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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A very long time ago, I was a BMX racer. It was this influence that I had to fight to make the right decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another sensible conclusion: I want to be able to ride in the snow. That dictated a fat-tire bike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I separately ordered studded 26″x4″ tires for the winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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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 … <\/p>\n