Another for eBike Rogue's Gallery

About a dozen cyclists passed me as I walked around the Indian Lake Peninsula, All but one were on eBikes. One ecyclist was a FOGBEE - Jim Koepke - a stranger from the other peninsula.

The WIRED author loves this bike - BUT

.

Santa Cruz Bikes: The bike was the Skitch. I have never responded so fast to an email in my life. It is the perfect bike (for me). My tester is the version with flat handlebars. (You can also get it with drop handlebars, like a real road bike.) It has an extremely lightweight carbon fiber frame that houses an equally lightweight 450-watt Fazua 60 motor, with a 430-watt-hour battery. That

battery is not super powerful, but with a range of up to 60 miles it just gives me a little bit of punch to make it up steep hills.

https://www.wired.com/review/santa-cruz-skitch/

It is a high-end bike for people who love biking but don’t take themselves too seriously. I’m so happy that companies like Santa Cruz make great electric bikes. When you’re riding a bike made by people who like bikes, it’s a reminder that biking is pure joy, and not just a chilly, carless slog from one destination to the next. With that said, I love this bike with all my heart, but I have to admit that you could probably get nearly the same functionality with the Specialized Turbo Vado SL (9/10, WIRED Recommends) for several grand less. Since the Specialized has been out for longer, you might find one used for even cheaper.

WIRED's 12 Best eBikes for Every Kind

A battery-powered motor 

lets you enjoy most of the benefits of biking, 

minus the sweat.

https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-electric-bikes/

In a time of multiple global crises—like the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, and the threat of nuclear war—it's hard not to feel helpless. If you're a grown-up who can't quite think of what to do to make anything better, I have a simple suggestion: Hop on a bike. And whether they rented one from a bike share or bought their own, millions of Americans agree. 

For years, electric bicycles were bulky, inconvenient, expensive machines with limited battery life. Slowly, that has changed. Ebikes are now lighter, more attractive, and more powerful than ever. You don't need to be physically fit to ride one. They get you outside, reduce traffic congestion, and shrink your carbon footprint. And they're fun! 

Over the past few years, my fellow Gear writers and I have tried almost every kind of electric bike, from the best heavy-duty cargo bikes to high-end mountain bikes. We're always testing new ones, so if you don't see what you want, check back later (or drop me a note!). And once you buy an ebike, check out our favorite biking accessories, bike locks, and gear for a “bikepacking” adventure.

Updated March 2022: We added new bikes that we're testing and updated our buying advice. 

A Gazelle

The Gazelle ebike was brought to my attention. So I thought I would compare it with our favorite Vado 5.0 SL. From the beginning this Dutch import  Gazelle Ultimate T10+ HMB appears to be similar to the Vado. We checked out the review from Bicycle.com and a video from E-bike Review (below).

As always I first interest is configuration, price, weight, and class.

750 Watts for Powered Cruiser

 

The Aurora Limited Edition has a unique step-through frame design, the Enviolo Automatiq gearing system, semi integrated frame battery, a powerful 750 Watt mid-motor, Throttle, Torque Sensor, and the Gates Carbon Drive Belt system. 20 Miles per Hour (Can be Increased to 25 mph Maximum in Off-road Mode). The bike with battery is 71 lbs. 

https://evelo.com/products/aurora-limited 

SPEC's

Market Is Unclear for the new Lemond Prolog

After waiting for Greg Lemond’s top-line ebike Prolog, I am left wanting. 

Magazine WIRED introduced it in its article  Review: Lemond Prolog https://www.wired.com/review/lemond-prolog. For those popular with ebikes at Specialized, the Prolog seemed similar as a cross between the Creo and Vado SL versions. WIRED said

Premium components. Extremely light, all-carbon-fiber frame. Incredible paint job. Reliable 250-watt smart Mahle drivetrain. Versatile 11-speed gearing system. Integrated front and rear lights. Feels just like an analog ike. Great packaging. 

But WIRED added negatively.

Incredibly expensive. I’d feel nervous locking it up in front of the bar. My friends call it the “Wife Bike.”

Likewise, I can’t decide for what customer market Lemond aims. The Prolog looks a lot like the Specialized Vado SL at the same price of $4,500. Plus it is 26 pounds lighter than the Vado at 33 pounds. But, it misses many other marks.

E-Bike - 186-Mile Range, 37 MPH

BMWs attract a certain kind of driver. A Finnish study with a Treehugger-incorrect title once quoted that drivers of expensive cars are "argumentative, stubborn, disagreeable and unempathetic."

So it is with some concern and apprehension that Treehugger learned that BMW has introduced a new e-bike, the i Vision AMBY, that has a wonderfully big 2,000 watt-hour battery that will push it 186+ miles, but it also has a high-speed mode that will move it at 37 mph.

So why would BMW create a bike that makes it possible to go illegally fast? According to the press release, it wants to "start a conversation."  Follow the link!

https://www.treehugger.com/bmw-introduces-ebike-unconscionable-speed-5200714  

LeMond Prologue vs Specialized Vado SL

Greg LeMond has recently got back into bicycle manufacturing with the hybrid Prologue and comfort Dutch products. He is promising a Road Bike in late summer 2021 but offers no details. Since his Prologue is comparable to the Specialized Vado SL popular with the FOGBEES, we thought we would do a comparison. At this time, the LeMond product line-up is limited to these two offerings, while Specialized has an extensive list of electric bikes varieties imcluding the Creo road bike.

eBikes for Sale

Carey Rogers posted these ebikes on his Tennessee Electric Bike Forum FACEBOOK page

Two aluminum, hybrid electric bikes for sale - Giant and Liv. Purchased new a few months ago and only riden twice. Recently moved and have no need for them anymore.

Giant Roam E+ (2021)- Medium, Black $2,200 OBO
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/bikes-roam-eplus-2021  

Liv Rove E+ (2021)- Medium, Light green $2,200 OBO
https://www.liv-cycling.com/us/rove-eplus-2021

Schwinn Midway Moped

From: David T Irvine Sent: April 28, 2021To: Tom; 'bruce'; 'David Shumaker'

Tom & all, Several days ago I saw this moped for sale for $600 at the local Berkeley Springs fleamarket (pics attached).  It is a Schwinn 'Midway' 7-speed with an after-market motor installed.  After repeating "Get Thee Behind Me, Satan!" three times and fleeing the premises, I was able to resist until some other sinner bought it a few days later.

eBike Doesn’t Need a Ton of Power to be Worth the Price

Whenever I read a review of a lightweight ebike, inevitably someone in the comments feels the need to point out: “you can get the Powertron Cyclenator with a 1,000,000W motor for this kind of money!” Or, you know, something like that.

I’ll admit, when I first started to ride and review ebikes, I thought much the same. I’m a big guy, after all, and back then I had pretty much no cycling experience beyond just knowing how to ride a bike. More power for the money always seemed like a good idea. How else was I going to get up that one nasty hill?

But after reviewing a couple of years of testing ebikes one thing has become obvious: the power specs tell you little about a bike’s performance. They tell you even less about how much you might actually enjoy riding and living with a bike. [Stolen from Carey]

Best eBike according to WIRED Magagine

 According to the April 28, 2021 issue of WIRED Magazine
https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-electric-bikes/

The Specialized VADO 5.0 SLEQ remains in their opinion the Best Overall eBike.

10 Things to Know Before Buying an eBike

Reviews of Specialized Vado SL 4.0/5.0

The Specialized Turbo Vado SL has so many over-the-top reviews that its almost a no brainer purchase.

TechRadar https://www.techradar.com/reviews/specialized-turbo-vado-sl 

BikeRadar https://www.bikeradar.com/news/specialized-turbo-vado-sl/

eBikeTips https://ebiketips.road.cc/content/reviews/electric-hybrid/specialized-turbo-vado-sl-40-2449 

Electric Bike Reviews https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/vado-4-0-vs-vado-4-0-sl-eq-ive-owned-both.34575/ 

Bike Exchange https://www.bikeexchange.com.au/blog/specialized-turbo-vado-sl-5-eq-review 

Electrek https://electrek.co/2020/05/12/specialized-turbo-vado-sl-electric-bicycle-launch/ 

Gear Patrol https://www.gearpatrol.com/outdoors/a724105/specialized-vado-sl-commuter-e-bike/

News tech https://lepc.be/pcmac/specialized-turbo-vado-sl-review/ 

How to Buy Best eBike

Here is a book you can read on Amazon for FREE.

Follow this link

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0795933G3/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1516403602&sr=8-3&keywords=how+to+buy+the+best+electric+bike&linkCode=sl1&tag=ajc58-20&linkId=79f5e5f02d5c6dc1e2772c123b4988c7#reader_B0795933G3 

Selecting a Specialized Turbo Vado

Our favorite eBike is the Specialized Turbo Vado, but with four options, how do we select? We added the following detail to the Specialized Page and over the next several months try to understand if the $1000 addition for the 5.0 is worth it.

How to pick a Turbo Vado 

The FOUR Turbo Vado options: the 4.0 SL, 4.0 SL EQ, 5.0 SL, and 5.0 SL EQ
- The EQ costs $150 more and includes DRYTECH fenders and the rear rack.
- The 5.0 costs $1000 more than the 4.0 ($3,500). The primary differences are listed here

WIRED Updates its Favorite Picks

This September WIRED has updated its list of FAVORITE eBikes.
https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-electric-bikes/
Updated for September 2020: We removed several older picks, added new information, and added new bikes, like the Cannondale Quick Neo SL.

Still WIRED's (and ours) favorite all around best eBike is the Specialized Turbo Vado SL for $4,500. However, this month they have added Cannondale to their favorites pick. The prices on and the appearance of the Cannondale City Bikes are VERY inviting.

We have consequently reorganized our blog to present their list.

Latest Input on eBikes from WIRED Magazie

Most Versatile Bike

Yamaha Wabash E-Bike

A gravel bike is a versatile choice for everything from daily commuting to gentle weekend bikepacking trips. The Yamaha Wabash (7/10, WIRED Review) is more affordable than the Turbo Vado SL, and I used it for everything from heading to my local coffee shop to hitting (some) trails on the weekends. Yamaha's custom motor and zero cadence trigger are powerful enough to let me start up in the middle of very steep hills. It also has rear rack mounts, an LED headlight, and a little bell. I did find its slim wheels and lack of shock absorption quite jarring on rougher roads. Specialized also has a very nice gravel-ready electric bike.

https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-electric-bikes/

BEST EBIKE

Specialized Turbo Vado SL Equipped

      When I had to return this electric bike (9/10, WIRED Recommends), I almost cried. The tiny, but powerful, custom motor and slim battery are integrated into the frame, so it doesn't even look like an ebike. The XS frame weighs 33 pounds, only a few more than a regular steel bike. It has a hybrid frame with flat handlebars that make it easy to maneuver on a variety of surfaces, whether you're scooting along at 28 miles per hour or bumping through trees at your local park.
      Specialized's Smart Control system means you don't have to adjust assistance while you're riding, or worry about having enough battery to get home. A hidden shock in the head tube cushions the blow from any unexpected potholes. Even the accessories are top-notch, like long, flexible custom fenders that sluice water down and away from you in the rain. I put 40 miles on it in three days. It was so fun that it was hard to hop off.
https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-electric-bikes/

I did a scan of eBike offerings from Trek and Giant.  Specialized is at least a year ahead of everyone.  My only concern is this eBike outclasses everyone else by such a significant margin that it may be too good to be true. Tom

Also check out https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a22132137/best-electric-bikes/ 
Although this article is dated in May 2020, it most likely was several months out-of-date when published,