Business Description:
Categories
bicycle shops & repair
Pedego Electric Bikes
11310 Slater Ave, Fountain Valley, CA 92708, USA
(800) 646-8604

Total Experience

Quality

Will Recommend

Pat B.

Redding, CA

Pedego Electric Bikes

These Bikes Fit our Needs Perfectly!

When you do your homework, things have a way of working out. Prior to Christmas and just having retired, Mary and I wanted to travel. In addition we need to get in shape, lose weight and have access to quick and easy transportation from the RV Resorts we plan to visit. Our goals are to visit family, meet folks and see the sites in this great country of ours. Looking at options, we had read that the e-bike has become very popular in the UK and Europe and becoming very popular in the USA. I have always enjoyed bicycling but the years have worn me down a bit and Mary did not want to struggle to keep up. The bicycles we have were being used rarely and for short rides only. Both of us desired a relaxed upright riding position for neighborhood and urban riding. The idea of peddle assist to help with ranges of 20 to 40 miles, managing hills, long climbs and head winds, seemed very appealing to us. So we started to research what was out there and found the 2015 Pedego Interceptor II.
Early December, we visited Practical Cycle in Sacramento, to test ride 26 inch bikes and found that Mary needed the smaller 24 inch step through bike. She is five foot two inches and it fits her perfectly. Sitting upright with no pressure on my wrist or shoulders, the larger 26 inch bike was very comfortable for me. The test ride surprised us. We found these bikes have more than ample power for acceleration, climbing or moving my 255 lb.’s weight with ease. Mary’s remark was “Oh my god, these are amazing”. We ordered one each of the 2015 models that first day. I went for the blue with blue rims and fenders, Mary, went with a white step through with white fenders. They arrived a few days before Christmas.
They required minimal assembly and our positive impressions were reaffirmed as we went on our first rides. It continues to get better with each ride, in fact I have lost 15 lbs. in less than 3 months. Having access to miles of paved bike trails in Redding CA, we can ride almost daily. The battery and rear motor are well blended with these cruiser style bikes. In fact, most folks don’t even notice that they are e-bikes. Using the 500 watt brushless geared rear hub, we quickly move away from stops with ease using the twist throttle to start and peddle assist (five levels), to power away. It has a low pleasant hum that lets you know its working. The power comes from a removable 48 volt Lithium-ion 10 AH battery that is subtlety carried inside a molded housing under the sturdy rear rack. We found that it takes some strength to pull out the battery from its housing but is manageable. The lock secures the battery firmly in the housing and has a removable key. Charging times vary but in tends to be about 2 hours or less.
Using innovation, high quality components and listening to its customers in ongoing product development, Pedego has a group of winners that lead us to choosing our Interceptor II’s. The Avid BB7 mechanical 160mm disc brakes are powerful and work very positively. The LED front and rear lights work well as does the sturdy kickstand. It also has a useful small bell that is built into the housing of the left hand brake. The bikes are geared for about zero to 20 mph with the Shimano Acera (1/7) shifter. The shifting is smooth and crisp. Mary loves the grip shifter on the left and says “Makes sense so I don’t need to think about it”. I have a thumb click shifter (Shimano Tourney FT 55) on the right and have ridden enough on this bike to automatically shift into the gear I need to keep my cadence and speed even. Both Mary and I agree that the large deluxe seat with 28.6 x 350 mm suspension seat post is comfortable once we found the best height and angle to use for each bike. The Schwalbe Fat Frank balloon tires soak up much of the bumps in the road. They have been pre-slimed for puncture protection and are Kevlar belted. For me, 50 psi seems to work the best for the surfaces we follow, mostly paved.
The throttle is on the right and works even if the peddle assist is on. The attractive multi- display is easy to see and shows battery status, speed, distance for trip and odometer, duration of trip, current power use and choice (0-5) of peddle assist level. It has a back lite feature and with a few simple instructions is easy to use. Real time changes for the peddle assist levels is intuitive and quick. Entering modes takes a little more attention but allows control over display settings. We found a glitch with the mileage keeping of the trip, trip reset and odometer. Tech support has been responsive, prompt, and very helpful. They are currently sorting the issue out. We tried one solution but the gremlin has returned and we are awaiting a more permanent solution. Otherwise, for speed (confirmed with GPS), battery use and power remaining, it has been right on the mark. Pedego stands firmly behind these bikes and provides the best customer support I have ever experienced.
What else did we need? The question of insurance was considered, researched and we chose Velo. So far accessories include; color matched water bottle cages, much brighter rechargeable rear LED blinkers from Serfas, large BikeSmart panniers bags and we carry very stout cable, U-lock and chain locks to protect our investment in fun and fitness. Of course we have some new riding apparel, good helmets and Monkey helmet mirrors. No spandex but we did get some good athletic gear.
Mary is amazed about how comfortable and satisfying the rides are. We have found with low to mid power settings, we average 12 to 17 mph riding our very hilly terrain. I took Mary on a particularly challenging ride with over 2000 ft. of climbs and 32 miles in length. No problem; the ride took about 2 hours 20 min including a potty break and we still had battery to spare. For me, no joint pain for the knees, hips, wrist or shoulders and my waist is starting to shrink. Mary and I try to ride daily and these bikes have met and are exceeding all of our needs.
An unexpected benefit is the new community of like-minded people we are meeting and communicating with. Bike trails, road rides, Facebook, POG (Pedego Owners Group), bike shops and riding events are just a few places we’re meeting folks. We are blessed with having a local bike shop that has just started as a Pedego distributor this year. People like the style and appearance of these bikes and are surprised when they find out, “It’s an e-bike”. Then they go for a short ride and “Wow!” a big smile breaks out followed by, “I want one”.
Looking forward to our future RV travels, we expect to have many adventures and see many sites on the backs of our e-bikes. We pull our car behind the Motor home. The car has a frame mounted hitch that locks onto our folding Thule rack made for the heavier e-bikes. The bike rack securely locks the bikes in place and off we go. Using this system we have had hundreds of trouble free miles. These bikes are attractive, well made, easy to control, provide all the power assist you want or need and more importantly, gets you back to riding. None of that grim faced determination for us, just smiles and miles.
Patrick and Mary Barrow