YankeeRider

Hi all. I have been researching e-bikes for the past few weeks. I initially wanted a bike under $2,000, and still would much prefer that, but after looking around for some time now, I am beginning to converge on Dost bikes, which are more like $2,800 presently. About 1K more than I planned to spend, but for me, I think the value is there, and still a good deal cheaper than some other bikes. Has anyone else on the forum already bought a Dost, and if so, can you share your experience? Thanks in advance.

2old

AIR, nobody has posted about one in the several years that I've been here. Interesting (to me) they are charging $2,800 for what seems spec'd for a $1,000 - $1,200 (at the high end) bike with a BBS02 mid-system and 48V battery. Quite a premium for an "e" system, but maybe that's the going rate. Let us know about your experience if you procure one. I will say the BBS02 is an excellent motor; haven't had a problem in six years with mine.

YankeeRider

Hi 2old - from what I have seen, the BBS02B kits with battery, controller, display, gear shift sensor, etc are running some $1,100-$1,300 by themselves. I haven't seen any other e-bikes with similar specs and a lower price. The Biktrix Juggernaut Classic for example, uses the same powertrain, and it starts at $2,800 as well; that has a little more battery, but the Dost appears to have a nicer seat and rack and to be a little more refined, IMO, plus the Biktrix is offered with fat-bike-tires, which may have some advantages, but aren't my first choice, as I'll be doing mainly street , plus occasional gravel roads and easy trails, so while I appreciate stability and comfort, I want to keep the street efficiency and weight on a bike rack from getting too bad.
https://www.biktrix.com/pages/jugger...ut-classic-duo

As far as this particular e-bike, for me, the main things here that I like are the comfort-bike geometry with nice step-through frame, angle-adjustable stem, the compromise 27.5x2.4 gravel tires with puncture protection, the 672 Wh battery integrated into the downtube with piggyback 2nd battery option, the stout welded-on rear rack, integrated lights, and fenders as part of the package, color display, and throttle-on-demand in addition to pedal-assist. The bike isn't light at 64.5lb, but it's lighter than the fat-tire bikes around 75lb. I have also appreciated their product documentation and the interactions I have had with the sales staff - it feels like a bigger and more mature company than it is, which gives me more of the "warm and fuzzy" feeling on intangibles - they seem to have a high standard in mind and appear to know how to run a business. Haven't pulled the trigger yet, but am getting close.

I did look at "The Big Three", and their mid-drive bikes may be more refined, but they have more modest battery and motor power even on bikes costing an additional $2K. I weigh 270lb and so likely need more oomph than a 150lb cyclist would. If I had plenty of cash, I'd still entertain one of the upper level models from them which are close on such parameters, but a $4500-ish bike is out of my responsible range for toys.

P.S. Good to hear that you haven't had any reliability issues with your BBS02 even after 6 years :-)

2old

Hey YR, I was just making a statement since, obviously, you've done a lot of research, and I'll be glad to hear how the bike performed. Cort (electricbikereview) interviewed Sam from Dost - YouTube). BTW, don't be surprised if your clothes start feeling a little loose.

YankeeRider

That is just what I am looking for! :-) I am not in good shape now and have some joint issues too. But I am not looking at an e-bike as a lightweight electric motorcycle to buzz around at 25mph under throttle alone. Nothing wrong with that mind you, but I plan on riding maybe 15mph, pedaling with a modest level of e-assist. As I recall that's roughly the speed I used to sustain when I weighed 170lb back in the good old days. Exercise is definitely a goal, along with just getting fresh air and sun and exploring and appreciating the area more than I can on foot or by car :-).

If I do settle on the Dost, I need to order by the end of May, as they have a significant price increase coming after that. Then I'll need to be patient as they have an order backlog, as so many bike makers do these days. They did a nice job of communicating that in this video linked below - I think that may be the same guy? There's a lot of details therein, which I think might be interesting for people generally as these issues are affecting bike makers broadly as well as other types of consumer products. 600 day lead time for some parts - yikes! That will make planning difficult - no one has a crystal ball that's that clear and businesses need to commit to orders for their supplies many months or even a couple of years in advance.

2old

YR, you might take a look at electric bike report's review of the Ride 1 Up; it's a rear hub design, but you'll see the premium for a mid-system when comparing prices.

Pop N Wood

Good info. Would just like to caution comparing the price of a DIY kit bike to a fully built factory ebike. Customer support is expensive while DIY kit types (like me) are more likely to fix problems as they arise rather than take it to a shop. I would have to think bike manufactures factor that in.

Would like to add my Bafang BBSHD equipped bike was the perfect option when I was recovering from a hip replacement. Helped me get home when I was still in the recovery process. Now I ride it exactly like you plan to. Really only hit the boost when I'm in a hurry or really don't feel like muscling up a hill.

YankeeRider

Thanks, 2old - I have taken a long look at the Ride1Up 700 step-through
https://ride1up.com/product/700-series/

...and also the Aventon Level step-through
https://www.aventon.com/products/ave...commuter-ebike

Both of them look like nice bikes and appear to offer more "bang for the buck", given that they're $1,100 cheaper. You can almost get two of those for the price of one Dost Drop, and that fact has gone through my mind more than once! If I got one of those and liked it, I might get another as a "guest bike", but I wouldn't do that at the Dost Drop price level. They have the racks I want for running errands - I've already got Ortlieb panniers, fenders to cut down on road spray if I'm riding after a rain, spring fork to reduce feedback on rough roads, and the slicker looking frame-integrated batteries already included at the price (as does the Drop). I am currently still leaning towards the Dost Drop though because:

• Dost Drop has the real comfort geometry with the high handlebars - my current Specialized Roll (large) has a handlebar height of 46in, and that's what I want - my neck is messed up and I can't crane it back as one needs to with a more stretched out forward/lower posture to view the road ahead, so I need an upright posture when riding, I also have repetitive stress injury to my hands and wrists after 30+ years of IT work and they bother me when I put more weight on the handlebars as you do with that same posture... I arrived at the Roll after feeling a lot of pain that spoiled riding. One can add riser bars and an angled stem to these other bikes to mitigate the difference, but then you might get into trouble with cable lengths, etc, and I don't want to mess with all that - I only do real simple bike wrenching. [My local bike shop is a pretty big operation with good mechanics, but the owner wants to sell you a new e-bike from the Big Three, he doesn't want to help you make a cheaper bike work for you - I already asked him about a BBS02 conversion + entry-level RockShox fork on my Roll Elite (which I bought from him two years ago), since I already own and know I like that bike - nope! :-( ]
• Dost Drop has the more capable drive system for hill-climbing with the motor torque running through the gears, allowing it to benefit from me downshifting as I enter a hill, plus a potent 120Nm of torque, and although I don't live in the mountains, it's not pancake flat either, and with my 270lb weight, I worry about the hub-drive models struggling or burning out trying to cart my butt up hills
• Dost Drop does have a few other niceties for its extra dollars, like the color display, welded rack, and my preferred plus-size tires. These items are less important than the above two aspects

I still haven't made my decision yet, but that's how I am thinking at present. Will buy by the end of the month.

alloo

Everyone here states that hub drives can't do hills. Hub drives can climb hills like all bikes but you have to work. Also if you get a class 2 bike, you still have a throttle to back you up if your chain breaks. I like belt drives but all bikes are going up in price. How far are you riding? Where is the majority of your ride? Is this your first ebike? Have you checked with the company that the bike can handle 270 lbs? Good luck with your search.

YankeeRider

I didn't state that "hub drives can't do hills". I said that I believed the mid-drive BBS02 system, with 120Nm max torque running through the gears and the motor also taking advantage of me downshifting for the hill, would be more capable climbing hills than an 80Nm torque hub drive system. Are you saying that's false? Not only does it make intuitive sense, I've seen 3rd party testing videos that seem to bear out what everyone says. I also notice that virtually all the more expensive bikes have mid-drive motors, so I think there must be something to the claimed advantages. Changing a rear tire on a hub drive bike is said to be a PITA too. I do understand that hub drives (a) are less likely to break a chain since the motor power doesn't go through the chain and (b) if you somehow break the chain anyway, the motor can still push the bike, and these are advantages. They're also far cheaper, which is another advantage.

I take your point that re hill-climbing, what the bike can't do, the rider can. But besides my weight, I have some knee issues, and have been under the care of an orthopedist and a physical therapist for an ankle injury for 6+ months now. So I am not counting on powering my way up hills on my own.

Rides will mostly be 15-30 miles. Mostly on paved roads, but some mild trails, and we have a gravel road at a nearby national wildlife refuge that has wicked "washboards" for miles - it's fine in a car, but on a bike that can be torture - which is why I at least want a coil spring fork.

The Dost is rated for 300lb, the Ride1Up 700 for 275lb and the Aventon Level for 250lb. Yes, this will be my first e-bike.

2old

A rear hub system is great for smooth roads, but terrible on any type of washboard or eroded trail, IMO, unless the bike has excellent rear suspension. I've tested several hardails off road on some of the bounciest rides of my life; no fun. The bike referenced, in the article, was $1,249, just for comparison; not bad for 28 mph. My mid drive was about $450 for the kit, and battery (so $900), but I already had a decent bike, so no brainer.

WeatherWimp

I’ve had my eye on the Dost since EBR looked at them last year and thought that was going to be our bikes. I’d told myself if I got down to 275 we’d get ebikes. In April when push came to shove and we ordered I looked around at a lot of different models from other companies just to make sure I was getting what we wanted. I know you looked at the Biktrix Juggernaut but don’t discount the Stunner Step Thru, which is what we ended up getting and absolutely love.

Advantages of it over the Dost are the comfort handlebars (angled back, not mountain bike style like the Juggernaut and dost) and still have the pro max adjustable stem, internally geared sturmey archer 5 speed hub vs derailleur, availability, and Biktrix has been in business longer and seems to have a pretty loyal following with good customer support. Trying to remember if at the time Dost seemed more about marketing and unrealistic claims about battery range, but that could have been a lot of the other companies we looked at.

Some things to consider no matter which way you go:

• Stick with the mid-drive. Lots of people say hub drives are cheaper and do just fine and that would have been fine for my wife, but at our size I wouldn’t consider them personally.
• Don’t let things like seats or even racks enter into your buying decision. Bike seats are pretty cheap imo, and at least the rack that came with Biktrix Stunner step thru is holding a lot more than I thought it would, and could always step up to one of the touring racks out there if ever need be. Basically a lot of accessories like fenders, racks, seat, and even lights are easily changeable or added on and compared to the bike not much money.
• Batteries cost an arm and a leg, but get the biggest you can afford or two smaller ones I suppose.
• Make sure whatever bike you get has a class 2 throttle unless they are not allowed where you are. Pretty much only use it taking off from stops but it makes that process a lot easier as one is more able to finely tune speed than a cadence assist pedal.
• On seats I think Dost’s was gel…at our size I’d think gel would break down too quickly but who knows. the Velo seat on the Stunner seems to work for both my wife and myself at drastically different weights. Though considering a thudbuster seat post suspension still too.

Don’t think you can go wrong with the Dost though.

YankeeRider

The Stunner Step-Thru also looks like a very nice bike, and that Sturmey-Archer internally geared hub is very interesting - I have read those are reliable and low maintenance, but I have never had a bike with a rig like that - how are you liking that "transmission"? Since you didn't say otherwise, I guess the gear range is fine? Although that model description on the main page starts out at $2,899, after you click through to the configuration for purchase page, it's starting out at $3,398 right now. Not sure if that's a price increase that's not showing up everywhere, or that with currently available options, it's starting at $3,398.

The Dost Drop's handlebars are almost straight, but they are in closer and up high via the frame geometry - 45-47in high. The bar handles and their position are a lot like in my Specialized Roll (large) comfort bike, which I like, so I expect I will like that too - I measured mine at 46in, and some of these other bikes that look nominally like comfort bikes have the bars at 40in. The reach on my Roll is about 23.5in the way they define it on the Dost, so that matches too (20-24in), if anything I'll be more upright on the Dost, which is fine by me - it's not as efficient, but it's more comfortable to ease my various joint ailments. It has the angle adjustable stem, but if there's still a problem and the worst comes to worst, I can adjust things further with a different handlebar or stem.

WeatherWimp

Hmmm, my previous reply didn’t seem to work. Oh well, condensed version:

The low maintenance and reliability of the Sturmey Archer is something I’m looking forward to. So far only 5 speeds hasn’t been an issue at all. I know there is a school of thought out there you only need 3 speeds…one for up hills, one for down, and one for flat. But really it is the power of the motor that pretty much makes it so only having 5 speeds is a non-issue. Would get the internal hub again, but one down side is no shift sensor on it so you have to stop pedaling before you shift gears. Not a huge deal and I’ll trade that for being able to shift at a standstill any day of the week.

I wouldn’t let the inefficiencies of being more upright worry you unless you are racing or something. With the assist it won’t matter.

As for that price, looks to be an increase in the base but mostly just the available selections as that battery was an extra charge to what was available in April. Crazy how the bike world has such a supply issue right now.

jeneralist 

I put in an order for a Dost. Expecting delivery in "spring 2022". I'll let you all know how it works out.

I have been riding a kit conversion -- a Breezer uptown with a Bafang mid-drive system -- for about 4 years now. I had tried out a Trek, too, but found that my knees are bad enough at generating torque these days that a cadence-based sensor is important. The Dost bikes have the features I want -- powerful motor, large-capacity battery, suspension, etc -- without having the torque sensor that I don't think my knees would tolerate.