Long time cyclist - ebike on order

[Sherman]

Hello everyone,

I've been lurking here for some time and now registered. I've pretty much cycled whole my life (I'm 43), currently I have a very nice steel frame single speed road bike and a carbon cyclocross bike. I've recently placed an order for KTM Macina Freeze fat ebike. Why a fat bike? I live in Finland and commute to work whenever weather allows it. I hope the fat ebike makes me able to commute during winter and make it fun in the snow, sleet and miserable weather But I believe the bike will be as much fun in the summer too.

Expected delivery of the bike is Jan/Feb 2015, so it will be a looong wait..

 

[mfj197]

Welcome Sherman, and congratulations on ordering your first ebike. You do have a long wait! I'm in exactly the same situation as you in that I'm a cyclist commuting on my road bike and have recently ordered my first ebike - a KTM Macina Cross 10 Plus. Mine should be here next week however. I hope you survive the wait until yours turns up, and that it comes soon enough for you to make use of it in the snow!

Michael

 

[Geebee]

HI,
When it arrives (the waiting would kill me ) please report back with a review of it, fat ebiks are a bit of a rarity?

 

[Spotty dog]

That is a fab looking bike not seen one before my bike is only half fat but is great fun on snow.When you ride on road in summer you may try slick tyres, surly black floyd is the obvious choice but Vee speedsters 26" × 3.5 are a good cheaper alternative with more robust sidewalls and roll fast on tarmac.
look forward to hearing how you get on with your new bike.

 

[Sherman]

Actually I've been looking for summer tires for the fattie. The Speedsters look quite prone to flats, especially with the gravel they spread on the roads here during the winter (even after cleaning there's always some left). Black Floyds are a bit pricey, but I'll browse the web for user experiences. One alternative is the 26x2.5 Maxxis Hookworm, it should be able to fit on 80mm rim. Funky low profile tyre on a fat bike :-D Not sure how it would mess up the Bosch System as the diameter is a lot smaller than the stock 4" tires. As I understand it's not possible to change the wheel size in the Bosch?

Too bad nobody makes a 4" true slick tyre.

 

[Spotty dog]

Yes I must agree the tread pattern on the speedsters is prone to collecting gravel altho i've had less problems with flats than I did with the black floyd which is a very light weight construction and to my mind a bit fragile.
I looked at hookworms but could not belive how stiff and heavy they are, they would sit very flat on your big rims, another alternative is a 3G BOA-G.
It's a 26 x 3.45 it has very little tread to trap gravel and is robust construction.I use these on the rear of my bike they fit on fat rims.The Vee speedster is a much bigger tyre but size is quoted as only a little larger than the BOA-G at 26 x 3.50, also found another tyre due for release next year is a Felt zig zag 26 x 4.0 see pics
Am pretty sure the bosch system allows you to custom set your wheel circumference I use a banfang BBS 01 and am able to set the wheel size.

 

[Sherman]

Been waiting for 15 weeks and...the bike is delayed. Latest info is that it will be in production weeks 10 and 11. I'll get my bike right for the spring

Luckily there haven't been that much snow, so I've been able to ride my cyclocross bike.

 

[Sherman]

After 211 days of waiting a very big box appeared at my home

While waiting for the battery to charge I swapped the saddle for WTB Pure V (the only one approved by my a**), high rise bars and silicon grips.

After a brief 2hr test ride on single track, gravel and road initial impressions are

It climbs like a monkey. It rolls surprisingly well, Jumbo Jims seem like a very nice pair of tires.

I'll snap some more photos later and write longer review.

 

[Spotty dog]

Great looking bike

 

[Sherman]

Selfie time