(iZip Zuma) vs (Pedego Cruiser) vs (Prodeco Phantom X)

[tuxman]

Looking for a pre-built. Looking for value. Looking for a balance between price and performance.

So far I like the iZip Zuma ,the Pedego Cruiser and the Prodeco Phantom X reviews.

All three are 36v, lithium, 500w rear hub, and seem to be of good quality.

I wear a suit to work. I have no level ground on my 5 mile commute with an average 4% mean grade and one short hill at a 16% grade. From what I gather, all three of these bikes will get the job done and I shouldn't break a sweat.

Any comments, review or suggestions welcome!

Prodeco Phantom X $1,199 shipped

phantom x.jpg (20.98 KiB) Viewed 4222 times

http://www.prodecotech.com/prodeco_008.htm

iZip Zuma $1,499 shipped

http://www.currietech.com/currie-techno ... c-bike.php

Pedego Cruiser $1,595 shipped

pedego_cruiser.jpg (49.77 KiB) Viewed 4222 times

http://www.pedegoelectricbikes.com/shop ... -cruiser/3

[neptronix]

So, I am tired of being required to pedal my pedal electric. Yes, I could upgrade it but that may be complicated by it's design. And the front rim is worn out. Batteries are at the end of their life. Unknown life span of the motor brushes or the wear and tear from the motor driving the bike through the Nexus 7 speed internal-gear hub.

I could get the iZip Zuma or the Pedego Cruiser. Both are 36v, lithium, rear hub, and seem to be of good quality. But at that price point, will I be disappointed going hub motor? I have no level ground on my 5 mile commute. 14 traffic lights. Mainly short hills with a 10-15% grade. One long 10% grade.

If a 500w hub motor won't work on these hills, for the same price I could fit the 450w eZip Trailz with 2 lifepo battery packs. I've read many positive reviews about the torque it has.

Any comments or suggestions welcome!

eZip trailz = heavy, always will be heavy, bad components, little to no upgrade potential, extremely noisy
iZip Zuma = heavy, clunky rear battery, noisy brakes, mediocre components

Those reviews of the 450w eZip probably weren't from people with hills like you. Yes, it seems like it has a lot of torque... but throw it any hill and it will bog down. 450w is not enough for what you're dealing with. I had one.

iZip Zuma is fairly quick but 500w is not going to cut it either.

For hills like that, build your own.. it will cost you half the price of a new good lithium bike. Or if you are resistant to that idea, save up much more money for a higher powered bike.

[tuxman]

Thank you for the quick reply.

The Zuma is geared while the Cruiser and Phantom are non-geared.

From what I've read geared hub motors have more torque but are prone to wear and make more noise. Where direct drive hub motors need higher amperage for similar torque with out wear and make less noise. There is a trade off.

I need to find out the max torque and amp ratings for these ebikes.

[neptronix]

Depends on the geared motor.
I really think you need 1500-2000 watts or above to tackle hills like that without pedaling.
And a ridiculously large battery too ( It will eat batteries on said hills )

I have a 5-6 mile hill climb to get into town.. eats batteries at 2-3 times the rate of energy use on the flats
I think that interceptor's battery is too small for the hills you describe. Maybe if you can pedal the rest of the way and charge it at work..

[tuxman]

I am contacting these companies directly, (not a dealer) to find out the max torque and max amp. So far here are the replies:

For the Zuma
"Max Torque = 25.17Nm and the Max Amp = 22.92A (Controller limit is 25A)"

For the Phantom X
"The motor is rated at 500W at a nominal 13Amps. The motor will peak around 750W (equal to 1HP) at 20 Amps. The controller is designed to max at 22 Amps which would then be peaking the motor at 845 Watts."

For the Pedego Cruiser
No answer via email. Has not returned my phone call.

[wesnewell]

I've got a $227.90 48v500w kit and it doesn't have a problem with hills even carrying my 270lb fat butt. Of course it pulls about 1500W going up the steeper ones.

[neptronix]

I suppose 'making it up the hill' is relative.

I had a 250w geared kit and with furious pedaling i could go eh.. 2-5mph up a super steep hill.

Now i'm pumping about 1400 watts or 2300 watts on the other battery and i can go 20 or 30mph up that hill depending on the batt.

Maybe i have higher expectations than you

[wesnewell]

I only get 27mph on level ground. Going up steep hills it drops to 14 if I don't pedal. At least i can get to the top now. Couldn't do that without the motor using 38/28T gears. Can with new bike and 38/34T gears without motor though at about 2mph.

[tuxman]

Using http://toporoute.com and http://www.gmap-pedometer.com the hills are not as bad as I thought. Had to plot small sections at a time to figure some of the info I needed.

16% grade for a tenth of a mile, and mean average 4% for the rest.

[tuxman]

Going with the iZip Zuma!

The eZip Trailz has been voted off the island.
The Prodeco Phantom X is back ordered for at least 90 days.
The Pedego Cruiser is a no go. They never called me back and never replied to my email.

[tuxman]

I placed my order with Watts N' Wheels online Saturday night after business hours. Didn't expect them to answer my question about how much an extra battery would be that same night! Great service!

The sales staff has kept me updated on my order every step of the way via email. Shipped FREE via FedEx, which was a nice touch. UPS seems to destroy any large packages when I get something from California. (I live in Georgia)

[tuxman]

The bike arrived to my office today. Opened the box to get the battery out for charging. Very well packaged. I didn't bring any tools. I didn't bring my tire pump. The plan was to take it home.

Upon examining the bike, it's 98% assembled. Tires are full. Tools were included to attach the pedals and handle bars. A few quick adjustments and ten minutes later it's ready. Battery finished charging. Lets ride!

Took a spin around the mall shopping center and went up the street looking for the steepest hill I could find. Went up the 9.4% grade quickly, with ease and no pedaling. Only problems so far are the front brake pulsates when braking and a broken seat mount.

Rear spokes are much thicker than the front spokes. Brakes are noisy, but stop well. Shifts between gears very smoothly even at low speed. Has a granny gear for hills, but top gear does not match the top speed of the motor on flats. I enjoy the up right riding position and ergonomics of the handle bars. The stitching on the grips is a nice touch. Paint job is very nice. Even comes with a bottle of touch up paint. Overall fit and finish is quality. Battery slides in and out with ease and the bike does not feel top heavy.

Noticeably faster than my other ebike around the neighborhood. Zipped right up the 16% grade w/moderate pedaling.

Motor Info
Manufacture: Bafang
Model: BPM
36v 500w 26"
Code: 11 (winding)

Battery Info
41.7v full charge
Manufacture: TD HiTech
Model: RT106
Spec: 36v/12ah Lithium
D/C: 2010/09
made in Taiwan
hp8204l3 charger

[tuxman]

After testing the bike yesterday I removed and adjust the shifter, throttle, and brake levers to better suit my riding position. Front brake pulsates, so I tightened up the front fork, cleaned the rotor, took the front caliper apart and reassembled it. neptronix wasn't kidding about the noisy brakes! They sound like ass.

First commute to work today with the iZip Zuma.

No pedaling. (ok ok I fake pedaled when a cop rolled by, but it was no effort!)
5.3 miles each way, 14 traffic lights, stop and go
4% mean grade average rolling hills
tires @ 50psi, 200lbs rider, estimated 15lbs of gear
22 minutes to work, 25 minutes home, 20 minutes by cab
front brake shutters and squeaks
motor is whisper quiet on flats
pulls strong from a dead stop up hill


On the way to work I noticed less rolling resistance when coasting down hill than my other ebike. I got to ride home in the rain, lucky me, I brought my rain gear. Tires gripped the wet road, and the brakes were strong. (and quiet too) Front shocks and pneumatic seat post absorbed all the bumps. It was a comfortable smooth ride to and from work today.

The ride home felt much slower than on the way to work. Time to upgrade! j/k (I just wanted to get out of the rain.)

[georgefromvt]

Great review! I've been looking at the IZIP Zuma as a second bike and very tempted. Did you get the standard or step thru version? Also, care to post any pics? Want to see and hear more!!! Last year I bought the R Martin 12A, still happy with the purchase. Surprised how quiet it is and very happy with the torque--providing you down shift to 1st or 2nd gear.
http://www.electricbikedistributor.com/

[tuxman]

These pictures don't do it justice.

[tuxman]

I can't get sweaty so I don't pedal on the way to work, but can on the way home. Arrived home today with the battery meter showing green! No mistake, it was measuring 39.4v after 5.3 miles. I calculated that I've used about 4ah out of 12ah. Using a 2ah charger, it took 2 hours to recharge to full.

This time I pedaled at take off so I could quickly get up to speed, and then again lightly on a few of the hills. Ha! I don't need a horn, I just mash the front brake and the noise is more than loud enough. Other than my complaint about the front brake, this bike is real transportation.

Even more gear this trip, carrying my laptop along with my charger, rain gear, work clothes, my new pressing of Fleetwood Mac Rumors 2x45rpm LP, and bottle of Jim Beam that I picked up at the store along the way.

Here I am, puffing on a cigar, sipping on some whiskey, listening to Fleetwood Mac as I update you about my Zuma. Cheers!

[Tpf]

Pedego has great reviews on line so we bought 2. We love them! Unlike most other EBIKES, they use standard bike components. The front brakes are Avid BB7 made by SRAM. Not likely they would shutter as on your bike. We had a flat, took it to a differnet bike shop than we bought it. They not only fixed it for free but signed up to be a dealer for Pedego. They were very impressed with the quality of all the components.

They do cost a little more but you get what you pay for.
I will be adding my review soon. Here are links to other reviews:

http://ratepoint.com/profile/65969

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG1wIMdl ... ata_player[youtube]

[tuxman]

Pedego has great reviews on line so we bought 2. We love them! Unlike most other EBIKES, they use standard bike components. The front brakes are Avid BB7 made by SRAM. Not likely they would shutter as on your bike. We had a flat, took it to a differnet bike shop than we bought it. They not only fixed it for free but signed up to be a dealer for Pedego. They were very impressed with the quality of all the components.
http://ratepoint.com/profile/65969
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG1wIMdl ... ata_player

Welcome to the forums! Congrats to you on your 1st post!

Happy to report the brakes shutter a bit less after putting some miles on them. Also, I've backed off on the adjustment to the pads so they don't squeal as much while coasting. They still shutter, and still sound like ass, just a bit less. The manufacture said it would take more than 10 miles to wear them in and am hoping that to be true or I will need to replace these soon.

Contrary to what you say; the Pedego has a Dia-Compe Rear Hub Brake which is not a standard bike component. The iZip Zuma uses the Tektro Novela front and rear, which are standard on several brands of entry level MTBs.

I find it very hard to believe anyone one, especially a for-profit bicycle shop who you didn't purchase your bikes from, who was not a Pedego dealer, would change a flat tire on a rear hub motor bicycle for free.

And what's up with the links? Ratepoint is a sham!

"Unlike other review services, these reviews can be posted directly to business's website. Therefore, RatePoint gives both you and the company the opportunity to resolve your negative review before it is posted. This process historically resolves 91% of all negative reviews to the customer's satisfaction, so it's absolutely worthwhile to continue this process."

Also to be noted is the YouTube link provided has comments disabled. I call shenanigans. You sir are suspect. Do you work for Pedego, an affiliate or a marketing agency? I am calling you out!

[tuxman]

Not charging at work today I did 10 miles round trip with no pedaling. The bikes built in gauge showing half when I got home. I measured 37.5v resting.

Solid performance all the way home. I bought a new camera and it takes just lovely photos. Here is a close up on the Bafang BPM geared hub motor. 26 is the wheel size, and 11 is the winding. This motor is rated by the manufacture up to 48v.

[LAebike]

FYI -- If the brakes continue to be problematic, Currie will replace them free of charge within the warranty period, with Avid BB5's.

[tuxman]

I've contacted Diana over at Watts N' Wheels for assistance. I will be a very happy customer if they replace them! Don't get me wrong, they "stop" me but sound like shit and I really don't like how they still shutter after 60 miles of use, cleaning the rotors, and all of the adjustments. Disk brakes should be quiet and smooth!

[tuxman]

Couldn't wait for a magicshine to arrive and I needed to be able to get home from work. Didn't want a dinky walmart bike light, so a quick stop at Sears nets me a real fine deal on a very bright light.

LUXEON Rebel Emitter
$26.99 http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_03493677000P

[mobybike]

Thanks for your review, I was pondering the same question. I followed your lead and went with a Zuma. I had the opportunity to ride a Pedego, and really liked it a lot, but it always bugged me that in many of the photos and the actual bikes... the seats are installed backwards on the seat post, and the Zuma was a better price, so we ordered it.
Anyway,
After receiving the Zuma this week, I would confirm that the Zuma is a faster bike with more torque for the hills than the Pedego. No question! I'm very happy with the power of the Zuma, and very happy that it actually turned out this way. Saved money and got a more powerful bike.

Breaks do squeal, but this is typical of many new disc brakes. They require a burn in. Be careful but... Get the bike up to good speed and pull the brakes hard till you stop. I mean hard. Not enough to skid the rear tire, and not enough to go over the bars in the front. Do this about 15-20 times. (edit- 20 for the front alone, then 20 for the back alone but not both at the same time) What happens is the brake shoe material deposits on the disc, and then they "break in".

Mine had the leather grips installed backwards. If you reverse them so the bumpy knob is out instead of in, they feel even better!
The spoke cross pattern in the rear wheel especially, are poorly matched with the rim, and the 13 gauge spokes enter the nipples at a severe angle. This can be remedied by gently bending the spoke 1/8" below the nipple, toward the angle it should be at, using a spoke wrench to cold set the spoke into the correct angle. This will cause the tension in the wheel to need to be balanced and tightened, but it's really necessary to ensure long life of the wheel. The wheel was also not dished correctly or the frame is off center which brings up another point.

Frame welding, is nasty on the ladies frame we got. What has happened is that it looks like the welds are off center. So the tube was welded off center to the right near the crank (downtube) and off center to the left at the head tube. The rack is similarly off center with a strong bias to the left of the bike. I noticed this while trying with all my might to catch my daughter who was easily pedaling away from me going up hill (4-5% grade). (my bike has a direct drive e-bike kit 36v rear hub motor 700c wheel I am 220lbs she is 140lbs)

After comparing this Zuma to my e-bke kit, and the Pedego, I'm going to be seriously considering another Zuma or possibly a geared hub AmpedBikes motor. At my weight it is a striking difference! I got to try both the 36V Pedego, and the 48V Pedego. The Zuma feels better to me, and the geared motor on the Zuma doesn't have any motor resistance rolling forward when the battery is in the off mode. It rides great!

Problem,
The weight of the battery over the rear wheel, causes the bike to shimmy when you (well it does for me) let go of the handlebars and ride no hands. This isn't just a Zuma problem, as this also occurs on the iZip Via Rapido I tried out. (I didn't test this on the Pedego). This also caused my wife to pull a muscle in her arm during a panic stop. Both my wife and daughter nearly had accidents using the PAS (pedal assist mode) feature. Mostly because they were not used to the bike, but both were caught off guard in traffic situations that the bike lurched forward when they didn't want it to.

[tuxman]

Welcome to the forum! And thank you for commenting about your new izip Zuma.

Also glad to hear you confirm what I suspected all along about the difference in motors between these bikes. Actually surprised to hear you say you like the power of the 36v Zuma better than the 48v Pedego! I thought for sure the 48v direct drive would at least equal the power of a 36v geared drive.

Other than the noisy brakes, if you are in the market for a street legal 20mph ebike that can climb hills, the Zuma is a great value. If I had to do it all over again, and price wasn't an issue, I would get myself a bike from Hi-Power Cycles. http://www.hi-powercycles.com/product.sc?productId=36 But, I just can't justify the extra cost when all my needs are met with my Zuma.

No complaints here with the welds on my Zuma and both wheels look true to the eye when spinning them upside down. Sounds like you may need to have your wheels trued. Something to note is when my bike arrived via FedEx, it was DOUBLE boxed, HEAVILY padded and the box had no indication that it had been mishandled. This was not the case with my first ebike back in 2007, shipped via UPS, single box, with parts hanging out upon arrival.

About the PAS, it scared me a few times when the motor kicked in while making sharp turns, or while on loose gravel. That motor will surprise you. But this is why the bike has brake inhibits! It might scare you once or twice but you get used to it. Do what I do, use PAS for uphill or downhill going straight, and TAG for everything else.

I am very glad I went with the Zuma for another reason; it is easy to verify as street legal. Today I counted 5 police cars out collecting money to pay for their new over-sized police station from unsuspecting drivers in the five miles I commute. As I traveled the 14 traffic lights on my way home, I had the pleasure of their shiny new police cars accompany me through 8 of the traffic lights. For my safety of course. I laughed as I kid to my self... sir license and registration please. Do you know why I pulled you over? Since I obeyed the traffic laws, and the bike is legal, I have no worries and so far, no hassles.

[Jason27]

In my opinion all of these ebikes are rip offs. Look at the specs. You could build one with better specs for less price. You guys should really build your own ebike that way if something breaks you know how to fix it. Would you buy a car with no place to take it for repairs?

ask anyone here that have been ebiking for years they will tell you all ebikes break down at some point. I hope those ebikes come with a warranty or return policy.