neverquit

Well, my wife wants an e bike. We've had excellent experience with non-powered Specialized Ruby and Roubaix models. I've looked online at Specialized e bikes but I don't understand a lot of their terminology. I would like to go with Specialized, since they're close, and I'd like an objective opinion rather than ask a Specialized guy. However, if they're not worth a crap, I don't want to bother. Can someone please give me their opinion of Specialized e bikes.

Thanks
Lloyd

Rick Imby

Specialized ebikes are much like the Giant, Felt, Raleigh, Izip bikes.

They are expensive and work well if you use them as designed.

For your wife they will be excellent. For 20 minute to 1.5 hour rides she will absolutely love the bike if she is fond at all of biking.

Commercial ebike limitations.

Heavy, do not try to put them on a roof rack (unless you have a fork lift handy).

Usually around a 2 hour battery use limit.

Expensive

Benefits---
They always make the rider smile
They are legal
If she somewhat enjoys biking she will love ebiking
If you are an avid rider, she will outrun you up hills and any time she wants without having to work hard.
You will be able to ride together and talk without sweating your a** off.
A study has shown that new ebike riders use their bike 5 times as much as new bike riders...

Rick Imby

If you have a good Specialized dealer that you have dealt with in the past---you should be well setup. Specialized will have repair parts available for 3-5 years (if you end up with an issue).

2old

+1 with above. You can save money, possibly construct a better bike and get more satisfaction from a DIY project, but if you can afford a Specialized and have a reputable dealer, that is the preferred option IMO.

neverquit

Thanks for the feedback....One concern is the 1 1/2 hour battery life! We usually go for 3 or 4 hour rides. I just don't think this is going to work...I think I need to talk to the Specialized guy.
Thanks again
Lloyd

slomoshun

Adjust the priorities. It takes very little effort to pedal on level ground. If you only use power to ease the work on inclines and hills, the battery will last and you can ride a long time. Over 50 miles and several hours is not unusual if you think 'assist' and not 'moped'.

MikeyMK

I found with my old 250w bike that the more 'leisurely' my riding, the more battery i used. Because the bike was always trying to get to 15mph. When i rode it hard i could go much further, because i was exceeding 15mph more often, so the motor wasn't operating so much. It will really depend on the kind of riding as to how long it'll last on a charge.

You can increase range with a second battery; simply wire it in-line so the voltage is the same. Choose one with the same capacity. My home build has two 15ah batteries (one putting out 52v and one 53v at full charge), which not only gives me a huge range in UK legal PAS mode, but also doubles the load/drain capacity so i can use a hardier controller to extract more power from the motor occasionally.

So if your e-bike of choice has a frame-mount battery you can always add a rack battery (as near the same capacity and exact volt output as possible), wire the terminals of the two batteries + to + and - to - and enjoy double the range.

neverquit

Thanks!....You answered one important question....How the motor "knows" when to kick in. Makes sense, that the faster you go, the motor won't engage. Interestingly, we usually ride at an average speed of 15mph, so that'll work well. One more question: if the battery does die how much harder is it to pedal?.....I know that's a tough one to answer, but a guess, or, unfortunately, your experience would be good.

Thanks again
Lloyd

Leisesturm

Actually that other poster did not provide fully correct information. The motor 'knows' when to kick in based on sensors that determine the riders pedaling torque (pedelec mode) and provides assist in four (usually) fixed levels of assistance above what the rider has input to the drivetrain. A properly functioning pedelec system will not be trying to achieve any speed beyond what the rider is pedaling at. There is also (usually) a throttle mode of motor control which is fairly self-explanatory. In pedelec mode, and in the U.S., the speed at which the motor no longer engages is 20mph. A considerable speed and not one that the average rider can outrun. However, gearing down and pedaling faster with the system set for minimal assist should work well for the purpose. It is a myth that a rider should always feel considerable resistance from the pedals to get a workout. Actually, if you are doing it right, you should feel very little resistance from the pedals especially when pedaling at a fairly rapid cadence. I am not seriously into e-bikes but I like to keep my ears and eyes open. When in the LBS's of late I have noticed that the Specialized and Giants and Cannondale e-bikes are using powered crank systems for the most part. I believe these systems are easier to drive when the battery dies. The motor and pedals drive the rear hub through freewheels that isolate their efforts. A hub motor will produce drag when unpowered. The only additional load on an unpowered Specialized e-bike will be the extra weight of the motor, controller, and battery. This should not present a serious handicap except on steep hills. Back in the days of direct drive hub motors, a dead battery was a big deal. I don't think it is such a calamity anymore.

2old

Frequently, I ride with the motor off. Obviously, it's more difficult with a 50 pound bike than a 20 or 30 pound one, but it's easily doable. You (she) might end up walking a hill or two, but, IMO, NBD.

neverquit

Thanks!....That was excellent....What I wanted to know but didn't know how to ask....Thank you. We have a Specialized dealer here in town and I'll check it out!....Yeah, my wife was concerned "what happens if the battery dies and we're not close to home?" My answer was "you got the bike you wanted, I got the bike I wanted." But being the spineless married guy I am, I just kept that to myself.....hahahaha

Thanks
Lloyd

neverquit

Thanks, wondered just how heavy they are.....I'll remember that...."Hey, come on, it's no big deal, you can walk it up this hill......I'll meet you at the top." That'll go over like a fart in a space suit.

Thanks
Lloyd

Leisesturm

Very much this...

neverquit

Thanks, I think what I should do is take one for a test drive....Just to make sure what I want is what I'm getting.

Lloyd

2old

I meant that if she had a problem with the motor/battery, she could ride home and at worst may need to walk a steep hill. Actually, in three years the only problems my friends and I have had were a few flat tires, so the probability of failure is remote.

neverquit

Ok! Great. Thanks, feeling better about this...

msbiker

My wife has had a haibike for about a year. Her bike has a 400 w/h battery. Current models have a 500 w/h battery which increase the range by 25%. At 110 lbs, she is pretty small which helps her range. At 16 to 18 mph and using mostly the first 2 assist levels on relatively flat ground (up to about 1,000 ft gain over the ride) she has a range of about 70 to 80 miles. That would increase with a 500 w/h battery. If your wife is worried about range get the biggest battery available. The motor provides assistance up to 20 mph, which is really plenty. Some bike provide assistance up to 25 mph, but you pay for increased speed assistance with decreased range. The range will be considerably shortened by using the highest assist level or doing some real hill climbing. She rides with the motor off about 15 to 20% of the time. Once you're rolling on flat ground, the additional weight penalty isn't that significant. I think her longest rides (which were pretty flat) were about 50 miles and I believe she still had about 25 to 30% of the battery

She has a pedal assist only bike, ie if you aren't pedaling you aren't moving. If your wife has a cycling background, she will love an ebike, and you will be drafting her. She will kick you ass on hills. The Specialized Turbo has gotten some good reviews and some complaints. Check out electricbikereview.com for reviews and user comments on Specialized ebikes. There are alot of really nice ebikes available with some deals, but you may have to buy online.

chas58

I hope they know what they are talking about! I've seen e-bikes start to show up in stores in the last year or so.

And yes, you can change the effort level and get the range you want. I doubt you'll go faster than the 28mph speed of the specialized ebikes, so pedaling faster isn't going to help much.

What does your wife need? More speed, more range, less effort? All of the above?

When specialized first announced their first "Specialized turbo" I was excited and impatient. So I built my own Specialized Turbo with the same specs as theirs. Mine cost $500 + bike, theirs cost $7000 at the time. Theirs also weighed about twice what mine weighs. But they have gotten better and cheaper over the years...

neverquit

Thanks for getting back to me!....Well, she fell several years ago, and has a rod in her leg, and now that she's 68, it's starting to cause some pain, so thinking that a little less effort will help......

Rick Imby

I totally disagree with the gentleman that said the harder you ride the less battery use. That may have been true on his older bike. 2 to four hours at a leisurely pace is not going to be an issue. Tell the salesman your issue and you can probably test ride or rent a bike for her to test under the conditions you will be using it.

I have ridden a lot of different ebikes. They ride fine without power except they are heavy and slower. Hooking up a second battery to a Specialized ---no way it will void the warranty which is valuable. Buying a second battery at the time of purchase is a great way to go if you really need the backup power.

I do not like the Bosh mid drive because the gearing is horrible for riding without power---it has a tiny front sprocket. The shimano and Yamaha (and Bafang DIY) mid drives work fine to pedal with. You won't notice any drag except for the extra weight.

neverquit

Thanks Rick! I appreciate that feedback....Probably next week, when it warms up a tad, I'll head down to the Specialized dealer. Yep, I thought about the idea of a second battery for a back up. Thanks again, I appreciate it, you just can't know too much some times!....

Lloyd

Bizman

neverquit, just a thought but if she has a bike (Specialized?) that she likes have you considered putting a Bafang motor on it? It is relatively easy to do and costs allot less than buying a OEM ebike.

I have an OEM and have built 2 ebikes with the Bafang motors, 1for me and 1 for my wife. The OEM bikes was rather costly and doesn't fit as good as the one I built, and my wife loves hers! If you already dismissed this possibility, sorry I may have missed that in this thread.

neverquit

Yep, she has a Specialized Ruby. I just heard about the DYI kits, never really looked into it. So maybe you could answer a couple of questions: Is the Bafang kit as good as the Specialized? Besides the obvious cost savings of the DYI, are there other advantages, like quality?...Oh, and the Ruby is a carbon frame, does that make a difference? Thanks for opening up my eyes to this, I just never considered it.

Lloyd

speedy25

Some good and some wrong info in all these replies. Your plan at the moment is best- Go test ride. Learn the specs and lingo. I have a Specialized Turbo and it is a GREAT bike. I have ridden the Vado and it was very good as well. I DO have an issue with Specialized's warranty- You pay for labor!!

Range for many bikes now is 20-60. Some have more some have less. Do the math using motor watts and battery watt hours to see how long it MIGHT last.

Kits are only so-so compared to a dedicated product. If you like the idea of a warranty and cycling without quirks, dont go the kit route.

I'm partial to Easy Motion and Haibike. Others here have their own favorites, but I think I have ridden the most e-bikes out of anyone. I have to keep up on my research too you know.

Good luck in finding a suitable choice.

-SP

neverquit

Hmmm....That's crazy....the "warranty" pays for the parts but not the labor....Labor usually out costs the parts in many instances!.....Well, I'll have to see. I did go on Specialize's site and it looks like the ebikes are mountain bikes? Let me check that again. Thanks for the information...I appreciate it

Lloyd