My ongoing commuting musings continue...
I think at some point an e-commuter is on the cards. less chance of sweatiness when i get to work, more likely to make me ride in the wind and rain etc.
Initially the Specialized Vado SL caught my eye. Seems to get good reviews and heard many positive things about Specialized warranty and after care.
Whilst browsing i spotted the Orbea Vibe (in H30 EQ flavour), which appears to tick all the same boxes as the Vado SL, but at around £4-500 cheaper. The main difference is the Orbea uses a Mahle motor hub X35 Plus 25kmh rather than a more common crank based motor.
For some reason i have in my head that a hub motor is far inferior. But i have no way of quantifying this thought.
My commute is approx 14 miles each way, flat and mostly on cycle paths or quiet roads.
Can anyone give some real world experience (be it first hand or via friends/family) on the Orbea Vibe and its hub motor, with regards to reliability and how it performs.
I promise these e-commute questions will end....... one day 🤨
I ride in a group of ebikes where mostly mid motor shimano and Bosch but one chap has the vibe. Keeps up fine 95% of time just on steep hills noticeable that needs lower gear or more effort. I switched bikes for one ride of 20miles to try and rode much lighter than my Bosch bike so felt more nimble. Battery being smaller seems to come out about same range.
Looks much smarter and more integrated than Bosch and came with nice rack, lights and pannier.
The main issue I found when riding was missed the speed display to know when at cut off speed. Also the app seems a bit flaky e.g. sometimes resets power settings and distance data is way off so consequently range estimates are not reliable.
No reliability issues so far
I've just been asked by a colleague to recommend a e-commuter so am now interested in this thread...
I did a quick search and also spotted the Orbea Vide, a few Cubes, plus this:
- Giant Fastroad EX Pro
@tom7044 - good stuff. thanks for the feedback.
After doing more research it appears the X35 hub motor is in quite a few leisure/commuter style bikes, with no major reliability issues that i can see thus far.
For some reason i have in my head that a hub motor is far inferior. But i have no way of quantifying this thought.
Traditionally hub motors have featured on lower price bikes and Bosch/Shimano focussed effort on high end mid-motors so you have the same thoughts as the general impression out there. In reality all that matters is response to pedal input and arguably that's better done at the hub on any bike where dynamic movements (MTBing) aren't high on the list. If you put the power in at the crank you wear your drivetrain faster. I think a great hub motor system may be an equal to a great mid-motor on a commuter or road bike. Weight distribution and the hub gear / rear hub motor incompatibility (generally) are the only real minor drawbacks.
For some reason I have in my head that a hub motor is far inferior. But I have no way of quantifying this thought.
I had an eBike commuter a few years back, a BH eMotion Neo with hub motor. Had it as I thought it would speed up my commute. The only "problems" I had with the hub motor were
(i) The extra weight in the wheel hub makes it more prone to pinch flats
(ii) A LOT of extra hassle removing the wheel to fix those flats as the wheel tends to be more securely fitted than a standard wheel and there are electrical cables to be detached.
Personally these "problems" were enough for me that I'd avoid a hub motor, especially if under time constraints on your commute.
My commute is approx. 14 miles each way, flat and mostly on cycle paths or quiet roads.
Also, have you checked your current mph on your commute?
My real world experience of commuting on an eBike (as a reasonably fit cyclist) was that I spent most of my commute above the speed where the assist works. So apart from pulling away from lights or on uphill parts I was just pushing 20kgs instead of 10kg of a bike. If your route is mainly flat you may not get any real benefits unless forcing yourself to ride at a more leisurely pace.
Add a BB mounted Bafang setup to your normal bike? I’ve not done it but would certainly consider.
I’m told they are very reliable.
Maybe even try it on my mtb with the knowledge it could prob be moved over to my urban hardtail to make a nice town bike later.
Another one to consider would be the Boardman range with Fazua drive. I think it's aimed at the same market as the X35. i.e. light weight with low level of assist. I have the ADV 8.9E. Fitted full mudguards / rear rack and it only weight in at 17kg which is not bad for a ebike.
The Boardman is not my first ebike for commuting duty. My last one was a much cheaper ebike. However, I started getting what I suspected to be wiring problems about 9 months in as my commute is on quite rough surfaces and some of the wiring probably fatigue failed. They couldn't fix it because there are so many wires around the bike so I ended getting my money back.
After reading about, I think no matter what system you go for, you are likely to get problems with ebikes. The advantage of the Fazua drive is the battery / controls / motors are all contained in one unit that you have to remove from the frame for charging.
Not had a problem myself but from what I read online, if you have a problem, Fazua will just ask you to plug the drive unit to a PC and send them a diagnostic report. From what I read, they will send a courier to pick up the faulty unit and you will have a working unit through the post in a few days which seem to be a much better solution.
cheers for all the replies.
After a chunk more research, the harsh reality is.... i dont think i would get any benefit from an e-bike (unless i derestrict, which i dont want to get involved with).
My commute is so flat that i ride above the 15.5mph cut off, so would be pointless.
its a bitter blow, as you know... N+1.
But i might treat myself to a fancy commuter anyway... decisions decisions!