Elby Bike 9-Speed Electric Bike

I've ridden a lot of electric bikes in my time and find many of them a collection of parts that make it easier to get around, but that's about it. What separates the Elby is the level of integration and design of all the ebike components into something that truly works together and is a joy to ride.Every inch of the bike is thought through, from how the simple, rugged battery connection to the hydraulic disc brakes to the tire choice, to the adorable little bell. The custom battery shape works aesthetically with the frame and is not some obtrusive piece strapped to the down tube of the bike. By putting it down low, it also adds to the stability of the bike, making it handle like a dream, regardless of speed.I love the active regeneration mode, which automatically recharges the battery every time you brake. If you're going down a big hill, you can turn on the regen mode fully, get off the brakes, and recoup tons of battery power as your speed is controlled on your descent.The adjustability of the bike is huge, allowing my wife and daughter and myself to all use the same bike. With a few turns of a hex key, we've got a great fit regardless of height or age, for riders 5' to 6'5".The range is up to 90 miles, but that's dependent on how you ride and how many hills are in your area. To get that 90 miles, you'll have to keep your pace mellow and stay away from big hills, but with a 4 hr charge time and removable battery, recharging the battery is no problem. I ride my Elby with very little regard for conserving the battery and haven't run into any trouble yet.The only other thing that's important to know is regarding ride feel and motor tune. A lot of ebikes I've ridden have a slight delay in delivering the pedal assist power, so you are a quarter stroke or more through your pedaling before the motor kicks in and gives you the electric boost. It's somewhat jarring, but that's not the case with the Elby. The response of the motor is immediate and highly attuned to your own power output. Soft pedal and a light touch? You'll get a gentle, but immediate, lift from the Elby motor. Stomp on the pedals with a powerful stroke? The motor delivers a quick and consummate push and you fly down the road.The short of it is that this bike is a premium purchase, but you get a premium product. If you really want to make a substantive change in how you get around, if you want to drop a car out of your driveway, this is the way to make that change. You won't be disappointed.

I call my beautiful stealth-black Elby "The Punisher!" Of course, it doesn't punish me - no, no, no! It punishes all the punks who try to keep up with this 74 year old (with heart failure, afib, and an ejection fraction of 10% - not kidding). They all fall by the wayside in exhausted heaps with puzzled looks on their faces. I am having a blast on this thing! (See the 7 pics in "Customer Images")I chose black because the other color combos seem to say "There's something geeky going on here!" - which is just fine for most (great colors!) - but I didn't want that. I wanted to keep them guessing. Have a little fun. And, it worked! Most people have no idea what's really going on with this bike. Of course I further disguised (see pics) by covering the Elby logos with decals of flags, The Punisher, Molon Laabe, golden dragons, initials, favorite travel location stickers, etc, etc. Plus, I blacked out the metal plate on the battery cover using electrical tape to complete the overall monochrome look.MUST HAVE ACCESSORIES: 1) Elby Rear Rack from the Electric Cyclery. (Expensive - $75 + 15 ship - but worth every penny. German made, highest quality, easy attachment.) 2) Giddy-up (Amazon) seat to replace the uncomfortable (for me) stock Elby seat. 3) Rear view (90° - you do NOT want a wide angle camera) mini spy camera (Amazon) with 7" lcd monitor up front by handlebars. ( A must-have for me because turning my head to check for traffic all the time is too difficult for me - and useful rearview mirrors just don't exist for the bikes I've had.). (Simple RCA wiring skills are all that is needed.). 4) A basket on the Rear Rack for carrying stuff (Including a case with the rearview camera and 2 mini 4800mah 12volt/usb power supplies - one is a spare - ($23 @ - ebay) - to power the camera and 7" monitor. Simple wiring. I also added a Krytonite lock (mounted on rack, below basket) and a cheap front facing auto traffic camera to record my rides. (Plugs into usb port on the Elby headlight. Only works when the headlight is ON, but, I always ride with the headlight on anyway - for safety.). Really fun to play back some of the rides on the big screen when back at home. And, for night riding in the country I added two NightRyder lights. (The Elby lighting is perfect on city streets but not up to the task out in the boonies.) Also added 2 extra rechargeable Blitzu tail lights which are terrific (one on each side of the basket) which forms an eye-catching triangle with the Elby tail light.I was 6'4" (shrunk up to about 6'2" now) and I weigh about 245 (ready to go) and I fit perfectly on this bike after making the basic initial adjustments to seat and handlebar height (and angle) so I don't understand reviewers saying they are too big to get comfortable. Don't know what that's about. But, I do agree that this Elby has no suspension and is not designed for dirt/gravel roads or curb jumping. Don't buy this bike if you won't be using normal paved roads and trails.(Note: The website for the wonderful tires on the Elby says recommended inflation is 51.5 to 62 p.s.i. Guess what: Running on the low side significantly cushions the ride. Running 35 to 40 p.s.i. really really softens the ride. Yeah, I know.... increased rolling friction & tire wear etc, etc. But I also know (from decades of riding) 40 p.s.i. on a semi-fat tire like the Elby's will function perfectly well - and maybe even give you a little more grip. Try it once. Savor the smoothness of the ride compared to the rock-hard 62 p.s.i. You might be willing to give up a couple kilometers of battery range for the leap in ride comfort.)I'm fortunate I live in a small (8,000 pop) town with great streets and miles of beautiful paved trails connecting with other small towns. If I'm in the mood I'll make a midnight run (cornfields and/or highways on either side) to the next town 10 miles east. And, I might just keep going another 6 or 7 miles to the Michigan lakefront. I love it!I must say I don't get the range that a lot of reviewers say they get (even at 62 p.s.i. That's probably because I outweigh them by a bunch, plus there are numerous hills, and (given my reduced physical stamina) i run 90% of the time in gear 8 or 9 (smallest cog - fastest speed) with the boost set to level 4 (i.e. MAX assist). Even so, I get a solid 12 -15 mile full force run and can easily stretch the trip to 20 miles. And that's actually a substantial bike ride for most people. (And then too - I really lucked out. I found a brand new Elby battery on ebay for $450! So, I wrap the extra battery in a bath towel and bungy cord it in my basket. Now I can run all day with no fear of ever getting stranded. Takes about 15 seconds to swap batteries. Note: A normal healthy person will never need a second/spare battery. I've only used mine twice.)I've only gone 300+ miles so far, but they have been flawless, fantastic miles. Okay, the front wheel did loosen up a little early on. All I had to do was loosen the quick-release lever, give it half a clockwise turn and relock the lever. Presto! Wheel bearings snug again. Very simple. No problems at all with the rear wheel tightness/bearings, motor, chain etc.The smoothness of the power assist on this Elby is flat out amazing. This bike has been fine-tuned to the n'th degree. (All hail Elby/BionX!!) I just never get tired of running up and down all the badnews hills in our town where other bikes fear to tread. (Love the shocked stares from pedestrians. All part of the fun.) Plus, I can silently glide, effortlessly, for miles and miles through all the nooks and crannies of our town and countryside without creating any hint of a disturbance (as you would on a mtorcycle or convertible or whatever). All of a sudden Taco Bell pops in your head. But - its 2 miles in the wrong direction! NOT a problem - You are there in 6 minutes. No sweatNormally I don't use the throttle. But, should I reach my limit for the day I'll say.... "Elby, take me home!". I'll throttle up then (but never when anyone's looking).Note: 1) You don't want a wide-angle rear-view camera because it makes cars appear further away than they really are. Dangerous! (Stick with a 90° max camera.) 2) The mount/clamp I used for the 7" monitor is actually the mount that came with the Kryptoniite lock ($17 at Walmart). didn't need it for the lock so I clamped it to the handlebar post, inserted a long 1/4" bolt up through the clamp, with 5 /16 nuts as spacers, attached standard swivel mount to monitor and bolt. You want the monitor pointing directly toward your face. Used Velcro build-up on top edge of monitor and handlebar to cushion monitor. 3) If you want to go crazy and get the brightest outdoor rated monitor (Feelworld 7", $250. Do it. (Should help avoid most image washout conditions in bright light.) But, you will also need a little RCA to HDMI converter (usb powered) and a little black project box to hide it all in. I have all that stuff, but haven't hooked it up as yet on the bike because 90% of the time performance on the cheap monitor is just fine. Plus, it is real easy to add a second camera to this cheap monitor and switch views/cameras with a touch of a button on the monitor. We will see. 4) Ref the rearview camera case - Velcro the batteries to sides of case. Don't over-Velcro, just enough to hold in place and still be able to remove if needed. Also use Velcro straps to secure case to basket using slots on side of case. 5) Basket is attached to rack with 1mm black annodized wire. (Easy to work with.) 6) Read "Comments", below, for more info.Here are some Amazon numbers for accessories I used (type into Search box): B07568FY43, B01N7KQPJI, B01M64AQVQ, B01NAGIHJB.

Trying to review this bike for the 3rd time:I bought this bike from a dealer after extensive research on ebikes. The Elby is on par with European commuter ebikes at a better price point, you get a lot for your $ here. Elby is the complete package commuter: lights & a USB charger (for a phone or whatever) are integrated into the motor’s power supply and wired inside the frame. Rugged fenders have heavy-duty cross braces to attach baskets and whatnot. Thick Continental tires make for a comfy ride. The step-through frame is very convenient, built stout enough to carry me (200#) and two loaded baskets down hills and around curves with perfect stability. The motor on this bike is in the rear hub, and having it behind me makes it virtually soundless. The motor (BionX 500 watt) kicks in as soon as you start pedaling, but there is a throttle to add a little zip across intersections. The battery is about 9 pounds and locks into its little compartment over the cranks. It’s super convenient to charge, on or off the bike with a little LED that turns green when it’s charged.I charge it once a week, I usually ride 30 miles or so. I’m heavy, and I carry groceries, plus I am going steeply uphill for half of my rides. The Elby has regenerative braking, which is helpful heading downhill, you can watch the charge numbers go up.The app you use on a phone with this bike has routing that is optimized for biking, which has been very handy.