Velo Mule

I just returned from the Philly Bike Expo and was looking at normal bike stuff. I happened upon a booth with Alizeti represented in it. The booth was busy, so I moved on. It wasn't' until I was driving home that the idea fermented enough to think that this could be good.

If I were to take one of these conversion kits and mount it on my wife's bike she could keep up with me on trails. I could use a bike that she already has.

They are not cheap, however, it seems to have some good thought put into it, they seem be have done quite a bit of testing and it has a one year warranty one the system and two years on the batteries.

Does anyone have any experience with these kits?

Velo Mule

If you are not familiar with this Alizeti system, it is a rear rack mounted battery, control and friction drive. This makes the installation relatively simple. According to the website, the system works by sensing the pedal effort. I am not sure how they are doing this, however, this would be the preferred set up (as opposed to being throttle controlled).

linberl

It's a decent system but imo too heavy at 13lbs. I've got a OneMotor friction drive which is only 4.5lbs (6.5lbs with the bigger battery). Super easy installation especially if you have a kickstand plate on the bike - just one bolt! Onemotor.co Other than the weight, the Alizeti is a good friction drive and it's a canadian company that has been around a while. Electrek has a review of it, just search it.

tallcyclechick

My top three criteria for an e-bike or conversion kit were price (by far), weight, and customer/parts service based in Quebec or Ontario. At $800 Kickstarter price, including shipping, I gave it a shot in January 2018. The wait was long due to the new tariffs on bike parts, but Alizeti has apparently found a resolution to sourcing parts while keeping costs down. For now. If you decide to buy, don’t wait too long, IMO. On the other hand, the price may go down if this kit catches on...

I received mine in August, one of the first because I live nearby. The console malfunctioned right out of the box, so I brought the assembled bike directly to them, and Alizeti re-installed everything and patched the console software. (The service is top-notch, and that in itself may be the deciding factor for some buyers wary of ordering from who-knows-where Amazon, etc). The wheel drops onto a Bontrager H2 700cX35 tire, on a Trek FX2 disk brake, all new. Altogether, this therefore may be viewed as a reliable, real-world test model.

After 3 months’ use, my impressions are:
The cost of a new bike I love with the kit was much cheaper than any e-bike I could afford in Canada for the same weight (about 33lbs plus 11lbs for the kit. I’m not sure why others have reported 13lbs), or very likely more, even. I can haul it up a flight of stairs, but I’m strong and tall...

The power on button (really, just a waking from sleep mode. There is no true “OFF” without removing the battery) responds in about 5 seconds (to neutral), then about 3 seconds to assist level 0, and then quickly from 1 to 5 and down again. If you want to go down a hill in neutral, bear in mind it will take 3-4 seconds again just to get back to level 1.

The rain function is absolutely necessary on wet pavement, and you will notice the slippage if it’s not on even to go through a single puddle. Less power (about 2 levels), but at least it’s still there for that hill. Gotta have a geared bike, tho, anyway.

Speaking of gears, some people might be interested in removing their 2nd and 3rd chainrings. You really won’t need them anymore.

The charger weighs nothing, very practical for packing. First charge took 10 hrs, but after that it charges fully in less than 5. I’m a little disappointed in the battery charge. About 22 km at an average level 3, which is far less than advertised, before recharging, and that includes removing it twice daily (at work and overnight at home). It can suck as much as 20% battery life in standby mode for 12 hrs. The key to the battery box is small and the lock at an awkward angle so it’s a bit of a struggle in the dark. And only time will tell how well all that locking and unlocking stands up.

Love the front and back lights for security at night. I don’t use the horn function because it’s hard to press with gloves on. I also don’t use the lockdown function, mostly because it’s easy to forget it’s on, so is a little embarrassing when the alarm goes off just moving your own bike!

Because the rack is easily removable (with a special screwdriver that nonetheless determined thieves will eventually learn to fabricate) I use a cable in addition to my U-lock. It’s just long enough to pass through the rack cage and back tire, and connect with the U-lock on the front tire and frame.

Pro or con, depending on your needs: the connecting wire plugs are really, really hard to pull apart, which is on purpose, both for weather resistance and durability, but also to deter thieves from a struggle. Since I have to lock my bike every day in front of a downtown office building that sees a lot of indifferent sidewalk traffic and I don’t intend to switch installations between bikes, I like this. You however may prefer a pop-on, pop-off kit like the Onemotor.

I also like that I supported a local company, but that of course is of limited value to anyone outside Quebec.

I know nothing about the specs relating to power/speed output, and I can’t compare to other power assist systems so I really don’t know where this falls on the scale of pros and cons for e-bikes, so I describe it this way: other e-bike riders with more powerful systems whizz past me, but on the other hand, I whizz past all non-athlete riders, ha ha. I have shaved off about 7 minutes off what used to be a 23 min commute on a road bike, over a bridge that has 2 long hills each way, and regained the energy my younger self used to have to commute 5 days a week again instead of 3. For a first-time buy, my 47 year old body is satisfied with that.

linberl

Sounds pretty good if you want a permanent install. What's the noise like and how is the tire wear? Do you see a lot of tire dust? When you take off from a stop, does the motor kick in right away or do you have to pedal first to get going?

tallcyclechick

Definitely a little noisy, which made me self-conscious at first, but now I see it as an advantage over a silent, hence possibly hazardous approach around pedestrians.


Tried to look closely at the tire, and I suppose there is a very minute amount of wear, not gonna lie. Replacing it more than usual won't be a negative for me because I've saved already so much on bus tickets so far.


I'm not sure I know what you mean by tire dust.


As with any pedal assist, you need to start pedaling to feel the power, but two or three rotations seems to do it. I still downshift at a stop, but not by much.

Velo Mule

Thanks for the in depth review @tallcyclechick. Even though Montreal is not local to me, and judging from the participation of the Alizeti representatives at the show, I would expect better support from Alizeti than some of the Asian sourced kits.

linberl

Tire dust is the minute particles rubbed off the tire by the roller - you might see it on the frame, or even the chain and cassette depending on several other factors.