Riding an ST2S for 15.000 km that's not the case for me. The highest gear is totally useless. On flats it's too heavy and on downhills you instantly get to the automatic braking limit. Also, some of the information this person gives is wrong. A new motor costs more than 1000 USD, closer to 2000. I wouldn't trust a person who uses as ST5 as a mountain bike, that's just stupid. Dude, with too much money. Stromers are commuter bikes, that's what they are built for.
Hi Insight! I bought an ST5 a couple of months ago. i've spent some €€€ on a kinekt suspension seatpost, ergon ( Brooks edition leather grips) , top continental winter tires, optional racktime rack and panier bags. I've waxed my chain ( what kind of lube do you use?) and I was thinking about adding a suspension fork, but I don't know if it's worth the money. I use it for commuting in urban and residential areas on belgian roads ( definitely not swiss quality roads). unfortunately it's not possible to test the st5 with the fork( or st5 limited) properly at the dealer. BTW I think the Wren fork looks great ( but would be better in graphite color.) Also ,could you clarify : Are the shimano resin brake pads you spoke of ( D03S Resin ) compatible with the trp brakes ? ( I don't want to change to shimano brakes). Great videos !
Hello! Awesome, you will love the bike. in all weather conditions if i dont want to clean my chain to often i use muc off Hydrodynamic lube. Its expensive stuff that lasts long in wet conditions. most wet lube you have to replace after 50km, this one lasts seemingly forever. i do clean my drivetrain alot, but most commuters dont so this lube is great. In my opinion the suspension fork is well worth the money. if money is not an issue, you can have the fork painted to match the bike at your local car dealer, but it will cost as much as the fork itself. :) Regarding the brakes, yes the D03S Resin pads are compatible with the trp brakes. no need to change the trp brakes as long as they run. I use the stock trp in the front with d03s resin, and the shimanos in the rear also with d03s resin. The brakes are whisper quiet, even in the rain as a result.
@@Ropetable Hey thanks for the quick reply! You're right, I love every minute on this bike! I may have good a deal for that fork .(much cheaper than usual retail price but brand new). it would be shipped and then I would have to see if my local Stromer dealer would install it. ( for a reasonable fee , of course).
Hi and thanks for sharing your review and detailing your mods. You inspired me to also do some of the same mods that you did on my stromer ST5! thus, can you please do me a favor and kindly let me know what size/model vittoria airliner tire inserts were you able to fit and install inside your tires alongside your Maxxis Ardent 27.7x2.25 tires please? would appreciate your response and guidance please and thanks in advance !
Hi, sure. the Vittoria airliners i used no longer exist. no wonder they were not very good. (worked great but pain to insall and remove) I recommend using pepis tire noodles, you could use the vittoria airliner xc trail version, any kind of insert really. you can also just buy a 29 inch version and cut it to size. the ardents were a bit loud and wore down fast, i swapped them with vittoria mezcal tires which are great as well. at the moment i run tubolito tubes with tires that have thick sidewall protection, that is a great long lasting solution that does not require maintenance.
@@Ropetable many thanks for your prompt response. may i ask what tires do you run at the moment that have thick sidewall protection that could be sufficient with your tubolito tubes not requiring maintenance (since i also realize that insert installation is a pain)? thanks again in advance!
@@rptempmail1 I run some Kenda booster pro sct tires now. (sct stands for their sidewall protection) any tire with the all mountain or enduro casings work amazingly with this bike. like the maxxis exo+ i think or schwalbe are great with their snakeskin or something. one that i really liked was a continental top contact winter tire.
Pretty much all of the mods are illegal here in Germany. X-) Driving a ST3 myself. A bit worried about the bearings in the motor now... Thanks for the video!
The only mod that is no problem is the dropper seatpost. A real shame, i will be sticking to non motorized cycling in the future. This is the best bike ever though. The bearing problem could come from the faulty frame i had in the first place. my frame was drilled at an angle which caused me to get a warranty replacement of the whole frame and rear motor. My fathers st2 lasted 10000km without a single issue. i am also a bit afraid about the bearings, but i think if the frame is fine, the motor will be too. and at least there is a 3 year warranty on the motor.
Nice video, thanks. How did you notice the bearings of the motor were toasted? With my ST5 I have some sort of "whooshing" noise that accelerates with the speed of the wheel. So it's a rotating noise coming from my rear wheel but nothing is scrubbing against anything so it must come out of the motor. Almost 15000km now and 41km/h on total average.
i noticed a sound coming from the rear wheel, couldn't remember exactly. my motor is quiet, but the st2 motor makes a vibrating sounding noise despite everything being ok. i also noticed it felt weird, some kind of play in the rear wheel. i think the easiest way to see if your bearings are ok is to see of the wheel has any play in any direction while being installed correctly. since it is still under warranty, if it is infact the bearings you can have your motor replaced.
@@Ropetable Thx need to look into that. You also have noticed the brake recuperation doesn't work anymore if your battery and/or motor gets hot? Since you ride it in the mountains I guess you can relate? Or aren't you using the brake regeneration?
@@gregoryj5659 i am using the brake regeneration. of course regenerating uses the motor to brake, causing alot of heat as you can compare it with the motor going full speed uphill, maybe even less efficient. i go thousands of meters up and down in one piece, so i can definitely relate. usually i take a break though once im at the peak and if the motor is cooled down regen braking lasts at least 500m if not up to 1000n of elevation descent before overheating. So to me it happens rarely enough that its not a big deal. Just a few minutes in the flat will cool the motor down again. if you go up and down alot, without pause, the motor can never rest and it would be an issue.
@@gregoryj5659 I love the look on peoples face though when i pedal hard standing up in my largest gear going 10 kmph downhill like slow mo, pedaling against my regen braking lol. regen is also epic as it allows to go down a descending street free handed at a safe speed lol
@@Ropetable Ok you can beat it up pretty bad before overheating I see. Mine went to 90°C motor temp. and 55°C battery temp. just on the flats. Cutting down the recuperation mode, at least is what I think. If I see how you can ride it that hard, there most be something wrong with mine..
If you buy D03S Shimano Resin brake pads and swap them out and clean your brakes the noise will be gone :) The brakes dont affect the sound, if they work, just swap out the pads. I recommend swapping front and rear brake pads to shimano D03S
well the frame was drilled wrong, so the axle was tilted, causing the bearings to wear prematurely. Frame has a lifetime warranty, so at least there is that. It tends to be better than mid drive motors, as a typical bosch motor is usually fucked after 10 000km. My neightbour had to replace his bosch performance cx motor 2 times already after just 18000km.
I purchased one of these. Nice bike but purchased with a Shumplf front gear hub even though this should be a robust gear it failed after 1000 miles. Pulled gear and discovered gear is horribly designed. My $3000 Strommer is now out of action and Schumplf won't honor 5 year warranty. @
you mean schlumpf gear hub? never heard before, only mentioned on an old st1 bike. ebikes are always a pain in the ass. especially if not enough research is done.
Most of my suggestions make sense. I got alot of good feedback. Even the bike shop told me my stromer is the only one he ever saw which had dead silent brakes.
Totally agree with staying in the highest gear for road travel and traffic. It's so powerful and effortless I never find a need to shift
Riding an ST2S for 15.000 km that's not the case for me. The highest gear is totally useless. On flats it's too heavy and on downhills you instantly get to the automatic braking limit. Also, some of the information this person gives is wrong. A new motor costs more than 1000 USD, closer to 2000. I wouldn't trust a person who uses as ST5 as a mountain bike, that's just stupid. Dude, with too much money. Stromers are commuter bikes, that's what they are built for.
noit pretty good for the motor i guess
Hi Insight! I bought an ST5 a couple of months ago. i've spent some €€€ on a kinekt suspension seatpost, ergon ( Brooks edition leather grips) , top continental winter tires, optional racktime rack and panier bags. I've waxed my chain ( what kind of lube do you use?) and I was thinking about adding a suspension fork, but I don't know if it's worth the money. I use it for commuting in urban and residential areas on belgian roads ( definitely not swiss quality roads). unfortunately it's not possible to test the st5 with the fork( or st5 limited) properly at the dealer. BTW I think the Wren fork looks great ( but would be better in graphite color.) Also ,could you clarify : Are the shimano resin brake pads you spoke of ( D03S Resin ) compatible with the trp brakes ? ( I don't want to change to shimano brakes). Great videos !
Hello! Awesome, you will love the bike. in all weather conditions if i dont want to clean my chain to often i use muc off Hydrodynamic lube. Its expensive stuff that lasts long in wet conditions. most wet lube you have to replace after 50km, this one lasts seemingly forever. i do clean my drivetrain alot, but most commuters dont so this lube is great. In my opinion the suspension fork is well worth the money. if money is not an issue, you can have the fork painted to match the bike at your local car dealer, but it will cost as much as the fork itself. :) Regarding the brakes, yes the D03S Resin pads are compatible with the trp brakes. no need to change the trp brakes as long as they run. I use the stock trp in the front with d03s resin, and the shimanos in the rear also with d03s resin. The brakes are whisper quiet, even in the rain as a result.
@@Ropetable Hey thanks for the quick reply! You're right, I love every minute on this bike! I may have good a deal for that fork .(much cheaper than usual retail price but brand new). it would be shipped and then I would have to see if my local Stromer dealer would install it. ( for a reasonable fee , of course).
Hi and thanks for sharing your review and detailing your mods. You inspired me to also do some of the same mods that you did on my stromer ST5! thus, can you please do me a favor and kindly let me know what size/model vittoria airliner tire inserts were you able to fit and install inside your tires alongside your Maxxis Ardent 27.7x2.25 tires please? would appreciate your response and guidance please and thanks in advance !
Hi, sure. the Vittoria airliners i used no longer exist. no wonder they were not very good. (worked great but pain to insall and remove) I recommend using pepis tire noodles, you could use the vittoria airliner xc trail version, any kind of insert really. you can also just buy a 29 inch version and cut it to size. the ardents were a bit loud and wore down fast, i swapped them with vittoria mezcal tires which are great as well. at the moment i run tubolito tubes with tires that have thick sidewall protection, that is a great long lasting solution that does not require maintenance.
@@Ropetable many thanks for your prompt response. may i ask what tires do you run at the moment that have thick sidewall protection that could be sufficient with your tubolito tubes not requiring maintenance (since i also realize that insert installation is a pain)? thanks again in advance!
@@rptempmail1 I run some Kenda booster pro sct tires now. (sct stands for their sidewall protection) any tire with the all mountain or enduro casings work amazingly with this bike. like the maxxis exo+ i think or schwalbe are great with their snakeskin or something. one that i really liked was a continental top contact winter tire.
@@Ropetable many thanks for your prompt and helpful response! You are the best!
For me all free because I work with a bike dealer I just payed 7600€ for ST5
cool
Pretty much all of the mods are illegal here in Germany. X-) Driving a ST3 myself. A bit worried about the bearings in the motor now... Thanks for the video!
The only mod that is no problem is the dropper seatpost. A real shame, i will be sticking to non motorized cycling in the future. This is the best bike ever though. The bearing problem could come from the faulty frame i had in the first place. my frame was drilled at an angle which caused me to get a warranty replacement of the whole frame and rear motor. My fathers st2 lasted 10000km without a single issue. i am also a bit afraid about the bearings, but i think if the frame is fine, the motor will be too. and at least there is a 3 year warranty on the motor.
Nice video, thanks. How did you notice the bearings of the motor were toasted? With my ST5 I have some sort of "whooshing" noise that accelerates with the speed of the wheel. So it's a rotating noise coming from my rear wheel but nothing is scrubbing against anything so it must come out of the motor. Almost 15000km now and 41km/h on total average.
i noticed a sound coming from the rear wheel, couldn't remember exactly. my motor is quiet, but the st2 motor makes a vibrating sounding noise despite everything being ok. i also noticed it felt weird, some kind of play in the rear wheel. i think the easiest way to see if your bearings are ok is to see of the wheel has any play in any direction while being installed correctly. since it is still under warranty, if it is infact the bearings you can have your motor replaced.
@@Ropetable Thx need to look into that. You also have noticed the brake recuperation doesn't work anymore if your battery and/or motor gets hot? Since you ride it in the mountains I guess you can relate? Or aren't you using the brake regeneration?
@@gregoryj5659 i am using the brake regeneration. of course regenerating uses the motor to brake, causing alot of heat as you can compare it with the motor going full speed uphill, maybe even less efficient. i go thousands of meters up and down in one piece, so i can definitely relate. usually i take a break though once im at the peak and if the motor is cooled down regen braking lasts at least 500m if not up to 1000n of elevation descent before overheating. So to me it happens rarely enough that its not a big deal. Just a few minutes in the flat will cool the motor down again. if you go up and down alot, without pause, the motor can never rest and it would be an issue.
@@gregoryj5659 I love the look on peoples face though when i pedal hard standing up in my largest gear going 10 kmph downhill like slow mo, pedaling against my regen braking lol. regen is also epic as it allows to go down a descending street free handed at a safe speed lol
@@Ropetable Ok you can beat it up pretty bad before overheating I see. Mine went to 90°C motor temp. and 55°C battery temp. just on the flats. Cutting down the recuperation mode, at least is what I think. If I see how you can ride it that hard, there most be something wrong with mine..
Do you have the link to full set of the replacement brake system you installed? I have the ST5 ABS and my rear is high pitch squeaking.
If you buy D03S Shimano Resin brake pads and swap them out and clean your brakes the noise will be gone :) The brakes dont affect the sound, if they work, just swap out the pads. I recommend swapping front and rear brake pads to shimano D03S
Final verdict... overpriced underachiever.
You should get a suspension seat post and swap out the dropper for your daily commute. That's must have. Your backside will thank you later.
This is a suspension dropper seatpost. It has 40mm of suspension. Super comfortable.
@@Ropetable
Good to hear that. Are you ok with it not having a throttle?
@@joshuaj.2108 i would hate a throttle. this is bike path legal in switzerland, can go anywhere with it.
@@Ropetable
I hear you. I am in California, USA. My throttle comes in handy here. I have an Espin E-bike
@@joshuaj.2108 makes sense
Since I went tubeless I have had no flats. Can the tires and rims be made to be tubeless?
I see you addressed this in your video thanks
The Rims of the Stromer ST5 are tubeless ready with rim tape in place. Im running tubeless on all my bikes, including this one. :D
6000 km only you had got a new motor and a new frame as replacements... And you call this thing as durable as "hell"?
well the frame was drilled wrong, so the axle was tilted, causing the bearings to wear prematurely. Frame has a lifetime warranty, so at least there is that. It tends to be better than mid drive motors, as a typical bosch motor is usually fucked after 10 000km. My neightbour had to replace his bosch performance cx motor 2 times already after just 18000km.
I purchased one of these. Nice bike but purchased with a Shumplf front gear hub even though this should be a robust gear it failed after 1000 miles. Pulled gear and discovered gear is horribly designed. My $3000 Strommer is now out of action and Schumplf won't honor 5 year warranty. @
you mean schlumpf gear hub? never heard before, only mentioned on an old st1 bike. ebikes are always a pain in the ass. especially if not enough research is done.
Crazy expensive! I have full suspesion ebike with magura boltron/cane creek suspension and it is much cheaper.
Bikes are expensive sadly. This bike is still unbeatable though for what it is designed for.
@@Ropetable dissagree
The issue bikes like these have are riders like you. Neither your mods nor your suggestions make any sense.
Most of my suggestions make sense. I got alot of good feedback. Even the bike shop told me my stromer is the only one he ever saw which had dead silent brakes.