My ongoing review Prodeco Phantom X

[wiuhh]

hi all, wow two years just went by in a blink. i so meant to keep up with this thread, just like i was so gonna....... anyway chaotic life aside i did ride the hell out of my bike its still going strong and i plan to keep riding it tlll it dies. i also did get a bike computer tho i never did do any more testing just riding and vaguely keeping track. i have pictures but never figured out how to add them to this thread(if i can somehow figure it out ill try and post). i did use/need the warranty and im currently out of warranty but in communication with prodeco about an ongoing problem design flaw. ironicly i have to first figure out how to email them pictures first, so we will see how that goes. anyway let me get you up to speed.

first before i poop all over my bike let me say i love, love, love, this bike it absolutely rocks i dont care hot windy hilly this bike has just enuff power to keep a smile on your face but not so much power that you wont get zero exercise. the actual real world range speed of my bike is hard to quote as fact but ill give my best guestimates. reason being the more i rode, the more i pedaled, the more i went farther and faster and had similar charge times. plus i acidently reset my odometer a couple of times but imo ive put over a thousand miles, probably atleast 1500, maybe 2000. ive definately gotten 20 mile rides in i think 27 or so was my longest and still had battery left, but 15 to 20 mph/15 to 20 mile rides(with pedaling) were my most common. start of my third year and its still a blast to go out for a ride i even enjoy pedaling more and i never get bored of pedaling as hard as i can while under full throttle acceleration, must be all the red lights .

cant remember the dates but i should also mention not long after getting it i modified slightly with i think a 4 extra tooth front sprocket because it needed a higher gear ratio. i just couldnt pedal fast enough in 7th gear after about 17 mph to be of any help and even at 15 mph too many rpms needed to contribute comfortably. probably why the next year they came with an 8 speed.

now for the poop. has kinda an annoying design flaw, not major(again will post pics if i can figure out how) but the 13.5 lb battery which should never have been mounted over the rear wheel for a variety of reasons, its less safe/lowers the handleing/nimbleness of the bike, lowers the stealth of the E-factor, takes away all available cargo space plus imo the front frame would be easier to be more secure from theft i could go on, and i cant think of any reason to place it where it is but the main reason you cant mount a 13.5 lb battery over the rear wheel is because i live in boston and there is no rear suspension which in a way wouldnt have mattered because they mounted the battery support tubes directly to the rear axle(again pics if i can) but much like you would mount a cargo rack. i remember when it was new thinking wow that battery is gonna get the snot beat out of it but it looks kinda like a cargo rack should be good. its the speed, a small bump at 20 mph is more trauma then same at 10 mph. combined with that trauma getting transmitted up the support tubes to the attachment points on the battery rack/tray this design never stood a chance. not in the northeast anyway. some of the flaw is sorta 1st year out of engineering school humorous like the original support tubes were stamped, rolled, im gonna guess aluminum tubes. the kind where theres a seam running lengthwise and the last inch or so is left unrolled with a mounting hole drilled in. probably some misguided weight saving strategy. combined with a missed angle between the width of the axle and the width of the battery im amazed they lasted as long as they did. long story short the first time they broke was really bad timing it sucked but i got it home etc. prodeco was cool about it sent me all needed parts right out. a new battery mount/tray, new L mounting brackets, new mounting hardware, they even redesigned the support tubes with steel tubes they came with a funky female/male one side convex washer pairs that aleviated some of the strain of the missed angle.
maybe if it was a pure 90 degree angle from the axle all the way to the battery, maybe if the battery tray was made from something stronger then plastic maybe if the earth was flat. they wouldnt keep breaking but atleast now they dont take out the whole battery tray when they break tho the warranty is over. i might give up on it and find a way to mount the battery under the frame or maybe find full suspension bike that i can transfer the motor etc. its late and im rambling so ill sign off for now, to be continued

 

[mattrb]

maybe if the battery tray was made from something stronger then plastic maybe if the earth was flat.

A2b bikes have a metal battery holder, lower center of gravity, and better kick stand. I've broke my battery holder 5 times.

 

[wiuhh]

hey all, sorry for venting so much on the battery rack design/breakage problems, maybe matts right and its just part of
e-biking.in either case just keeping up with the review.im still glad i own the bike im just frustrated losing my 1 to 2 day per week riding day to repairing day. now that the warranty is dead i may do a lil modding and see if i can come up with a more durable fix.

all in all prodeco did a pretty good job for an early model in an emerging technology/market. im sure its a pretty tuff market to turn a profit in. the bike is too solid, too beefy, well built, nice fit/finish. i got a lot of bike $1300. as i said previously i come from more of a car/motorcycle background but i believe e-bikes are gonna be huge. the cost of oil in dollars and pollution will force it. looking back a few years from now this design will probably stir a chuckle its too heavy, the tires are too fat and too soft, its like ww2 submarine lacking all hydronamics wondering where they can get a lil more speed/range. now im the first to insist on increasing strength where needed when it comes to increased speed but in this case i think the extra weight is working against itself causing extra wear and tear, increasing g-forces,bumps, etc. in the end i like the company and would give them business again tho only if they came up with a much more refined design. otherwise i think ill stick with this rough diamond till it drops.

id like the battery to be in front and as low as it can, id like front and rear suspension, id like a more streamlined design that attempts the basics at maximising speed/range e.g. tall skinny tires that hold 100psi or maybe a belt drive motor that uses all the gears, obviously weight, or how bout its 2014 do we have to have spoked rims?? dont get me wrong i dont think an e-bike should go over 20 mph by motor assist, and i understand motor/battery aside the bike weight will need to increase and maybe im wanting too much but this bike is 36v 9a battery and 500w hub motor and it does pretty well. i regret the folding frame which i no longer need but ill give prodeco set a high benchmark for safety. now they need to set a high mark for efficientcy while retaining safety.

wow rambled on again, ill try and keep the thread updated and will work on getting pics uploaded otherwise ill conclude the crazy ive never built an e-bike rants/review. still smiling while pedaling would absolutley buy again if i had a do over, worth every penny.

all questions/comments welcome
peace all.

 

[X-infamous]

I purchased my Prodeco bike in February 2014. I purchased the bike new with a 12ah battery instead of the 6ah, and I suggest doing the same if you're thinking of buying. The initial setup for my size was frustrating because the metric allen screws were torqued very tight. I broke both included tool sets in trying. Not a major problem, though. Bought a few sturdier pieces at the home improvement center.

It's now July, 2014 and here are my observations. The X-Lite struts for the rear of the battery mount need beefing up if you get a bigger battery than the standard 6ah. Yes, the 300W front hub motor is sufficient for the bluff hills in my city on the banks of the Mississippi River. I'm turning 69 years old and the un-powered direct drive hub motor is a 'bear' to deal with if your battery goes down. It does have significant drag. But I do enjoy the bike immensely. The balance difference from an un-powered bike is learn-able, but fast sharp cornering will never be the same. I have a school nearby with an electronic speed monitor display, and the bike does do 18 mph electric only. Brakes are terrific.

Not sure about the range spec., but from trips I've made and estimated, I believe it to be somewhat accurate. The 300W motor doesn't drain the battery as fast, and for only a few more miles per hour, that's a good trade off. Kickstand has broken, but it worked well prior to that. Derailleur needs adjusting, but works smoothly up and down, especially in powered mode with pedal assist. So, my only real negative is the hub motor drag due to my age. Prodeco is hoping to market a mid-drive electric later in 2014. If that drive arrangement doesn't introduce drag in non-powered mode, I'm sold as another purchase. The mid drives have so much more torque at a lower power/range level. Hope these comments help