TheChosenOne

Has Tern fixed their problem with the frames breaking? I read that the problem was bad and people have been injured because the frame snapped in half with no warning. I want the Tern Verge S8i really bad because it seems like the perfect bike for me. Compact enough, belt drive for low maintenance, etc. If there is still a problem with Tern bikes then I would have to pass up my dream bike. All I need is a folder that is compact, with a belt drive, fast, comfortable, low maintenece, and I can ride for distances of 5-50 miles daily. I looked at Montague bikes but they are not compact even though it is classified as a folder. Feels are too big and I wouldn't be able to take it to the bus or subway. I would get a Brompton or Bike Friday but I heard they aren't good for long distances.

Abu Mahendra

rhenning

Who knows. It probably depends on the month they were made. Roger

bhkyte

Downtube mini instead?

TheChosenOne

How is their reputation? I don't know anything about bikes. We can only buy it on their site? I am okay with that but just curious cause I don't see any dealer section on their site. Also best belt drive? Looks like we gotta choose before ordering. Also seems pretty cheap, are the parts good?




Shimano Nexus Hub and Gates Belt drive 16 wheel folding bike

prathmann

Haven't ridden my Bike Friday more than about 125 miles/day, but it seemed fine for that distance.

FBinNY 

This seems extremely contradictory. You know they have problems, yet you're desperate to have one.

Bikes aren't magic, and no bike has such a lock on unique features that there isn't a suitable alternative. So consider options.

1- wheel size is wheel size, so if you want a 20" wheel for compactness that sets the ball park. All 20" wheels will ride pretty similarly, though tire choice will make some difference.

2- suitability for distance is only partly set by wheel size, but having limited yourself to 20" then it's a question of gearing, and you have options with many brands

3- belt drive is another limiting consideration, and will call for an internal geared hub. The number of gears you'll want depends on the terrain, but there are plenty of options. Since you mentioned 8s, use that as a guide, but keep your options open if you don't really need that much.

So you want a 20" belt drive 8s folder. I believe a quick search will find a few that meet all these criteria. If not, consider what you can live without.

jur

See the FAQ about long distance on a folder. Any folder will do long distance as long as you are comfortable and with suitable gearing.

tds101 

Downtube Mini will definitely be the bike to get. And their rep is fantastic. The owner is a member of this forum,...

bhkyte

I have owned two Downtubes. No complaints for the money.
Solid bikes.

tds101 

A Downtube will be my next bike,...

downtube

Thanks for the positive words!!!

Yan

ThorUSA

first S 8 I was built in 2016 that's like 3 years past the problem bikes. I sold several and the owners love them

HGR3inOK

I am a regular member of this forum. I do not think Thor's intention was to be deceitful.


-HANK RYAN-
Norman, Oklahoma USA

ThorUSA

sold and made are two different shoes ....
you as a manufacturer should know that


about being deceitful ... maybe you should really think before you say stuff like that.

FBinNY 

I think we should get back to trying to help the OP find a bike that meets his needs and stop this character assassination bfore the Mods decide to get involved and end up closing the thread.

TheChosenOne

I am a complete bike virgin and don't know anything about bikes. On a scale of 0-10, how would you rate it? Like I said I'm gonna ride the bike anywhere from 5-30+ miles per day. Can it be outfitted with an ebike kit? I might want an ebike in the future that can go 40-50+ miles on a full charge but I'd rather not spend money on another bike. From what I hear the $2,100 price tag for the S8i is great especially with it having a belt drive. Did they added cheaper, not so good parts to make it the price that it is or are all the parts good? I am thinking about getting a Birdy, 2017 E Joe Spik SE or Verge S8i. One bike that is super high quality from what I hear, an E Bike right from the start so I won't have to worry about adding a ebike kit in the future and a bike with a belt drive for low maintenance. Other people can offer opinions on this too.

WCycles

If you want electric, consider their upcoming Bosch bike:
(at interbike)

ThorUSA

The S8 I has excellent other components, Its not just adding a belt drive to an otherwise substandard bike. The frame and fork is different than the other Terns as well. Its one thing to take one expensive item, like the belt drive and slap it on a bike with steel cranks and lousy wheels,or design a bike from the ground up where all parts work in unisom. Not always easy to do, especially if you want to hit pricepoints. This bike is expensive with an asking price over 2000 dlr, it better delivers in my opinion. It has SHimano deore Disc brakes for example, yes one could buy some for half the price, but it would just not be right, it has a generator hub and led lighting, big fat big apples with fenders and an awesome carrier.


Ebike. Sure, everything is possible .....
Bionix cost is 1800 and u loose the rear hub ... not good now u need to buy a derraileur and don't have the same gear ratios , plus u loose the belt drive
front hub motor ... the fork is strong enough ,but you loose the generator hub ....
only viable option would be a mid drive kit ... I don't know about a good aftermarket bolt on kit


The Tern electron will be available in early spring with bosh motor will be 3400 dlr and would be worth it . The Link d7i with mid motor kit is 2000 dlr , but its not as nice as the S8 1 .....


What I am saying is, if you like an ebike, it would be more money to upgrade later than to wait and get the complete Bosch bike ...


Hope that helped a little.

TheChosenOne

Thanks, this post helped. I remember a couple weeks ago I saw a video saying they were going to put it on Kickstarter and it will be cheaper than $3,400 but I don't see it launched yet. Do they plan on doing that soon? Also has it been renamed the Vektron? I don't see the Elektron on their site any more but I do see Vektron

ThorUSA

yup I hear you ... I think they will do kickstarter, don't know how that works with the dealers, as you should get plenty of help from a dealer later on, just in case. Bosch certifies dealers and give them tools to customize, troubleshoot any problems with the system. Just saying ...

yup its now called Vektron :-)

they can call it anything , its such a great bike

tdonline

I "test rode" the Electron/Vektron this weekend. Using parentheses because it was at a e-bike show so test rides had to be done in laughably bad and tiny enclosed course. My nearby e-bike store has a sample to test ride for the next couple of weeks and claims to start selling it in December. They also didn't know anything about the kickstarter campaign. So I'm not sure how accurate their Tern info is. I do know they will start carrying Tern bikes. And that means I can do a real test ride with the Vektron. There are some hilly streets around the store so it'll be great to test how good the bike goes up hills.

So I can't say much about the Vektron's ride but it does fold up and roll well--when the magnets stay together. But a velcro strap may be enough to keep it folded and rolling.

I also test rode the Orbea Katu-E, which is a 20 inch mini-velo. That one was intriguing though I'm not sure it's easy to find in the US. Again, not enough of a test ride to assess much, but I really liked the look of it.

mkatz

Have you taken that longer test ride? If so, I'd enjoy hearing about it.

BruceMetras

Pretty good general overview video on

tdonline

Nope. Logistically, I can't house an e-bike so I've stopped looking into them.