Typical me, never quite satisfied!
TurboAnt S1
I wrote about finally making an E-Bike purchase in this article:
As I mentioned, the price was the driving factor in this specific purchase. Although the bike showed up within a few days of my purchase, it took me nearly a week to get around to opening the unit up for a quick review. Here is my feedback on this well-built bike.
Box as delivered (media by JC)
The unit showed up well packaged, but it certainly was heavy. I can hear the UPS delivery man cursing me as he dropped this off next to my garage.
Unloading (Media by JC)
I need to emphasize it is pretty heavy. I believe it was recommended two people pull this out of the box.
Unboxed (media by JC)
The unit was shipped almost fully assembled. I was pleased to see nothing was damaged. The battery was already in the frame and fully charged. The front wheel was the only major part that needed to be attached to the bike. The company was very free with tape and zip ties used to protect the bike with wrapping. Ensure you have a good pair of snips available to detach the many zip ties.
Once the wheel was in place, I attached the light and the remaining front tire fender. The unit would be road-ready once I added air to the tires. While they had close to 10 psi for shipment, the recommended psi was 25 to 30.
Fully Assembled (media by JC)
Quick Observations:
The unit is well manufactured, and you get a total sense of this when attaching the tire and fender. The frame welds are solid, and the wheels are beastly. This bike feels like a tank.
This tank is heavy. While it does fold down to a more portable size, it becomes a more concentrated and cumbersome load. I would be lying if I said this was easy to cart around in its folded size. (Time to hit the gym again!)
My SUV’s boot will house this unit back and forth from work but will not leave much room for other cargo. This bike is a large package!
This is not a small bike in that it is not made for smaller people. My wife is 5’4″ and can’t easily get on this bike in its smallest size. I am over 6′, and I feel like this bike was made for people my height.
Putting air in the tires is hard if you have larger hands. The spokes do not make it easy to access the valve with large hands.
This bike has power. With 750 watts, the hills prove to be no match for this bike.
As this was my first “Fat Tire” bike, it was surprising to see how different it is compared to a normal bike. As I ride, I feel like I am on a less powerful motorcycle. The turns are something to get used to with so much surface area on the tires. The fat tires provide a bit of added suspension when traversing the pothole-ridden Michigan streets. I am looking forward to trail riding with this bike (weather permitting).
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