EG Enterprise Question

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jrodpad

New Member
Feb 4, 2009
8
0
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New England
Despite the smallish (200w) motor, the fact that it was made in China (*cough*) and the fact that there are NO CUSTOMER REVIEWS or feedback on any website (including Eco, Mybikeonline, amazon, egbike, etc.), I recently ordered an EG Enterprise, which is set to arrive today. I hope that it will hold up to my 12 mile (each way), mostly flat, mostly bike-path commute to and from work in the spring.

At $899, delivered, it seemed like a decent choice for my first electric bicycle considering the following features: Lithium-Ion battery, aluminum frame, front disk brake, front suspension, 18mph (unassisted), 35mile range, ped-assist/full electric, and 54lb total weight (including battery). It would have been even better with a rack and some fenders, but at the price point - I can’t complain.

Ultimately, I would have preferred a 250w or 350w BionX kit on a lighter mountain bike or hybrid frame - or even one of the all-in-one electric Schwinn, Giant or Ezee bikes, but considering the BionX kit (without a bike) costs around $1,600-$1,700, and the Schwinn, Giant and Ezee models that I was considering were more in the $2,200-$2,400 range . . . it was hard not to give the EG a try.

Does anyone have any feedback on this particular bike? On EGBikes in general? If anyone knows of a site with reviews can you please post a link? Also, I know that the US importer is in Canton MA, but does anyone have any details on the manufacturer in China? Quality control practices? Fair labor practices?

I will likely wait for the snow to recede a bit before putting the Enterprise to work, but as soon as I have a few trips under my belt I will return and let you know how the bike performs.
 

DOC BOLM

New Member
Aug 21, 2008
681
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Mississippi
As far as being made in china i think everything in the usa is. I picked up a bottle of hotsauce in a mexican restarant and the label said MADE IN CHINA.Harleys Dad
 

jrodpad

New Member
Feb 4, 2009
8
0
0
New England
Thanks. I just got news that the bike arrived, so I should have some preliminary feedback relatively soon. I will keep you folks posted.

I wish there was a cost-efficient USA-made alternative. The only USA manufactured electric bicycle that I was able to find was the Optibike, and at $13,999 (for the OB1) - there's just no way.

At least the importer is a MA company, so I'm supporting a local business on some level.

A bit of cyber-sleuthing turned up the name of EGBike's Chinese exporter - an outfit called "SHANGHAI B&W Import & Export Co. Ltd., located at 18B No. 8 Dongfang Road, Shanghai 200120 China". Hopefully, more details to follow - in the interim, if anyone has any info on EGBikes, the EG Enterprise, or related info, including any customer feedback, I'd love to hear from you.
 

jrodpad

New Member
Feb 4, 2009
8
0
0
New England
After putting the little ones to bed last night I was able to spend a few hours un-boxing, assembling and groping the new EG Enterprise - below you will find my preliminary impressions. I will follow-up with a more complete review on how the bike actually performs after I have put the bike through its paces.

1) First Impressions - The bike was delivered on time (which was great because it arrived in two days as promised by the company; impressive) and the boxes arrived in good shape without any damage from shipping. The bike was delivered in 2 boxes, one giant box with the bike itself and a smaller box with the battery. The packing materials that the bike was shipped in did not at first glance inspire confidence, but the bike was delivered without any noticeable damage so I guess the bike was packaged appropriately for transport. After opening the boxes and removing the packing materials, it looked as though all the parts and pieces were delivered, but it was tough to be sure because there was no instruction or assembly manual shipped with the bike!! Luckily, I had downloaded and printed the instruction manual from the EGBike website earlier, so I was able to proceed.

2) Assembly - When initially discussing the bike with the sales people, I asked whether the bike needed to be assembled by a bike shop or whether I (with modest handyman skills) could assemble the bike myself. I was assured that the bike was 90% assembled at the factory and that the remaining 10% would be easy. Despite the bold-faced, capitalized warnings on the box that the bike should be professionally assembled, I found the sales people’s advice to be accurate. In about an hour and a half, with very few tools, I had the bike more-or-less assembled. The bike came with the two sizes of required allen-wrenches and a crescent-wrench; the only other tools that were necessary for assembly were a large and small Phillips screwdriver and an adjustable wrench. Assembly included mounting the handlebar and seat-post, and attaching the front wheel, pedals, lights and reflectors. I did not have the time to swap out the handgrips that were already on the handlebars for the twist-throttle handgrips (including connecting the electrical wiring of the throttle-grips to the wiring on the bike), but this doesn’t look like it will be an overly complicated task. I can’t imagine why the bike doesn’t come with the throttle-grips installed . . . but, it seems like a relatively minor task. I wish the assembly instructions were a bit more detailed and a bit clearer, but with a little trial and error, they got the job done.

3) Thoughts on Quality, Fit and Finish - First, though I’m sure it’s completely obvious at this point, let me make it clear that I’m a complete noob when it comes to all things related to bicycles. That said, my first impression of the bike is was favorable. The external fit and finish of the frame, wheels and components was good. Everything seemed well constructed, clean, sturdy and undamaged. I have not charged the battery or inflated the tires so I have not been on the bike yet to comment on the ride, but the moving parts all seem to be in working order and moving relatively silently. A few things to note that may (or may not) be an issue in the future - (a) there are quite a few wires snaking along the exterior of the various tubes of the frame, and while at first blush they seem to be adequately subdued by a small legion of zip-ties, I wonder if in the future they will get caught-up on objects and cause problems; (b) there are plastic caps on the end of the axle bolts on the rear axle that are not secured to the bolts in any way other than by gravity - there is no way that these will stay on the bike -they will get lost; (c) the tops of the keys that secure the battery to the bike are plastic and hinged (so that you can fold the top of the key against the lock and not have it protrude out from the bike frame), but are extremely low-grade plastic with a tiny flimsy hinge and will certainly brake over time; (d) the front and rear lights that were added as a “free-extra” are also extremely low grade and I do not expect them to last - but after all, they were free, so I suppose I shouldn’t expect much; and (e) the words “powered by a lithium-ion battery” are emblazoned on one of the minor tubes of the frame, which in my mind is a giant “STEAL ME” sign - one of the reasons I liked this bike is it was fairly unassuming and looked more or less like any other mountain bike - so I will have to cover these words somehow (any suggestions - paint? tape?). As you can see these are all very minor concerns, and let me reiterate that on balance, I am very pleased with the quality, fit and finish of the bike - especially considering the price and the location of the manufacturer.

4) Other Thoughts - This bike is heavy. It feels heavier than 54 pounds (though I have nothing but wimpy arms to support that opinion). I’m glad the bike has front disk brakes because at 20mph, I have a feeling that the bike is going to be a bear to stop. The saddle on the bike is tall even with the seat-post on the lowest setting. Because the battery is mounted behind/under the saddle, the saddle must be approximately 8 inches above the throat of the frame tube that holds the seat-post. I am 5’10” and when I stand straddling the bike, I barely clear the top of the frame tube. Even at the lowest setting the saddle hits me just below my waist. I’m going to take the bike to a local bike shop this weekend to get it properly fitted and to ensure that it is put together properly.

I will continue to review when I have more info. Again, if anyone has any info on EGBikes, their manufacturer, the Enterprise, or related info, including any customer feedback please let me know.
 

Bikeguy Joe

Godfather of Motorized Bicycles
Jan 8, 2008
11,837
252
63
up north now
Thanks for the review so far....Maybe you'll want to keep this thread as a blog your experience here?

Go for it!
 

jasonh

New Member
Jun 23, 2008
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Longmont, CO
I wish there was a cost-efficient USA-made alternative. The only USA manufactured electric bicycle that I was able to find was the Optibike, and at $13,999 (for the OB1) - there's just no way.
Wow. For that money I'd just buy an Enertia electric motorcycle and be done with it.

Enertia Bike - Home


Thanks for the review on the bike. Got any pics or anything?
 

deacon

minor bike philosopher
Jan 15, 2008
8,114
9
0
north carolina
I am fascinated with this... My kit arrives Monday. I bought an EZ glide 250 Watt kit. I am dying to see how your kit performs.

Mine is going on a used bike from a neighbor. It is an alum frame and I'm a little worried about the frame holding up. It is a light weight schwinn road bike frame. I replaced the rear wheel with a 20" coaster brake wheel...

The front will be the hub motor so I'm dying to hear anyone's experience with so small a hub motor. I'll settle for 15mph... My batteries are sla so it really is going to be one heavy mother but I am considering going with a trailer for the batteries and add some additional ones for more range. Just a thought for now.
 
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jrodpad

New Member
Feb 4, 2009
8
0
0
New England
Deacon,

Good luck with the kit. That's really what I wanted to do, but don't have the time to tinker right now. Send pics once you have the beast assembled.

Just a quick note, I took the "assembled" EG Enterprise to the local bike shop guru for a quick once-over to be sure that my amateur assembly wasn’t going to result in my untimely death on the maiden voyage. He seemed impressed with the electronics, but warned that the “modest” (his words) components would likely fall victim to problems from wear-and-tear rather quickly. Troubling. He’s going to add some fenders and a rack to round out the “commuter” extras of the bike. I will try to include pictures after I get the bike back.

Still looking for any info out there on manufacturer . . . feel free to send an email directly if you’re not comfortable posting info on the board. Any info appreciated.
 

jrodpad

New Member
Feb 4, 2009
8
0
0
New England
Another quick note - I received a call from the local bike shop yesterday. The bike guru explained that the disk on the front disk brake was not flat - in fact, it was bent in a few different places. As a result, the disk rubbed against the brake assembly and prevented the front wheel from spinning freely.

Despite his best efforts, he could not adjust the front brake enough to overcome the defect. If he adjusted the brake to avoid the rubbing, the brake could not provide enough force to stop the bike. If he adjusted the brake to provide enough force to stop the bike, it rubbed against the bent rotor.

I have to say that I am pretty disappointed that the bike was sold with a manufacturing defect. I hope that this is an isolated incident and does not speak to larger quality control issues with this product/manufacturer. Keep in mind, I have not even taken the bike for a test-ride yet. It makes me wonder what else I am going to discover after firing up the electronics and putting the bike through its paces.

I am going to reach out to the company this afternoon to see if they will do the right thing and stand behind their product (there is a 1 year warranty on the bike and non-electrical components). I have had nothing but good experiences with the seller so far - so I hope that they do the right thing and offer to pay for the repair. I will write a follow-up post and let you know exactly how the company responds. Stay tuned.
 

jrodpad

New Member
Feb 4, 2009
8
0
0
New England
This time an actual test-ride to report on (albeit a brief one), more on that in a minute.

First, I picked up the newly-tuned bike from the local bike shop, and I am very satisfied with the results. The bike guru gave the bike a complete once-over, put on a set of full fenders, modified an existing bike rack so that it would fit on the bike (with the seat-post, battery pack and the new fenders), swapped out the bent front disk brake for an upgraded model, rigged up a more sturdy set of front and rear lights and sized the bike for my 5’11” frame. The bike now resembles a decent commuter bike.

Then, I reached out (as promised) via email to the bike’s retailer. I explained that there was a manufacturer’s defect involving the front brake and I faxed over a copy of the bike guru’s receipt (a separate receipt for the replacement part and service cost for the front brake only). I could not be happier with the reply. In about a half hour, the president of the company wrote back and said he would cover the cost and noted that if there are any manufacturer’s defects in the future - to let them know first so that they could send out a replacement part. Wow. How many retailers in today’s market provide that kind of service or customer loyalty? I have been impressed with this company from the first interaction - if there was ever an endorsement for turning your back on the “mart” stores in favor of the local guy, this is it. I sent a copy of the receipt last Friday (2/20) and got a prompt response from the president that a check would be sent out this week. After the check shows up, I will drop the details of the company and the president in a post to give a well-earned plug.

Finally, the test ride. After charging the battery for a full 12 hours (per the bike’s instructions - the first 3 charges (only) should be for 12 hours, letting the battery empty fully after each charge), I hoisted the bike onto the car’s bike rack (HEAVY!) and set out for a decent testing ground. I chose a 8 floor parking garage that is nearby to demo the bike. It’s indoors so it’s a bit warmer than riding outside in this lovely February weather, there’s less salt and sand on the ground to coat the gears, chain, hub, etc., and there’s a good selection of uphill, flats and downhill to test the bike’s abilities.

I rode the bike with no power to see how it handled without the motor. The bike was heavy, but handled well. The front suspension and seat-post suspension give the bike a comfortable ride, even over minor potholes and speed bumps. I went up and down through all of the bike’s gears a few times - it was a smooth and silent exchange, without any jumping or excessive delays even at the extremes. It’s a good thing that the bike has so many gears, because hauling this thing up hill with no electric support is a task. That said, it absolutely flies downhill and the brakes (with the aftermarket front brake) stop the bike remarkably well. The ride was silent, without the clicking and squeaking that I have grown to expect with lower-quality bike components. Now on to the power.

First, I tried the bike on power-assist low. I found this mode to be a barely noticeable (although welcome) addition to pedaling. In the complete silence of an empty parking garage, I could hear the motor in the rear hub power up with a pleasant “whoosh” when I first started pedaling (or continued pedaling after coasting for a bit), but otherwise this form of assistance was unobtrusive. It was as though the bike was compensating for its own husky weight. Then, I tried the bike in power-assist high. I have a feeling that this will be my preferred mode of travel for my commute. It was great - like having someone push the bike from behind with noticeable force. The faster I peddled, the more support the bike provided, until I was climbing hills with ease and pushing my limits of acceptable speeds on the downs. Breaking was still not a problem, even at the higher velocities. The “assist” competently turns off a second or two after you stop peddling or if you tap the breaks. It’s a very natural feeling system of propulsion. As you can imagine at 200w, this bike is not a hill climber. There is no way that I’m going to be able to break 20mph or keep up with cars on the road. It does, however, provide an extra boost that will no doubt extend my natural biking stamina on a 12 mile (each way) commute. Lastly, I tried the bike on electric only mode with the twist throttle. The experience was a bit underwhelming. If I started from a dead-stop, the bike did its best with my 190lb cargo and after a few seconds was up to speed; which (admittedly without a speedometer) did not feel anything like the advertised 18mph, even on flat ground. I suppose that my weight does not meet the “optimum conditions” footnoted in the bike’s advertised specs. I am going to use my portable GPS at some point to monitor the bikes range and speed and I’ll report back with a more accurate number, but for now I’d guess that on a flat surface at my weight the bike was around 10-12mph on electric only mode. Engaging the electric throttle when the bike was already up to speed was more enjoyable - I can see myself using the throttle to carry me on downs or flats when I need a bit of a break.

Unfortunately, I can’t say anything about the battery’s longevity. Due to the cold (30 degrees), I had to cut the test run short after about 45 minutes of fooling around. When I put the bike back on the car, the meter still showed full battery life. When I do the first full test run with the GPS, I’ll have better data to report, including info on battery life. One more quick note on the quality of the electrical components. The wires on the surface of the bike and the plastic “snap” connectors that connect the wires at critical junctions seem extremely flimsy. I brushed up against the bike with my leg and disconnected the main wiring coming out of the rear motor - the wires entering one side of a plastic “snap” connector just fell out! The connector was still closed, but the wires leading into the connector had nothing holding them in other than gravity. All I had to do was put the wires back in and use a bit of electrical tape to prevent them from falling out again - but it did not exactly inspire confidence. I am going to review all of these connections and add a bit more electrical tape to the bike to sure up any additional weak spots. Is this typical of electric kits?

Overall, I am extremely pleased with the first test run and I expect great performance from the enterprise in the future. More info and pics sometime soon.
 

deacon

minor bike philosopher
Jan 15, 2008
8,114
9
0
north carolina
The speed is about like my front 250 watt hub. It easily went on my 7 dollar junk bike from a neighbor. My complaint is the lack of range. i am running a set of 2 12ah 12volt batteries and get about 4 miles on them. I am trying to decide on my next move to get a little more range, but to be honest the 4 miles is enough for right now.

I am curious to see what your real world experience is with the battery life.
 

rearengine

New Member
Feb 22, 2009
34
0
0
Wi USA
Hey Jrodpad
I bet you will find a way to mount the battery case on the down tube .. I really like the bike . Will be watching for your report.. Bill
 

jrodpad

New Member
Feb 4, 2009
8
0
0
New England
Thanks for the responses - I’ve got a fair bit to update from my last posts.

First, thanks for the idea about mounting the battery on the down tube. It hadn’t even occurred to me . . . looks like I’ll be doing a bit of modding!

Second, I finally heard back from the retailer yesterday about the refund for the manufacturer’s defect part (see my post from 2/25). As discussed above, I asked the retailer to pay for the cost of a new brake ($69) and send him a copy of the invoice ($69 for the parts and another $40 for the labor). Yesterday, a check arrived for $69. I am happy to see the retailer stood behind the product and paid for the replacement part. I noted in my post above that I would give the company a plug if it did the right thing and paid up - I bought my EG Enterprise from MyBike Online (MyBike Online- Electric Bikes, College Rentals, & Bicycle Advertising). I purchased the bike from LeRoy Watkins, MyBike’s president and I have been dealing with LeRoy to address the manufacturer’s defect issue. It’s worth noting that MyBike’s “policy” is to have its customers send back any defective part for replacement. LeRoy didn’t have to cut me a check for the cost of the new brake, he could have said “send in the bad brake and I will mail you a new one”, but he did the honorable thing and in the interest of keeping his customer happy mailed out a check to help cover the costs. I’ve had a very good experience as a customer of MyBike and working with LeRoy. For people paying close attention, that’s right, MyBike did not cover the $40 for labor in installing the new brake, but as mentioned above, they’re already going beyond their articulated returns policy, so I feel like in the end we wound up splitting the cost of the defect and that I’m being treated fairly.

Third, and most importantly, I got the chance to do a real-world test! We had a brief reprieve from the snow and cold weather (mostly) a few weekends ago and I did a test run of my 12-13 mile commute in to work. This post is already long, so if you don’t want to keep reading, here’s the snapshot: the bike performed about as expected. The power assist was nice, but ultimately a bit underwhelming. The charge on the battery was amazing, although I would happily sacrifice a bit of battery life for a bit more power from the motor.

Now for the details.

Power: As discussed, I traveled most of the way on power assist high. It was a great help and compensated for how out of shape I am. It was also a great help on gradual inclines to take some of the sting out of long low hills. I also faced a 10-15mph headwind that was gusty. Most of my commute is along a river and the wind whipped up across the river and hit me in the face for (best guess) 75% of my ride. The power assist was key in helping me fight the wind. In fact, at one point in my ride when it was particularly windy, I passed a spandex-cowboy type on a fancy road bike who was being beaten up by the wind gusts. In your face spandex cowboy! When I needed a break from peddling, due to hills or wind or just biking for too long, I pulled back on the throttle and went on power-only mode. In the wind it felt really slow, but it gave me a few minutes here and there to rest my legs before switching back to power assist high and muscling through again. Most of my commute is flat, but in the one hilly part having the power boost was nice but this bike is not a hill climber. Not at all. If I had to deal with any significant hills along the way, the bike would not work out. It’s heavy to start with and the motor is not capable of taking over completely on real inclines. Lucky for me, on my commute hills are not an issue. If the bike had a little more power - even just a little more - I feel like riding in on power only mode and maintaining a decent speed would be a reality. For now, I feel like I can go much faster on power assist high and that I can use the power only mode for when I get tired and need a break from peddling.

Speed: I have a mostly-flat 12-13 mile commute to work over a mix of bike path and roads. I was hoping to do the commute in between 50 and 60 minutes. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my GPS with me at the time, so I still don’t have very reliable speed information for when the bike was on power only mode or on power assist high, but I kept my stopwatch running and can do a very rough estimate on average speed for the trip. I got lost two times on my test run, the first time I lost the bike path when it crossed an intersection and had to double back - not much time lost, maybe 5 minutes. The second time, I overshot my exit from the bike path and had to go a fair bit out of my way to correct the mistake, maybe about 15 minutes. The total time of my test run was 79 minutes. Correcting for getting lost, about 60 minutes. By my back-of-the-envelope, completely non-scientific estimate, I went about 12-13 mph as an average speed for the trip. With a bit more practice and better weather (at one point I had to walk my bike over ice for about 200-300 yards on a shaded part of the bike path), I’m sure I can bring my average speed up. Hopefully, next time I’ll take my GPS along for the ride and I’ll be able to figure out how fast the bike goes on power only and on power assist.

Battery: As explained above, when I started out on my test run, the battery had already had about 30-45 minutes of riding around on it. During the ride, the battery indicator on the handlebars showed a full battery the whole time - the manual says that the handlebar meter is better for when the battery is nearly empty. After the ride, the indicator on the battery itself read 2/3 full!!! One of two things is happening here - either the battery is great and the motor is highly efficient, or the indicators on the battery and handlebars are wrong. A few more test-runs will answer this question for sure.

Finally, while not the aluminum stallion I was hoping for, I’m generally happy with the bike’s performance. If the test run is indicative of my average commuting experience, I think riding in by bike will be a viable option in the spring. More info to follow on the next test-run.