Re: New 1100R Optibike

[cakey]

Anybody got one yet ?

[Elect Bike]

Is it even for sale ??
There is nothing on their web site about it.
Other than the original introduction , we know very little about it.
All we have is everyone's speculation from the forum.
No photos, although I asked for one more than once.
Whenever a question is asked, we have to rely on forum speculation for
an answer.
We waited all summer for it, and others have waited longer judging by
the questions asked back in 2010 about the new OB 1 ( waiting for opti
to vote on paint ??? December2010 )
This thing is turning out to be more secretive than the Masons.
What a buzz kill...

On Sep 17, 4:24 am, cakey <mikesyxthse...@btopenworld.com> wrote:
> Anybody got one yet ?

[Nimbuzz]

Me thinks it is a beta version and
Opti is using the experience at Pike's Peak
to give a few things a tweak
so they don't be weak
otherwise it might be bleak
and we might freak.

By spending a little longer
everything can be made stronger

If ya know what I mean jelly bean.

As far as photos I don't think it will look different than the 850R
except for the pulse jet engine on the rear.

The standards that must be slick
are that everything must click
like a Nikon
so we can long term bike on, and on, and on...

[lowco2]

There was nothing beta (IMHO) about what I rode up Pikes. That thing
ran like a champ.
But I'm sure there's a reason they're not out yet. Optibike is pretty
demanding with the quality of their stuff before they release it.
It does look just like the current 850, and photos are on my race
report and the email Optibike sent out after the race. That's the team
standing next to the bikes we rode.
And, for Al: That pulse jet engine is an option, does not come on the
base model ;-)
--John

[Nimbuzz]

J, Good report = danke.
As I understand it a 'beta' version is the first of a new model to go
to market and thus the real world still needs to shake it out a bit
and some tuning of production and design may be in order. PP was a
great shakedown cruise and some fine tuning may be going on.

[Elect Bike]

I can understand if they are waiting to perfect it, we don't want any
problems with the bike. I just got a little anxious. Thanks for
posting those photos of the bike on your race report John, but that
darn jacket covered most the bike : )
So... back to Cakey's question, has anyone bought one yet ? I thought
someone bought the one Jim Turner rode up. And i also thought I read
that someone was working out details with Craig for an OB1 trade in.

[evetravel]

That could be me, I bought an 850 couple months back & something gave
in the motor, sent it back to Opti. A problem with some unheat treated
metal 2nd time it's happened apparently. The day before it broke I got
wind of the 1100 & was really bummed I didn't wait a bit longer, so it
all worked out for the good. Unfotunatly I've become addicted to the
thing, & there's no opti rehab centers around here so ordered a used
600 for my girllfriend & for me until the bad boy arrives.
The crazy thing was I didn't drive once for 2 months, the whole time i
had the bike, but got around quicker than the drivers say to a 10 mile
destination or less. My favorite time to ride is around 5pm watching
all those, "stressed out going 5MPH in my Porsche faces". I'm ditching
my cars & 2 motorcycles I don't ride them anymore either. All that
gearing up, noise when I could be pedaling.
I will keep you posted on the progress of the 1100, purchase order
says mid October but gotta feeling it will be longer than that.
Basking in anticipation can be as good as the real thing thou.

[lowco2]

Hi evetravel,
Where are you located? Just curious. Congrats on your new ride.
As for photos, as has been said, the frames are the same = they look
the same. All the changes are on the inside. Batteries, electronics,
motors, you can't see. Just go look at any opttbike and that's what an
1100 looks like. Like with all the others, they'll customize
components, but I'd recommend those avid code brakes.
John

[Nimbuzz]

Yep, I ordered the red one Jim rode--coming next month. I went through
all the details for a long time deciding between Stealth & 1100 and
feel very good about my choice--much anticipation!

Al

[Raul Atkinson]

I rode an 1100 in boulder when I was there a few weeks ago.
It was amazing!  Quiet and fast.
Reminded me of the old cartoons where the rider is just hanging on by the handlebars and
his feet and legs are blowing in the wind like a rag!
My 850 seems slow now :(

[Bike_On]

The 1100R List:

1. Nimbuzz, Uncle Al, (Jim T's bike)
2. Evetravel


Who else?

> > > > > > > > Anybody got one yet ?- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Samuel Webster]

I bought the 1100R that Craig Taber rode up Pikes. Probably get it
sometime mid to late October after they tweak it a bit.

[Samuel Webster]

Plus I ordered the new touring battery. Should be a screamer. I'll
post some photos but will mostly be just a blur ;) .

On Sep 20, 10:10 am, Bike_On <therowe...@verizon.net> wrote:

[Samuel Webster]

Plus I ordered the new touring battery. Should be a screamer. I'll
post some photos but will mostly be just a blur ;) .

On Sep 20, 10:10 am, Bike_On <therowe...@verizon.net> wrote:

[Elect Bike]

Raul

When you say show room do you mean the flagship store ? Do they have a
floor model 1100 that can be test rode? What do you do, just walk in
and ask for a test ride ? Were you able to hit 35mph ?

Thanks

[Elect Bike]

Are Avid Code brakes an option or did they just put them on your bike
for the race ?
What is it that really stands out about the ride? I realize it goes
35mph, but the 850R claimed 34mph. Does this thing break 35 on flats
if you reaal put out ? Evetravel says quite, but I thought it was
suppose to be the same gears, and just as loud.

On Sep 20, 6:05 am, lowco2 <jcsageb...@mac.com> wrote:

[lowco2]

I don't know what's stock, ask Craig. Like before they'll customize,
but I was just saying that I think those are well worth it if they're
an upgrade because of the ease at which this think hits speeds.
As for speed, the first ride I did on it was about 6 min around the
block at OWH, mostly flat and I hit 37.3 mph according to my GPS. I
don't really recall working extra hard, that was just getting a feel
for the bike. That being said, I am only 135 lb and can put out some
power in my legs. Your mileage (and speed) may vary.
--John

[evetravel]

Hey thanks John, Its good to chat with people that have these bikes
and appreciate quailiy. (well ok mine broke:) but i put that down to
needing a faster bike & putting it out there.
I live in the land of sunshine & traffic jams. LA CA Venice Beach. The
traffic was so bad 2 weeks ago 3 pedestrians beat me to Santa Monica 2
miles away I was driving, no wonder half the people do drugs. I was
considering leaving but since being impervious to traffic jams now I'm
gonna stay a while. Even have a burly trailer for my shopping. I'm not
sure if all my friends share my enthusiasm etc. I say ok no worries
you keep driving your ass to the gym to ride the bike for an hour
everyday in room full of sweaty people then lay in a tanning booth. To
me that's crazy!

Sorry for the rave.

I read down that I said it was quiet, I could be quieter but if you
blast your music you won't hear it..

Yea I will look into the brakes cheers, any other tips out there send
them along please.

Phil

On Sep 20, 6:05 am, lowco2 <jcsageb...@mac.com> wrote:

[lowco2]

Hey Phil,
Great to hear that you're really riding in LA. That's brave. I think
the drivers here in Reno are nuts, but the reputation of LA is off the
chart. I also use a trailer (Bob Ibex) and really use my Optibike as a
car replacer. Right now they're doing major work on the freeways and
I'm pretty certain that some times of the day, I can beat the traffic
over much longer distances.
As for parts, I think that's about my best recommendation. I also love
my Rohloff and will never own an Opti without one. Beefy rims are good
since I jump curbs, etc. I think that's all.
Cheers,
--J

[evetravel]

The drivers are pretty much bad everywhere these days but hey, they
might miss an important text message or not get that make up on
right.
Agh beefy rims that's what I need. Jumping curbs a lot too & was a bit
concerned about that. Will the beefy rims affect speed I guess the
trade off is worth it. Here some of the roads are so bad any other
bike would get an ass kicking along with rider for sure. Will get a to
cam you will get a kick out the traffic too.
I think people spend more money fixing their cars from the bad roads
than the gov spend fixing the roads.
Yea had the rolloff on my 850 & heavy duty package, have to check into
that.
As far as Bravery goes I would not recommend this be the place to
learn to ride & it should defiantly not you be your only form of
transportation, bad weather, bad mood etc. Need an option if that
voice in your head is telling you not to ride today. That's more for
the MC where your forced in the traffic, that great about the opti you
can cruise on the side lines out of harms way or be aggressive when
the times right.
With that extended battery has anyone noticed a difference in
handling? Also looks like you got to be pretty flexible to get your
leg over with the bags on.

Phil

[Elect Bike]

Evetravel

You said your motor broke, did you send your bike back to optibike?
Who paid for return shipping ?

[evetravel]

Yea it broke I sent it back they covered the shipping on the one I
bought.

Itscall good

[Randi Sparkler]

"...any other tips out there send
them along please."

If you haven't already worked it out with your other bikes, changing
to a 50/13 gearing is simple cheap and well worthwhile even if you
dont get to use 14th very often! (the exception might be if you are
doing tricky off road riding).

[Covert Rider10]

absolutely no need for a rohloff. When I'm on the road I fit a 48 or 50t front 'ring. When I'm doing all-mountain work I put on my 38t. Takes 5 mins. And I can use standard wheels.

[Randi Sparkler]

maybe, but... I think the Roloff is standard (isnt this what the 'R'
in 1100R stands for?)

On Sep 21, 6:05 pm, Covert Rider10 <covertride...@gmail.com> wrote:
> absolutely no need for a rohloff. When I'm on the road I fit a 48 or 50t front 'ring. When I'm doing all-mountain work I put on my 38t. Takes 5 mins. And I can use standard wheels.
>

[Jim_Kirk]

RS,
     Yes, R=Rohloff.

-Jim

[Elect Bike]

John (Iowco)

What chainwheel size did you have on the 1100R and what Rohloff
sprocket size (14?). The reason I asked is based on Remf's suggestion
of a 50/13 for higher speeds. Do you think that 1100R can get higher
than the 37mph you reported with a 50/13 ? Just trying to decide
between Stealth an Opti. Speed and range is what I'm looking for.
Don't worry opti, I'll sign the waiver : )

On Sep 17, 1:08 pm, lowco2 <jcsageb...@mac.com> wrote:

[lowco2]

I don't know exactly what I was running on the 1100R I rode. Looked
like 50 on the front, but may have been bigger. Probably 15 or 16 on
rear. Great for the brutal climb we were doing it was about right.
On my 800, I have 50/15 with the Rohloff. I get spun out on downhills,
but is great most of the time. Not sure what I'd want on an 1100.
Probably bigger. My understanding is that the Rohloff 15 is the
smallest you can do with the reversible sprockets. The 13 moves the
chain line very slightly and is not reversible. I didn't want to deal
with that. The 50 I have is the biggest stainless steel ring that
Surly makes that fits the 130 mm crank attachment points, and I like
having the all-stainless drivetrain.
I don't know about how fast it can go, with any gearing. As you get
faster, the resistance from the air becomes more and more significant.
Just because the gearing can do it, doesn't mean the particular bike/
rider combination can. Dan has gone to aerobars to lower resistance, I
narrowed my bars and just tuck in. You can really feel the difference
at those speeds of sitting up vs tucked down. So the speed question is
very open depending on what you are willing to do to get more aero.
For me it's all about speed up hills -- that's where I can make up
more time at say 30 up my big hill vs 20. At sea level it's harder
than at 13,000'.
I think the answer has to be getting the bike and riding it on your
routes and seeing what it does. Then change gearing based on what you
need.
--John

[Craig]

The 1100R is available for pre-order now, shipments are starting
October 15, though the first 2 rounds are sold out. Current lead time
on an 1100R is 6 weeks.

The 1100R looks the same as the 850R with the HD package, all the
changes are on the inside- so please refer to the pictures of the 850R
on the Optibike website.. :)

Craig Taber
Optibike

[Elect Bike]

Very exciting Craig, thanks for posting. Good to hear these bikes will
be hitting the streets so soon. I cant wait to read the reports. Will
the 1100R have an option to purchase a larger capacity (in frame )
battery like the 850R does ? The 850R has a 22AH and a 26AH upgrade,
will the 1100R have a larger upgrade purchase option?

[Ken Cline]

On Sep 21, 2011, at 1:22 PM, Elect Bike wrote:

> Very exciting Craig, thanks for posting. Good to hear these bikes will

> be hitting the TRAILS so soon.

Fixed that for you ;-)

[lowco2]

"... though the first 2 rounds are sold out."
Wow, that alone speaks volumes (pun intended). I think it's clear that
people want this bike and I'm sure they'll love it.
Yes, this is great news. How much extra did you charge for the bike I
rode up Pike's?
--John

On Sep 21, 11:37 am, Craig <optibikecr...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Elect Bike]

John

They should have put your bike on ebay and started a bidding war ; ).
"The bike that made it up Pikes Peak in 1:07". good job John. How far
did you get up Pikes before you had to swith to the aux battery ?

> > Optibike- Hide quoted text -

[lowco2]

I switched batteries at Glen Cove (11,500'). I did not "have to" in
the sense that the rear had not quit on me, I just decided because it
was a relatively flat section and I could do it easily. I figured it
was better there than later up the mountain.
--John

[deerfencer]

Rich Papa in the UK wants a new Opti after I let him know how Team
Opti did up Pikes Peak, and has e-mailed Jim re the same. Commission
Craig? <g>

LH

[Elect Bike]

How many miles into the race was that ? I don't know where Glen Clove
is

[Elect Bike]

I found a pike peak race map (attached), I guess Gen Cove is about 13
miles into the race. This was asked previously in the forum by other
members but it would be interesting to know where the 850R that raced
had to switch to aux battery, or maybe where Jim had to switch to aux
last year when he raced. Just to compare the distance of the 2 battery
packs of the newer an older bike.

http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/12/2010/04/500x_pikes_peak_hill_climb_map.jpg

On Sep 21, 3:00 pm, lowco2 <jcsageb...@mac.com> wrote:

[lowco2]

Did you send him my race report? If so, I'm claiming credit too. :-)

[lowco2]

If you check my race report you'll find a link to my training peaks
file where you can manipulate it and see speed vs time or distance and
see elevations too. Remember that the place others switched will
depend on a lot of factors, rider weight, effort, how effectively they
drafted in the beginning etc.
John

On Sep 21, 7:14 pm, Elect Bike <ebike...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I found a pike peak race map (attached), I guess Gen Cove is about 13
> miles into the race. This was asked previously in the forum by other
> members but it would be interesting to know where the 850R that raced
> had to switch to aux battery, or maybe where Jim had to switch to aux
> last year when he raced. Just to compare the distance of the 2 battery
> packs of the newer an older bike.
>

> http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/12/2010/04/500x_pikes_pea...

[Nimbuzz]

...Plus I was told various strategies were being considered
immediately before the race--some thinking use part or 1/2 of A batt
and then switch to B then back to A at finish. I learned this from a
racer but he said once they were off nobody really kept track.

[Tikit]

Hi Phil,

I've been using my Optibike in LA. Unfortunately my work site is in
not such a nice area, and getting through downtown to get there is a
scary proposition. Do you lock the Optibike outside? What kind of
lock do you use? Any suggestions for getting through LA? Do you go
east to downtown? Sorry for all the questions... seems like bikers
tend to be rare, and the space on the roads variable. I was hoping to
one day completely rid the car and use only the Optibike and/or public
trans.

Thanks!

[Randi Sparkler]

Tikit,

While I'm not in LA, security is a concern to me. I bought an Abus
Granit X-Plus 54. Highly recommend it.
http://www.abus.de/us/main.asp?ScreenLang=us&sid=605892360101341220920112112691229&select=0104b01&ArtikelGrID=1

Actually I have two - keyed alike which is a realy handy feature. One
for home and one for at work. It fits perfectly into the optional
Topeak bag which is a big bonus. They are a bit weighty but I see that
as a good thing. The Ubolt is not very long but sufficient for most
sign post poles. (and wouldnt fit in bag if it was any longer anyway)
I slip it through the back wheel and rear swing arm. Sometimes I carry
both locks if I'm extra concerned.

RS

[deerfencer]

Hate to say it but an $100 18V cordless grinder with a thin-kerfed
cutting wheel can likely cut through just about any of these locks in
less than 20 seconds. (I use these grinders/cutters all the time out
in the field to cut bolts and chains on our fences and gates.)

Maybe pair the lock with a motion-actuated alarm gizmo?

LH

On Sep 22, 4:27 am, Randi Sparkler <taylorjam...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Tikit,
>
> While I'm not in LA, security is a concern to me. I  bought an Abus

> Granit X-Plus 54. Highly recommend it.http://www.abus.de/us/main.asp?ScreenLang=us&sid=60589236010134122092...

[Randi Sparkler]

I should add I also have taken out insurance against theft

RS

[Stroz]

Good luck!