We can groan and grumble all we want, but e-bikes aren’t going anywhere, (except trails they’re not supposed to be on… maybe). Though some are feeling KOM vulnerabilities, some are looking forward to conquering trails or distances that may have only been a dream. Before you smash your keyboard with hate, our own Zach gave a great insight to how “us” and e-bikes CAN coexist.
Check out some of the trail’able and urban worthy e-bikes from Flux as well as a fat e-bike from Pedego…
Flux
It seems like more and more e-bikes are being developed by “non-industry experienced” startups, so they may not consider what we (as a cycling community), like or dislike, but instead what the new, inexperienced consumer would want. As much as some of these crowdfunded e-bike start-ups come across as a fly-by night effort by overly enthusiastic entrepreneurs who are sourcing whatever they can get their hands on overseas, they’re finding far more success than you would think. Flux’s Indiegogo has 3 days left in their campaign, yet is more than a million dollars above their goal!
Flux’s bike uses a Bofeili Mid-Drive motor which is located in the BB area vs. in the hub or externally mounted. They have three models that include the Attack ($1,999) full suspension, Trail (1,399) hardtail and Roadster ($1,249) city bike. All three models have multiple “pedal assist” modes as well as a “full throttle” mode (everyone together now… *sigh*). Check out the video and see what you think. Oh, and the e-haters might enjoy the part at 1:45…
Pedego
We saw Pedego’s pretty cool little workhorse Stretch Cargo e-bike a last summer and now they’ve jumped onto the Fatbike e-train. I will first go into the positives… well, let’s just talk about what you get for the $3,295 asking price. You get a “lightweight” one size fits all aluminum frame (the entire bike w/ battery weighs just under 70lbs), it comes with a trail beach’able 7-speed Shimano Tourney drivetrain, (cable actuated) BB7 disc brakes, a $15 suspension seatpost, a headlight, and is available in 4 different color accents. Oh, and it has the full-throttle option as well which will effortlessly get you to 20mph. *long sigh*
Compared to everything else on the market the Pedego Trail Tracker doesn’t come close to an over $3k build, especially when the above Flux is a much better build and over $1k cheaper, (at the non early bird special price). Check out the video to see if maybe I missed something…
| MOTOR | 500 WATT BRUSHLESS GEARED REAR HUB MOTOR |
|---|---|
| BATTERY | LITHIUM ION WITH SAMSUNG CELLS IN A REMOVABLE PACK |
| CRANK | 3-PIECE ALLOY 175MM 38T BLACK |
| SHIFTER | SHIMANO TOURNEY FT55 7 SPEED SHIFTER |
| CASSETTE | SHIMANO HG20 12-32T 7 SPEED CASSETTER WITH SHIMANO HG40 CHAIN |
| BOTTOM BRACKET | SEALED 100MM X 152MM |
| THROTTLE | TWIST THROTTLE VARIABLE SPEED CONTROL WITH JULET QUICK DISCONNECT FITTINGS |
| TIRES | 26″ x 4.0″ |
| SPEED | UP TO 20MPH USING BATTERY POWER ONLY |
| SEATPOST | 28.6 X 350MM SUSPENSION SEATPOST |
| FRAME | 6061 LIGHT WEIGHT ALUMINUM |
| HANDLEBARS | MOUNTAIN STYLE BLACK STRAIGHT WITH 5 IN. RISE |
| BRAKES | SRAM AVID BB7 FRONT (20MM) AND REAR (40MM) DISC BRAKES |
| METER SYSTEM | LCD DISPLAY INDICATES CURRENT SPEED, RIDE TIME, ODOMETER, TRIP DISTANCE, PEDAL ASSIST LEVEL, AND BATTERY POWER |
| PEDAL ASSIST | FIVE LEVELS OF PEDAL ASSIST WITH THROTTLE OVERRIDE (THROTTLE ONLY AT LEVEL 0) |
| LIGHTS | FRONT HEAD LIGHT OPERATING FROM BATTERY |
| WEIGHT | 59 LBS (27KG) + BATTERY 9 LBS (4KG) |
| FRAME SIZE | 18 IN. (45.72CM) |
| AXLE TO AXLE | 50 IN. (127CM) |
| BIKE WARRANTY | 1 YEAR |
| BATTERY WARRANTY | 3 YEAR LIMITED |
| BATTERY OPTIONS | Standard 48V 11 AMP Hour Lithium Ion Battery |
| FRAME COLOR | Black, Black with Blue Rims, Black with Lime Rims, Black with Red Rims |
