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Flux and Pedego put the power down with e-bikes for any occasion

Written by Trey Richardson
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3. Attack

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 Trail and Roadie combine_images

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…

Flux Specs-comparison-Short_becfza

Pedego

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*

Pedego Trail Tracker

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
Trey Richardson
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47 Comments
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Chris Killer
Chris Killer
8 years ago

Read this far?
I’m disappointed in you.

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Erik
Erik
8 years ago

I had a blast last night on the local MTB trails on my new eKTM 500

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boom
boom
8 years ago

I just don’t get the overwhelming hate on here. Electric assist bikes are a part of the bicycle industry now. That’s a fact. They are not ‘mopeds’ or ‘motorcycles’, no matter how much unfounded or non-constructive hate you say in the comments. They open the door to another level of riders and demographics and will help grow this industry. They have been proven by IMBA to not cause any more harm than a ‘regular’ bike (a point that I can unscientifically verify, haven ridden some). They do not have throttles and you still have to pedal. Nobody is forcing you to buy one, but I would urge you all to ride one. Dare I say…they are pretty cool.

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myke2241
myke2241
8 years ago
Reply to  boom

@boom, so IMBA is the end all be all study (pretty sure it wasn’t scientific). I’m sorry to inform you that your thinking is unfounded. On the lighter side ebikes weigh in 35lbs. That is the weight of a DH rig. Both of which when out of control will cause harm. Added weight does affect the trail as well. The amount of people who don’t follow basic trail rules and edict makes you think twice.

Are they cool? That’s in the eye of the beholder. But most avid cyclist do not want them. That says a lot

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Erik
Erik
8 years ago
Reply to  myke2241

Lets put rider weight limits on all the trails then. Sorry, over 170lbs, you are to fat to ride this trail, pavement only for you.

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Vijay
Vijay
8 years ago
Reply to  Erik

Your reply is short of ranting. I weigh 260lbs and can run 5k (3.1miles) in 26 min flat without stopping. What your saying is I’m not allowed which presents an non-inclusive prejudice. This unfortunately has become the norm and leads to short sightedness. Are you even open to the idea of others taking up your precious space on a trail that don’t fit your prejudicial bias? Am I an environmental hazard on my regular bike? Regardless, I will still be on the trail knowing I’ve chosen a sustainable hobby for the environment and my well-being.

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Trevor
Trevor
7 years ago
Reply to  Erik

170lbs? Fat? Dude, how short are you? I’m 6’4″ and skinny as a rail and still heavier than that.

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Dinger
Dinger
8 years ago
Reply to  myke2241

“Added weight does affect the trail as well.”

The added weight is insignificant, unless we’re going to establish a maximum rider weight and equip trailheads with scales to catch and ticked offending riders (200lb.?).

Internet comments sections aren’t a measure of what “avid cyclists” (another completely undefined term) want, most aren’t concerned with what other people do, much less commenting on websites about it.

eBikes are here and they’re not going anywhere soon as people will vote with their dollars, just the way they did when mountain bikes came onto the scene. Like then, we’ll figure it out and it won’t be that hard.

BTW, the IMBA study was done by Applied Trails Research. Look them up.

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bearCol
bearCol
8 years ago
Reply to  Dinger

Don’t underestimate trail access affecting sales. Moab banned these last year, parts of Colorado have as well. Hopefully that trend will continue across the country. If you want to ride mopeds instead of mountain bikes I have no issues with that. Just keep it to motorized trails and it’s all good.

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myke2241
myke2241
8 years ago
Reply to  Dinger

Talk to me when there is a follow up study. I don’t really care who did the study, if there are no studies to backup or reinforced the findings its just spit in the air!

weight does have a big effect on the trail. It may have a negligible affect over a short period but long term on trails that not maintained its big! There is now way you would know because ebikes haven’t been around long and there are no long term studies.

The comment about people on the “internet” comment are just talking to those on the “internet” is hilarious and laughable. Talk to anyone avid cyclist on the road or trail, you get the same answer the majority or the time.

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myke2241
myke2241
8 years ago
Reply to  myke2241

All things being equal you are increasing the load on the trail. If our base is 25lbs for a standard human powered bike. 35lbs on the low end for a ebike. The low end is a 40% in load increase on the trail over a traditional bike. Load can be viewed as wear. Of course there are other variables but a heavier bike will always translate to increased load. Numbers may look small over the term but over the long term it’s big. Global warming for the trail

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CyclistA
CyclistA
8 years ago
Reply to  myke2241

25lbs for a standard bike? That’s on the lighter end of bikes we sell regularly. Most sales are of 32lbs+ fat bikes and low-mid level mountain bikes (from the big 3).

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chase
chase
8 years ago
Reply to  myke2241

@myke2241:Added 5-20 lbs of weight affects the trail? Exactly how? Please back up this statement.

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TheKaiser
TheKaiser
8 years ago
Reply to  chase

Yeah, this added weight argument seems pretty off base to me too. I am not saying e-bikes/electric mopeds have more impact than regular bikes, but if they were going to have more impact it would be from some combo of the following:
1. Inexperienced riders being able to generate way more torque than otherwise possible, allowing them to spin the tire more on looser surface climbs.
2. Allowing inexperienced riders to generate more speed in general, without any benefit to their handling skills, which means more frequent and more intense braking events. Any time torque is being transmitted through the contact patch of the tire it will increase the wear on the surface,. The more torque, the more wear, even without skidding.
2. Reducing the penalty for skidding, as it will now be easier to get back up to speed after your inefficient maneuver, so people unfamiliar with trail friendly riding etiquette will feel freer to lock up the rear brake for a “fun” sideways skid in corners.

That is where your extra wear (if any) will come from vs. normal bikes.

Plus additional users who wouldn’t otherwise be on the trails. It is a difficult balancing act. Do more users generate more lobbying power and funding for trail building and maintenance than they cost in wear and increased conflict with other users? The answer is not as clear cut as either side would have you believe.

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Dinger
Dinger
8 years ago
Reply to  chase

” If our base is 25lbs for a standard human powered bike. 35lbs on the low end for a ebike. The low end is a 40% in load increase on the trail over a traditional bike…”

Your math leaves out the weight of the rider.

Trail damage is the same red-herring the equestrians used to keep all of us out in the early 90’s.

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bob
bob
8 years ago
Reply to  boom

I live in sf and commute daily by bike. Plenty of peeps have e bikes to commute here.
Let me tell you – these are used like mopeds but only worse. All of them. And they’re dangerous. Zipping at 40mph in bike lanes, zigzagging through cars,going through reds, passing with no space, and barely pedaling with people whos entire bike experience on the road is a few hours at best.

I rarely see e mtbs bikes though on the trail so wouldnt be able to say but i suspect these are used much more conservatively

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RAB Share
RAB Share
8 years ago
Reply to  bob

Agree 100%. I’ve yet to see an eMTB on the trails, but my experience with ebikes on the commuting routes around DC is terrifying. You have the least experienced people going the fastest, and on the heaviest bikes to boot.

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bob
bob
8 years ago
Reply to  boom

Try one. Put it on the hardest gear. See how much pedaling it is. That allows you to accelerate the fastest with very little effort. Its what i see everyone doing too

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Mike
Mike
8 years ago
Reply to  boom

boom: “They do not have throttles and you still have to pedal.”

From the article and the spec sheet: “All three models have multiple ‘pedal assist’ modes as well as a ‘full throttle’ mode”.

So there you go: full throttle mode is right there in the description.

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TheKaiser
TheKaiser
8 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Yes, in this case. And even if there isn’t a full throttle mode, at what point does the riders contribution become so small as to be insignificant as a limiting factor? 50/50? 60/40? 90/10?

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bearCol
bearCol
8 years ago

Each to their own, but Mopeds just don’t do it for me. I much prefer mountain biking.

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Robert
Robert
8 years ago

As usual the HOBAs have to spew hatred. So sad.

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Saul Berg
Saul Berg
8 years ago

That’s not a bike. It’s a goped. Keep them off trails designated for non motorized use. I don’t want to loose access to my favorite trails because of these.

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Pete
Pete
8 years ago
Reply to  Saul Berg

That’s exactly the issue. Regardless of whether the motor is electric or gas, they lay down much more power than just human-powered. So they do more physical damage to the trails. E-bikes will get more powerful (electric road motorcycles are aleady on par with gas bikes), and so the ability of any given trail to not deteriorate really is a matter of drawing the line between motorized vs. non-motorized. And forget about establishing a horsepower threshold for trail use, cycling has enough cheaters as it is. Human vs. motor is a proper analysis.

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chase
chase
8 years ago

It is telling how Bikerumor BLOWS up with commentary after every Ebike press release.
It may be that BR is trolling you Ebike Haters?

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chase
chase
8 years ago
Reply to  chase

CNN and Democrats?Thats it?
How about ABC+NBC+MSNBC+CBS+PBS+HBO+Showtime and Democrats? Fox and Republicans -OK.

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Dan
Dan
8 years ago

You know you’re following an E-bike when the telltale skid mark of an out-of-control descender seems to be backwards…or when the next-to-trail bushes are crushed because a 50lb bike with woefully below spec brakes can’t slow down. BTW…there’s a significant reason all of these demos, press releases, and videos are put together on trails that are legal for motorized use…they have a motor, and we already have enough access issues from non-motorized morons.

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Dan
Dan
8 years ago

I think what it comes down to…the majority of people don’t mind getting burned on a trail by someone who is pedaling under their own power. But get burned by an ebike…?

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JBikes
JBikes
8 years ago

It gonna be like tracking a prepped Miata behind some 50 yr old, testosterone taking muscle car driver that just won’t be passed by a miata even though you catch him in all turns and are pulling way, way lower lap times.

Person goes up…rides brakes down tech and doesn’t pull aside cause they are “faster”

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Kram
Kram
8 years ago

Motor + bike = motorbike. Electric or not. The high price point of these bikes does not expand the demographic of cycling. If anything they make it less inclusive. The same people that buy these are the same that bring quads camping and disturb the entire camp. These need to be limited to Moto trails only. High five bro!

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Hamjam
Hamjam
8 years ago

I get pissed about horses sometimes, but in reality, I know that the more users of a trail system, the better. If hikers had their way, we would have no bike trails. Keep an open mind, everybody can win.

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chase
chase
8 years ago
Reply to  Hamjam

Hamjam- A reasonable post. Wow!

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Heffe
Heffe
8 years ago

I’m sure that someone is going to make a huge amount of cash getting lots of out-of-shape people with terrible riding skills and no understanding of trail etiquette bashing around on these things – I’ve already seen it starting. The bike industry is looking to exploit a legal vacuum with the introduction of this new type of moped that can put unskilled operators on high speed vehicles with no defining legal framework to control their danger to themselves or others – particularly in traffic.

It’s illegal, for example, to operate an e-bike on the bike-and-pedestrian Burke-Gilman path in Seattle, WA but that hasn’t stopped e-bikers from whipping through at high speed and low skill, right through flocks of pedestrians and the slower, casual cyclists that typically use the path. I barely use it and I’ve seen this twice now, which probably means that it’s happening fairly frequently.

There was some comment above about “They… will help grow this industry”. Why should we care about this? I really don’t care about growing the quasi-moped industry AT ALL. Consumers have absolutely no obligation to ‘grow the industry’ for manufacturers other than making choices for products that they enjoy using.

I DO care about being able to enjoy and use my bicycle on- and off-road without close interactions with motor-assisted vehicles, which should be required to stay on the road or on motorcycle trails. This new type of moped needs licensure and/or legislation for on and off road use to keep users from endangering others.

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Von Kruiser
Von Kruiser
8 years ago

The geometry of the these bikes looks horrendous. Steep HA, super long WB. Bike is a sketchy straight-line dragster. It’s perfect for the bike path… not offroad w/ these angles.

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Von Kruiser
Von Kruiser
8 years ago

Heard through the grapevine that Specialized current growth area is their Turbo line (ebikes). Also I heard it’s making them a lot of cash. Just looked at their line of Turbo bikes and did not realize how huge it is now… So all of you people out there who HATE ebikes and ride/support Specialized, you may want to rethink your commitment to a brand which aggressively supports the thing you hate so passionately (ebikes).

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Drew Diller
Drew Diller
8 years ago

I’m feeling underwhelmed by the cartoon-ishly long chainstays of both examples.

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thesteve4761
thesteve4761
8 years ago

Thank you for covering these. Please keep doing so.

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Von Kruiser
Von Kruiser
8 years ago

Also, everyone who reads Mountain Bike Action or Road Bike Action, should stop. Here is one of their other magazines (http://www.electricbikeaction.com/). You will be supporting ebikes if you read or go to MBA or RBA. Just saying everyone who angry you should only support brands who are inline w/ your passionate hate of ebikes. Big corporate brands will support ebikes, smaller passionate brands will not. Maybe we should all vote w/ our dollars on how we feel. Personally, I like ebikes and have never seen them on the trail. I might have ridden around them but did not notice because they were not causing any issues. 100% of my interaction w/ ebikes is on the bike path w/ an older gentleman/lady out for a ride… and I’m fine w/ that.

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Walt Wehner
Walt Wehner
8 years ago

Just what we need, 35 mph closing speeds between climbing/descending riders on singletrack…

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Erik
Erik
8 years ago

So I don’t need a helmet to ride this thing, but for the three wheeled cargo carrier thing posted yesterday you need a helmet and full pads?

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Skip
Skip
8 years ago

Jet skis in my favorite lakeside paradise.
File this alongside leaf blowers and wakeboard boats

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chase
chase
8 years ago
Reply to  Skip

Skip-You will only get my Craftsman 2 stroke leaf blower from my cold dead hands. That thing is freaking awesome when you need to get shit done. Buy a house wth trees and property and you will know I speak the truth.

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Fred S.
Fred S.
8 years ago

BR, I’m not angry, just sad that cyclists can’t get away from motorized transport even on trails or bike paths and that a cycling website is firmly in the side of motorized vehicles, just for the $. Also, I don’t understand why anyone would buy one of these thing instead of an awesome KTM. Also there’s probably more smokers than cyclists so I don’t understand people in general.

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1368439846
1368439846
8 years ago

It’s a complete fib that these expands the demographic of cycling in any significant way. The only thing we can hope for is that the high cost keeps sales low and makes them totally unprofitable. As long as we keep them off current trails that don’t allow motorized vehicles we should be able to starve the producers out. And I have no problem with them on ORV trails. Just pointless when you can get a nice trail motor cycle for about the same price.

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Craig
Craig
8 years ago

Why is the Pedego fat bike so expensive? It seems really really overpriced for the spec.

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chase
chase
8 years ago

Erik-GTFO. I don’t believe it.

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-rizza
-rizza
8 years ago

eBikes will have serious repercussions for all cyclists in the US in the form of increased oversight and regulation. When more and more ebike riders start getting squished on the streets and the police & park rangers can’t tell the difference between a bicycle a moped or motorcycle all two wheelers will be treated the same and expected to carry insurance, license and safety equipment.

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