I've been commuting for the past year with a "Decathlon Elops 920 Speed" (Alfine 8 internal gear hub) to which I added a rack and a panier for my stuff. About 9km each way, 4-5 days a week in Geneva, whatever the weather. It's been mostly a great experience but I'm thinking of getting a new bike because:
- it's a 600 eur bike and quality of certain parts is showing
- dealing with chain maintenance is getting old
- It has an unsprung chain tentioner that needs reajusting frequently, poor design choice really
- Some other "unquantifiable" niggles have tarnished the general experience
So I'd definitely like to move to a belt system and have identified two potential biles that would seemingly fit my criteria:
- Birk Bikes Belt (Alfine 11) dutch brand, hand made, seems like great quality
- Cube Editor SLX FE (Alfine 11) mass produced, so about 500eur cheaper for similar specs but looks a little less "cool"/fancy than the Birk
BUT
I got my fiancée a very nice ebike (Moustache Lundi 27) for her birthday which is an absolute joy to ride and I'm a little jealous of how "easy" her commuting experience is. Our way home in the evening is mainly a ride up (although mostly gentle ascents), so after a long day at work, I'm having a bit of a "mental battle" getting on my bike and I'm also conisdering the following "Sporty" eBikes to take the "edge of" my commute:
- Tenways CGO600Pro
- Deruiz Turmali (European version of the Ride1Up Roadster V3 – I have a preference for this bike vs the Tenways)
Unfortunately I don't have the possibility to try them out here in Switzerland but on paper, they seem like a great option. From the reviews I have seen, it seems I can still have my daily "cardio workout" but can also ramp up the assistance for the hills when I'm fealing lazy. I don't think I want a "full fat" ebike, similar to my fiancee's one, as it seems those loose completeley the sporty nature of riding (not optimal to ride w/o assistance etc..), and belted options are significantly more expensive.
So I'm a little hesitant, do I "man the fuck up" and go for a new belted acoustic bike or could the suggested "sporty ebikes" really be the best of both worlds ?
Would love your input/advice!
Cheers,
F
by PocketFred