This is definitely my favorite e-bike. Super light, relatively fast, good battery range and unbelievably durable. I've had my Carbo S and X for 3 years and they operate like day one after replacing the battery, which starts to deplete after 3 years or so. I just wish they could make it a class 3 to go 28mph max speed. I need just slightly more speed and power and it would be absolutely perfect for me in NYC.
@@GIedits-vf7re The X is much smoother of a ride thanks to the carbon fiber belt (make sure to get the one with the blue threading on the inside). The carbon fiber belt literally feels like butter, once you use it, you can't go back to a regular metal chain belt. I originally bought the S, but the gear shifting would get misaligned sometimes after changing gears and I just got frustrated with it and bought the X. I live in NYC and we have hills up on the north side of Central Park and the X handles them just as well as the S does, despite the S having all of the gear options. So it was a no brainer for me to switch to the X permanently. You just accommodate for the lack of gears by using the throttle more often when you reach a hill in order to give you the kick start you need to then start pedaling at a fast enough rate to then get the assist from the motor. The largest battery is MANDATORY because it effects the speed. If you get a smaller battery than the max, you can't go as fast. The X is also noticeably lighter on the rear wheel because you don't have all of the gears, so it make it feel faster and more nimble.
i have one, 2 yrs old - biggest drawback is the tiny display readout, barely larger than a postage stamp & nearly unreadable - Carbo says a larger display is due in April '24 - also the frame audibly creaks under pedal load as you can hear in the review
For people with strong legs, belt drive isn't a pretty option for this bike. Had a Rider1up ebike belt drive and broke the carbon belt twice within a year of using it. Maybe Carbo might change my mind when it arrives but definitely will convert it to standard chain like I did eith my Rider1up
I have both the S (metal chain) and X (carbon belt) and MUCH prefer the X. The carbon fiber belt feels like butter and is perfectly fitted to the bike dimensions (never falls off ever). I've had mine for 2.5 years and am 240 lbs and put a lot of pressure on the bike and it has has held up perfectly for years. The build of this bike is high quality.
Hmmm... 350 watt motor is good but with only 12 miles of range? That's terrible. Dang, the Carbo X was on my shortlist. No more. I'm glad I rewatched this. Thank you.
I have the X with 350w motor and largest battery. I live in NYC and circle the entire island of Manhattan almost everyday on the bike. That is about 3 hours of riding time, which is almost too much range. 12 miles is incorrect with the largest battery. My battery is 2.5 years old too.
Thanks for this helpful review! A front suspension would be nice but then you wouldn't have a 29-pound bike, would you? That being said, a SUSPENSION post would help greatly. I'm using a Thudbuster on my current ebike and there is no way I would ride a hard tail bike without it. But my bike is well over 60 pounds with a large battery... I see that the new 500 Watt Jackrabbit has an optional suspension post but this has no pedals... It's basically a scooter with a seat. Is it possible to add a suspension post to the Carbo?
Haven't tried the shifter so can't say although would be nice to have some gears for hilly terrain - I'd say if you life in a flat area, get the belt, if not the geared one and as far as the motor, yeah I think the 350 is ok, they're goal is trying to make this light so adding a 500 doesn't make sense, the 350 almost feels like a 500 because it doesn't have a ton a weight to haul around. It all depends on what you're looking for.
The 350w motor and largest battery are mandatory if you want to hit the max speed of 20mph. If you have high tire pressure at like 105, you can actually get up to like 23 mph. A smaller battery or motor will slow things down a lot.
@@GIedits-vf7re Good question, i've tried all types of tires, from fat tires to slightly thinner tires and I recommend against it if you are over 200lbs as the rear tube is very sensitive to bursting if the tire doesn't allow for enough space. The schwalbe tires NEVER burst as they are wider than most tires. So if you are heavier than 200 lbs I would not change out those tires. They handle very high tire pressure extremely well and have never had any popped tubes with them. I have several layers of high quality cotton rim tape too for reference. Don't use fat tires as they will crack the rims once you inflate the tubes. If you are under 200 lbs, you might not have any issues with the thinner tires, but you definitely need the rim tape in my opinion, or else you might have issues with the tube bursting still.
If you're 5'11", for a normally-proportioned rider, how short could they be and still fit the bike? There is no info on that at the Carbo website. With the seatpost in the lowest rideable position, it didn't look like you were squished.
The Carbo Model S, however, has 9 gears and chain driven. Theoretically, with the same motor, shouldn't spinning the pedals on the Model S in the 9th gear be faster than the fixed gear Model X?
No because you get stopped out at 20 mph either way. I have both the S and the X. I much prefer the X just because the carbon fiber belt feels like butter. The S has gear shifting issues after awhile and feels clumsy. Also all of those gears add a lot of weight to the rear wheel and it impacts the speed and performance compared to the very light rear wheel of the X. The X can handle any hill that the S can, you just need to use the throttle to get up to a comfortable pedaling speed, then the assist will kick in.
The standard bike usually sells for about 2500, it's 3k with the upgraded battery and motor. They do occasionally have sales, probably worth waiting for.
@@ElectricRevolutionI've been looking for data on the peak power of the motor at 250w versus 350 watts. Personally interested in the model s but assuming they're the same. Do you know what the peak power is?
10 miles? I consistently get 30 mile range on mine, but I have the largest battery and the 350w motor. I use the tour mode and typically pedal rather than use the throttle. I have high tire pressure too, which helps a lot (105). For reference, this allows me to completely circle the circumference of Manhattan starting from 79th street on the east side, across to the west side, all the way downtown and back uptown. I can be out for 3 hours constantly pedaling and still have a bar or two of battery when I get back home. 3 hours is plenty of time to cycle on one charge. My ass gets tired of sitting on the bike for that long anyway.
Yes, they sell an empty seat post with no battery on the Carbo website. I wouldn't want to use it as a regular bike, but you could still technically do it.
Great video. At $2800, this is literally a richer man's commuting bike because you can get a 38 pound folding ebike with virtually the same specs under $350. I'm sure the components are better on this bike, but for $350, I'd rather just go with the cheaper, than wait for about 3 years when newer technology comes out.
It's worth the money trust me. I've had my X for over 2.5 years and it literally functions like day one still. Absolutely zero issues and I am 240 lbs, live in NYC and absolutely put this bike through hell (bad road conditions, potholes, hills, ice, snow, sleet, speed, getting knocked up by cars and taxis, crashing several times down hills and getting doored several times, flying off of curbs and landing hard on the bike with lots of weight etc). The carbon fiber frame is so strong, belt drive is absolutely butter, motor keeps going like day one after 2.5 years, hydraulic brakes are perfect. It is extremely solid and worth every penny.
