First, thank you to Oregon ebikes for shipping this to me in time for my trip to Yellowstone. I know this was not an easy task and you guys got it to me early. Crazy good. I am an avid mountain biker and this is my first official foray into the Ebike world. Put simply, I love the bike. The battery duration is beyond my expectations. Before I embarked on my trip I managed about 25 miles of riding in and around my town, taking my 3-year-old grandson for a couple of rides using the optional Playground for the back (amazing).
This bike has now been put to use in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. It's not that I can't ride my other conventional bikes and still do for primary means of exercise, it's that this bike has become my "tow car" for my Sprinter Van RV. It is a different purpose bike for me. I'm sure I get some exercise from using it cause you do have to pedal, but I use for sightseeing, for grocery store runs, to go capture photos and to ride to dinner and anywhere I don't want to arrive a sweaty mess. This bike has opened up a whole new world for me. It can carry a whole crapload of stuff. It is fun to ride, it is efficient. The gearing system is flawless so far. I had it on the back of my RV for my 1000 miles jaunt across several states and it was rained on, covered in dust, and abused even before I took her off to rider her.
I am satisfied and impressed so far. It is truly something I look forward to riding and finding more reasons to use. Yes, it is expensive. Yes, it is heavy. Yes, the wheels are small. All concerns of mine prior to purchase. But the early reviews are none of those things are a detriment. It feels the engineering and build quality more than justify the cost, the wheel size is probably necessary for stability and payload, and the weight not felt unless hoisting it on my bike carrier.
There are a couple of small cons: 1. It doesn't fit properly on my standard bike carrier (Rocky Mounts hitch based carrier) the rear wheel hangs off the end too far and gives me an unstable feeling where it is primarily supported by that rear ratcheting strap and not the front tire compression lever. But it did ride over 1000 miles on said bike rack without any issues. The headlight doesn't point down enough (might be able to modify/adjust) without shining on the cables distorting the beam, and I worry it might be shining in the eyes of cars. The Pros: build quality is so solid. Wheels are wide and have a little grip. Bosch battery system excellent. Excellent accessories, gearing is awesome with EMTB being really helpful on varied terrain. Seat post adjustments. Excellent saddlebags. Kickstand so far has been a dream. Magura brakes awesome. and necessary. Integrated headlight and rear tail light are awesome.
So though it is my first Ebike addition, I am bike savvy, I appreciate and recognize quality and sensible engineering. This bike has it all for me and I am grateful to Tern and Oregon E-bikes for making this bike a reality in my life.
