Newbe Questions on Giant Suede e

[ExPat]

First off hi...
Been looking around for information and this is a great forum. Moved to the East Coast (Boston) USA from England about 11 years ago.

I have always been a cycling fan on and off, getting to my middle ages now suffering from knee problems, more off lately than on. I have a nice none electric specialized crossroads elite, I can cycle out about 10 miles but always end up struggling to get back. So I started my search for an electric bike.

I like the look and specs of the new Schwinn Electric Bikes, but these are like gold dust over here, on back order and not shiping until January 2008, and I can find no dealer that has one to touch anywhere in New England.

The Giant Suede E seems the next in line, these have now been discontinued over here, although my local dealer has one still for $999.


ok start of the questions, sorry Newbie.

When I tried the Suede E with motor off, it seem to have a cyclic problem, I had tension 3/4 of a turn but seem to slip under foot for a 1/4 turn, is this normal due to the motor. The dealer agreed he felt the same as he peddled, but did not know if this was normal.

I know these are peddle asset but if my knee fails how far can you get on cruise (scooter mode), I know it depends on Rider weight, head wind level ground. But an average best guess would be fine.

Should I wait for the new Giant Twist to hit the USA, is that better than the suede.

Should I just run out and grab this local sude e before they all vanish for good.

Thanks
in advanced

Dean

 

[flecc]

Hello Dean. The new Twist has the Suede motor effectively, just rewound for 24 volts instead of 36 volts. Ironically it's a US design, the motorised wheel from the Birkestrand corporation, which Giant have bought in as a cheap alternative to the Panasonic unit in the original Giant Lite.

I've heard of that pedalling problem, and it is a fault and I wouldn't buy one with that present.

This is not a particularly powerful motor, and there's better out there for drive without pedalling. Most of the eZee bikes are all more powerful for example, the Fury, Forte, Sprint and Intro in particular both working better and also able to pull you most places without pedalling when required. Even without pedalling you should get around 12 to 15 miles range on fairly level ground. The Intro (here called the Liv) is the nearest to your Suede price bracket, and I'd consider the Fury/Forte models to be at least the equals of the Schwinn and better equipped.

I'm sure there are other suitable ones on the US market, but I'm not familiar enough to know them all, though some I do know like the BionX are far more expensive and also not especially powerful.
.

 

[derrick7]

The new Giant Twist

Hello Dean
I am the owner of a Lafree Twist & I was looking forward to the new Twist, but after a ride on one I changed my mind. What Giant should have done is fitted a MUCH BETTER HUB MOTOR & added a throttle to the pedelec. I like you have health problems & it would be nice to occasionly go along (for a mile or so) without having to pedal.
I think Giant have "missed the boat" on their new design, lets hope they realise where they have gone wrong & put it right assoon as possible!

Derrick - Llanberis

Giant - UK don't advertise the Suede on their website any more!!

 

[flecc]

Giant - UK don't advertise the Suede on their website any more!!

I've a suspicion that they are discontinuing it Derrick. It probably shows up just how expensive their new Twist series is.
.

 

[keninNY]

buy the last suede e?

I wouldn't buy a Suede e if I were you. I've had a suede e for a little under a year. On balance, it's a good bike. It's very sturdy, and can handle the horrible streets of Albany, NY. It is, as others have noted, a beast to ride without power. The chain does, as a reviewer noted, jump off the front sproket (I'm working on a fix for that...involving a wine cork and some glue). My major concerns are that a) over and over on this site I read reports of faulty/defective hardware. The controllers don't work, the chargers fail easily, and the batteries are reported to be unreliable. My bike's battery failed after a fairly short time, and thankfully, I was able to obtain a replacement under warranty. b) It really sounds/seems as if Giant is not too good in the area of product support. I sure hope that none of the other specialized components fail on the bike. If I had it to do over again, I would probably go with a different manufacturer. I wish now that I had found this great e-forum BEFORE i bought the Suede e.

 

[fishingpaul]

my suede has been very reliable, and the chain has never come off,it helps my 17 stones up hills ok. compared to other budget priced bikes, i think it is very good.the ezee liv being the only other bike around this price, that would probably be better, but has a much larger motor,and personally i think it looks ugly,only drawback with the suede is it is horrible to ride without assistance,i believe the us model comes with a throttle and 18 mph top speed.

 

[Bikerbob]

The Suede has definitely been discontinued in the UK. On the 'chain jumping off' issue KenninNY mentioned, I have solved it on my Suede by the frequent application of high quality winter grade chain lubricant.

Whilst there are now much better bikes on the market (at a price), you do take the risk that most are only readily available with a lithium battery. These have had bad reports on this forum with regard to use in hilly areas. If the Suede was available at a 'keep it for two years then throw it away' price, and depending on your type of use, it could be worth it.