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Posted: 12/27/2021 9:10:35 PM EDT
I've got a little (well, not so little) folding fat tire e-bike, and had a great ride the other day, but I find myself wanting something bigger and a bit more comfortable, but e-bike as well.

The Dost Kope CVT is checking all my boxes:

Mid-drive
750W
throttle
belt drive
CVT

It's $4k... but I'm hesitating at the moment because it looks like they want you to pay all now, and it'll ship "this spring".

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I'd add a seat post suspension post, like I did on the bike I have now. I like the CVT, because some of my riding leads me through intersections, and I have to stop. Being able to shift across the range while at a stop is nice. I've caught myself stopped at a light in top gear and it's a pain to start off again. Plus belt drive is supposed to be the good shit now!  

Not REALLY looking to be talked out of this one, but I'll look at anything else. I'm not in a rush, but it would be nice to get a bike that I like. I'm much more prone to ride something I like.

Link Posted: 12/27/2021 9:25:30 PM EDT
[#1]
If I was looking for an ebike I'd buy this Ariel Rider Grizzy dual motor
Link Posted: 12/27/2021 10:40:33 PM EDT
[#2]
Cute scooter
Link Posted: 1/28/2022 1:14:30 PM EDT
[#3]
I ordered one. Should ship in April.

As it happens, I'll be going up to Seattle and probably up to Vancouver in March for vacation. Dost has their office in Vancouver. I will probably try to swing by there and check them out.

I've been checking out trails not too far from home. There are some nice ones I definitely want to check out. I think this bike will be fine for paved or mild dirt trails, and I should be able to put some miles on it pretty easily. I'll post what I think about it when I finally receive it.
Link Posted: 10/15/2022 1:14:35 PM EDT
[#4]
FINALLY got my bike!

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I went for a ~20 mile ride to get used to it a bit, and figure out what I need to adjust. I need to adjust the seat tilt, but the base is stuck. Apparently they assembled the post too soon after painting it, so the base is kinda glued in place. A good whack with a hammer should do the trick. The handle bars might need a little adjustment, too.

The CVT is interesting. Shifting is done with a twist on the base of the right grip. It's a bit stiff, but should get smoother as it breaks in. It's fascinating, a small adjustment is something you can easily feel. Shifting to a 'higher' gear ratio is really tough while pedaling, so I've figured out that it's best to stop pedaling for a second, twist the grip just a little bit, then pick up pedaling again. Shifting to a 'lower' ratio is very easy. It's also pretty easy to shift while the bike is stopped, although getting into the highest gear ratio is very stiff, the other way is easier... which works out since you'll usually want a lower 'gear' from a stop.

The electric assist is pretty nice. It can be set to 3, 5 or 9 levels, each offering finer granular control. At any assist level, it's going to put out a certain amount of power regardless of your speed. I have mine set to the 9-level assist, and found that level 2 is pretty good for level riding. 1 and 2 really just seem to overcome the weight of the bicycle and make it feel like you're handling a lighter bike. It's easy to tap the level up or down while riding, and it's probably best to be actively controlling it if you want to get the best range, since as long as the pedals are turning, the motor is providing power. If you don't need a lot, or any at all, drop the assist down.

The throttle only works when the pedals are not moving at all, which is a little weird to me. I'm not sure if that can be changed anywhere. I have another e-bike that has a throttle which works any time, and it's nice if you just need a quick bump in power. I don't use the throttle much at all, but if I really want to get through an intersection or something from a stop, putting the 'transmission' in a mid-range ratio and using the throttle will do it nicely.

Overall, I'm impressed with the quality and the ride is much more comfortable than the 20" fat tire folding ebike I already had. I think 20-40 miles will be super easy on this bike.

And yes, you ARE STILL DOING WORK on an ebike! I tracked my ride with my watch and found that my heart rate did not drop BELOW 122 or so the whole time, with a peak around 150.
Link Posted: 10/29/2022 4:38:56 AM EDT
[#5]
That's a long time to wait. Glad it finally arrived for you to enjoy.
Link Posted: 2/20/2023 5:52:36 AM EDT
[Last Edit: mike9199] [#6]
Are you happy with your purchase? Would you recommend to order the same model ?
I just started to read about hybrid bikes https://www.bikertricks.com/what-is-a-hybrid-bike/ and i think i gonna order one for my wife.
It is a good option in between the regular road bike and the electric one, which are way too expensive at the moment.
Hope she will like it and can use to bring our little one to the kinder garden from time to time.
Link Posted: 2/20/2023 8:14:20 PM EDT
[#7]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By mike9199:
Are you happy with your purchase?
Would you recommend to order the same model ?
View Quote


I dig it. I think I put 200 miles on it before the weather went kinda shitty. I'm out of the country for over a month, and I can't wait to get back to do more riding!

The quality is very good and the operation is pretty easy. The one thing I find tricky is that the shifter is a twist thing on the righthand grip, which is also the rear brake side. I like to drag the rear brake while taking a turn or curve, but it's about impossible to do while also trying to twist the shifter to get a better gear ratio for coming out of the turn. I might switch the front and rear brakes to get around that. Then the front will be on the right, like a motorcycle.

The CVT is interesting, for sure. Right now, I can't shift it through the whole range while standing still, but supposedly after ~500 miles or so, it should be easier. That would mean I could come to a stop, then shift to the lowest ratio.

I do also find that the low end of the CVT gearing is very low, like a dirt bike or mountain bike would be, and that leaves the top end a little limited. I might look into possibly swapping the front or rear sprocket to see if I can change that a bit.

The belt drive is a nice system, too.

The only problem I think someone might have now is that you'd have to wait for a long time to get one. When I ordered mine in January of '22, they had 15 units in the next run available. Those all sold out well before they shipped. Of course, if the production and shipping wasn't delayed by an unspecified virus of an unknown origin... they would probably be able to get them in quicker.
Link Posted: 4/17/2023 9:45:39 AM EDT
[#8]
I bought an Addmotor electric assist bike last summer.  I'be got over a thousand miles on it and just love it.  I'm 80 (and 230 pounds) but just use pedal assist #2 out of 5.  It has 26 inch x 4 inch tires and runs at a top speed of around 22 mph very smooth.  Just sayin
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