Review of New Electric City Commuter Line from Pedego

[Green Machine]

Hey guys,

For those of you interested I did a complete review of the City Commuter here. As in all my reviews i did not receive any kind of compensation from Pedego (not even a loaner bike to test), so it is unbiased:

http://www.electricbike.com/pedego-city-commuter/

The City Commuter uses a small geared hub motor made by a japanese company (but made in China) called the Dapu.

It is rated for 350 watts but Pedego is overclocking theres (on the 48 volt version) to 750 watts. Way to go Pedego!

At 750 watts this motor feels a lot like my BMC v2 but quieter, smaller and lighter. I wonder if you could amp this motor up past 1000 watts? Pedego goes to 750 and sales it to the public, it makes me wonder what this little beast is capable of.

The motor has a built in speed sensor.

Other mentionable components are schwalbe tires (tanned color) and avid bb7 disc brakes front and rear.

All in all I think the City Commuter is a worthy contender in the commercial available ebike market and a big step up for pedego. Quality wise this is a much better bike than both their Interceptor and Cruiser Comfort bikes. Of course with the City Commuter's feature set it comes in at a higher price. (around $2500 depending on battery size)

 

[miro13car]

Proof read your post here and in the linked article.
In linked article you state "500W motor "Japan made" , in ES thread you write " but made in China"
I DOUBT it is Japan made.
And not like you state in linked parahraph ,it has not a bit similar to Stromer motor, or A2B motor.

 

[Green Machine]

When i first interviewed Pedego about the bike they told me it was a Japanese motor made in japan.

After further research, It turns out it is a japanese motor, Dapu, but made in a factory in China.

It has very small form factor, is lightweight, has built in speed sensor, has a cassette freewheel and is an interesting alternative to the bafang and cutie motor although twice the price.

 

[Erikjan]

Looks like the Fusin hub motor.

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=39877

 

[miro13car]

Anyway this model approaching $2500
No longer below 2000 dollars
You got to compare with what out there
Or was out there
You could buy Eplus kit for this price and have 100 dollars left

 

[DerekBell]

I have an Interceptor and the wife insisted on a 48v City Commuter. To get a true sense about what a step up this bike is, there are a couple of things about the Commuter that must be emphasized.

First, this electric bike has both pedal-assist and twist grip throttle. Off the line and up on the (non-moving) pedals from a dead start can only be done with a throttle. The pedal assist on the other hand is a vastly superior hill climber. Both have their strengths, and this is the only production bike that I know of with both.

Secondly there are a number of small but smart and handy included items that when you add them up, they equal some great value: front and rear lighting system with ambient light sensor integrated into the electrical system, computer control panel (which also controls lights and pedalec functions), "protected" battery, handlebars that are adjustable (on-the-fly possibly), both front and rear disc brakes, seat post shock absorber, pre-slimed tires, 360 chain guard, properly and well shrouded lines, and fenders. Whew!

I think that you'd spend quite a lot of money to build a bike with ALL of the items that the Pedego has, and getting it all to look "elegantly integrated" would be a challenge.

 

[Green Machine]

First, this electric bike has both pedal-assist and twist grip throttle. Off the line and up on the (non-moving) pedals from a dead start can only be done with a throttle. The pedal assist on the other hand is a vastly superior hill climber. Both have their strengths, and this is the only production bike that I know of with both.
.

Pedal assist and throttle on the same bike is nothing new on commercially available bikes....there are tons of bikes with both features.

 

[DerekBell]

I stand corrected.

 

[grwalker]

I guess you could compare the Pedego with the Prodeco ebikes. The Prodeco line is definitely more like a mountain bike styling. The Prodeco pricing is certainly lower at $1,000 to 1,500 for their standard bikes. Nice thing is the 2 year warranty on everything including the electronics and battery. I've ridden a Pedego cruiser style but bought the Prodeco instead because of price, the 500 watt motor and 12Ah battery on the Prodeco Phantom X2 2013 model at $1,499. Each to his own I guess.