Two miles to one or four miles to a different one. The route to the store that is farther away would be safer-more residential streets with lower speed limits. Of course, daytime increase visibility for safety. Four miles during at least 3-4 months of the year during the day would mean temperatures over 100°F and heat index approaching 115°F. Without air conditioning, I can’t see food staying frozen under those conditions.
I hope the have road tax , number plates, I liable to all insurance as other motorised vehicles should have . Wouldn’t like to be hit by one of them while out for a walk without the above , irresponsible.
