Lectric XP3.0 step through First ride and CRASH!!!!

[YODA]

Moderators - I wanted to post this in the Lectric brand forum, but after hitting the post thread button the Lectric brand form was not a choice - in fact none of the brand forms show up. So I am posting here. Is there a trick to posting in the Lectric bike brand forum? Pleas move this post there if possible - Thanks

Back in my youth I was an accomplished rider - no car just my road bike. Now fast forward 35 to 40 years since all the riding. I took my first ride on my new Lectric XP3.0 step through today. I found the steering extremely twitchy. I was in low gear 1 and pas 1 and was all over the place. I went up a few gears in pas 1 and it got a little better.

Then out on the subdivision gravel roads. Bike has plenty of power, good brakes, but steering is all over the place. I don't know if it is the steering geometry, or my not riding in a long time. Anyway I got up the the corner to turn around and bam I was on the ground, hit hard. I was doing maybe 5 mph. Bike is perfect - not a mark on it. Me on the other hand - a bloody elbow and bruised hands. It shook me up more than a little. At 70 I don't bounce anymore.

Looking back the gravel was a bit loose, but I guess I need to get used to the steering reaction on the bike. Response to input is very fast. Tire pressures set to 40pi. 45 is Max. Contact pattern on the tire is 75% of the tread width. Would dropping tire pressure help - say 35psi ? I am a bit heavy at 265 lbs. Would handlebars that sweep back a bit more help? If so any recommendations? I have reached out to Lectric as they do have great customer service.

Thanks for any thoughts
Keith

 

[HumanPerson]

Lectric is in your Title, give it 24 hours and check again

 

[HumanPerson]

Actually yur in the "Lectric" section now

L

ebikesforum.com

 

[Anton]

Moderators - I wanted to post this in the Lectric brand forum, but after hitting the post thread button the Lectric brand form was not a choice - in fact none of the brand forms show up. So I am posting here. Is there a trick to posting in the Lectric bike brand forum? Pleas move this post there if possible - Thanks

The brand forums are virtual, when you add "Lectric" to your title, which you have done, it will appear in the Lectric forum within about 15 mins: https://ebikesforum.com/search-forums/lectric.232/

 

[JerryB]

Welcome to forum....sorry to hear bout your crash. I am a few yrs older than you and ride a step thru Lectric XP 2.0......like you......hadn't ridden for awhile.....take it slow and get some practice. I have over 1000 miles on my bike and feel very safe on it......love the bike and ride almost daily if weather permits. Be safe out there.

 

[Atavar]

Could it be that when you assembled the bike you put the stem in so that the handlebar clamp was aft of the stem?
That will make the steering feel twitchy.
The handlebars should be forward of the stem and aft of the front axle for best stability.

 

[Atavar]

Other things to check especially on a first ride are axle and steering race tightness.
Make sure the axle clamp is tight and there is zero play or wiggle there. A tiny bit of play at the axle can mean a huge difference in how stable the bike feels.
Don’t ignore the rear axle either. Make sure it is tight with zero play.
Steering races can also factor in to stability. Make sure they are snug with zero rattle if you shake the handlebars or bounce the front wheel.
It is not said often enough that with a new semi assembled bike it is a very good idea to check the tightness of every nut, bolt and fastener with a torque wrench. This will save you a lot of trouble down the road.

 

[YODA]

Could it be that when you assembled the bike you put the stem in so that the handlebar clamp was aft of the stem?
That will make the steering feel twitchy.
The handlebars should be forward of the stem and aft of the front axle for best stability.

Thanks you for your response. First Yes I went through the bike and checked all of the bolts. axles. etc. On the XP 3.0 the stem slants forward and handle bar clamp is centered on top. overall the alignment is about 5" behind the front wheel axle. This link to the Lectric sight has a good picture of thier set up. https://lectricebikes.com/products/xp-step-thru-white-long-range

 

[Papa K]

I find the Lectric 3.0 my wife has to be a bit twitchy too. After many years and miles on bikes I have come the conclusion that it has a steep steering head angle and the axle leads the axis a good bit. This can cause the tire contact patch to vary on the surface more than a more “normal “ proportioned bike. I think it may have been done this way to make the folding of the bike more compact? You get accustomed to it, but I also took a spill before I realized it was that sensitive.

 

[Bikeguy]

Hi Yoda, I’m glad you’re okay. Is there a reason you went with the XP over the Express style? I’m 60 and have been riding pretty steady for years but would not like the squirelliness of the XP, I enjoy more of the cruiser type style. No more road bikes either. Good luck, I hope you go with a style that is comfortable for you, riding is not meant to be a chore nor should you be uncomfortable.

 

[YODA]

Hi Yoda, I’m glad you’re okay. Is there a reason you went with the XP over the Express style? I’m 60 and have been riding pretty steady for years but would not like the squirelliness of the XP, I enjoy more of the cruiser type style. No more road bikes either. Good luck, I hope you go with a style that is comfortable for you, riding is not meant to be a chore nor should you be uncomfortable.

I went with the XP for the compact folding. Not much room in the trailer either for storage during travel. My brother has one and likes it a lot. But he is 6'2" and I am 5' 6" with short arms. Right now riding I feel my center of gravity is too far forward. The good thing is Lectric customer has moved my concerns up the food chain, so hopefully they have a solution.

 

[Bikeguy]

It’s too bad there is not space for a normal bike. If Lectric could make your wishes come true, what would that be?

Listen, you are 70yrs old (and I would say the same to 60 or 50). Your body is what is important here and it’s up to you to protect it. For me, I would want to be on a bike that feels really comfortable and steers really easy.

 

[Smaug]

Sorry to read about your unplanned dismount, and I wish you a speedy recovery.

I have a Lectric XP Lite and had a couple other eBikes with the small 20" wheels and long stem. They are inherently less stable than a bike with the handlebar closer to the head (steering) tube. You will REALLY feel it if you try to stand up and pump.

The higher you extend the stem, the less stable it becomes. For added stability, release the stem clamp and lower the handlebar a bit. This will make it more stable because the bar is closer to the head tube and it will ALSO put more of your weight over the front wheel, which will help stabilize it too.

Another factor is your speed. You state you were going around 5 mph. A fast walk is 3.5 - 4 mph, so 5 mph is just above walking speed. As you noticed, it was more stable when you were going faster. Steering stabilizes and you also get some gyroscopic stability from the wheels & tires spinning faster. Of course you would have still had to slow down quite a bit to make a U-turn. That will take some practice, to get that low speed balance back. It's the hardest part of riding a bike.

Something else you can do while you get re-aquainted with bike riding is to lower the seat so your feet can reach the ground easier. You will lose some torque from your legs because you won't be able to fully extend your legs, but if you start to tip, it's easier to catch yourself. When you feel more confident, raise the seat again until you just have a slight bend in the knee when you're at the bottom of your pedal stroke.

If all else fails, the expensive solution is to sell that bike at a loss and get one with bigger wheels so the handlebar is closer to the head tube. That will help steering stability, but they are that bit less maneuverable at low speed (like your U-turn) due to the bigger wheels, so even that is a trade-off.

Stick with it! Maybe consider adding some elbow pads?

 

[YODA]

Sorry to read about your unplanned dismount, and I wish you a speedy recovery.

I have a Lectric XP Lite and had a couple other eBikes with the small 20" wheels and long stem. They are inherently less stable than a bike with the handlebar closer to the head (steering) tube. You will REALLY feel it if you try to stand up and pump.

The higher you extend the stem, the less stable it becomes. For added stability, release the stem clamp and lower the handlebar a bit. This will make it more stable because the bar is closer to the head tube and it will ALSO put more of your weight over the front wheel, which will help stabilize it too.

Another factor is your speed. You state you were going around 5 mph. A fast walk is 3.5 - 4 mph, so 5 mph is just above walking speed. As you noticed, it was more stable when you were going faster. Steering stabilizes and you also get some gyroscopic stability from the wheels & tires spinning faster. Of course you would have still had to slow down quite a bit to make a U-turn. That will take some practice, to get that low speed balance back. It's the hardest part of riding a bike.

Something else you can do while you get re-aquainted with bike riding is to lower the seat so your feet can reach the ground easier. You will lose some torque from your legs because you won't be able to fully extend your legs, but if you start to tip, it's easier to catch yourself. When you feel more confident, raise the seat again until you just have a slight bend in the knee when you're at the bottom of your pedal stroke.

If all else fails, the expensive solution is to sell that bike at a loss and get one with bigger wheels so the handlebar is closer to the head tube. That will help steering stability, but they are that bit less maneuverable at low speed (like your U-turn) due to the bigger wheels, so even that is a trade-off.

Stick with it! Maybe consider adding some elbow pads?

Thanks for your suggestions.
Right now the front stem is fully collapsed. its 12.5" from the head that way. I can lower the seat to get fully flat footed on the ground too. As the stock stem is angled forward my reach does put weight over the front tire. but its not comfortable. I tried temporarily rotating the stem 180, but then it is too close. A straight stem would be perfect, but finding a folding one with the correct 1.125 head clamp has been a problem. Hinge needs to on the right too..

Now Davebrandnew has a BMX conversion that fits the bill, but as of today his web site is expired https://www.davidbrandnew.com/

Anyway thanks for your input

Keith

 

[Rawly Old]

Moderators - I wanted to post this in the Lectric brand forum, but after hitting the post thread button the Lectric brand form was not a choice - in fact none of the brand forms show up. So I am posting here. Is there a trick to posting in the Lectric bike brand forum? Pleas move this post there if possible - Thanks

Back in my youth I was an accomplished rider - no car just my road bike. Now fast forward 35 to 40 years since all the riding. I took my first ride on my new Lectric XP3.0 step through today. I found the steering extremely twitchy. I was in low gear 1 and pas 1 and was all over the place. I went up a few gears in pas 1 and it got a little better.

Then out on the subdivision gravel roads. Bike has plenty of power, good brakes, but steering is all over the place. I don't know if it is the steering geometry, or my not riding in a long time. Anyway I got up the the corner to turn around and bam I was on the ground, hit hard. I was doing maybe 5 mph. Bike is perfect - not a mark on it. Me on the other hand - a bloody elbow and bruised hands. It shook me up more than a little. At 70 I don't bounce anymore.

Looking back the gravel was a bit loose, but I guess I need to get used to the steering reaction on the bike. Response to input is very fast. Tire pressures set to 40pi. 45 is Max. Contact pattern on the tire is 75% of the tread width. Would dropping tire pressure help - say 35psi ? I am a bit heavy at 265 lbs. Would handlebars that sweep back a bit more help? If so any recommendations? I have reached out to Lectric as they do have great customer service.

Thanks for any thoughts
Keith

It's an ongoing learning process. The more pressure, the easier it is for a tire to break loose in a turn. I dealt with it
constantly on my old ebike. Being big, I needed more pressure to keep for bottoming out & popping spokes, but it was
a fine line keeping the wheel under me. I did a lot of fishtailing. Hasn't been a issue with my fat bike.

 

[5galloncan]

I'm 71 and have two identical Lectric 3.0 step-thru ebikes. My wife doesn't ride hers so I switch back and forth. I ride on mostly flat streets, bike paths and sidewalks here in Florida. They are paved.

In my youth, I rode a Yamaha SR500 thumper. If memory serves me correctly, riding on gravel roads was akin to riding on greased marbles. Steering is wonky and stability very sketchy.

I ride my 3.0 in 7th gear all the time and assist level 4. That's it. I ride a 17 mile round trip most weekdays that takes me an hour. There are a few crosswalks in there to negotiate. I often carry 30 lb. of groceries from Sam's Club strapped to the back. One time I helped a young man I saw carrying a flat car tire. He had a couple miles to go to the nearest tire shop and I offered to drop the tire off for him. I do carry rope to tie down loads.

I did change the handlebar setup, opting for one that is swept back as in the photos below. I keep the original bars on there to accommodate mirrors and such. I have 2k miles on one bike and 1.7k on the other. Love the bikes. I wear leather gloves in case I do go down, which so far hasn't happened (knocking on wood here).

Love my Lectric 3.0 ebikes. Very stable. Very maneuverable. At my age wouldn't ride anything other than a step-thru.

 

[Smaug]

To add to what HumanPerson said above: The Electric Bike Brands subfora are auto-populated with AI. When the forum software detects a known eBike brand, it automatically duplicates the post in the appropriate letter of subforum.

I think Anton did this to make the site more search-friendly.

 

[Bikeguy]

That handlebar setup from 5galloncan looks great. Yoda, I hope something like that works for you.

 

[YODA]

I'm 71 and have two identical Lectric 3.0 step-thru ebikes. My wife doesn't ride hers so I switch back and forth. I ride on mostly flat streets, bike paths and sidewalks here in Florida. They are paved.

In my youth, I rode a Yamaha SR500 thumper. If memory serves me correctly, riding on gravel roads was akin to riding on greased marbles. Steering is wonky and stability very sketchy.

I ride my 3.0 in 7th gear all the time and assist level 4. That's it. I ride a 17 mile round trip most weekdays that takes me an hour. There are a few crosswalks in there to negotiate. I often carry 30 lb. of groceries from Sam's Club strapped to the back. One time I helped a young man I saw carrying a flat car tire. He had a couple miles to go to the nearest tire shop and I offered to drop the tire off for him. I do carry rope to tie down loads.

I did change the handlebar setup, opting for one that is swept back as in the photos below. I keep the original bars on there to accommodate mirrors and such. I have 2k miles on one bike and 1.7k on the other. Love the bikes. I wear leather gloves in case I do go down, which so far hasn't happened (knocking on wood here).

Love my Lectric 3.0 ebikes. Very stable. Very maneuverable. At my age wouldn't ride anything other than a step-thru.

View attachment 17438View attachment 17439View attachment 17440
View attachment 17443

Any chance you have links or sources for your set up?
Thanks

 

[5galloncan]

Amazon:
1. Seat: YLG oversized bicycle seat
2. Suspension post: Suntour suspension post
3. Handlebar: Upanbike retro handlebar
4. Stem: Triwonder stem
5. Grips: Hemiway grips
6. Mirrors: Bike Bar End Mirror
7. Topeak Basket: Topeak basket
8. Topeak Adapter: Topeak adapter
9. Pedals: MKS (Mikashima) FD-7 Pedal, Made in Japan, Folding Pedal, Left and Right Set, Silver
10. Tire tubes: Heavy-Duty 2.75/3.00-16 Inner Tube 80/100-16 Motorcycle Tubes with TR4 Straight Valve Stem Replacement
11. Flatout in the tire tubes: Flatout
12. Bluetooth headset: Aftershokz Trekz Air (any bone conduction headset)
13. Brake pads: silent, no squeak 4 Pair Bike Disc Brake Pads These last about 600 miles in between changes.

Homemade bike stand instructions and video. The video link is here and at the bottom of the instructions. I have recently thru-bolted the hinges instead of just wood screws to hold them in place. If I were making this today, I would use some sort of plastic wood instead. I have to throw some weight on the front of the bike to keep the rear lifted when working on the back end of the bike.

NOTE: I had to do some hacking to fit the basket and adapter to the bike. The goal is to have it solidly attached, but easy to remove for folding. I added two 10" lengths of 2" PVC plumbing pipe with a rubber bungee running through the two pipes to hold it under the basket for side-to-side stabilization. The bungee goes in at the front and through the pipes to hook onto the basket (zoom the photo). Heavier loads are tied down with rope to the bike's solid frame using trucker's hitch side to side and front to back.

Happy to answer any specific questions.