I’ve been an avid biker for so long as I can bear in mind. As a child, I’d cruise my BMX round city with associates all day in the course of the summer season, reveling within the freedom and autonomy that solely comes from your personal trip. A long time later, my introduction to the ebike scene has supplied a renewed sense of that nostalgic pleasure for the open highway.
As a relative newcomer, most of my ebike expertise over the previous yr or so has been with comparatively low cost ebikes, just like the Propella 9S and Precedence’s e-Traditional Plus. So when Precedence supplied me an opportunity to strive the a lot pricier Present Plus, my first query was, “What do you get from an ebike that prices over three grand?”
On this case, the quick reply is vary, fashion, options, and energy. Tons of energy, which will be the largest key to the Present’s success. As a throttle-equipped Class 2 ebike that converts to Class 3, you possibly can completely blaze on this factor at as much as 28 mph with pedal help, and there is nearly no hill that may gradual you down.
{Photograph}: Ryan Waniata
{Photograph}: Ryan Waniata
Most significantly, the bike’s punchy motor retains you secure in sketchy conditions. Merely kick up the motor velocity to degree 5 and let the Present Plus hearth you thru visitors or minimize by way of busy roads. I not often pushed the motor above the midpoint, however after I wanted the facility, it swiftly arrived, affording me the liberty to cruise nearly anyplace on Portland, Oregon’s imply streets.
The Present’s spectacular battery vary provides to that go-anywhere feeling, letting me trip worry-free for days with out the necessity to prime it off. That type of freedom and autonomy has introduced again that BMX feeling, taking me from ebike vacationer to true commuter.
Greaseless Lightning
As a direct-to-consumer bike, the Present Plus wants some meeting when it arrives. An area bike store can do the job for you for round $150-200, which I like to recommend contemplating for inexperienced persons. Should you’re extra bold, you possibly can assemble it your self, however Precedence nonetheless recommends having a store give it a once-over for security.
In any other case, the Present Plus is extraordinarily hands-off from a upkeep standpoint. The Gates Carbon Drive belt requires no lube or grease and is claimed to last as long as “2-3 occasions longer” than chains, whereas Precedence examined the 750 Wh battery for as much as 90 miles per cost on the bottom pedal-assist velocity. Letting the bike unfastened up and down the hills of southeast Portland for weeks, I squeezed out a still-impressive 60 miles per cost, give or take.
I examined the bike with the five-speed Shimano Nexus gear system, however for $200 extra you possibly can swap within the Enviolo CVT (Repeatedly Variable Transmission). This can be a swap that you simply would possibly take into account in the event you’re hauling a whole lot of gear—it is a lot safer to have the ability to make tiny changes to the torque in case your bike is heavy or off-balance—but when you do not have a child or two clinging to the again, you most likely will not want it.
{Photograph}: Ryan Waniata
{Photograph}: Ryan Waniata
Whereas the bike’s mid-drive motor is way smoother than the front-mounted eClassic, I seen some pedal buzz when beginning the bike in larger gears. Downshifting to lower-tension gears eradicated the thrill, and the simplified belt drive made it brilliantly clean to shift to any gear at a standstill. After a couple of rides, I used to be shifting and swapping by way of motor speeds with out pondering, like driving a automotive with a handbook transmission.
Earlier than lengthy, I used to be flying throughout city like a professional, more and more leaving my automotive behind as Portland’s wet winter turned to sunlit spring. And man, does this factor fly. When boxed in at 20 mph as a Class 2 bike, I used to be hitting the highest velocity in seconds from something above the second pedal-assist motor velocity, so that you’ll doubtless need to convert it to Class 3 from the show settings if native legal guidelines enable. After changing, I nonetheless solely hit round 26 mph on flats, however that was quick sufficient.
I spent nearly all of my time between the primary and second pedal-assist speeds, however after I bought drained (or curious), shifting to the fourth or fifth speeds was a blast. It’s empowering to know you may make any hill your … subordinate, permitting you to decide on nearly any path to your vacation spot. Must catch up after a late begin or eliminate a automotive in your tail? Punch up the velocity and let it rip. It’s really a joyful feeling.
