Rode a Trek Lift+ ebike, very nice

[MikeSSS]

The ride lasted about 15 minutes and included a few minutes on loose gravel that required a lot of pedaling effort, when not using assist. This was my first time riding a pedal assist bike, it works very well, though I still like my throttle.

The Lift+ uses a mid drive, the battery is mounted on the down tube. There is one chainring in the front and ten cogs in the back. The lowest gear is not very low, because the front chainring is the size of a middle ring.

No throttle is provided, this is a pedaling assist only bike. The PAS is based on pedal torque, it is instantaneous, transparent to the rider and works very well. On the left side of the handlebar is a push button panel, I did not use the top button, the mid and bottom buttons change the assist level. The assist level is displayed on the dashboard panel, assist levels are: off, eco, normal, and high. Eco means low and is a more fashionable, trendy and faddish word, though less accurate. The middle button increases the assist level, the bottom button decreases it. What the assist levels do is to decrease the riders pedaling torque, more assist gives less rider torque that can be applied. Normal assist feels, well, normal. Using normal level, riding is easy and fun. Using off level requires a lot more riding effort, perhaps more than a pedal only bike. Eco feels to me about like an non ebike.

The Lift+ is not obviously an ebike, it is sort of stealthy.

This bike has 2.0" tires, there is no front suspension and no seat or seatpost suspension. Brakes are disc at both ends, the rear dropouts are vertical. I talked to the mechanic at the store that sells and rents the Lift+, he really is happy with the mid drive, because flats are much easier to fix than on hub motor bikes. Also he told me that the bottom bracket is a standard BB, not a specialty BB.

The battery sits on the downtube, it seems to be securely mounted and wiggle free. The bottom of the battery seats into the bottom of its carrier, the tip is then swung into the cradle from the side. Mounting does not require the key, dismounting the battery does. This is a really easy to use system but the battery is not protected from shocks from the frame. The bike has no suspension. On and off is done with a button on the side of the battery, a press and hold for maybe 6 seconds button. There is a charge level indicator on the side of the battery and also on the dashboard.

I really like this bike but would not buy it. Cost is $2800. I'm planning on a BBSHD mid drive for my full suspension bike.

Here's a link: http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/city-bikes/urban-commuter-bikes/lift/c/B446/

Bottom line is that this is a very easy to use ebike, for use on smooth surfaces.

 

[Hillhater]

Hard to believe nearly $3k for a bike that doesnt have suspension forks !
..even city streets have pot holes and kerbs etc.

 

[MikeSSS]

Hard to believe nearly $3k for a bike that doesnt have suspension forks !
..even city streets have pot holes and kerbs etc.

There it is, the truth of it. High bux, no suspension, that takes it out of contention, at least for a lot of us.

This past weekend, I went to Frankenbike, got there late, the good stuff was all gone. I test rode a Marin, mountain bike looking bike. It had a suspension fork, probably low travel, a low travel suspension seat post, a spring seat, trigger finger and thumb shifters, Shimano shifting, 3 in the front, 7 in the back. This used Marin shifted better than the Lift+, had a better ride than the Lift+, had wider gearing, and was offered at $200 or make an offer. Besides that, the Marin was in excellent condition, and even had enough seatpost extension to make it viable for a Thudbuster LT. It did have an aluminum frame and fork sliders, but two torque arms would cover that for hub motor use and a mid drive wouldn't need the torque arms. Add a good battery and even a BBSHD and the Marin comes in at half the price of the Lift+, and with a better ride and wider gearing and equally important, it would have a throttle.

Still, the Lift+ is a very attractive ebike, especially for those who have money but not time and inclination for research and building. It fills a niche, in the overall ebike spectrum. Fills the niche and rides very much like a non assisted bike with a superior athlete riding it.

 

[bdole]

I think it is only a matter of a few years before the OTS (off the shelf) eBike world and hobbyist eBike world come together in a beneficial way for most people. Yes, OTS is out of many person's price range at this point. But building your own is also too hard for many (let's be serious, here). So...I am eager to see what happens as battery price drops slightly, and motor tech gets a little cheaper, especially if China manufacturer starts making entire mid-drive systems. Exciting!