After a month of waiting I finally got the call that my bike was ready for collection. Was at the shop an hour later and had it home by midday.
Just thought id share my initial thoughts on both the bike and the motor
Bike
Pros
- Its light. (For an ebike) - weighs 19kg with the battery on and handles brilliantly as a result
- Very easy to pedal when assistance cuts off. It freewheels just like a normal bike would. You can feel the weight but you dont get that "riding through treacle" feeling. Nice to know id be able to get the thing home pretty easily if the battery dies mid ride.
- 650b tyres are great, Brakes are strong and gearshifts are smooth
- Battery can be disconnected and charged seperatly. Not sure if this is a feature of all ebikes but I like it.
Cons
- Not the best looking ebike, not when compared to the likes of cube, haibike and others Much prefer when the motor/battries are integrated into the frame. I have had a few people stop me and ask about it already though.
- No front suspension. Raleigh have opted for a lightweight fork instead which does improve the bikes handling but the ride can be a little jaaring on rougher terrain.
- The Di2 in the strada comp (£250 extra) would have been a much better option. I find myself shifting gears quite often to keep up with the bikes power. (kicking myself now for not getting it)
- Saddle not comfortable, could be just me though as i've not ridden a bike with a comfortable one yet. I have a gel cover from my previous bike im using which seems to do the trick.
Motor (Shimano Steps E6000)
Pros
- Torque comes in very early
I tested a Forme peak trail with a Bosch active line+ and the motor takes a little longer to kick in. It feels much quicker too, very similar to a hub motor in the way it delivers power.
- Eco mode is very useable. Been riding on and off all day today and ive found myself mostly using eco mode. Provides more than enough assistance for daily use.
Range. Done 10 miles in total today and the computers showing 60 miles remaining on eco, Very impressive!
Cons
- I do agree with what most people are saying about how the motor is very on/off. I dont really mind it though as the bike is quite easy to pedal without the assistance.
- The Bosch activeline+ is a little smoother and quieter but feels heavier /slower and definitely not as much fun.
- The display is Ok its centralised which I like and has all the info you'd need but I found the Bosch intuvia display easier to read at a glance.
So yeh a pretty good bike all in all. Makes me wonder what the higher powered motors feel like. Gonna replace front quick release with a hexlox for added security and ive ordered a Cateye volt 800 for the front and a rapid X3 for the rear.
Still very early days so Ill post a full review in a couple of months after I've had more time to bond with it.
Just thought id share my initial thoughts on both the bike and the motor
Bike
Pros
- Its light. (For an ebike) - weighs 19kg with the battery on and handles brilliantly as a result
- Very easy to pedal when assistance cuts off. It freewheels just like a normal bike would. You can feel the weight but you dont get that "riding through treacle" feeling. Nice to know id be able to get the thing home pretty easily if the battery dies mid ride.
- 650b tyres are great, Brakes are strong and gearshifts are smooth
- Battery can be disconnected and charged seperatly. Not sure if this is a feature of all ebikes but I like it.
Cons
- Not the best looking ebike, not when compared to the likes of cube, haibike and others Much prefer when the motor/battries are integrated into the frame. I have had a few people stop me and ask about it already though.
- No front suspension. Raleigh have opted for a lightweight fork instead which does improve the bikes handling but the ride can be a little jaaring on rougher terrain.
- The Di2 in the strada comp (£250 extra) would have been a much better option. I find myself shifting gears quite often to keep up with the bikes power. (kicking myself now for not getting it)
- Saddle not comfortable, could be just me though as i've not ridden a bike with a comfortable one yet. I have a gel cover from my previous bike im using which seems to do the trick.
Motor (Shimano Steps E6000)
Pros
- Torque comes in very early
I tested a Forme peak trail with a Bosch active line+ and the motor takes a little longer to kick in. It feels much quicker too, very similar to a hub motor in the way it delivers power.
- Eco mode is very useable. Been riding on and off all day today and ive found myself mostly using eco mode. Provides more than enough assistance for daily use.
Range. Done 10 miles in total today and the computers showing 60 miles remaining on eco, Very impressive!
Cons
- I do agree with what most people are saying about how the motor is very on/off. I dont really mind it though as the bike is quite easy to pedal without the assistance.
- The Bosch activeline+ is a little smoother and quieter but feels heavier /slower and definitely not as much fun.
- The display is Ok its centralised which I like and has all the info you'd need but I found the Bosch intuvia display easier to read at a glance.
So yeh a pretty good bike all in all. Makes me wonder what the higher powered motors feel like. Gonna replace front quick release with a hexlox for added security and ive ordered a Cateye volt 800 for the front and a rapid X3 for the rear.
Still very early days so Ill post a full review in a couple of months after I've had more time to bond with it.
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