Originally Posted by
DougG
I test rode an Allant+ and it was a really nice bike that they market as a Class 3 (28mph) "commuter" bike. They told me that there will be a variant with a suspension fork -- which is a must-have for my intended usage -- but were pretty sure it would be Class 1. This makes sense since a commuter will be mostly ridden on the streets where a 28mph limit is reasonable, whereas the Class 1 is more for bike paths where 20mph is usually sufficient. I'm still looking for a trail-worthy, non-MTB Class 3 bike and have only found the Specialized Vado to fit the bill for my purposes (that's available in the U.S.).
Unless you really WANT to spend $4K+ for your e-bike there is no actual need to get it from Trek. Suspension fork models are actually very plentiful in the Class 3 sector. A Juiced Bikes CrossCurrentX will have a suspension fork and is more likely to hit 28mph than an Allant+. It is $2500, the Allant is $4200 and that price is not going down for at least a year. As downright attractive as the Allant is, I really can't afford it and at the end of the day it doesn't really do anything that a Raleigh Redux IE or Giant Quick E+ can for $1000 less. That said, the real ticket to honest Class 3 performance (and $$$ savings to boot) is to add an e-assist kit to an existing bike. An e-assist motor in the $500 to $1000 range will rip the lungs out of anything sold by the Big 3 commercial companies without even trying hard.