Category: Cycling

I put together my Biktrix Ultra FS Pro 3 and went for a night ride. I’ve yet to make any suspension adjustments, but this was about making sure everything was functional.

I put almost 10 miles on it, in the dark. The Armageddon light is nice to have since it’s always on the bike and runs from the main battery. But as expected, the Outbound Hangover on my helmet is IMHO a must-have. It allows me to direct light further ahead and where I want. I have a Specialized Stix Elite 2 tail light on my helmet, and another on a reflector mount on the rear rack of the bike.

I think I’ve determined that I want longer handlebars and a shorter stem. The longer bars due mostly to the super tenacious grip of the 4″ fat tires and the weight of the bike (it’s very heavy). A shorter stem for more direct input. I think a 50mm Deity Copperhead would be a good stem choice. The stock handlebars are 700mm, which to me is too short just from a cornering leverage perspective. Obviously there are tradeoffs here, but I think something in the 740mm to 750mm range would be more appropriate for me, despite my height only being 5’8″.

I put more air in the front fork after the ride, from the top. I’m a bit over 50 psi there now. I will later adjust the bottom and the rebound, but they’re usable for now.

For road riding, I think the rear shock adjustment is OK for now.

For what it’s worth, I almost didn’t even notice the Pedaling Innovations Catalyst One pedals. What I can say is that they’re grippy with the Etnies Camber shoes, and I had no foot pain at all. I think the real story will be revealed the day I take a spin with Vans skate shoes (floppy sole). But I’m pretty sure they’re going to be nice long-term. My climbing stance feels OK.

First time on a ebike, pedaling while standing with pedal assist on is VERY different. And probably not something I’ll do often. We’ll see how long it takes me to adjust. Part of the issue here is the delay in pedal assist; this isn’t a Shimano or Bosch system. I suspect that when I really want to stand and hammer on the pedals, I’ll do it with no pedal assist. There is always the throttle when I run out of legs.

I hemmed and hawed over this for months, losing most of the riding season in the process. But… I finally ordered a Biktrix Ultra FS Pro 3.

A very long time ago, I was a BMX racer. It was this influence that I had to fight to make the right decision.

I still own a 24″ SE Racing quadrangle, as well as a rigid Klein mountain bike from the 1990’s. However, I never ride them because the reality is that old injuries make the ride unpleasant fairly quickly. They’re just not bikes I can take on multi-hour rides. I want sensitive front suspension to alleviate my right wrist pain, and rear suspension to keep the tire on the ground when I’m traversing rough dirt roads here in Michigan.

Another sensible conclusion: I want to be able to ride in the snow. That dictated a fat-tire bike.

So I ordered the bike with a 26″x4″ setup. I added the Wren rear hub for longevity with the powerful mid-drive motor. I added a second battery for more range. I added the rear fender and rack kit, as well as a dropper seat post. I added the Armageddon headlight since we have short days here in the winter. I added the Wren inverted fork, mostly because I could not find any useful reviews of the Biktrix inverted fork. And I upgraded to the Magura MT5e brakes.

I separately ordered studded 26″x4″ tires for the winter.

I also ordered Pedaling Innovations Catalyst One pedals. These are oddball pedals, much bigger front-to-back than normal pedals. I won’t know how I feel about them until I’ve put some miles on them.

Gear-wise, I currently own a single helmet: a Specialized Mode. It was inexpensive, is a good commuter type helmet, and meets the Dutch NTA8776 standard for e-bike helmets. Given that much of my riding will be on dirt roads with some traffic, I wanted a helmet that was qualified for e-bikes and also had a means of easily mounting a light. The Mode comes with a nifty tool-free mount for a Stix Elite 2 tail light (which I have mounted). I have a second Stix Elite 2 tail light with a separate rear reflector mount, and a Stix Elite 2 head light with arm/leg band mount. I also have a head light for my helmet: an Outbound Hangover. The Armageddon on the bike is bright and emits a pretty wide beam, but nothing beats being able to point a light with your head.

I ordered inexpensive gloves from Amazon. I recently received some new Etnies Camber shoes, which I like but we’ll see how they do on the pedals. I of course already have some Vans BMX shoes (high tops as well as slip-ons) for casual rides. Not sure yet what I’ll use in the winter.

I also have a new Specialized wind jacket with lots of zip pockets. It’s not waterproof (and the front is snap closures, no zipper), and it has no hood. I have two Cleverhood rank jackets for rain, but to be honest I don’t expect to do a lot of rain riding due to the dirt road; the amount of sticky clay that winds up on the bike when it’s raining is high.