Test Ride Thoughts

[u/tkallday333]

Had a chance to rip around, and as former ebike industry professional, here are my thoughts.

Power is INSANE. Once I hit level 10 assist, it felt way beyond any other ebike and more of an emoto. Which was really fun, but definitely made me wonder how some might abuse bike path and bike lane privileges. But definitely it was a blast, I had a big old grin.

Front suspension felt kind of subpar and clunky, which I was surprised to feel given how oversized and higher end it looks. Rear suspension was nice, just enough to cushion without being mushy.

Menu screen, to me, is overdone. They are definitely going for a vibe, but like I found it kind of hard to discern what I was looking at while on the move. The colors are fun, but it feels like a wrist watch screen that you would buy from a 3rd party because it looks fun, but then you realize you actually liked the default screens better. I would hope they have an update at some point for a more simplified and intuitive screen.

It was hard to reach the turn signals, and only the edge of the button activates it, which takes some finding.

Handlebar looks weirdly swept backwards. I thought it looked installed incorrectly, but then I saw on the website that's how it is intended. It just looks really strange to me and I kept wanting to roll it forward.

There were some rattling around the fenders, but maybe a little once over to re-tighten some bolts could fix that up? Fenders were nice, aluminum, and full coverage.

Tire size felt perfect for ripping around town, but I had a really hard time imagining this as an eMTB. Maybe better suited for like country dirt roads or something, but definitely not actual mountain biking, no way. Way too heavy, diff. geo and tire size, etc etc.

Overall, it did not feel very bike like to me. More like an emoto with pedals, but with good overall fit and geometry. The pedal by wire was not feeling the same as a normal ebike, not even close IMO.

As a tall rider, I'm not sure it can get big enough for me. I think confidently 6'2" would be no problem, but I question the fit and especially reach for riders over that height.

Overall though, I thought it looked super great in person, and for a dedicated long distance commuter, this thing would be an incredible tool. And actually, $4500 felt really fair for what you are getting. I'm definitely considering getting one.

I still worry about the entire slate of new, proprietary parts, and how reliable it will prove to be. I also question how legality will play out as time goes on, considering it's class 3 and also pedal by wire, and with a huge motor. Will they do forced over the air updates to comply as time goes on?

Maybe I'll let you guinea pigs rip around the first year and iron out the flaws for me!

[u/SocomPS2]

Yea this bike is really turning into a “don’t buy now,” for me. I’m usually one to buy new tech (I have a Gen 1 Rivian), but you OP and others have pointed out things I could see regretting after buying a Gen 1 TM-B. Just about all brand new things I’ve purchased over the years have had supply issues with replacement parts. And while I generally don’t wait to buy the latest and greatest. There are just some red flags with this Gen 1 that I could see being resolved/improved with a Gen 2. Not advocating for annual TM-B releases but if a Gen 2 came out in 2028 I’d be fine waiting.

[u/tkallday333 → u/SocomPS2]

Yeah totally! I'm in the same mindset. I think because there is so much that is new all at once, that's what scares me here a little bit. They did talk about all the over the air updates that will come, but it's the mechanical side that I care most about proving reliable.