E-Bikes

[olbriar]

I've been riding all I can this week. The temps have been cooler with little to no wind. It has been raining some for the last three days so I've not logged the miles I would have liked. It's supposed to be dry all day tomorrow. I'll be riding.

 

[olbriar]

What a great day to be on a bike! Oddly enough, I saw no one else riding today. I rode four times to the next town and back putting 35 miles on the bike. I would have rode more but I was getting low on battery. I loved the new jersey and shorts I bought. The gel padding in the shorts is the best I've ever owned. I'll definitely be buying another kit from that supplier.

 

[olbriar]

I devised a new loop to ride today. I've been riding to the South of town then taking a sidewalk to the next town and cutting through a neighborhood and then take a state highway (with a liberal concrete siding) back to a road that then takes me back to the sidewalk to the next town. I do that loop three times then ride back North to my home. Today I rode to the sidewalk and took the highway siding back but I rode all the way back into town and found a nice in-town route back to the sidewalk. It increases my loop by almost three miles each loop but I don't have to ride my bike on a busy county road. Three trips to the town South and back is 27 miles which is a nice ride. The only problem is, I'm skeptical if I can make that ride twice between charges. Fifty four miles on a charge with a battery that is four years old and rated at seventy miles is asking a lot. I'll have to try the second 27 mile ride someday but today I'm charging after one ride.

Later: It was just too nice this evening. It was 80° and zero wind with a beautiful full sky of blue. I just had to get the bike out again. I only rode another 20 miles and called it a day. I had plenty of daylight left but I was running short on legs. I used to ride 50 mile loops regularly on a traditional road bike thirty years ago. Maybe I'll get back to that level of stamina but I'm not there yet.

 

[olbriar]

It was hot today! I mowed five yards but my big lawn I mow on Tuesdays I found the house was burned up. I called the owner and they were all safe and stood out in the yard in their PJs at two AM and watched the fire. No cause yet but assume it was electrical related. He has hopes of cleaning up the yard enough for me to mow next week. It's an $80 mow so without it I had a short day. I came home, cleaned up, and went for a 20 mile ride. While I was riding I received a text from my son. His son-in-law wants to buy my bike. I sold it over the phone and continued my ride. When I got home, I jumped on the Juiced Bike site and bought the upgraded bike I've been wanting while it's still on sale. I don't know when I'll actually have cash in hand for my old bike or when I'll receive my new bike to build. It's happening and I can't be more stoked. My bike that I absolutely love will stay in the family and I'll have the upgraded bike I've dreamed of. Win win!

It's a RipCurrent S bike. Powered by a 52v 19.2 ah battery driving a 1000 W Bafang motor. Range 70 - 100 miles per charge.
It has both cadence and torque assist at five different levels. Hydraulic disc breaks and nine gears. Thumb throttle up to 20 mph and cruise control also 20 mph max. In race mode the assist stops at 28mph. It also comes with a new battery which is the biggest reason for my upgrade. The battery alone sells for $800.
There is an upgraded controller that is offered for pre order for this bike only. The new controller allows throttle and cruise up to 30mph. In race mode it's reported to do over 35mph. I didn't order the new controller but I might some time. I highly suspect this bike is on sale to make way for the new bikes that come with the newer controller. We shall see....

 

[DonB]

Nice job, congrats on your new toy when you get it. I'm surprised that Juiced doesn't make any folding banks.

 

[olbriar]

Nice job, congrats on your new toy when you get it. I'm surprised that Juiced doesn't make any folding banks.

Thanks Don. I'll be surprised if I receive the bike this month. They ship for free but it's shipped ground. The bummer is I'll quite likely part ways with my old bike early next week. The buyer is on vacation this week or I'd lose my ride today... he's excited! At least I have a window to return the bike to stock by removing the upgrades I installed. Those upgrades will all go on my new bike.

I'm a bit surprised that Juiced isn't into the folding bike market as well. I don't know how bullish that market is but selling bikes is their only game. Ignoring that market seems strange. Perhaps it is a design challenge that scares them off. It's one thing to engineer a bike that folds up and another to design it where it remains stable at faster speeds. I'm only speculating.

Transport is the one real drawback to my bike. It weighs seventy pounds without the battery and is seventy six inches long. You can't easily load it into a truck and it's hard on the bike to ride on it's side. A bike rack is a must but there are only a few that make a rack designed to carry the weight of the bike so they are expensive. You have to lift the bike into the rack which can't be fun. I'm forced to ride local for lack of easy transport to the bike path network in the city. Some day I have hopes that a path will connect my town to the city for there is no safe route between the two now.

 

[DonB]

Yes especially if you travel by car.

 

[olbriar]

I spent the early evening taking my old RipCurrent S back to stock. The only thing that isn't stock is a rearview mirror. I think every bike should have one stock but that's not the case. I ordered a new one for the new bike. I also order a battery driven tire pump. I doubt it has a very big piston for it's a small device. It is USB rechargeable and the bike battery has a USB accessory outlet. You set up to five different pressures that it stores. It airs a tire up to your selected preset and shuts off. If the tire is over inflated, it bleeds the pressure off until the tire pressure matches the preset. It looks like it might be a good tool. I hope I don't need to find out.

 

[olbriar]

Shipping notice from Juiced... projected delivery the 18th. Just wow! It took nearly three weeks to receive the first RipCurrent S

 

[Unforgiven]

Shipping notice from Juiced... projected delivery the 18th. Just wow! It took nearly three weeks to receive the first RipCurrent S

Just a guess, but your first bike may have been a bike in production where this one is coming from inventory (that they are trying to clear out).

 

[olbriar]

Just a guess, but your first bike may have been a bike in production where this one is coming from inventory (that they are trying to clear out).

I think you have hit the nail on the head. They have for sale an upgraded controller for pre order that is exclusive to the bike I've ordered. They have even produced a video on how to exchange the old controller out and install the new. The new controller allows a faster speed both cruise and with pedal assist. It moves the bike into a class 3 category which is not legal in most states.
It's set to cruise up to 30mph and the opinion on the street is with good legs you should be able to pedal up to 35mph. I'll wait to order the controller once I've read the reviews from riders. The point at hand is I highly suspect their next set of bikes, once old inventory is sold out, will have the new controller. The controller has to be jailbroke to access those speeds but they provide a video on how to do just that. Making it not street legal is on the individual and not the company.

 

[olbriar]

Just a guess, but your first bike may have been a bike in production where this one is coming from inventory (that they are trying to clear out).

I should have added this to my first reply. My old bike was freshly out on the market. It was released in the summer of 2018 and I bought mind in May of 2019. They were making slight changes to the bikes all through that period. Early buyers were basically beta testing the product. Two months or so after I bought my bike they switched break handle brands. The last of the bikes like mine came with a different brand break disk and pads. They make one hell of a bike and have continued to improve upon it. All the while they lowered the price. When I first bought, a comparable bike was priced two grand more than my purchase. Now, an upgraded bike three years later is a grand less than when I bought. It makes resale a joke but good for the bike consumer.

 

[olbriar]

I took the old bike out for a test ride tonight. I wanted to make certain that it was set up satisfactorily. Before I knew it, I was on the path to the next town. About half way there it started to sprinkle. I couldn't tell if it was just a little rain passing through or if it was building so I headed for home. I only logged ten miles. The stock bike is fun to ride but it I felt every bump in the road.

I just checked the tracking info on the new bike. It is now supposed to arrive Wednesday the 19th. I hope my buyer can't pick up his used bike until then. I was charging the battery for him but I might be charging it for me.

 

[olbriar]

I received my USB rechargeable air pump today. I miss represented one feature, it does not auto bleed off pressure to your preset. It's a matter of holding down the bleed off valve and monitor the pressure on the display and then release. I am super impressed with this tool. I changed the bicycle preset from 35psi to 19 which is a middle of recommendations for my fat tires and my preferred ride. I then checked my tires. The front was a bit over inflated and the rear needed 2.5 pounds. It was easy peasy to level both off. I was really impressed at the speed in which both tires were leveled off. I think I'll order another pump to carry in my truck for my mowers. It came with a self storing inflation hose, and adapters for Schrader, Presta, and Dunlap tire valves as well as a needle valve. It has a LED light that can be turned on if working in the dark. It also came with a USB C charging cable but no AC adapter (5v / 2a) and a storage bag with draw sting. Pressure can be set between PSI and BAR and will provide up to 120 PSI. The only negative is the LED readout is pretty much rubbed out in direct sunlight.

I've not shopped this tool. It might found at a better price. I paid $50 for the Juiced branded pump.

I had to go to Juiced to find the actual price of the pump before posting. After ordering the pump I received a thank you from Juiced with a 20% discount code on recommended accessories. I took the pump out and brought all of my mower tires up to their recommended pressure. It was very easy to do and the beauty is, whatever pressure I set, the tires were aired up to that exact pressure which will produce an even cut. I'm ordering another pump as soon as I post this.

Update: ordered another pump and see that my discount code is not exclusive. If you are interested in any bike accessories, Summer is the code to input at checkout for a 20% discount.

While on the Juiced site, I couldn't help but notice that the bike I have ordered is now on sale... $500 more than the one I bought during their prime sale and using my $100 off code. You were right @DonB when you said there will be better deals....

 

[olbriar]

That Juiced discount code got me in trouble. I ordered the new upgrade controller for my new bike while I could get 20% off of it.
It's not supposed to ship until late July or early August and is only available as a pre-order item. A wise man would wait until there were some reviews out for how well it performs. I've never been noted for my wisdom. It comes with a tail light/break light which might be handy. I'm sure it's better than a double a battery operated tail light that I'd forget to turn on. I highly suspect the next gen RipCurrent S will have the upgrade controller stock. If I buy anything more for the new bike, it had best be a nice place for me and the bike to sleep.

 

[olbriar]

I checked the tracking on the bike shipment and Wednesday is still projected. It spent last night in Pampa Texas, where I was born. It is now in transit and nearing KC. It's on I 35 and had to travel through Wichita around two hours ago. I guess it will hang out in KC and then come back to Wichita.

I anticipated my buyer to drop by to get his bike this weekend. With that in mind, I spent some time cleaning the bike and getting everything ready for him. If I had known he wasn't picking it up, I could have had a couple of more rides. I hope he comes soon or I'll have to do some major rearranging in my shed to accommodate two bikes.

 

[olbriar]

My new bike is out for delivery!! I had best go get my lawns mowed.

 

[olbriar]

Today was an absolutely miserable day to be working outside. I mowed my lawns, rehydrated, and waited for my bike delivery. Naturally, it didn't show up until after 5 PM. I got it unboxed and stuffed most of the packing materials in my trash being as tomorrow is my trash pickup day. I will say that Juiced has come a long ways in their packaging since my first purchase. However, it was difficult to get rid of. After dinner I started assembly of the new bike. Again I was impressed at how much was pre assembled compared to my first bike. Getting everything adjusted just the way I like and adding my after market goodies took as much time as putting the bike together. I took it for a short test ride. I still have a few tweaks I want to do but mostly it's set up perfect for me. The bike is more upgrade than I anticipated. Between the more powerful motor and the additional readings of the sensors the bike is much more responsive. So much so, it will take some riding time for me to adjust to the upgrades.
I never considered my old bike to be sluggish until I rode the new bike. Night and day. I'm very pleased and impressed.

 

[DonB]

Today was an absolutely miserable day to be working outside. I mowed my lawns, rehydrated, and waited for my bike delivery. Naturally, it didn't show up until after 5 PM. I got it unboxed and stuffed most of the packing materials in my trash being as tomorrow is my trash pickup day. I will say that Juiced has come a long ways in their packaging since my first purchase. However, it was difficult to get rid of. After dinner I started assembly of the new bike. Again I was impressed at how much was pre assembled compared to my first bike. Getting everything adjusted just the way I like and adding my after market goodies took as much time as putting the bike together. I took it for a short test ride. I still have a few tweaks I want to do but mostly it's set up perfect for me. The bike is more upgrade than I anticipated. Between the more powerful motor and the additional readings of the sensors the bike is much more responsive. So much so, it will take some riding time for me to adjust to the upgrades.
I never considered my old bike to be sluggish until I rode the new bike. Night and day. I'm very pleased and impressed.

Congrats on your new toy

Don't tell your future buyer about the sluggish response, LOL

 

[olbriar]

The old bike isn't really sluggish at all. There is a slight delay between hard pedal pressure and the motor to respond. Not a turn off, I assure you. With the upgraded sensors it's a right now deal. And then there is the motor.... It is 25% larger and delivers 25% more power... just as an auto engine would. It's crazy power right now! Without testing it, I'm guessing it can go from zero to twenty across an intersection.

 

[olbriar]

My son is coming over after work to ride the new bike. He has two of the older bikes and it was riding those that made me want one to begin with. I'll post later on his take on the upgrade.

 

[olbriar]

My son took the bike for a test ride. He did a lot of start and stops and torque only starts and throttle only starts. He's as blown away by the extra power and response as I am. His situation is different than mine. He rides with his wife and they leisurely ride.
If he bought one, he'd have to buy two. The way they ride, the extra responsiveness and power isn't really a big factor. Besides, the bike I have is now priced $500 more than when I bought mine during their Prime sale. He wants one though and thought it was a lot more bike.

 

[olbriar]

It was wet this morning due to raining over night. It caused me to start mowing latter than normal and Thursday is my busiest day. That made it late in the day before I could clean up and put the new bike through it's paces. Though the bike is the same frame as the older model, it is a different ride. The sensors and motor will take some getting used to. With my normal ride cadence and in top gear and in race mode my speed is between 22 and 24 mph. Now pedaling the same cadence it more like 28 to 30 mph. I don't feel like I'm working at a lesser speed. I will ride tomorrow in sport mode to see if I feel more bike on my legs. I love the added assistance and enjoy the speed but I want to feel like I'm working.

I will say that the new bike is incredible. It's almost scary the power it has and is incredibly responsive. I'm sure I'll get accustomed to the upgrades with some time. Right now it reminds me of when I first started riding the old bike. It's almost intimidating. All fun stuff!

I rode three loops to the town South of me today for a total of 30 miles. I rode hard and fast. It felt great to be riding again.

 

[olbriar]

I just got back from riding again. 30 miles in race mode yesterday and 15 miles today in sport mode. I was pretty much out of battery after 45 miles. Considering I rode all of the miles pushing the bike to the max, 45 miles on a charge isn't at all bad. Not many will ever ride the bike in that fashion.

In sport mode the bike rode more as I'm accustomed to. Instead of 30 mph, my normal cadence was 26 mph. With the old bike it was 22 or so in race. There is definitely more power from the bigger motor. I'll try the next lower level of assist tomorrow. I think it will be very close to what I'm accustomed to in the top level on the old bike. I like to work some but not slave at riding. After all, I'm in my 70's and need a little help. No comments please

 

[olbriar]

I rode 41 miles this morning. I likely had another 15 miles of assist left in the battery but I called it a day. It was a perfect morning to ride, weather wise. My normal loop to the next town South actually had other riders out enjoying the unusual Late July weather. No E-bikes on my trek but a lot of bikers out. Was fun to see.

I rode in mode 3 today. That's mid way in the assist levels. The take off power assist was decreased but there was still ample assist to clear an intersection without a problem. The cadence remained the same as the upper two modes of assist. If I pedaled fast, I went fast. When I pedaled my normal cadence, I was going around 24 mph. That's plenty fast on a busy sidewalk. My return half of my loop is on a concrete siding of a state highway. It makes for great riding and I've yet to see another rider using the siding. I could pedal faster and go faster on the siding and still be riding in mode 3. I think that'll be the sweet spot for my rides with this bike.