Electric Bikes

[New to this]

I happened to stumble across some good info on helmets. Go to REI and click on co-op journal, then click on the "Complicated Story behind Helmets". Within that article is a link to a test that Virginia Tech did on 69 helmets. I wasn't surprised to see Bontrager (Trek) and Giro do well, but several others did well, too. Needless to say, the cheap models didn't do well, but you can get a good helmet for a bit under $100. Be sure to try them on and wear them for a while. Yep, you will look goofy in the store wearing it for a while, but remember that this is an important piece of gear that needs to be comfortable. Keep the one you are drawn to on your head while you "look over" the others.

[hdgoldie]

Originally Posted by New to this

I happened to stumble across some good info on helmets. Go to REI and click on co-op journal, then click on the "Complicated Story behind Helmets". Within that article is a link to a test that Virginia Tech did on 69 helmets. I wasn't surprised to see Bontrager (Trek) and Giro do well, but several others did well, too. Needless to say, the cheap models didn't do well, but you can get a good helmet for a bit under $100. Be sure to try them on and wear them for a while. Yep, you will look goofy in the store wearing it for a while, but remember that this is an important piece of gear that needs to be comfortable. Keep the one you are drawn to on your head while you "look over" the others.

Thanks for this! I have a bike helmet that I really like but I have no clue what brand it is...and Rick still needs one. I'll be able to check mine out for quality and find some options for him to check out. Great post!

[richard5933]

Here are our two Tern folding Vektron bikes. We have the optional rear wheels for standing on end, which makes storing in our tall bays easier.

They handle surprisingly well, and we don't find them more tippy than our regular bikes.

[New to this]

Originally Posted by richard5933

Here are our two Tern folding Vektron bikes. We have the optional rear wheels for standing on end, which makes storing in our tall bays easier.

They handle surprisingly well, and we don't find them more tippy than our regular bikes.

Attachment 253116Attachment 253117Attachment 253118

Great looking bikes! What model of Vecktron are they? How long have you had them? Have you been happy with them? Have they been reliable? Roughly, what is their range? Without battery power, are they easy to pedal? Did you find a place that discounts them? Do the frames have any flex? Sorry to pelt you with questions, but my bike racing days have been over for years and even though I still have a garage full of high end bikes, I am thinking of bringing our 2 Prodecotech Phantom X2 bikes home from the RV. The Terns have long had my attention and I think they would be more compact to keep in the RV, too. I keep the Prodecotechs in a slide out drawer, but I have to remove the handlebars to do it. The Terns should fit right in and I am sure I can find some more junk to fill up the extra room that I would gain. Thanks ahead of time.

[richard5933]

Originally Posted by New to this

Great looking bikes! What model of Vecktron are they? How long have you had them? Have you been happy with them? Have they been reliable? Roughly, what is their range? Without battery power, are they easy to pedal? Did you find a place that discounts them? Do the frames have any flex? Sorry to pelt you with questions, but my bike racing days have been over for years and even though I still have a garage full of high end bikes, I am thinking of bringing our 2 Prodecotech Phantom X2 bikes home from the RV. The Terns have long had my attention and I think they would be more compact to keep in the RV, too. I keep the Prodecotechs in a slide out drawer, but I have to remove the handlebars to do it. The Terns should fit right in and I am sure I can find some more junk to fill up the extra room that I would gain. Thanks ahead of time.

We have the Vektron S10 - got them at the end of last season. So far we've put a few hundred effortless miles on them. We're both under 150 pounds, and to us they feel plenty stiff with only minimal frame flex. Not as stiff as a traditional road frame, but probably about the same as the Univega touring frame I had in the 80s. Can't say how they'd do for someone much heavier.

They pedal okay without power turned on, but there is a slight amount of noticeable drag. We rarely pedal on our own though, since the range is really good. Biggest problem is that we don't have toe clips, and I'm not sure how we'd add something to the pedals. This is designed to be easy on/off for casual riding, but we can easily hop on them and ride 15 miles to get to town. On Eco mode we can squeeze 40-60 miles of assistance, depending on terrain. On Turbo 20-30 miles. There are four modes.

We have only one bay with enough space to store bikes, and to fit two in there they needed to fold. The Tern fold compactly, and once you learn where to hold them while folding its pretty easy. Takes about a minute to go from folded to ready-to-ride.

[New to this]

Originally Posted by richard5933

We have the Vektron S10 - got them at the end of last season. So far we've put a few hundred effortless miles on them. We're both under 150 pounds, and to us they feel plenty stiff with only minimal frame flex. Not as stiff as a traditional road frame, but probably about the same as the Univega touring frame I had in the 80s. Can't say how they'd do for someone much heavier.

They pedal okay without power turned on, but there is a slight amount of noticeable drag. We rarely pedal on our own though, since the range is really good. Biggest problem is that we don't have toe clips, and I'm not sure how we'd add something to the pedals. This is designed to be easy on/off for casual riding, but we can easily hop on them and ride 15 miles to get to town. On Eco mode we can squeeze 40-60 miles of assistance, depending on terrain. On Turbo 20-30 miles. There are four modes.

We have only one bay with enough space to store bikes, and to fit two in there they needed to fold. The Tern fold compactly, and once you learn where to hold them while folding its pretty easy. Takes about a minute to go from folded to ready-to-ride.

Thank you so much for your reply. They must be series one judging from when you bought them. That is great range you are getting. On my Prodecotech bikes I changed out the folding pedals for quick release pedals so that the bike can lay a bit flatter on the drawer. Both types of pedals are only available as platform pedals, but that is fine by me since I hate walking in bike shoes. My only other fear is my size, I do exceed what Tern calls the max weight by 20 pounds and if you are detecting some flex at your size I might really stress out that joint. Thanks again!

[richard5933]

Best way to know for sure is find a dealer that has one in stock you can test. That's what sold us... Until the test I was very skeptical.

[wnytaxman]

One more question and I'll try to let this topic rest. What do you use to lock up your bikes when you go to store/town/whatever? I would want to make sure that my purchase is rather secure when I'm not around.

[brobox]

Ed, I just ordered one of these and two helmets. The helmets were a few $'s off with the Prime sale going on today. This popped up as a suggested item, it looked good to me. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[DegoRed]

Originally Posted by wnytaxman

One more question and I'll try to let this topic rest. What do you use to lock up your bikes when you go to store/town/whatever? I would want to make sure that my purchase is rather secure when I'm not around.

I ended up getting 2 different locks, one for each bike, both seem to work well, but can't say either have been tested.
This is one lock, its kind of a combo deal
This is the other lock, much simpler but had a ton of positive reviews

[DegoRed]

Originally Posted by brobox

Ed, I just ordered one of these and two helmets. The helmets were a few $'s off with the Prime sale going on today. This popped up as a suggested item, it looked good to me. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Am actually surprised that your bike did not come with a helmet? Our bikes came with a helmet for each bike, its more of a motorcycle half shell type in lieu of a bike helmet, but fits/feels good, so no complaints.

[The Taj]

Originally Posted by brobox

Ed, I just ordered one of these and two helmets. The helmets were a few $'s off with the Prime sale going on today. This popped up as a suggested item, it looked good to me. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That’s the cable I had on my bikes when one was stolen off the back of my rig. Cops said homeless locals carry “masterkeys” in their backpacks. One quick cut and they were off.

That’s when I went with chain covered with a bike tire tube and a keyed padlock that sinks into the lock. Impossible to cut. I’m pretty sure if I ever dip into e-bikes the chain would be my first choice. You results may differ

[brobox]

Originally Posted by DegoRed

Am actually surprised that your bike did not come with a helmet? Our bikes came with a helmet for each bike, its more of a motorcycle half shell type in lieu of a bike helmet, but fits/feels good, so no complaints.

How much was your bike? Mine is coming with panniers instead. Did you get those too?

[DegoRed]

Originally Posted by brobox

How much was your bike? Mine is coming with panniers instead. Did you get those too?

Bike was $1600 each, came with luggage rack thingy on back, but not the actual saddle bags (panniers).