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Vintage Electric

Old 08-05-19, 10:57 AM
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Suttree
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Vintage Electric

All --

I did a search and didn't see anything obvious pop up. Does anyone have experience with these machines?

https://www.vintageelectricbikes.com/


They are expensive but not more so than a cheaper Honda dirt bike new. They offer similar functionality in terms of commuting.
Any user reports?
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Old 08-05-19, 12:46 PM
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Check electricbikereview; be aware that he charges to "review" models which means they're infomercials to me. Many (all?) are one size only and they seem to be constructed for shorter individuals.
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Old 08-05-19, 02:54 PM
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I test rode a Café model couple weeks ago and ordered it. Fantastic bike and a surprisingly good value considering it's coming from a boutique US company. Torque is super impressive, and makes for a really fun ride albeit a little less refined than some of the higher end ebikes I've tried. Lack of suspension on such a fast bike could be an issue, depends on where and how you ride, but there's an option to add shocks.

I read the Electricbikereview writeup and watched the video and I'd say it's a fair and objective assessment. Court gushes about the Café, but having ridden it I have say it's really gush-worthy.

If you want to stand out from the crowd, and if fast and good-looking in a vintage way appeals to you, you should consider it. Vintage Electric says they can support you no matter where you live. I live in the Bay Area about an hour from their factory, so I figure I'm in a good position even if I need to take it to them directly. But they say that should never be necessary,

I also rode one of the throttle 36 mph models. It's fun but it's a whole different thing. Basically an 80 lb moped. Doesn't work for my needs, but for some people it would be a very cool toy to have around.
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Old 08-22-19, 11:20 AM
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I've had my Vintage Electric Café for a couple days so wanted to follow up with a quick review. Bottom line, it's a keeper. It's got some flaws, but it's a special bike whose charms can make you forgive its shortcomings.

It's worth emphasizing how good this bike looks in the flesh. People literally stop in their tracks to stare at it. In just two days I've already had some funny interactions where I basically have to force and end to the conversation by saying "hey, I'm glad you like looking at the bike, but I've got places I need to be." So if you like that sort of attention, this is a good bike to.

Aside from that, the real standout feature is the torque, which is simply amazing. I've ridden a bunch of ebikes and the torque on the Café is well beyond any of them. To say it's "fast" is kind of misleading, because all class 3 bikes stop assisting at 28 mph. The difference is in how quickly you can reach the high 20's and how much effort it takes to stay there. The strongest torque I've experienced before riding the Café was the Stromer ST2, which can get you to 28 mph quickly and without a lot of effort. The Cafe is a little slower off the line, but can maintain top speeds with virtually no effort at all. If you want an ebike that will really cruise at high speeds with very little effort, the Café does that better than anything else I've tried. At the top level of assist, it will shred the steepest hills, again with almost no pedaling effort. It's quite a contrast to the Bosch system, which relatively speaking makes you work rather hard in the mid to upper 20's.

Now for the flaws. The main one is that the frame doesn't just look vintage, it also feels vintage. It's not terrible, but it's not hugely confidence inspiring, and certainly not as sure-footed as one would like to be paired with such a powerful motor. You can get the café with shocks, and could install an aftermarket seat suspension. If you were serious about maximizing the speed potential of the Café, you'd probably want to go that route. But you can certainly enjoy the bike without it if you just exercise some restraint.

More minor complaints: no water bottle attachment points, the battery position rules that out. There is some minor resistance in the rear hub when the power is shut off, which would make unpowered pedaling slightly more difficult. Finally, I personally don't like how the battery charge indicator works. It's "predictive," so it changes based on how you're currently pedaling. I'd rather it just showed me the battery capacity and let me do the predicting.

To end on a positive note, I'm really excited about the Vintage Electric Café, and strongly believe it could be a popular and well-loved ebike if enough folks could try it out.
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