Glad you're digging it! It really is a nice bike. Not so many reviews as other bikes out there, but everyone I've talked to that owns it seems to love it quite a lot! Glad you're enjoying it.
Have now put over 200 miles on my Santa Monica - strong brakes, easy to get off and on, motor is so powerful I pedal up our steepest local hills in PAL 2 (max power is at PAL 5), getting over 60 miles on a charge (mostly PAL 1 power, constant pedaling, mostly flat roads) at 15 to 20 MPH cruising speeds - bike looks sharp and feels solid - only negative is 66 lb. weight - great bike, especially for seniors - I get more exercise now with this ebike than I got with my standard Trek mountain bike
That's awesome! Sounds like you're really having a good time with it. and 60 miles on a charge is pretty phenomenal! The torque sensor they're using, and how it's programmed, seem to make it very efficient with battery usage.
That's awesome! The Blue is a really cool color, in my opinion. Where did you get them from? Always fun hearing what other bike shops carry the AIMA brand.
Picked up one today from Exhalted E-Bikes in High Point, NC. Todd is the best! The Santa Monica is an incredible E-Bike. You can unlock on the screen which will get you between 28-35 mph. Awesome review - thanks!
went to a bike shop to test ride the Velotric Discover 2 and salesman showed me the AIMA Santa Monica which I also took on a test ride. I really liked the fit and feel of the Santa Monica and decided on AIMA Santa Monica
Very thorough coverage - like your sidebar comments on performance, quite informative - steep hills are my biggest concern and 750/1200 watts looks like it does the job with pedal assist - I may have missed it but this bike looks to have a very low step over height, a major consideration for seniors and people with leg disabilities - can you comment on SM step over height vs. competitive step through bikes? Thanks!
Yes! Not sure I mentioned it, but it's 15.7" for both the Small Size, and the Medium Size. The real only difference there is the small has a smaller minimum saddle height. The way AIMA does their sizes is the change the angle of their seat stay so the seat tube can be shorter. For comparison, the Discover2 from Velotric is about 15.4", the Stellar Falcon from Euphree is 19". The Malibu from E-LUX is 18" (14" on their Malibu Mini). So I would say that 15"-16" range is pretty comparable to the industry.
Great review! I love mine that did come with a rack.😊 When I’m coasting in “0” and start to pedal the motor seems to brake, is this because it’s regenerating the battery?
Well, thank you :) Yes I got this before the racks came in for the bikes, now they all get racks, which is definitely a bonus for this type of bike. Now, there's no regeneration technology here, and my best guess is it has to do with the geared rear hub motor. I haven't felt that feeling you're describing here, but then again I'm mostly riding around in unlimited mode and PAS 5 haha. I am just about to head to the shop, and when I get there I'll ride it around and see if I can recreate that braking feeling.
Great review. This bike checks a lot of boxes. Realizing this isn't an easy question, but what is realistic range? Say PAS 1-2, flat to gradual inclines, not hills.
We’ve got people at the shop who have purchased in Houston get a realistic 45-50 miles. A few who’ve gotten up to 55 hours just the larger Big Sur. But the Santa Monica is lighter, and the batteries are the same size, so if you’re doing some decent pedaling, would be interesting to see if you can get 55 out of it. Most people probably get about 40-45 in those levels though.
Hey- your review was fantastic and reassured me I was choosing the right e-bikes to replace our Aventon Pace. Just bought a matching pair of the blue ones (yesterday)from Exalted E-Bikes in High Point, NC. If anyone needs a new ebike….Todd at Exalted Ebikes is THE MAN!! Have put 40 miles on them since yesterday and LOVE THEM EVEN MORE!!!!!
That's awesome!! The Santa Monica is definitely an upgrade to the Pace for sure. Blue is also my favorite color of the three! You guys tried out that unlimited mode yet? Or you mostly just using it to cruise around? (although 40 miles in 2 days is a little bit more than just cruising around! haha)
Good review! My wife and I are awaiting delivery of our Big Surs. BTW...we lived just south of Austin until this past April and never saw where you are. Where are you?
@@Ennovation - No wonder I knew nothing about it...we never got down that way. VERY pretty area...made green from all that wonderful humidity!! 😉 My daughter just moved from south Austin and, we were not big fans of having to drive the I35 to get up there. We've recently moved to about 25 miles south of Tucson and the bike infrastructure here is REALLY good. Hope to check out some trails soon.
So that is an EXCELLENT comparison. Not every comparison question on here makes sense to me, but this is spot on! So, funny story, we JUST started selling Troxus at Power On Ebikes, and I assembled our first Trax 1.0 2 days ago. Colors are awesome, and I'm very impressed with the quality of the Troxus line. I haven't put too many miles on the Trax, so it's hard for me to make a thoughtful conclusion, but in the end you'd love either one. Both brands are known for having very few defects and problems, and since I'm assuming you're picking it up at a local dealer, the best thing to do is test ride them both, but my professional opinion is you can't go wrong with either of those. Most of my confidence in the Trax comes from a friend of mine who has an Ebike store in Denver, and he sells a ton and has had little to no defects or issues, and I trust him. The AIMA lineup I know much more from experience. At the shop, we've sold over 300 of them, and literally not had one issue whatsoever. Nobody is bringing their bikes in with issues, and everyone I've followed up with have absolutely loved the experience on them. I assumed you're testing these out at a dealer, is that the case? Or will you be trying to order them online?
@@Ennovation thank you! I have test rode both of them at dealers in the greater Denver area! After the test rides, I'm so torn because I enjoy both. Do you know the shop your friend has? It might be one on my list!
@@kerrenkollock4509 I'm friends with the guy that owns Ebikes USA in Denver. He's had some really good feedback with the AIMA bikes, and hasn't seen many of the issues we're seeing with other brands in the industry. At my shop, we've sold over 300 AIMA bikes this year, and haven't had a single issue, and no one is bringing them back, which we love :)
Hey Tony! Glad you were able to find what you were looking for. It’s nice when a local bike shop has a huge selection of Ebikes. It gives you a chance to test ride and find what works for you. Stay safe out there in Cypress.
@Ennovation yes! They had over 100 different kind of bikes and I rode nearly all of them. Staff was not making a fuse about bringing different bikes out to test ride in there parking lot. Initially, I only went in to by mirrors for my old e-bike. After seeing there collection; I couldn't help myself. The staff and owner was friendly and knowledgeable about the products, warranties, and provided services. Thanks yall if yall see this!!
Ive tried out the Big Sur Sport but not the Santa Monica. In comparison, is the throttle response about the same as the Big Sur Sport? Or is it more gradual?
I would say it's a bit more gradual. The Big Sur Sport is one of my favorite bikes. The Santa Monica has a higher top speed (unless you take it to a dealer to unlock) and that's one of the pros here. But I'm pretty biased on the Sport, because as of today, that's one of the only Ebike I'd actually buy and keep.
I am can’t seem to find the correct answer. Out of the box can it be Class 3 (28mph w PAS) or does it need unlocked with the dongle? I am getting conflicting answers.
For the Santa Monica, you don't need a dongle. For the Big Sur and the Sport, you do (currently). It's a simple menu to get to where you can select though the different riding modes. Obviously I usually use mine in Unlimited mode, cause I like the speed. lol So in summary, Santa Monica, no dongle needed. For Big Sur and Big Sur Sport, you still need to go into a dealer and have them use their dongle to unlock the max speed.
It's pretty simple here. You press and hold the up and down buttons at the same time. Then enter into the advanced settings (the power button is the enter button) the code is 1212. Once you're there you can select between Class1, Class 2, Class 3 Am Mode, and Unlimited Mode. Unlimited mode is how you get the most out of the Ebike as far as speed goes.
That’s a good one…Santa Monica wins on the power train side, Falcon wins on the comfort side. They both tie for batteries. The torque sensor on the Santa Monica is nominally better. The Euphree has the ability to customize the power mode for each level of pedal assist, so the Falcon wins in configurability. Looks wise, I personally think the Falcon is an amazing looking bike, so I’d give it the edge there. Top speed goes to the Santa Monica (unlocked it’ll do 37mph, which is wild). Now crowning a better bike would be hard, because they’re both different use cases, so that’ll have to be up to the purchaser’s needs on their bike. But honestly both of them are very solid products.
@@Ennovationis the main reason you're saying the Stellar Falcon is more comfortable because of the suspension seat post? Or is it more than just that feature that makes the Steller Falcon more comfortable?
@@georgebc3 That's a big factor, the forks on the Stellar are also nicer. I like the saddle on the SM a bit more, and the grips are a tossup. So higher end suspension, and more of it is why I'd lean towards the Stellar Falcon.
Now me personally, I’d probably lean towards the Santa Monica, because of the better torque sensor and ride feel, top speeds capable, and I find the Santa Monica to be a bit more comfortable for me. The Route 66 motor is an awesome spec as well! Velotric looks nice, but you can’t see the display with sunglasses. When I asked the company about it their solution was to not wear sunglasses while riding. So that’s a big miss for me on the Velotric. Other than that, it’s pretty comfortable, and they have some cool color options.
Yeah even at 3" might be cutting it a bit close. I usually see 4" bikes on the sand. But you could throw some handlebars like this on the Big Sur and you'd be in business. :P
1. Is the hub motor is geared hub motor or not? This is basic stuff. 2. Do not guess at torque rating. Give us the number. 3. Water rating is important info. Can I hose it off or not? 4. Remove the battery. Show us, don't tell us. s m h
Good feedback! 1. Geared 2. Couldn't find it listed anywhere, so had to go off of experience to guesstimate. I'll try and get that nailed down before I do another review. 3. IP65 4. Good note!
1. I haven't heard any reviewer mention geared or not geared on any review. Look it up. 2. It's on the website and the torque number doesn't reveal how the torque is delivered which the gentleman shows in the video. 3. The ipx rating is on the website. Nobody knows your ability to use a hose but you and your close friends. Do you have hands? We can't tell. 4. The battery is a battery. It's a standard battery that looks like a battery. It's the same as every other bike that looks like this. Say thank you next time before you tell someone that you expect them to cover irrelevant or easily findable information. So Many Hamsters
It's not too loud. it's a little beep. Which I like, since it reminds me I turned them on :P I usually forge to to turn them off haha but not on this bike.
Picked up one today from Exhalted E-Bikes in High Point, NC. Todd is the best! The Santa Monica is an incredible E-Bike. You can unlock on the screen which will get you between 28-35 mph. Awesome review - thanks!
Just got one from an Authorized dealer and I love it ! I’m almost 60. With zero power it’s a hard ride but pleasant in level 1.
Glad you're digging it! It really is a nice bike. Not so many reviews as other bikes out there, but everyone I've talked to that owns it seems to love it quite a lot! Glad you're enjoying it.
Have now put over 200 miles on my Santa Monica - strong brakes, easy to get off and on, motor is so powerful I pedal up our steepest local hills in PAL 2 (max power is at PAL 5), getting over 60 miles on a charge (mostly PAL 1 power, constant pedaling, mostly flat roads) at 15 to 20 MPH cruising speeds - bike looks sharp and feels solid - only negative is 66 lb. weight - great bike, especially for seniors - I get more exercise now with this ebike than I got with my standard Trek mountain bike
That's awesome! Sounds like you're really having a good time with it. and 60 miles on a charge is pretty phenomenal! The torque sensor they're using, and how it's programmed, seem to make it very efficient with battery usage.
Great review, thank you!
...We just bought a pair of these yesterday and are looking forward to delivery in the next several days!
Why, thank you! I hope you guys have many fun rides in the future on these! What colors did you guys end up getting?
@@Ennovation One blue and one black!
That's awesome! The Blue is a really cool color, in my opinion. Where did you get them from? Always fun hearing what other bike shops carry the AIMA brand.
@@Ennovation Germntown Maryland at "Good Vibes"... a nice smallish bike shop. Possibly the closest AIMA dealer to us in Frederick MD
Picked up one today from Exhalted E-Bikes in High Point, NC. Todd is the best! The Santa Monica is an incredible E-Bike. You can unlock on the screen which will get you between 28-35 mph. Awesome review - thanks!
Couldn't agree more!glad you’re digging it ;)
went to a bike shop to test ride the Velotric Discover 2 and salesman showed me the AIMA Santa Monica which I also took on a test ride. I really liked the fit and feel of the Santa Monica and decided on AIMA Santa Monica
Sounds like the salesman knew what he was talking about :P
Got mine last week. Love it! That headlight also has a DRL! Cool little feature.
That is a cool feature! Thanks for bringing it up here. What did you like about the bike that made it the right one for you?
Very thorough coverage - like your sidebar comments on performance, quite informative - steep hills are my biggest concern and 750/1200 watts looks like it does the job with pedal assist - I may have missed it but this bike looks to have a very low step over height, a major consideration for seniors and people with leg disabilities - can you comment on SM step over height vs. competitive step through bikes? Thanks!
Yes! Not sure I mentioned it, but it's 15.7" for both the Small Size, and the Medium Size. The real only difference there is the small has a smaller minimum saddle height. The way AIMA does their sizes is the change the angle of their seat stay so the seat tube can be shorter. For comparison, the Discover2 from Velotric is about 15.4", the Stellar Falcon from Euphree is 19". The Malibu from E-LUX is 18" (14" on their Malibu Mini). So I would say that 15"-16" range is pretty comparable to the industry.
@@Ennovation Thanks!
Bought one of these 3 weeks ago. Love it! I unlocked it to unlimited. 28 on peddle or throttle. It's fun.
Love this! Yeah unlocking it is a ton of fun! I had a blast with the review
Great review! I love mine that did come with a rack.😊 When I’m coasting in “0” and start to pedal the motor seems to brake, is this because it’s regenerating the battery?
Well, thank you :) Yes I got this before the racks came in for the bikes, now they all get racks, which is definitely a bonus for this type of bike. Now, there's no regeneration technology here, and my best guess is it has to do with the geared rear hub motor. I haven't felt that feeling you're describing here, but then again I'm mostly riding around in unlimited mode and PAS 5 haha. I am just about to head to the shop, and when I get there I'll ride it around and see if I can recreate that braking feeling.
Great review. This bike checks a lot of boxes. Realizing this isn't an easy question, but what is realistic range? Say PAS 1-2, flat to gradual inclines, not hills.
We’ve got people at the shop who have purchased in Houston get a realistic 45-50 miles. A few who’ve gotten up to 55 hours just the larger Big Sur. But the Santa Monica is lighter, and the batteries are the same size, so if you’re doing some decent pedaling, would be interesting to see if you can get 55 out of it. Most people probably get about 40-45 in those levels though.
@@Ennovation Thanks. You are very helpful.
Hey- your review was fantastic and reassured me I was choosing the right e-bikes to replace our Aventon Pace.
Just bought a matching pair of the blue ones (yesterday)from Exalted E-Bikes in High Point, NC.
If anyone needs a new ebike….Todd at Exalted Ebikes is THE MAN!!
Have put 40 miles on them since yesterday and LOVE THEM EVEN MORE!!!!!
That's awesome!! The Santa Monica is definitely an upgrade to the Pace for sure. Blue is also my favorite color of the three! You guys tried out that unlimited mode yet? Or you mostly just using it to cruise around? (although 40 miles in 2 days is a little bit more than just cruising around! haha)
@@Ennovation We ABSOLUTELY are enjoying the Unlimited feature.
@@smithrivervintage Same here. That's how I ride it 95% of the time ;)
Good review!
My wife and I are awaiting delivery of our Big Surs.
BTW...we lived just south of Austin until this past April and never saw where you are. Where are you?
Thanks Ric! I also used to live up that way (South Austin actually). Now I'm down in Houston. The trail I usually ride is Houston.
@@Ennovation - No wonder I knew nothing about it...we never got down that way. VERY pretty area...made green from all that wonderful humidity!! 😉
My daughter just moved from south Austin and, we were not big fans of having to drive the I35 to get up there.
We've recently moved to about 25 miles south of Tucson and the bike infrastructure here is REALLY good. Hope to check out some trails soon.
That sounds awesome! I hope you guys enjoy your Big Sur’s over there! Let me know how they do for ya!
@@Ennovation - Will do!
killin' it as always 😎
Appreciate it Mr. C ;)
Great review! I'm currently torn between the Aima Santa Monica and the Troxus Trax 1.0. Do you have any input between the two? Thanks!
So that is an EXCELLENT comparison. Not every comparison question on here makes sense to me, but this is spot on! So, funny story, we JUST started selling Troxus at Power On Ebikes, and I assembled our first Trax 1.0 2 days ago. Colors are awesome, and I'm very impressed with the quality of the Troxus line. I haven't put too many miles on the Trax, so it's hard for me to make a thoughtful conclusion, but in the end you'd love either one. Both brands are known for having very few defects and problems, and since I'm assuming you're picking it up at a local dealer, the best thing to do is test ride them both, but my professional opinion is you can't go wrong with either of those. Most of my confidence in the Trax comes from a friend of mine who has an Ebike store in Denver, and he sells a ton and has had little to no defects or issues, and I trust him. The AIMA lineup I know much more from experience. At the shop, we've sold over 300 of them, and literally not had one issue whatsoever. Nobody is bringing their bikes in with issues, and everyone I've followed up with have absolutely loved the experience on them. I assumed you're testing these out at a dealer, is that the case? Or will you be trying to order them online?
@@Ennovation thank you! I have test rode both of them at dealers in the greater Denver area! After the test rides, I'm so torn because I enjoy both. Do you know the shop your friend has? It might be one on my list!
@@kerrenkollock4509 I'm friends with the guy that owns Ebikes USA in Denver. He's had some really good feedback with the AIMA bikes, and hasn't seen many of the issues we're seeing with other brands in the industry. At my shop, we've sold over 300 AIMA bikes this year, and haven't had a single issue, and no one is bringing them back, which we love :)
Power on Electric Bikes in Cypress TX has them and i got one!!!
Excellent bike!
Hey Tony! Glad you were able to find what you were looking for. It’s nice when a local bike shop has a huge selection of Ebikes. It gives you a chance to test ride and find what works for you. Stay safe out there in Cypress.
@Ennovation yes! They had over 100 different kind of bikes and I rode nearly all of them. Staff was not making a fuse about bringing different bikes out to test ride in there parking lot. Initially, I only went in to by mirrors for my old e-bike. After seeing there collection; I couldn't help myself. The staff and owner was friendly and knowledgeable about the products, warranties, and provided services. Thanks yall if yall see this!!
@@anthonysimmons6884 Well they sound like a dope Ebike shop! Sounds like more people should go visit them ;) Thanks for the info here :)
Ive tried out the Big Sur Sport but not the Santa Monica. In comparison, is the throttle response about the same as the Big Sur Sport? Or is it more gradual?
I would say it's a bit more gradual. The Big Sur Sport is one of my favorite bikes. The Santa Monica has a higher top speed (unless you take it to a dealer to unlock) and that's one of the pros here. But I'm pretty biased on the Sport, because as of today, that's one of the only Ebike I'd actually buy and keep.
I tried both but we liked the Santa Monica better. I thought the throttle response was pretty similar.
I am can’t seem to find the correct answer. Out of the box can it be Class 3 (28mph w PAS) or does it need unlocked with the dongle? I am getting conflicting answers.
For the Santa Monica, you don't need a dongle. For the Big Sur and the Sport, you do (currently). It's a simple menu to get to where you can select though the different riding modes. Obviously I usually use mine in Unlimited mode, cause I like the speed. lol So in summary, Santa Monica, no dongle needed. For Big Sur and Big Sur Sport, you still need to go into a dealer and have them use their dongle to unlock the max speed.
How is the bike unlocked to where it can go 37mph? That's nuts!
It's pretty simple here. You press and hold the up and down buttons at the same time. Then enter into the advanced settings (the power button is the enter button) the code is 1212. Once you're there you can select between Class1, Class 2, Class 3 Am Mode, and Unlimited Mode. Unlimited mode is how you get the most out of the Ebike as far as speed goes.
How would you compare the Santa Monica to the Euphree Stellar Falcon?
That’s a good one…Santa Monica wins on the power train side, Falcon wins on the comfort side. They both tie for batteries. The torque sensor on the Santa Monica is nominally better. The Euphree has the ability to customize the power mode for each level of pedal assist, so the Falcon wins in configurability. Looks wise, I personally think the Falcon is an amazing looking bike, so I’d give it the edge there. Top speed goes to the Santa Monica (unlocked it’ll do 37mph, which is wild). Now crowning a better bike would be hard, because they’re both different use cases, so that’ll have to be up to the purchaser’s needs on their bike. But honestly both of them are very solid products.
@@Ennovationis the main reason you're saying the Stellar Falcon is more comfortable because of the suspension seat post? Or is it more than just that feature that makes the Steller Falcon more comfortable?
Great review, very influential and a huge help in deciding to get this fine bike. Ride in peace…
@@georgebc3 That's a big factor, the forks on the Stellar are also nicer. I like the saddle on the SM a bit more, and the grips are a tossup. So higher end suspension, and more of it is why I'd lean towards the Stellar Falcon.
@@StephenMonjure Thank you :)
What's the ipx rating on this bike? I'm deciding between this and the velotric discover 2.
IPX6 for the Santa Monica.
@@Ennovation How do you think this bike compares to the velotric discover 2?
Now me personally, I’d probably lean towards the Santa Monica, because of the better torque sensor and ride feel, top speeds capable, and I find the Santa Monica to be a bit more comfortable for me. The Route 66 motor is an awesome spec as well! Velotric looks nice, but you can’t see the display with sunglasses. When I asked the company about it their solution was to not wear sunglasses while riding. So that’s a big miss for me on the Velotric. Other than that, it’s pretty comfortable, and they have some cool color options.
Well done.
Appreciate you checking it out!
but no sand beach cruisin...wish tires 3". otherwise perfect ebike!❤
Yeah even at 3" might be cutting it a bit close. I usually see 4" bikes on the sand. But you could throw some handlebars like this on the Big Sur and you'd be in business. :P
1. Is the hub motor is geared hub motor or not? This is basic stuff.
2. Do not guess at torque rating. Give us the number.
3. Water rating is important info. Can I hose it off or not?
4. Remove the battery. Show us, don't tell us.
s m h
Good feedback!
1. Geared
2. Couldn't find it listed anywhere, so had to go off of experience to guesstimate. I'll try and get that nailed down before I do another review.
3. IP65
4. Good note!
1. I haven't heard any reviewer mention geared or not geared on any review. Look it up.
2. It's on the website and the torque number doesn't reveal how the torque is delivered which the gentleman shows in the video.
3. The ipx rating is on the website. Nobody knows your ability to use a hose but you and your close friends. Do you have hands? We can't tell.
4. The battery is a battery. It's a standard battery that looks like a battery. It's the same as every other bike that looks like this.
Say thank you next time before you tell someone that you expect them to cover irrelevant or easily findable information.
So Many Hamsters
@@PriusTurbo My hero ;) You make alot of good points here! Thanks for your input.
🔲
Is there a loud noise from turn signals how bad
It's not too loud. it's a little beep. Which I like, since it reminds me I turned them on :P I usually forge to to turn them off haha but not on this bike.
@Ennovation thanks 👍
You're most welcome.
Picked up one today from Exhalted E-Bikes in High Point, NC. Todd is the best! The Santa Monica is an incredible E-Bike. You can unlock on the screen which will get you between 28-35 mph. Awesome review - thanks!
Glad you're digging it! It's a really solid Ebike, with a surprising amount fo power. :) I'm sure it'll treat you well!