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Hi thread. I haven’t bike rid in like 12 years - did it all the time growing up in a small town but when I moved to Sydney to go to Uni it seemed far too terrifying. But I just ordered a Trek Allant+ 8 from my local bike shop (Australian). It’s expensive but I just jumped in because they have a 90 days no questions returns if you’re not absolutely positively delighted with it, and they fit it out for you, so I figure there’s not much risk either way. My reasons are I want to get out more and be more active, but I live at the bottom of a really vicious hill that it would be just grand if I didn’t have to like, deal with it. And the suburb I’m in has a lot of bike paths and stuff and they seem to be building more. I’ve lost a lot of weight last year, almost 20 kg all up, and I’m looking to continue that trend this year and I think that the Trek will definitely factor into it. I’m still right at the weight limit for the bike but I figure there’s probably going to be some tolerances, especially since I’m a very tall man I’m getting the XL size.
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Jan 4, 2021 10:39
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| # ¿ Apr 26, 2024 07:54 |
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My Alliant+ 8 is missing in transit, stolen, I guess, and so Trek is sending out another shipment. Getting your bike stolen before you even take it home from the shop is pretty funny. But every day is perfect bike weather right now, so that's frustrating.
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Jan 18, 2021 06:59
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My Allant+ 8 finally arrived, and I took it for its first ride, and my first in like 12 years. It's incredible. I can't believe I was even slightly worried it didn't have enough power to get up a hill. If you chuck it in first and have any assistance on above Eco it just crushes them flat. Turbo is actually scary how fast it goes up hills. Getting it home meant taking up an incredibly steep driveway, and it was laughably easy, like easier than walking easy. Barely moving my legs. This is honestly a poo poo load more bike than I was expecting given the restrictions on wattage and speed. It has a precision and stability to it that is wonderful, it feels capable of anything. I felt like I have found something important that I lost a very long time ago. Since it's XL-sized, it's the first bike I've ever had that fits my height, it's honestly a completely different thing. Some of that has come with some hard realisations: I relied on having my feet flat on the ground for getting out of jams a lot and don't really have good dismounting down, or tight cornering. One thing that compounded that I found starting on a hill is basically impossible. For that steep driveway I mentioned I was able to turn around, go downhill to the bottom, then take a run at it and it was again, laughable, pitiable even. But then at the top of that driveway and the start of the next one in a slightly more flatter but still very much uphill gradient, a car came the other way, and I had to break, and then I realised I was basically hosed and had to scary dismount via my tiptoes and balls. The assistance selection thing is another thing. Through most of the ride I was treating it basically like gears but I think that's definitely wrong, I know I've read from a bunch of places that you should use the gears to guide the assistance, not the other way around, so I think I need to get a feel for that more. I spent pretty much all the flats in Eco or Off, enjoying the actual sensation of pedalling with resistance while not going fast, but I found myself scrambling to up the assistance before I got to a hill. I get the distinct impression that micromanagement is definitely the wrong way here. Comfort wise it's pretty great, I think it will take some getting used to though. I opted for upgrading the seat to a huge Bioaktive one that did alright but still might need to get used to it. The handlebars also can feel a little more distant than I'm used to. But really on the whole, I am blown away. I love the look of it, the feel of it, everything. Very satisfied first day. We're in for a rainy week, unfortunately, so that will probably curtail me using it heavily but I am so looking forward to getting better with it.
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Jan 28, 2021 13:13
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kimbo305 posted:On modern hybrids like the Allant+, in a size that fits you, you should have clearance standing astride the bike, flatfooted. Are you really short in the leg? I am extremely tall in the everything. I'm actually 1cm under the maximum height for the Allant. I'm not super clear on your usage of 'astride' here. If I'm on the saddle I can stand, like, on tiptoes, according to the bikeshop and the stuff I've read, that's the ticket -- and that my leg is fully extended when my heel is on the pedal when it's down or something similar. I can definitely stand flat footed if I am off the saddle, like in front of it, which this video points out is the thing to do which i am just finding out about now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0CJk5UpY4w I am def doing a bunch of things totally wrong, I sort of had to figure it all out myself growing up without any real guidance. (and on bikes that were way too small for me) chaosbreather fucked around with this message at 13:35 on Jan 28, 2021 |
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Jan 28, 2021 13:31
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kimbo305 posted:Yeah, when coming to a complete stop for any extended period of time, you'll want to be off your saddle. For the obvious reason that it's more comfortable and lets you plant a wider base. Yes this seems like a better approach than giving yourself a massive wedgie while your toes fight for traction and you desperately fight not to fall over. Who knew?
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Jan 28, 2021 14:17
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| # ¿ Apr 26, 2024 07:54 |
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Cugel the Clever posted:Took the Trek Allant 9 and Verve 2 for test rides today. Both have a heck of a lot of pluck, but especially the Allant. Most surprising was just how rideable they are with assist off—having not ridden an ebike before, I really expected the 50 lbs frames to be noticeably more difficult (though I didn't try the hills without the assist). It's been a while since I posted since I got my Allant+ 8, so since you're considering one I thought I would jump in and give an update. It's fantastic. I hadn't used a bike in decades and I'm not really having any difficulties at all. The assist modes take a little getting used to, especially how they work with the gears; sometimes it's an easier ride to upshift on a hill because the higher assistance will contribute more -- that is pretty counter-intuitive but I'm getting the hang of it. I use it as often as I can and look for excuses to use it more. I've already commuted once to work on it and I had an amazing day, fulla pep, even if I was a little tired on the way back. So far it hasn't done a full lifestyle change yet but it's definitely happening. It's a beautiful machine, too, but one thing that I definitely wasn't counting on was it attracting attention. I was buying my GF an ebike (from a different store, Trek doesn't have anything small enough in stock), hanging outside while the guy took the new one through some tests, and I noticed a woman staring at it, transfixed, moving towards it. She even brushed her hand across a handlebar. It was insane, I was a little worried she was like, going to steal it or was trying to buy it but she was just, I don't know, flirting with it? Then going home I noticed while I was walking it through the pedestrian mall that lots of people were staring at it. So that's a thing, apparently. I don't hate it, I'm kind of glad something this expensive turns heads but it's the first thing I've owned that... does that. Maybe when I got an iPhone way before everyone did, that also had that effect.
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Apr 20, 2021 07:46
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