Pedego City Commuter review

[50yearoldebiker]

I bet it's the same hub motor with a different controller but not positive.
Interesting they went with the adjustable stem still I was glad to put a standard one on, they must be ok, redesigned one looks better.
The battery charger, I never mentioned the fact it does seem cheap quality, when I first got my bike mine too was very noisy & I could hear something rattling in it when I shook it, They sent me out one that didn't have a fan I forgot to mention this in my review.
I agree the charger seems to be a weak point especially compared to my last bike E Maxi Mi Power } that was high quality & charged the bike in 3.5 hours but cost 175-USD to replace.
I never ever leave this thing on charge without me being home, last bike I did, I trusted it.. A weak point maybe but the industry seems to use these inexpensive chargers pretty often { had a Prodeco & a kit bike before this one } . They seem to work well allthough it does take a while to charge 5 plus hours. Sometimes I'll use the bike before the battery is fully charged just topped off , check the voltage meter on the battery & recharge to full when I get home for the night, they get the job done & seem pretty safe, if there were fires contributed to these chargers they would've upgraded & it would be posted online so I figure..
Keep updating Thomas, I'm curious to see how you make out..
Alan

 

[mvadventure]

Re the seat post: Remove the seat post and look at the bottom of the tube. You'll find the spring is adjustable using one of the allen wrenches supplied in your tool kit. From the factory it's set to very soft and experimenting with a turn or three will likely find your comfort spot.
Re the battery charger: I've been through MANY different chargers over the years and found those with built in BMS invariably suffered some form of failure sooner or later. Up to now the most trouble free chargers I've used have been those designed for sealed lead/acid batteries. We carried electric scooters on our boat to use when travelling and they have proved magnificent despite being 24 volt and limited range but their simplicity and the ability to opportunity charge, if even for a few minutes. The charger on my Interceptor has no fan, weighs next to nothing and does a full recharge in a reasonable amount of time and thus far is as trouble free as one of lead acid chargers. A charger I was using initially on my LiPO4 batteries (different bike) that had built in BMS had all the bells and whistles until the BMS on the battery itself went kaput and it was necessary to rewire the 48 Volt 20 AH battery to accept a 24 pin lead to a BMS charger. All those hassles and the challenge of keeping all the cells balanced has made me really appreciate the simplicity of the setup on the Pedego.
Mike

 

[50yearoldebiker]

MSADVENTURE- I took for granted the seat post was NON adjustable, wow- thanks soo much you made my day..how bout that- cool. thanks again 8)
EDIT- chiming back in adjusting seat post helped a little honestly I wish it had a suspension as I'm hurting after long ride today. Also forgot to mention front wheel hub developed slight play last week, noticeable @ 25 MPH, wasn't axel nuts they were good, I removed wheel & snugged up the cone , lock nuts too , good now ..out

 

[50yearoldebiker]

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So today I installed Schwable Big Apple tires which are wider 235's compared to original Fat Franks 200's in width.
They are also taller, a lot of tire here, they went on pretty easily a bit fiddly but nothing bad, I did screw up the " direction " or rotation first time I mounted them & had to do it twice, they wont fit with the fenders, the rear one needs to be deflated to install. Bike feels faster with the tires @ 50 lb PSI & 3/4 MPH or so slower with them inflated to 35 PSI or so { 24 instead of 25 MPH } but who cares.
I was considering selling this bike because it's been beating my body up @ 2000 miles, I wanted to get a full suspension bike this was a last ditch effort & I'm glad I did it. Bike looks better without the fenders, big fat bike beach cruiser look & much much more comfy ride with these tires, about 100 bucks delivered to my door Ebay & the Schwable puncture rating is higher compared to the Fat Franks, better tire .
Time will tell but it feels & look like a different bike, plus these Big Apples are black, better then brown tires on black bike it came with.

 

[mvadventure]

Probably the bike seems faster with the new tires is simply because they have a larger diameter and your speedo is set for the smaller tire. A difference of an inch diameter makes a difference in the reading. Reading the manual that came with my bike there doesn't seem to be much difference in adjustments beyond inch by inch and it doesn't mention incremental changes. Then again I haven't gone into the computer and looked at it specifically.
I'm glad they are providing a smoother ride though and don't give up on adjusting the seat post. IMHO you can be proud of 2,000 miles, a little bit more and you can get it to under a dollar a mile! I have a LONG way to go and riding is off the books for a few weeks as I had carpal tunnel surgery on my R hand last week. Doc says three weeks no riding. We'll see.
Mike

 

[50yearoldebiker]

Had a tube pop without warning while bike was parked inside next to my bedroom scared the crap out of me but better there then on the road, I did reuse the original tubes as they were puncture free, did an autopsy & a seam let loose, originals aren't " Slime " brand tubes but were Kenda 700x45c { Slime added } which is converts to 175's in width, too thin for these 235 wide tires barely wide enough for the 2.00 Fat Franks..So anyway I ordered Schwalbe brand tubes proper size from the UK on Ebay { pretty cheap considering shipped across the pond 22 bucks something like that }. The point is if anyone reading this upgrades to Big Apple 235 wide tires upgrade your tubes too ..
Thanks Mike, 2000 miles but in a holding pattern for now waiting for the tubes to arrive & doing some front hub ball bearing replacement/ re grease too . I did get a good taste of the Big Apple tire & like it, cant wait to be " on the road again "
EDIT 7/31I figured I'd add some more pictures of the bike with larger 235 bag apple tires & a review after 50 miles or so without bumping up the thread The tires do make the bike handle differently as they are wider & taller. Bike feels a little less nimble & I feel like I lose some " bite " on tight turns & quick maneuvers to avoid holes /objects in the road, they need a little getting used to. I'm running @ 50 PSI right now which is about max & the ride seems smoother & softer, aired down it should offer a much cushier ride. The bike seems slightly faster to me I see 26 MPH more often then with stock tires that's why I'm running @ the higher PSI for now. Bike also handles the grass, trails & sand MUCH better { even @ 50 PSI },no fenders & bike LOOKS BETTER I believe, bike has a nicer profile.
These Big Apples have a higher Puncture rating then the stock ones so that's another up side, from my research they last longer then the stock Fat Franks too, $ 50. bucks each plus new tubes so they are a better quality tire.
They may not be for the serious commuter as mentioned bike feels slightly less nimble & I wouldn't be surprised if a little range is sacrificed as well with the BA'a.
In closing I'm happy with the purchase as I ride recreationally, needed to soften my ride, I have a 15 AH battery so less range is OK & they are much better off road.l[img][/img]

 

[borqueoneal]

I want to buy one of similar (the newer one) adjustable stem for my bike. Do any of you know if i can find it ? What is the brand of it ?

Thanks

 

[50yearoldebiker]

I know, call Pedego they will sell you one & ship it right out

 

[Hudson Valley Guy]

Hey you can adjust the max speed on your Pedego City commuter easily. Press and hold the up and down arrow keys for 3 seconds. This will bring you to the max speed, usually set to 20 mph in the US. The max you can set it for is 25 mph. Give it a try.

 

[Hudson Valley Guy]

The twist shift on my City Commuter failed after 200 miles about 2 weeks. I called the guys at Pedego and they immediately understood and replaced it pronto with a shiny new Shimano 7 speed right hand shifter. This required a new shifter cable and new Pedego leather stitched grips to make the conversion perfect. All were provided without question. Thanks Pedego. They really do live up to their reputation.

I am really happy with the new shifter set-up, it is way better than the original. It shifts up and down though the gears with precision and indicates accurately what gear you are in. I like the right hand set-up with the throttle also. As you can see in the image below it also work nicely with my air horn as well.

All this requires some hands on work and Pedego was there for me all the way. Unfortunately my dealer Practical Cycle was not so helpful. For unknown reasons they ignored my emails requesting simple warranty information. After a week I called Pedego and got an immediate response. Maybe I was not wise to purchase such a sophisticated cycle on the Internet to be drop shipped from an out of state dealer. I live and learn.

 

[50yearoldebiker]

Good post about the shifter/throttle combo , I'm calling today. Ever since installing Big Apple 235 wide tires & running it as a single speed the bike has lost some of it's charm for lack of a better word been using my new KHS XC 104 FS MTB mostly lately { what a sweet ride, she's not going to get a kit as was my original intention ! }.
thanks again.
Alan

 

[50yearoldebiker]

I have some important information to share with my fellow Pedego owners , so I thought it's a good time for an update.
Pedego has recalled & is replacing for free the batteries sold on bikes from Jan 2010 to Sept. 2013.
The reason is there were 2 incidents of the battery overheating while charging & catching on fire, seems the cell's barrier film between the anode & cathode is prematurly decaying & allowing the battery to short & overheat. The new batteries contain quality Samsung cells. I had my 15 AH replaced & it was totally free, they shipped me a new battery { not bad considering I clocked 3200 miles on the original }.
Go to http://www.batteryrecall2015.com to see if your eligible..
This company really is impressive, my bike has 3200 miles as mentioned & has been a joy to own.
Some interesting facts, I have never gotten a flat tire { knock on wood } , a lot has to do with the roads here in Florida & I'm only 155 lbs. but I think the geometry of the bike has a lot to do with it & I consider myself a decent rider & avoid pointy objects whenever possible, I did replace the original fat frank tires with bigger big apple's but no punctures either set..
I'm still using the original brake pads & compared to my last bike { MiPower } which also had Avid BB7's these just need less adjustment & wear less.
The Dapu geared hub motor is a champ, never opened up I do pedal alot & dont beat on the motor but I bet theres many more miles left to go before the nylon gears or bearings need replacing.
My suspension seatpost just started working out of the blue, seems it was jammed or locked up so the bike is more comfy for me { I'm only 5'8" * this big 29er was beating me up a little }
I keep it inside @ all times , it still looks new, & I think it rides better then new, spokes good wheels pretty much true not perfect though, no complaints, good bike.
I turned it into a KHS tribute bike with a couple decals, looks sexier & the purple looks better then the wite Pedego decal I think
EDIT I just had the chain fall off, third time it's happened, hit a bump when coasting thats when it's prone to happen, so it's not all rosey, no such thing as the perfect bike.

 

[mvadventure]

I came across the battery problem on the Pedego website and went through the procedure listed on the web site. I purchased my bike in May of 2014 so felt it was probably a waste of time but taking no chances I followed it through including the removal of the battery case. Mine wasn't one on recall so the entire procedure wasn't necessary but now I know.
So far my Pedego Interceptor has proven to be a trouble free bike with the exception of having to replace the handlebar gear shift mechanism. The local dealer (Island Life Trading in St. Augustine, FL) made a trip to Palm Coast and did the job. The bike performed well with the broken part but was locked in sixth gear.
I regularly make Sunday morning rides of 30 to 35 miles riding with a group of non electric bikes. We travel between 12 and 16 miles and hour and in the interest of battery conservation I sometimes lag behind a bit but never more then a quarter mile or so. Since I am an old fart, in my 70's and weigh 250 pounds before putting on my winter clothes there are no complaints about battery performance, it has never failed to get me home with a bit of reserve.
In our area Sunday mornings find LARGE groups of bikers out on the roads and like our group are 99% road bikes with only an occasional hybrid tossed in. E-Bikes are a rarity as is my beach style bike so it does sometimes garner a second glance. But.....on days like yesterday when the last 10 miles was in the face of 15-20 MPH headwinds I do make a lot of riders jealous, especially when I have no trouble maintaining speed. I will however probably have to replace the rear tire when it reaches about 2,000 miles which is rapidly approaching.
Mike, Palm Coast, FL

 

[50yearoldebiker]

like you said @ least you know you dont have bad cells .. The bike has proven to be a sound machine & a good purchase for me as well, one thing I failed to mention in my list of issues I've had is 3 X I did have the power cut out while riding & ALWAYS when hitting a bump, not even really big bumps but that's 3 times in over 3k miles of riding. What it does prove to me when I see these trails sometimes & I'm tempted to take it off road I dont, she's a road bike. I've opened up the controller compartment & have viewed how it's designed & you dont want to rattle it around too much .