Optobike 600T test ride

[Tex]

I agree it feels and rides like a MTB.. not a moped!
I think all these moped talkers need to test ride an Optibike

I prefer the stealthier colours.

 

[stevebills]

I prefer the stealthier colours.

back mudguard is to hard and will break easy and front is to low

 

[eddieo]

noticed it was a 2007 model...How are the batteries? I love these bikes but I think if it was mine I would have it resprayed

 

[Streethawk]

I still cant tell, are the cranks/BB on the rear triangle or the front triangle?

 

[stevebills]

noticed it was a 2007 model...How are the batteries? I love these bikes but I think if it was mine I would have it resprayed

Its the fireman red I dont like and If It was my choice maybe satin black for a real steatlhy look
I like the babay blue and theres not a mark on it...

 

[stevebills]

I still cant tell, are the cranks/BB on the rear triangle or the front triangle?

The motor is directly behind the peddles and the batterry is just to the front of it

 

[Streethawk]

The motor is directly behind the peddles and the batterry is just to the front of it

Sorry, that's not what i meant. Are the pedals directly attached to the front triangle or the rear (swingarm) triangle?

 

[Tex]

Sorry, that's not what i meant. Are the pedals directly attached to the front triangle or the rear (swingarm) triangle?

the pedals and Motorized Bottom Bracket are connected to the swing-arm: no change in chain length then.

 

[Tex]

Its the fireman red I dont like and If It was my choice maybe satin black for a real steatlhy look
I like the babay blue and theres not a mark on it...

just giving you a hard time. i actually think its a pretty cool color scheme.

 

[carpetbagger]

noticed it was a 2007 model...How are the batteries? I love these bikes but I think if it was mine I would have it resprayed

Yes but he would have to go to the expense of changing the socks and t-shirt !!!

 

[Streethawk]

the pedals and Motorized Bottom Bracket are connected to the swing-arm: no change in chain length then.

Ah, you see that ruins it for me. No mountain bike has used that design since the nineties, if the pedals are not on the front triangle then you get no suspension when you are stood up or putting any amount of serious pressure on the pedals. I'd rather have a bike without the rear suspension than one that really doesnt work, and i couldnt accept that in a bike of this price.

Discussion about URT designs on Singletrackworld.com

 

[NRG]

Does that mean the pedal to seat height will vary? A bit like having a suspension seatpost....

 

[Streethawk]

Yes, but only slightly, due to the pivot placement being close to the bottom bracket. You probably wouldnt notice it even.

 

[Tex]

Ah, you see that ruins it for me. No mountain bike has used that design since the nineties, if the pedals are not on the front triangle then you get no suspension when you are stood up or putting any amount of serious pressure on the pedals. I'd rather have a bike without the rear suspension than one that really doesnt work, and i couldnt accept that in a bike of this price.

Discussion about URT designs on Singletrackworld.com

With modern fox pro pedal type shocks these observations are somewhat irrelevant when set up right. It handles as well as my Cannondale Rush, in fact I'd say better. Plenty of give on the rough stuff and no bob while pedalling. It's adjustable on the fly too. that's the read world experience, not just the theory.

 

[Streethawk]

With modern fox pro pedal type shocks these observations are somewhat irrelevant when set up right. It handles as well as my Cannondale Rush, in fact I'd say better. Plenty of give on the rough stuff and no bob while pedalling. It's adjustable on the fly too. that's the read world experience, not just the theory.

Pro-pedal is platform damping to alleviate pedal induced "bobbing" i dont see why you'd need that on a URT anyway. Modern mountain bikes have little to no pedal feedback whether single pivot or linkage driven. Four bar perhaps have the worst, but that's not stopped Specialized selling it's Horst Link to everyone! My own Marin Wolf Ridge exhibits no bob, and i have a pro-pedal Fox RP23 shock on which i never use the Pro-Pedal lever at all.

Perhaps the bike suits you, but any claim of it to be a "mountain bike" are seriously hindered by the use of an out-dated suspension design no longer used on any mountain bike i'm aware of, and not even seen on "supermarket specials" very often anymore. All manufacturers abondoned URT because it simply didnt offer a good enough ride. All rider contact points need to be on the suspended part of the bike, as they are on all motorbikes, cars etc etc.

For me, i wouldnt accept that design on a £200 bike, let alone a £6000+ one.

 

[stevebills]

Yes but he would have to go to the expense of changing the socks and t-shirt !!!

Thats Billy he's 12

 

[stevebills]

Pro-pedal is platform damping to alleviate pedal induced "bobbing" i dont see why you'd need that on a URT anyway. Modern mountain bikes have little to no pedal feedback whether single pivot or linkage driven. Four bar perhaps have the worst, but that's not stopped Specialized selling it's Horst Link to everyone! My own Marin Wolf Ridge exhibits no bob, and i have a pro-pedal Fox RP23 shock on which i never use the Pro-Pedal lever at all.

Perhaps the bike suits you, but any claim of it to be a "mountain bike" are seriously hindered by the use of an out-dated suspension design no longer used on any mountain bike i'm aware of, and not even seen on "supermarket specials" very often anymore. All manufacturers abondoned URT because it simply didnt offer a good enough ride. All rider contact points need to be on the suspended part of the bike, as they are on all motorbikes, cars etc etc.

For me, i wouldnt accept that design on a £200 bike, let alone a £6000+ one.

This is a quote from Optibike forum

think the post is about the design of Optibike's frame. "URT" in
some places can be an abbreviation for "unified rear triangle" -- a
type of frame design that Optibike uses. The one-piece rear triangle
with the motor (bottom bracket) contained in the rigid rear triangle.
We could spend weeks discussing the pros and cons of various linkage
designs, but I fall back on the KISS design principle (Keep It Simple,
Stupid). The URT needs only one pivot point and does a better job
maintaining chain tension than some other designs, given that the
chain length stays the same as the suspension compresses. The
complaints about this design include that when the rider is standing
on the pedals, the riders weight (or, most of it) is on the bottom
bracket, and therefore compressing the suspension resulting in less
suspension travel available for the pumps. I say, if that's the case,
you haven't tuned your suspension properly for the rider weight and
with any suspension design this will happen to some extent. The forces
won't work out any other way.
The proof of the suspension is in the riding and I think both Cakey
and Electricdirt (Jamie) who are major off-road enthusiasts have never
complained about the handling. To the contrary, Jamie compliments it
frequently. The only off-roading I do with the Optibike is on pretty
solid dirt roads, but my on-road experience includes some curb hopping
and dealing with road bumps and lousy roads and it handles those
great.


Not sure about his rant on pedelecs, but sounds to me like someone
who's never ridden an Optibike and is making conclusions about a
design based on some preconceived notions.

 

[Tex]

Yelp. The proofs in the riding not the theory. Check out ElectricDirts videos on you tube.

This is a quote from Optibike forum

think the post is about the design of Optibike's frame. "URT" in
some places can be an abbreviation for "unified rear triangle" -- a
type of frame design that Optibike uses. The one-piece rear triangle
with the motor (bottom bracket) contained in the rigid rear triangle.
We could spend weeks discussing the pros and cons of various linkage
designs, but I fall back on the KISS design principle (Keep It Simple,
Stupid). The URT needs only one pivot point and does a better job
maintaining chain tension than some other designs, given that the
chain length stays the same as the suspension compresses. The
complaints about this design include that when the rider is standing
on the pedals, the riders weight (or, most of it) is on the bottom
bracket, and therefore compressing the suspension resulting in less
suspension travel available for the pumps. I say, if that's the case,
you haven't tuned your suspension properly for the rider weight and
with any suspension design this will happen to some extent. The forces
won't work out any other way.
The proof of the suspension is in the riding and I think both Cakey
and Electricdirt (Jamie) who are major off-road enthusiasts have never
complained about the handling. To the contrary, Jamie compliments it
frequently. The only off-roading I do with the Optibike is on pretty
solid dirt roads, but my on-road experience includes some curb hopping
and dealing with road bumps and lousy roads and it handles those
great.


Not sure about his rant on pedelecs, but sounds to me like someone
who's never ridden an Optibike and is making conclusions about a
design based on some preconceived notions.

 

[stevebills]

Bobby

Let see you do this on a whisper

YouTube - Bobby on an Optibike

 

[Biged]

they had 24" wheels which were over 2" wide

OK, lets try the Raleigh RM1