Priority Current: New owner experiences

ronniebellie

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Got my new Priority Current on October 12 via the Costco Next program which meant I purchased it via the Priority site but got 20% off plus free shipping as a Costco member, which amounted to about an $800 discount ($700 plus the normal $100 shipping fee). My build was the medium size (charcoal color) one with the enviolo hub. The bike was shipped via FedEx from the East Coast to my home in eastern Washington. Unfortunately, there was some damage during shipping. The display was cracked and the front brake rotor was slightly bent, which at first was barely noticeable. Priority support immediately sent out a free replacement display which came 2 days ago and was easy to install. I didn't really notice the bent brake rotor until a couple of days later. It was an easy fix by a mechanic at my local bike shop for only $15. Priority said I could send them the receipt for a refund, but I didn't bother since it was hardly anything.

I've put about 120 miles on the bike already in the first week with most of that from two trips @24 miles each and one longer trip of 41.3 miles (more info on those trips below). Since it's my first ebike and my first bike with a continuous variable transmission (CVT), it took some getting used to at first. The shifiting with the CVT is so different, and then there's the electrification part of it, which takes some time to get used to as well. Finally, there's the weight of the bike (52 lbs) which is a lot heavier than what I'm used to. So overall the feel and experience is much much different than my old bike. But so far, I’m getting used to it and I'm starting to like it a lot.

The cool features include not only the CVT, but the carbon fiber belt (instead of a traditional chain), both of which make the ride super smooth. Even riding with the pedal assist set at zero is a pretty smooth experience. Then there's the hydraulic disk brakes which are much better than the tradition rubber pad brakes I've used all my life. (I think I've been riding a bike for 60 years starting at about age 5 in Montana.)

Regarding the battery range, which is advertised as "20-50 miles based on pedal assist mode (Class 1)," I've done three test rides. For my first 24 mile ride a few days ago on a fairly flat route, I used the electric assist about 60% of the time, occasionally at its highest level (there are 5 levels of electric assist). What's interesting is that with my old bike pushing myself on the same route which I've done many times before, I would average 11-12 mph. With the new Current, with about the same exertion rate, I averaged 15.66 mph. When if finished the ride, I had about a 20-25% charge remaining on the battery.

Then a couple of days later, I rode another brisk 24 miles on a different route which was very hilly, and I used pedal assist probably 70-75% of the time, and in level 4 or 5 about 10-15% of the time. The battery charge was on nearly zero at the end of my ride. I'm pretty sure this was due to the hilly nature of the route.

Finally, on October 19 I did another a battery range test going on a 41-mile ride keeping it mostly at level 1 assist. The route was mostly flat, but there were a few places with some short 4-5% uphill grades, and in those cases, I had it in level 2 assist. What was surprising is that when I finished the ride I still had about a 35% charge remaining on the battery.

My wife and I are about ready to retire and we plan to take a couple a months a year and ride some of the longer rails-to-trails routes around the country, starting first with the 222-mile long Katy Trail across the state of Missouri. We'll likely get her the Current as well. Along this trail are dozens of small towns of German or Amish history and culture. We'll stay in AirBB places along the way.

One final note. Priority support (via mostly text but telephone a couple of times) has been excellent and very responsive. I'm not a mechanic type guy and I need clear instructions on how to do the simplest things. They provide excellent video instructions for assembly and various other things. Very happy with that support so far.
 
The CVT system sounds intriguing. I'm short (28" inseam), so the Priority Current would barely fit me. Add on a suspension seatpost and a Cloud 9 saddle and I'd have to lean the bike over every time I came to a stop (or hop off). My Ocelot Pro is a better fit for me. Not as fancy a bike as yours, but it suits my needs.

Are you planning on picking up extra batteries for your longer bike journeys? Or are you going to limit the daily travel to however far the original batteries take you?
 
The CVT system sounds intriguing. I'm short (28" inseam), so the Priority Current would barely fit me. Add on a suspension seatpost and a Cloud 9 saddle and I'd have to lean the bike over every time I came to a stop (or hop off). My Ocelot Pro is a better fit for me. Not as fancy a bike as yours, but it suits my needs.

Are you planning on picking up extra batteries for your longer bike journeys? Or are you going to limit the daily travel to however far the original batteries take you?
Hi 1dash1. Thank you for your message. I think for our longer trips we will at first stick to just the one battery on the bike. Just today I did a battery range test going on a 41-mile ride keeping it mostly at level 1 assist. The route was mostly flat, but there were a few places with some short 4-5% uphill grades, and in those cases, I had it in level 2 assist. What was surprising is that when I finished the ride I still had about a 35% charge remaining on the battery.

I checked out your Ocelot Pro. Looks pretty cool.
 
Glad to hear you are enjoying your bike. I get 12 miles at level 5 all out pedaling with hills, 24 miles Level 3. I’ve been riding it to the gym and charging the battery there. That’s the best range extended but there will be situations where that’s not going to be an option so I’ll buy a second battery and carry it when I need the extra juice.
 
Hi 1dash1. Thank you for your message. I think for our longer trips we will at first stick to just the one battery on the bike. Just today I did a battery range test going on a 41-mile ride keeping it mostly at level 1 assist. The route was mostly flat, but there were a few places with some short 4-5% uphill grades, and in those cases, I had it in level 2 assist. What was surprising is that when I finished the ride I still had about a 35% charge remaining on the battery.

I checked out your Ocelot Pro. Looks pretty cool.
It takes a while to figure out what the battery charge percentages really mean.

I don't know about your specific model, but on most e-bikes, the motor stops running at somewhere around 10%. So, while the battery status shows 35% remaining, you really have just 25% left.

Also, if you turn off the system for a short time, the battery level will "rebound". Say, you were biking and turned the ignition off at 70%. After waiting 5 minutes, the battery level will show 80+% when you turn the ignition back on.

Lastly, whether the motor runs when you're low on battery power also depends on the load. On flat ground, you might be able to coax the motor to continue running for a few more miles. On a hill, the motor may instantly cut off.

It's quirky. o_O

(I've had my Ocelot for only a few weeks, I'm still trying to figure it out.)
 
I’m glad you made a decision and like your new bike, Ronnie. You seemed to put a lot of thought, research and due diligence into it, which is great!

May it give you many, many happy and safe rides. :)
 
Got my new Priority Current on October 12 via the Costco Next program...
Thanks for your review--I'm thinking about getting the Current from Costco as well. I have two questions maybe you could answer--what is the total length of the bike (from front of front tire to the back of rear fender)? How does the enviolo deal with transition to a steep hill? Thanks!
 
Thanks for your review--I'm thinking about getting the Current from Costco as well. I have two questions maybe you could answer--what is the total length of the bike (from front of front tire to the back of rear fender)? How does the enviolo deal with transition to a steep hill? Thanks!
Sorry, I didn't see your message until now. The full specs for the Current are HERE. I think this is what you need. As far as the Enviolo hub, it's super smooth shifting. You just need to let up on the pedaling tension a little when shifting. It has a pretty low range for hills, but because of the weight of the bike (52 lbs), I now use peddle assistance when climbing hills, especially steep ones.

If you still need the the total length info, I could get it. My bike has been in outdoor storage since late October when the cold weather winter with lots of snow came upon us hard and fast. It's still cold with lots of snow on the ground. However, I can go out to the shed and do a measurement if necessary. Let me know.
 
Sorry, I didn't see your message until now. The full specs for the Current are HERE. I think this is what you need. As far as the Enviolo hub, it's super smooth shifting. You just need to let up on the pedaling tension a little when shifting. It has a pretty low range for hills, but because of the weight of the bike (52 lbs), I now use peddle assistance when climbing hills, especially steep ones.

If you still need the the total length info, I could get it. My bike has been in outdoor storage since late October when the cold weather winter with lots of snow came upon us hard and fast. It's still cold with lots of snow on the ground. However, I can go out to the shed and do a measurement if necessary. Let me know.
I went ahead and bought one myself. total length is 73 inches.
 
I am considering purchasing a Priority Current and have a rather naive question since I am new to this buying a bike online thing...

All the videos that I have seen and the information I have read from Priority state that they recommend either having a professional bike shop assemble the bike or to have it inspected by some professional (i.e. the bike shop). I do not have any experience with this but would expect our local bike shop to charge for this inspection., which from their website, would cost in the $90-$130 price range. If that is the case, what is the advantage of saving by having the bike sent directly to you for assembly (which costs $30) rather than taking advantage of the bike shop Beeline option of having the bike shop assemble, inspect, and fix any problems with the bike (for $130) if the buyer is going to end up taking it to the bike shop anyway? Or is the business of about the need for a professional to inspect the bike just something from the company for liability reasons?

Do most people who order bikes online do the assembly and maintenance themselves?

From watching the assembly videos I am certain I could assemble the bike myself but am not sure I would like to tackle any major issues that might occur (e.g. tire out of true, something with the braking system, motor problems).

What is the thought process by the average person who orders a bike online?
 
I chose to assemble my own Aventon, and in all honesty, with the tutorial video they give you, I don’t think it took me longer than 30-40 minutes.

A friend of mine bought the same bike and paid a LBS to assemble it. I think they charged about $250.
 
I am considering purchasing a Priority Current and have a rather naive question since I am new to this buying a bike online thing...

All the videos that I have seen and the information I have read from Priority state that they recommend either having a professional bike shop assemble the bike or to have it inspected by some professional (i.e. the bike shop). I do not have any experience with this but would expect our local bike shop to charge for this inspection., which from their website, would cost in the $90-$130 price range. If that is the case, what is the advantage of saving by having the bike sent directly to you for assembly (which costs $30) rather than taking advantage of the bike shop Beeline option of having the bike shop assemble, inspect, and fix any problems with the bike (for $130) if the buyer is going to end up taking it to the bike shop anyway? Or is the business of about the need for a professional to inspect the bike just something from the company for liability reasons?

Do most people who order bikes online do the assembly and maintenance themselves?

From watching the assembly videos I am certain I could assemble the bike myself but am not sure I would like to tackle any major issues that might occur (e.g. tire out of true, something with the braking system, motor problems).

What is the thought process by the average person who orders a bike online?
I would say if you are have basic mechanical knowledge you can put these ebikes together just fine. I certainly wouldn't pay a local shop $250 for the task. After the assembly it would be wise to check all fasteners on the bike paying attention to the pedals and rear axle torque.
 
I am considering purchasing a Priority Current and have a rather naive question since I am new to this buying a bike online thing...

All the videos that I have seen and the information I have read from Priority state that they recommend either having a professional bike shop assemble the bike or to have it inspected by some professional (i.e. the bike shop). I do not have any experience with this but would expect our local bike shop to charge for this inspection., which from their website, would cost in the $90-$130 price range. If that is the case, what is the advantage of saving by having the bike sent directly to you for assembly (which costs $30) rather than taking advantage of the bike shop Beeline option of having the bike shop assemble, inspect, and fix any problems with the bike (for $130) if the buyer is going to end up taking it to the bike shop anyway? Or is the business of about the need for a professional to inspect the bike just something from the company for liability reasons?

Do most people who order bikes online do the assembly and maintenance themselves?

From watching the assembly videos I am certain I could assemble the bike myself but am not sure I would like to tackle any major issues that might occur (e.g. tire out of true, something with the braking system, motor problems).

What is the thought process by the average person who orders a bike online?
Have it sent directly to the bike shop, if you're not confident of your own bike building skills. It makes no sense to ship it to your house first.
 
When I wear out my Aventon Level.2, I'm getting one of these as my commuter.
I respect it when the manufacturer is on the level re. range estimates.
 
I talked a friend of mine into getting a Priority Current with the Enviolo CVT. She loves the bike. She lives in a hilly area of Baltimore. Later she wanted to do more hard packed trail riding and wanted something more forgiving on the rougher than paved terrain. I suggested a Juiced RipCurrent S step through fat tire 1000w e-bike with an air suspension front fork. Again she loved it for trails.
So, what I got from her is that the priority current is great on paved roads but a little stiff to ride on rougher terrain, since it has a rigid front fork and skinnier tires.
As for the CVT hub, I have the O.G. CVT hub from the same manufacturer when they were called Nuvinci. It’s on a custom built BBSHD mid drive fat tire e-bike that I built. I like it so much I purchased 4 of the newer hub versions like that is on the Prority Current, the “Cargo Bike” version. They also make an automatiq Bluetooth liked shifting setup for these hubs that maintains your cadence no matter your speed and can be over-ridden with a switch that lets you change the cadence on the fly. It’s a very very nice setup and will be part of the next e-bike I build. Enviolo CVTs are definitely the way to go.
 
Additionally, if you had one of the priority current e-bikes and you wanted to soften the ride, I bet you could find a rockshox Silver RL or other brand suspension fork for it and install fatter tires like Schwalbe Pick-up 2.35” wide cargo bike tires.
 
Additionally, if you had one of the priority current e-bikes and you wanted to soften the ride, I bet you could find a rockshox Silver RL or other brand suspension fork for it and install fatter tires like Schwalbe Pick-up 2.35” wide cargo bike tires.
...and Suntour NCX shock seatpost:

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It's one of the best things I've ever added to a bike.
 
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