I stopped monitoring the range after about 30 miles, but the battery indicator on the top tube still showed about 30 percent remaining. (I weigh 115 pounds, so your mileage may vary.) You can also opt for drop-he handlebars if you plan on doing more bike commuting. You can also add suspension to your flat bar setup if you want to ride over more rocks and bumps. My tester also had a dropper seatpost, which allows you to raise or lower the seat when coming to a stoplight or climbing a hill. I'm a firm believer that every bike (commuter bike, mountain bike, and everything else) should have one.
Too hot to touch
Photo: Will Matsuda
Gorgeous, expensive bikes that can go anywhere and do anything have one big drawback. If your bike is your primary mode of transportation, consider leaving your bike locked in front of the grocery store (known locally as a “gross out”) to run errands. Even with the best safety precautions, you can't do that on a $7,000 bike. If he were to use it as a bike commuter, he would probably cycle 12 miles to his office, which has a locked indoor bike garage, and then go straight to his home garage. We're not replacing a karaoke night at a dive bar with a car.
I also read on Reddit that people are concerned about Fazua systems because they are not very common here in the US and are difficult to fix. You can also use Bosch or Shimano, but they won't be as light. I decided not to worry about this. In general, to repair your electric bike, you'll probably need to go directly to the manufacturer or dealer.
The app just oh dear. It doesn't look or feel pleasant, and it constantly tells you to update it urgently, in a process that's far less intuitive than Specialized's Mission Control. Mission Control is a little more convenient, as it automatically adjusts the power to get you home. However, the Skitch is light enough that running out of battery shouldn't be much of a problem. Santa Cruz also provides direct and ongoing input into the app's development, so the app can improve dramatically over the next few years.
