Review: Electra Vale Go!

[FlatSix911]

Review: Electra Vale Go! e-bike's versatility outweighs its few shortcomings

The Electra Vale Go! is a capable comfort commuter electric bike with a couple surprises. The look is very functional and attractive, and the performance and ease of use make the bike a treat to ride. As a comfort commuter, there are a few shortcomings that only apply to limited cases, and I...

electrek.co

 

[Dewey]

Court's review is now up.

 

[FlatSix911]

Thanks for sharing the EBR review.

 

[Johnny]

It looks like a $2K (Raleigh retroglide for example) bike being sold for $3.3K.

 

[Dewey]

It looks like a $2K (Raleigh retroglide for example) bike being sold for $3.3K.

A more realistic price for the Electra Vale Go would be under 3 grand considering the price and feature set of competing Class 1 mid-drive models with relaxed cruiser geometry, sold through bricks and mortar shops eg:

• Raleigh Venture 2.0 iE ($2,600) 500wh battery, Bosch Active Line Plus motor (50nm), Alivio 9-speed derailleur, 11-36t cassette. No rack, lights, or fenders.
• Norco Scene VLT ($2,700) 500wh battery, Shimano Steps E6100 motor (60nm), Alivio 9-speed derailleur, 11-36t cassette. No rack, lights, or fenders.
• Momentum Vida ($2,400) 400wh battery, Yamaha/SyncLife motor (60nm), Nexus-7 IGH. No rack, lights, or fenders.

I like that Trek have activated walk assist on their ebikes, and that they specced a rack, lights, and fenders on this Electra Vale model which is more than the competitors listed above, although it's a pity you can't put anything on top of the rack like a trunk bag these cruiser step-through's appear to be marketed more for leisure/recreational riding, someone looking for a more upright commuter step-through would be better off going with the Trek Verve+ 3 Lowstep model with the same motor & battery as the Electra Vale but with a proper cargo rack and priced $300 cheaper.

 

[pocomo]

I just bought one of these from a local shop for my wife's xmas present. I really appreciate @Dewey's analysis above, and I happen to agree with it but in COVID world availability trumps a lot of other factors. This was in stock in a nice color (the blue on the EBR review bike), comes with a return policy and a 2 year warranty and was discounted to $2500. Sold!

Assuming she doesn't hate it (1st electric for her), I will post impressions when I have them. Kinda cold here in the Northeast US for the next few months

 

[FlatSix911]

I just bought one of these from a local shop for my wife's xmas present. I really appreciate @Dewey's analysis above, and I happen to agree with it but in COVID world availability trumps a lot of other factors. This was in stock in a nice color (the blue on the EBR review bike), comes with a return policy and a 2 year warranty and was discounted to $2500. Sold!

Assuming she doesn't hate it (1st electric for her), I will post impressions when I have them. Kinda cold here in the Northeast US for the next few months

Congratulations on your wife's new Ebike... blue is a great color choice!

Electra Vale Go! 9D EQ Review | ElectricBikeReview.com

 

[BillyB]

Review: Electra Vale Go! e-bike's versatility outweighs its few shortcomings

The Electra Vale Go! is a capable comfort commuter electric bike with a couple surprises. The look is very functional and attractive, and the performance and ease of use make the bike a treat to ride. As a comfort commuter, there are a few shortcomings that only apply to limited cases, and I...

electrek.co

Hi,
My brother just got one of these for his wife, looking for advice on panniers so she might be able to commute around 3 miles each way on bike paths the whole way too, but carry a laptop and
regular commuter items, not for camping or Costco supply runs or anything.

That odd rack has the fender going through it and makes is impossible to put an inexpensive trunk bag on there.
It would great to hear that there was something suitable that didn't cost hundreds of dollars.
Any thoughts would be helpful!

 

[pocomo]

Hi @BillyB -

Congrats to your SIL on her new ride! I put one of these on the back of my wife's bike; it has attachment loops underneath which I tied to the rack rails with zip ties.

Sackville HappiSack Saddlebag

Sackville HAPPI SACK QUICK SUMMARY: The SACKVILLE HappySack is our most all-around useful biggish saddlebag. If you find you wish it were bigger, you have an excuse to get a BaggaBond sometime, and for smaller loads (not food shopping), the BagBoy is good. But for general use, this is the one...

www.rivbike.com

Kind of expensive, but just wanted to mention this form factor works well as an alternative to traditional side-mounted panniers.

 

[BillyB]

Hi @BillyB -

Congrats to your SIL on her new ride! I put one of these on the back of my wife's bike; it has attachment loops underneath which I tied to the rack rails with zip ties.

Sackville HappiSack Saddlebag

Sackville HAPPI SACK QUICK SUMMARY: The SACKVILLE HappySack is our most all-around useful biggish saddlebag. If you find you wish it were bigger, you have an excuse to get a BaggaBond sometime, and for smaller loads (not food shopping), the BagBoy is good. But for general use, this is the one...

www.rivbike.com

Kind of expensive, but just wanted to mention this form factor works well as an alternative to traditional side-mounted panniers.

Thanks for the response! I let my brother know about that option!

 

[Dewey]

That odd rack has the fender going through it and makes is impossible to put an inexpensive trunk bag on there.
It would great to hear that there was something suitable that didn't cost hundreds of dollars.
Any thoughts would be helpful!

I'd look at fitting the optional Electra Vale cargo rack that permits items to be added on top, and is compatible with Trunk bags and panniers that attach using the MIK system

 

[DevilinaBluDress]

I swapped out the original rear rack on my new Vale for the option rack that Dewey links to - great upgrade for maximum use!

 

[sarantak]

hi to all people here, I already have a Cube Compact Sport and considering an ELECTRA VALE GO 9D that I have found here in Greece used but with almost 0 miles at a good price, 2100 euros. My wife is very happy with the Cube and getting one more electric will allow us to go further.
What's your opinion ? Does it worth this amount ? How different do you believe that it would be compared to the Cube? I guess that it would be more comfy due to the larger tires but less agile in narrow city roads.

 

[Dewey]

How different do you believe that it would be compared to the Cube?

They're going to feel different to ride for sure, starting with the geometry the Cube is upright with folding bike handlebars and 20" wheels so it will have a lower center of gravity and have the typical twitchy feel of smaller wheels. The Vale Go by contrast has a typical Cruiser bike slack seatpost angle and steering tube/fork angle, and larger than normal 27.5" wheels - cruisers typically go with 26" wheels. This helps keep your feet on the ground when you stop and pedal in a foot forward stance when pedalling as opposed to standing over the pedals. The motor is different, the Cube has a Bosch Performance line (63nm) powering smaller 20" wheels so it will provide more assistance when climbing hills than the Bosch Active Line Plus (50nm) on the Vale. The two battery packs are not interchangeable because, while both are Bosch 36v, the Vale's is frame integrated while the Cube has an external battery pack. That being said both are nice ebikes.

 

[sarantak]

Many thanks for your reply. I got it used at a good price, 2000 euros, compared to how much it costs here in Greece. It is certainly very different, being more comfortable , less agile and I also like the extras of the kiosk display.
I have now some more questions:

1. Has anybody fitted a frame lock ? From what I learned this bike needs the larger 5750L lock, the same applies to the Compact Cube as both of them have wide tyres. I wonder however if there is a proper way to fit it.
2. What do the consider a simple and effective way to carry some things with you without changing the rear carrier ?

 

[Dewey]

Re: mounting an Abus frame lock - These are mounted either on threaded studs on the bottom of the seatstays near the top of the frame triangle, or if your bike does not have those Abus make a strap adaptor, or you may also install Rivnuts

Without changing the rear carrier you can only use panniers as there is no rack top on which to mount a trunk bag or throw-over twin panniers like those made by Clarijs. I do not have an Electra Vale but I use folding grocery panniers like the one's made by Banjo Bros, the basic Electra Vale carrier is short but provided the lower seat stay is at least 9" from the pannier rails you should be able to cinch up the J Hook strap to be able to attach - note the J hook is metal so you may want to wrap a piece of old inner tube around the seat stays to stop the hook from scratching the paint.

 

[jpa2825]

What happened to the Path Go 10D Cort repeatedly references in the video? It appears that there is now also a Vale Go 9D S that has the Performance Line motor rather than the Active Line motor. Maybe Trek / Electra consolidated Path & Vale into the Vale brand and then added the S with the Performance Line?

Also, does the Vale "S" also mean class 3 (up to 28 mph) which I think it means in some of the other lines (Allant+?)?

Doing some shopping for the wife who really wants a step thru but I could probably convince to try a "step over" or "stagger" just so long as there is no top tube. Any suggestions definitely welcome. Verve 2 (don't love the non-integrated battery), Verve 3, Vale 9D and 9D S (although I'd probably opt for the S for $400 extra) and maybe some of the Allant+ models are currently in our discussions.

 

[DevilinaBluDress]

Yes, the Electra Vale Go 9D EQ S is a class 3 ebike and has a few improvements (IMO) from the Vale Go 9D EQ (no S). The best of it is the better Performance motor. It also has a better saddle and the motor can assist up to 28 MPH vs 20 MPH. It's the same as the one Cort praises in the Townie Path Go 10D review. My Vale Go 9D EQ S is the third ebike I've had and it's the best so far. My first one purchased last year is the green 2020 Electra Townie Go! 7D. For my first ebike, it was great- inexpensive and comfortable. It was easy to use and stylish. Loved the flat-foot tech for stability. The biggest downside was range. As we biked more and more, I needed longer range than approx 28 miles I could coax from the Townie Go 7D. Which led me to upgrade to the red Trek Verve+ 2. I only had it for about a week and the real test came on a 20 mile ride. First of all, the range wasn't much more than the Townie Go 7D for me. It was a hilly ride and although I used all of the assist levels, mostly ECO, I needed to put it into Turbo, too. Also, I needed to stop for many lights, road crossings, etc. Every time I stopped, I had to jump off the saddle to put my feet down. My wonky ankles and plantar fasciitis did not like that one bit. Boy, did I miss the flat foot tech and being able to just put my feet down for stability when stopping. Luckily, my LBS had the blue (indigo) Electra Vale Go! 9D EQ S in stock AND they were willing to accept my return of the Verve+ 2. In order for my back basket to fit the Vale, I had to replace the back rack, too. I've put about 250 miles on the Vale and it is a joy to ride! No range anxiety - it estimates about 100 miles in ECO mode and 30 miles in Turbo mode when fully charged. Yes, the battery is a little fussy to get on and off just as Cort mentions, but once you get the hang of it, it's not too bad. I did end up replacing the saddle and the seat post because I needed a little more cushion and with that additional cushion, the suspension seat post made it just a hair too high for me. My husband swapped his seat post for my Vale's original suspension one and now he's more comfy, too.

 

[JimFMB]

Thanks for your posting on the Vale 9D EQ S. We purchased one for my wife who previously had the Townie GO 8i that is now used by our kids to pull our grandkids around on a Burley. The EQ S really is a great bike. I prefer the Kiox display vs the smartphone hub that is on my Allant 8S. We also installed the optional rack on our Vale Go. We have the same color as your Vale and have had several compliments on how nice it looks. It would be nice if Court would do a review of this Bosch Performance Sport Class 3 motor.
Enjoy

 

[jpa2825]

Went to the local Trek store after a ride yesterday. Since I had my 2019 Domane+, I was able to remove the PowerTube 500 on the Vale 9D EQ S to see if they are interchangeable. They are. Once I popped my battery into the Vale, it showed up on the Kiox with 18% remaining value (which was what it showed at the end of my ride). Obviously not very attractive given the different names and paint schemes, but for emergency purposes and as a backup, that may very well tip the balance in favor of the Vale 9D EQ S as a selection for my wife.

On it's own, it seems very good for her needs. She will really like the Flat Foot Technology. I think the $300 upcharge for Class 3 and the better Performance motor from Bosch is a no-brainer for flexibility. The Kiox as a head unit is miles above most of the other computers on the other bikes I have looked at (Verve 2 & 3, Allant+, etc.)