Thanks for the review. I think Terns are real quality and worth the premium for a robust e-bike. I’ve been looking for a foldable e-bike to put in the back of my Jeep for adventures and suchlike. I would prefer something more compact, but think this would be a better bet for taking the hard knocks when I’m 6’5” and 110kgs, as I’d worry that cheaper brands might snap and fall to pieces.
Thanks for your comment. Check out my video on the Tern Vektron folding eBike that I rode to Australia's highest mountain ruclips.net/video/zhnfz8yR35E/видео.html I also did a separate video showing just the features of the Vektron ruclips.net/video/94eqnqFahk8/видео.html
@@FormanddesignAu Thanks mate. I’ve checked out your other excellent videos and whilst I’d prefer the folding bike for the convenience of placing into my short-wheel base Jeep, I’m worried it might not be quite strong enough, as I’m quite a big, tall guy. I’ve looked Tern’s website and like the look of the latest HSD S+ model, which has a Gates belt-drive and an automatic gearbox that seems great for a low maintenance, easy hop-on and ride experience. Very expensive though. It’s kind of semi-folding, so I might be able to just squeeze it into my vehicle. Have you had a chance to look at this model? What are your thoughts about this bike?
I think the HSD is the nicest of the TERN eBikes to ride. I've sold quite a few of them. Being a Professional Mechanical Engineer, I tend to personally prefer the simpler things like a derailleur. The auto changing is good, however you still have to change the desired cadence frequently for the auto to work properly. For example, normal riding on a flat you would set the cadence to 60rpm. When going up a steep hill, or when you want to accelerate fast from a standstill you would want to select 90 rpm. The only downside is that you have to use the + and - keys on the controller to do this and it adjusts one unit at a time. There are no presets. This kind of takes the gloss off the whole "auto" changing thing. It works well but.... One caveat, is that you can set the controller to change gears manually using the + and - buttons on the controller, but that defeats the purpose of having an auto. My preference is to keep it simple. Go for a high torque motor and a big battery and a derailleur. They are messy, get dirty, need adjusting etc, but anyone can fix and adjust them. The Gates drive thing is also a bit over-rated in my opinion. But if you are riding in a relatively flat area, and you are not prone to sudden bursts of acceleration, then go for the fully auto and you won't be dissapointed. If you are in a hilly area with lots of traffic, like I am in Sydney, then keep it simple and change the gears yourself with a derailleur rather than a hub gear set.
Thanks for the review. I think Terns are real quality and worth the premium for a robust e-bike. I’ve been looking for a foldable e-bike to put in the back of my Jeep for adventures and suchlike. I would prefer something more compact, but think this would be a better bet for taking the hard knocks when I’m 6’5” and 110kgs, as I’d worry that cheaper brands might snap and fall to pieces.
Thanks for your comment. Check out my video on the Tern Vektron folding eBike that I rode to Australia's highest mountain
ruclips.net/video/zhnfz8yR35E/видео.html
I also did a separate video showing just the features of the Vektron
ruclips.net/video/94eqnqFahk8/видео.html
@@FormanddesignAu Thanks mate. I’ve checked out your other excellent videos and whilst I’d prefer the folding bike for the convenience of placing into my short-wheel base Jeep, I’m worried it might not be quite strong enough, as I’m quite a big, tall guy. I’ve looked Tern’s website and like the look of the latest HSD S+ model, which has a Gates belt-drive and an automatic gearbox that seems great for a low maintenance, easy hop-on and ride experience. Very expensive though. It’s kind of semi-folding, so I might be able to just squeeze it into my vehicle. Have you had a chance to look at this model? What are your thoughts about this bike?
I think the HSD is the nicest of the TERN eBikes to ride. I've sold quite a few of them. Being a Professional Mechanical Engineer, I tend to personally prefer the simpler things like a derailleur.
The auto changing is good, however you still have to change the desired cadence frequently for the auto to work properly. For example, normal riding on a flat you would set the cadence to 60rpm. When going up a steep hill, or when you want to accelerate fast from a standstill you would want to select 90 rpm. The only downside is that you have to use the + and - keys on the controller to do this and it adjusts one unit at a time. There are no presets. This kind of takes the gloss off the whole "auto" changing thing. It works well but....
One caveat, is that you can set the controller to change gears manually using the + and - buttons on the controller, but that defeats the purpose of having an auto.
My preference is to keep it simple. Go for a high torque motor and a big battery and a derailleur. They are messy, get dirty, need adjusting etc, but anyone can fix and adjust them. The Gates drive thing is also a bit over-rated in my opinion. But if you are riding in a relatively flat area, and you are not prone to sudden bursts of acceleration, then go for the fully auto and you won't be dissapointed. If you are in a hilly area with lots of traffic, like I am in Sydney, then keep it simple and change the gears yourself with a derailleur rather than a hub gear set.
Thanks.
You're welcome. Thanks for your previous comments.