View Single Post
Old 05-29-25 | 09:57 PM
  #5  
Recycled Cycler's Avatar
Recycled Cycler
Old Worn Treads
 
Joined: Jun 2022
Posts: 116
Likes: 47
From: Kentucky

Bikes: IF Crown Jewel, Lugged Columbus SLX Serotta

As far as carbon frames that look and perform like a real road bicycle and not some hipsters idea of what a bike should look like because they spent their childhood and teenage years inside playing video games and never rode a bike until it became fashionable to hang out in a Ramen noodle restaurant in PJ's.

BMC has one. And a really nicely spec'd one, too, with a mid-motor. At a competitive price.

Lemond has 1 with drop bars and one with standard bars, both $6,000+ but with hub motors.

The Cervelo Rouvida mid motor model with carbon can be found around $5k and competes with the BMC.

Scott Addict carbon frame models with hub motors at half the price of the BMC and Cervelo are worth a look even though hub motors.

Then you have Specialized Creo which is more a "gravel" bike whatever that is, and weighs 32 pounds and is over $6,000.

Trek $7,000+ Domane.

Between all of those, Cervelo/BMC/Scott seem to be frontrunners as far as frame+component group+price. But that's it. A very very short list. Which I do not understand why, if electric bikes and the fastest growing market, why there are not more choices of lower priced carbon frame electric bikes with good component groups.

The Scott model is half the price of all the others I mentioned.

I live in Louisville KY. Not Cali or Denver or Texas, so one of my major considerations is service. I buy the Cervelo there is like one shop in KY I can find that might service the motor and battery. Scott seems easier to find a shop. BMC I have no idea. Trek and Specialized retailers are easier to find, but they're more expensive.

Only thing Scott has going against it is the hub motor. Cervelo and BMC have the cool factor and look like better choices as far as motors, but what am I gonna do if I buy one in June and next Spring the motor has an issue? Or it has a bad battery that needs replacing. That's where Scott has an advantage.

Anyway, my initial point is this: about 5% of all "e-bikes" look like a traditional real road bike and ride like a traditional road bike. Everything else is just some weird Franken-bike thing. Why do manufacturers put 40c+ tires on so many bikes, and with knobby tires? Is the market mostly people who wanna ride their bikes on the road with some assistance, or is it the hipster crowd bogarting tables at coffee shoppes? Inquiring minds wanna know lol.
Recycled Cycler is offline  
Reply