Priority E-Coast Review: High-Maintenance Ebike Leave a comment

Overly technical outside sports activities are just a little embarrassing. For instance, I like biking, however I don’t wish to misrepresent my curiosity or talents—I’ve no need to hobble round espresso retailers in clip-in sneakers and full-body stretch jerseys. That makes me the proper buyer for Precedence Bicycles, an organization that goals to make high-quality however not-so-technical, affordably priced bikes. (I additionally know I’m the proper buyer as a result of, disclosure, I personal a Priority gravel bike myself.)

Like all of its bikes, Precedence’s electrical seashore cruiser has a retro attraction. It has some premium parts, like a low-maintenance Gates carbon belt drive with a strong rear hub motor, on a clear aluminum stand-up body. That is interesting, particularly because it comes with a wallet-friendly price ticket (for an ebike). Sadly, Precedence might have overshot the mark with the E-Coast. You’re simply not going to seek out many cruisers with Gates belt drives at this worth. However ought to you?

Determine It Out

The primary signal I had that every one won’t be nicely was when the bike arrived. Precedence is a direct-to-consumer firm, which implies that if you order a motorbike, it should arrive boxed at your own home. The corporate does advocate having it assembled by knowledgeable; it engaged an organization to assemble it for me. (Listed here are the instructions, for those who don’t wish to spend a further $200 and might assemble it your self.)

Nonetheless, as soon as I obtained the bike, it did require troubleshooting. The entrance brake wanted adjusting, and the included proprietary entrance fender strikes each time I flip the entrance wheel, regardless of what number of instances I tighten the screw holding it on. A number of weeks after receiving the bike, I nonetheless have to regulate the entrance brake or fender sometimes. It’s the form of low-level annoyance the place you don’t wish to trouble going to a store.

Nonetheless, on one of many first stunning spring days of the yr, I fortunately threw on a jean jacket and hopped on the E-Coast to cruise across the park—sadly, it was buzzing nastily. I grouchily got here dwelling and stuck it, but it surely’s nonetheless a downer if you simply wish to run out the door within the solar.

My tester got here in an especially fairly mint-green step-through body. You’re meant to journey it whereas sitting straight up. Precedence states that the minimal inseam on the step-through is 26 inches, which occurs to be my precise inseam. I might journey the bike fairly simply whereas pedaling, however I do have to face on my tiptoes to face on the bottom once I’m at a cease.

That’s not an issue with a Trek Electra cruiser bike, which has a proprietary flat-foot geometry—the way in which the seat and pedals are positioned on an Electra body, you get full extension whereas pedaling and nonetheless can place your ft flat on the bottom. I didn’t discover this to be uncomfortable on the E-Coast, but it surely’s a consideration if you’re pedaling round a 56-pound bike.

It has 26-inch wheels which can be enormously huge, and a proprietary 500-watt rear hub motor, with a 576-watt-hour removable battery that’s positioned underneath the rear rack. It is a lot of weight to put on the again half of the bike, though I didn’t actually discover it except I used to be lifting the bike up onto a rack or up the steps. It’s value noting that neither the motor nor the battery has presently been UL licensed, which is the security commonplace for ebike electrical methods. Nonetheless, Precedence does say that it is on the horizon, in time to be compliant with New York’s new law.

Not a Commuter

One of many E-Coast’s closest direct-to-consumer rivals might be the Ride1Up Cafe Cruiser, a motorbike with which it has lots in frequent. Just like the Cafe Cruiser, the E-Coast has a pleasant kickstand. It has a rear rack, even if you cannot carry passengers on it. And it’s a single-speed, which is definitely OK. As I discover with ebikes that don’t have a classy pc, it’s typically not well worth the hassle of calibrating the right help stage with the appropriate stage of torque to really feel pure whereas pedaling. Simply use the throttle and be finished (it additionally has a throttle).