Made in Hungary and just starting to be imported to the U.S., I bought one of these a few weeks back here in Seattle, at Electric Bikes NW. It weighs 58# with one lithium-ion battery. A dummy battery sits in place of the missing one.
The tires are 700x38 and inflate up to a recommended max of 65psi. The suspension up front works great as does the seatpost suspension. I like the cushy ride compared to my other standard bicycles.
The Gepida felt right the first time I test-rode it and better the second. The company says it will get up to 30 miles per charge on one battery. That seems to be correct so far, but hilly Seattle will knock a few miles off that figure. The battery can be charged either on or off the bike.
I like it that the lights are integrated. The computer screen is large. Ten settings for power boost are nice. I try to keep it at 5 or less for fitness sake. The Shimano Nexus 8-speed hub seems to work fine.
I wish the odometer would output miles with tenths rather than whole miles. The power assist quits a little above 15mph, and that is about as fast as I normally ride. You have to pedal to get a power boost. The motor is pretty quiet, more so than the other electric bikes I tested.
I bought the Gepida to ease my commute where I go down a large hill (Queen Anne) and up another (Capitol Hill) to get to work. I get a good workout but still have energy to walk the dog and such when I get home. Being close to 60 years young, I don't have the legs I did 20 years ago when the hills seemed less steep.
Last summer I rode other electric bicycles but didn't buy one. The Giant Twist with rear cassette gears was stately and decent. The other Giant, with derailleur and more bicycle like, was good, too. The electric bikes at REI (flagship store in Seattle) felt cheaply made. The Gepida just felt better in most every way, including being lighter than the big Giant.
My goal is to commute by bicycle as often as possible. I don't take a bicycle when it is rainy in the morning. But the predicted $5/gallon gas prices forecast might make me change that line of thinking.
