3-Year Performance Update: Stromer ST1 Limited Ebike + Accessories
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- Опубліковано 11 жов 2024
- Stromer loaned me an ST1 Limited Edition electric bike in 2016 when I did a full review for EBR at electricbikere... The bike has held up very well and I thought this would be a perfect time to do a recap and share what worked, what needed to be fixed, and what accessories we purchased to improve the ride experience.
Overall, the bike performed very well and is still in usable condition after hundreds of miles of riding. The chain and derailleur did go out of tune and had to be repaired (which is not abnormal for bicycles that are used frequently). The battery began to lose capacity, but the original is still in good working order. The same tires, fenders, and lights are all in tact and we have never gotten a flat, noticed rattle, or had a light begin to flicker. The biggest fail point has been the plastic LCD display panel. The arm that attaches it to the right side of the handlebar cracked when we upgraded to a swept-back bar and we had to use zip-ties to repair and re-attach it.
I hope this video helps you to estimate how reliable and durable Stromer products are. This was not a paid video and I am not associated with Stromer other than simply borrowing one of their early demo models for an extended period. I welcome comments and feedback here as well as in the EBR Forums at electricbikere...
Accessories that we added to improve the ride experience:
Kinekt BodyFloat suspension seat post amzn.to/2HeDUbr (we used a 27.2 mm post with a shim like this amzn.to/2K1EZ4n but the 31.6 mm post they now offer should fit perfectly on the ST1 Limited if you own that bike)
Specialized Roll Cage Side-entry water bottle cage with adjustable position www.specialize...
I probably would have upgraded the pedals from cage style to magnesium platforms like this amzn.to/2K3C8YI but that could also increase pedal strikes when you turn
These clear stickers can be used to protect the chain stay as well as any area on the bike where wires are rubbing and marring the paint amzn.to/2qLXcdp
Solid alloy center-mount kickstand, I believe it is this one but a local shop added the part so I cannot say for certain amzn.to/2K1hqZl
BV saddle bag for carrying accessories, I belive we got the medium size but it comes in several size choices depending on how much gear you need to carry amzn.to/2qN1Fwh
bicycle multi-tool amzn.to/2qLr5ew and tire levers for fixing flats on the go amzn.to/2vuM2zg
My Dad loves lights so he added two USB-rechargeable LED strip lights from Blitzu including a white headlight amzn.to/2HRDYLy and red backlight amzn.to/2K3HIu8
This plastic phone mount looks exactly like the one we got but is made by a different brand, there seem to be many options online amzn.to/2HNHy9i
I think we added the bell, there are many to choose from but my Uncle bought a flick style bell like this amzn.to/2qM1a5N
Swept-back mid-riser handlebar to raise the body position and create a more comfortable hand position amzn.to/2K3IIhS
We used a motorcycle helmet cable lock with combination vs. key to secure the saddle and suspension seat post amzn.to/2qO8PjP
I talked about using the SKS Anywhere adapter amzn.to/2qM0lcU to add a folding lock to the seat tube like this amzn.to/2K3fxeK since the bike only has one pair of bottle cage bosses, the cheaper combination cable lock that my Dad has is not very secure so I wouldn't recommend it for most riders
Black reflective stickers to blend in with the black accents of the frame while keeping you visible amzn.to/2qM1qS0 we added them to the rims, fenders, and my Dad's black helmet
Bell Stoker helmet which is designed for people with larger heads amzn.to/2K4dwPw
Things I liked about the Stromer ST1 Limited
Powerful but quiet motor, offers recoup (power regeneration), the torque sensor is very fluid and natural feeling, the bike looks beautiful, the rear rack is useful for hauling cargo but doesn't stick out much or add a lot of weight, being able to ride above 20 mph (up to nearly 28 mph) speeds up commuting and adds some excitement as well as keeping up with traffic, the Ergon saddle and locking grips feel good and have held up very well
Things I felt could be improved about the Stromer ST1 Limited
The kickstand is mounted near the bottom bracket and gets in the way of the left crank arm, I replaced the spring kickstand with one that will stay in the down position because it makes the bike much more stable, the charge port cover on the left side of the bike is easily broken off and then the port is completely exposed to the elements.
The ST1 is one of our favorites! The display mount is definitely a bit dated, but this bike has been around for a good while. Other than that they are rock solid all around.
Awesome, thanks for the feedback! I trust your experience and opinions
Hi! Long time follower of the channel and the website here. Having the ST1 as well, I have to say that I've also had the bike computer mount crack and break. Stromer mentioned that their only fix is to install a whole new assembly for about 200 which is really not ideal. I ended up gluing the entire plastic parts together with superglue whiux had worked for about 1000 mi but still, there should be a better/easier fix. However, I think that Stromer has really learned from their mistakes and the newest bikes definitely feature design iterations. For one, the Schlumpf gear was a disaster (and I've had to go in for 3 repairs including one replacement). Since the 2018 models, you'll notice that virtually all bikes have a single gear disk at the crankshaft. Shifting only occurs on the cassette at the rear wheel. Another safety related thing is that the bright front and back lights don't have any 'dynamic' features and thus many riders around where I live in Switzerland have added blinking/flashing front and rear lights. Note that the newest bikes by Stromer now have a dynamic break light which is already an improvement. I'm sure more will come with the next model year.
Awesome video! On all my bikes front and back, I use the same Blitzu after market lights. Really bright and great quality.
Sweet, they seemed to work very well for my Dad, definitely bright... and I like the different flashing modes
Im liking this "Up Date" Review years later Courtney ! Please consider Re-Reviewing The German M1 "Spitzing Plus" , preferably one thats been long used for Multi Day Dirt Trek Touring. (not interested in bikes that have been treated carefully) Or if not, any other of our favourite fat or plus+, full susp - touring worthy types will be Very Interesting also. Anyhow i say "Keep up these revisits" Appreciate ya work sir. "LONG LIVE US CYCLISTS"
Cool, thanks for the feedback! I haven't owned an M1 but will try to do interviews and updates from people who have, or had similar ebikes as you suggest, it's a fun topic and a bit more raw than a first look review sort of video
I'm a courier in Toronto and I have the platinum. I do my own work on my bike. I haven't had issues with the kickstand,but I know people who have. Mine held up pretty well even in the -30 weather we had here for a solid week. My only real issues have been with the recoup connector falling out and the wiring to the back light. I recently had to re solder my rear light.
Wow, it sounds like you've really put the bike to the test! Glad it's holding up mostly well, great job with the DIY solder fix Julia, did you know how to do that before? I used to assemble PCB circuit boards for a company called Celestica and got a HAM Radio license where we learned to solder. It's a neat skill :)
It never hit -30c in Toronto this winter. Do you mean with windchill? Wind chill wouldn't affect your bike.
that last two week of dec I think it got pretty close? Numerous people here had battery problems and some had problems with things like the display breaking off. That weather was pretty nasty to our bikes.
I fix cell phones
Have you been delivering food via UberEats on the Stromer electric bike? Can you make more money with an e-bike versus a regular bike?
That color is perfect for the south indeed.
It's a really unique metallic blue, the Stromer ebikes have always been beautiful in my opinion. Great welds, solid lines, beautiful battery integration. They also made a metallic green one: electricbikereview.com/stromer/st1-s/ and a metallic red one: electricbikereview.com/stromer/st1-x/
About the kick stand: In europe you have to avoid to drive with stand down (on motorbikes and Speed Pedelecs are counted as Motorbikes in Europe) . Two systems used: Automatik kick up stands or kill switch in the Stand (System will not start as long the stand is down).
how many miles did the bike ride ? and how is the battery holding up after 3 years riding on it ?.
Great video. I have a Blitzu front light on my road bike. I really like it, but to get the full brightness I have to recharge it after every 2 hour ride.
Hmm, good feedback about recharging. My face trimmer is like that, sometimes I even trim with it plugged in to get full speed and power ;)
was wondering about the range after 3 years.
Hi. Great review! I always enjoy your thoughtful work. Could you give us some idea of total miles and number of charges? I am seriously considering an ST1 and this would be super useful info. Plus, I think both are easily accessible via the LCD computer. Thanks for any info!
Great review, Cort. For the amount of money Stromer is charging for a bike their quality and service should be much higher. It sounds like, based on your reviews and others it is not a bike that I would not consider buying. If I'm going to spend $10K I would demand a much better product.
Hey Cort, I just got my Juiced' Ripcurrent S a few days ago. So far, the bike is just sitting in my repair stand b/c the aluminum chainring and dual bashguards came badly bent. Juiced' is "supposedly" sending out a new crankset right away, but their communication is not great, so we'll see with that. Maybe I should just buy a Shimano crankset?
Love your your videos, how many miles were actually put on the bike?
I like you reviews, they are excellent. However with so many manufacturers & models, I’m overwhelmed. Have you considered doing a Top 10 e-bike episode, it would be much appropriated. Thank you.
Thanks for the feedback... I have a page with lots of great options that gets updated regularly vs. videos that can't be changed. Check it out here and let me know what you think: electricbikereview.com/best-electric-bikes/
That's a nice e-bike.
You did a 3 year review but didn't even mention reliability of the motor, battery and controller?
Neither my Uncle or Father had issues. I loaned it to my Cousin who said that the battery wasn't filling completely, and Stromer sent the dongle adapter to charge the pack directly, then the range went back up. I guess I'd say that the motor seems to be offering 100% performance, the controller hasn't had any issues, the display panel clamp broke and we fixed it with a zip tie, and the battery is probably at ~70% of what it was when brand new but I couldn't really measure this. Hope this helps :)
The reason is because the post 2015/2016 models were all great. Very few or any motor or battery issues. Almost bulletproof.
Exactly the question I came to this video with! I'm looking at a used ST1 and wasn't sure of life span. I'm glad I found the answer here in the very first comment lol
I also had Stromer St1 3 years, top speed is now only around 24 mph, is there away to install front hub ebike conversion kit to make it faster? Front fork is not standard so not able to do so :(
this isn't directly related to the stromer but yesterday I saw a guy in my town on a Sondors fat tire bike first time i've seen an electric bike in my town out in rural/suburban west georgia
Interesting, that's kind of neat! I remember seeing some Sondors Ebikes parked at a bike rack at Stanford once, just saw a Pedego parked on the street in Vancouver, and I have seen several RadRovers in different parts of Seattle and other states. It makes me smile and feels like more people are discovering ebikes :)
Did you address the change in range over time? If so, I missed it.
I couldn't speak to that objectively, the battery has definitely diminished, maybe to 70% of what it once was, but I wasn't able to quantify this based on the use that my Uncle and Father have had, they just expressed that the range seems less than when it was new... I think there are a lot of factors here, like their weight, how they ride, etc. but the battery has certainly gone down. Sorry I cannot be more specific... the original battery was still being used and offering 10+ miles per ride, but they weren't draining it to zero
Thoes balls at the end of the brake leavers, need to be there for safety reasons. (Atleast in motorbikes in EU)
If you have broken the ball off from your break leaver it becomes sharp item that can hurt you in case of a crash. And also your motorbike won't go trough an inspection without the ball at the end of the break leaver. So i think the idea is the same with this e-bike.
I have personally seen my friend penetrated trought the lower jaw by hes brake leaver that were broken from the end and missing the ball. (We were 15 and driving mopeds) hes fine tho. :)
Indeed, a friend recently explained this to me, dates back to motorcycles which had sharp ends and could impale riders during a crash. Thanks for chiming in Andreas!
Great video as always. The reason that those balls are there at the end is so that if you crash the levers don't punch through you and injure you. Also the balls at the end are meant to break off in a crash.
Would you do more kits review? I am considering a full suspension carbon frame on Aliexpress to be coupled with a Bafang G520 (www.bafang-e.com/en/components/component/motor/mm-g120220.html) but it is difficult to find reviews about it.. Currently rocking a BBS02 on my hardtrail, which is very nice for now still :)
(the balls on the brake levers are not to keep from slipping off, there so in the event of a crash you won't get injured or stabbed by the lever..)
The self-retracting kick-stand isn't necessary anymore in Europe for the homologation of today's models ... they got rid of that rule ... My 2018 QWIC RD10Speed (Dutch) for instance doesn't have this feature anymore ... it has a normal rear kick-stand ...
They should really put a mid drive or geared hub motor on this. Gearless hub motors seems outdated to me. Especially with how expensive they are. The only reason I passed on this.
Hub motors are quiet, especially if they are gearless. For a fast bike and many kilometers, these are ideal. For a MTB I would rather recommend a mid drive.
How many kilometers are there on this bike?
Plus as Court mentioned, the cogs got pretty worn. On a mid-drive, more force is put on the cogs and chain. For areas that get lot's of snow and therefore salt and grime... multiply the wear he mentioned by 3. Gearless is just more dependable and spreads the stress load to more bike parts that can take it. Now as far as energy efficient... you have a point with the outdated thing.
Gearless motors actually perform more efficiently at higher speeds than geared motors. You'll find that speed pedelecs with geared motors tear through your battery life very quickly. We've tested the ST1 in the shop and did 20 miles on power mode no problem (10% remaining)with a 522wh pack, we took the Easy Motion EVO Nitro on the same trip and the bike died right around the 20 mile mark with a 600wh battery. Stromer's are definitely purpose built for being efficient at high speeds to make best use of the battery life, and the extra weight is hardly noticeable.
All good points but, gearless motors add drag when you're not pedaling and are big and bulky. Geared motors are overall more efficient in my experience. Oh, and you definitely notice the weight in terms of acceleration and handling.
What was the brand on the lights your dad bought on Amazon?
Hi Bryan, my Dad found two USB-rechargeable LED strip lights on Amazon from a company Blitzu. He bought a white headlight amzn.to/2HRDYLy and red backlight amzn.to/2K3HIu8 and they are both very bright and have several flashing modes :)
💚💚💚👍👍👍
:D
How many miles are on the bike?
how has the battery held up?
Great question, still the original battery! It has lost some capacity, but still does okay. We had to use the dongle adapter to charge it off of the bike to get a full charge, for some reason it wasn't charging fully when mounted to the bike
Are you in AZ?
Is your uncle still using the haibike?
Yeah, sort of... He still has the bike but broke his arm last year riding in the rain (hit a pothole that was covered by water and took a very hard fall).
Do you need to have fenders?
No, I think they can be removed if you want, but the rear rack is built into the fender so you'd lose that as well
Almost bought this one got a bulls bike instead . Glad I never got this one .
I have a Stromer st1 - rode it for two summers, at 1200 miles the motor burnt up (or motor controller - its all located in the wheel unit). I was 1 month out of warranty... after repeated attempts to contact Stromer, finally got ahold of the warranty dept. They just sort of laughed and said - "yeah, sorry man nothing we can do for you." So I bought a $4000 bicycle that needs an $1100 part after 1200 miles... these bikes are gimmicky, unreliable and Stromer service is absolutely horrible to work with. Go with Yamaha or Bosch - Stromer won't be around long. Oh - and the shop I took it two had two st1's on the floor (poor people trying to get rid of them on consignment).
Cort, your reviews are very good, but styling a bike is not your strong suit.
dude, that is 5000$ bike and you guys are using a 10$ lock? :-)
Some good info on this channel but, he must have the biggest closet ever full of ugly shirts...... Maybe a solid color once in a while.
Biking in a Tshirt or colorful riding jersey - Cheers
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