Trek Lift+

[Tara D.]

4 different sizes make this bike available for anyone! Two steps to turn on, one switch on the battery itself and the other on the display. This battery has to be removed for charging. The display gives a read out of how much farther you can go on your charge depending on your level of assist under range menu, pretty neat!

 

[Tara D.]

@Mike's E-Bikes Replacement batteries are sold exclusively through Shimano who is the maker of the battery. Replacements are typically between $500-$700 dollars.

 

[virginia anoli]

4 different sizes make this bike available for anyone! Two steps to turn on, one switch on the battery itself and the other on the display. This battery has to be removed for charging. The display gives a read out of how much farther you can go on your charge depending on your level of assist under range menu, pretty neat!

I just bought the lift plus and the 2017 can be charged while the battery is on the bike. It is a very comfortable ride and very responsive even for a heavy person. I highly recommend this bike.

 

[emco5]

It isn't an inexpensive mod, but a 2016 Lift can be updated to on-bike charging by replacing the battery mount and buying the 2017 charger.

The Lift is a joy. There are some steep hills on my ride so I had the dealer replace my Lift's stock 44-tooth chainring with the Steps 38t option. The bike was a strong climber before, but now no hill intimidates me, even when the panniers are loaded with groceries.

It's a personal thing, but I didn't get along well with Trek's choice of handlebar on the Lift. The semi-moustache style tends to make the steering feel a bit heavy. In the motorcycle world it's sometimes referred to as the "tiller effect". There was a comfortable handlebar in my parts bin from an older Trek Navigator, and the swap was a quick job.

The Lift also got a Serfas 8000-E seat, pedals with half-clips, and a Trek rack from a previous bike. It's so dialed for me now that I don't want to get off of it.

https://image.ibb.co/iyEPcv/IMG_1526b_800x.jpg

 

[Canard]

This past weekend I bought a 2016 Trek Lift+, and I'm pretty happy with it!

A bit of background: I ride a 2016 Trek Verve 3. I love the geometry and riding position, so the Lift+ was a natural choice, as it is quite similar (although much smaller wheels). I had test ridden ~20 various eBikes at almost as many stores over the past couple of months, trying to dial in what I wanted. Shimano's STePS system drove the decision as I fell in love with the performance and design of it. My other half rides a Pedego City Commuter.

I have a Thudbuster for my Verve 3 and I have ordered a sleeve to adapt it from one bike to the other so I can just swap the whole seat + suspension assembly between bikes, as I find the stock seat on the Lift+ is pretty bad. About the only thing component-wise I could find to complain about.

Some day I would love to ditch the rear derailleur + casette and replace it with a Di2 Alfine 8-speed hub; no idea if that's even possible, but I had hoped that it would just plug right in to the STePS system and would turn this into the perfect bike.

Cheers,

-Iain
Ontario, Canada

 

[Canard]

Is anyone able to tell me if the battery/charger is different for a 2016 Lift+ vs. a 2017?

Thanks!

-Iain

 

[Ann M.]

Take a look at the post by @emco5 , he indicates that the 2017 charger is different.

 

[Canard]

I should have worded it differently I have a 2016 Lift+. There is some external damage to the battery so the shop is going to exchange it with a battery from a 2017. My question would therefore be:

-Is the battery physically the same, or different?
-If it is physically different, is the capacity also different?
-If it is the same, why is the charger different?
-If it is the same, is the 2016 charger compatible with the 2017 battery?

I am trying to gauge whether or not I need to poke my shop to also exchange the charger.

Thanks,

-Iain

 

[emco5]

2016 and 2017 batteries are the same and fit either bike. The charger for 2016 has the large plug to fit the base of the battery... for off-bike charging. The 2017 charger has a small plug to fit the updated 2017 battery bracket... for on-bike charging. The 2017 charger also comes with an adapter to fit the base of the battery so it can be used with 2016 bikes.

 

[Canard]

Thanks for the clarification! Makes total sense. So I only need the battery replaced from my dealer.

I thought I had read somewhere that the capacity was being improved 20% or something; I was secretly hoping by getting a new battery I'd also see an improvement in range

-Iain

 

[Canard]

Just rolled over my first 1000km on my Lift+. Love this bike!

-Iain

 

[Theresa Ryan-Mitlyng]

I just bought a Trek Lift low-rise e-bike. Have only ridden it 11 miles so far. Since e-bikes are new to me, don't know what to expect from motor. I can hear some noise when in the eco, norm, or high modes. Is this normal?

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Yes, you're always going to hear at least a little whirring or humming sound from an ebike motor... some louder than others, of course, but overall pretty quiet.

 

[Canard]

Here is a video I made for you this morning with the "normal" sounds of Shimano STePS on a Trek Lift+!

I will say that the Shimano STePS system is probably the loudest of all the eBike systems. Which is funny, because Shimano advertizes it as the quietest!

I got my Lift+ in May, and have almost 2 000 km on it now; I love it!

 

[emco5]

...Which is funny, because Shimano advertizes it as the quietest!....

I'd bet that Shimano's STEPS advertising creates some hassle for dealers from concerned purchasers.

Our host, Court, has probably ridden more eBikes than anyone else on the planet. In his mid-drive motor comparison he said, “...the Shimano drive system. Their motor is quieter... than Bosch, Yamaha and some of the others…” My two Shimano powered Lift's whir like Canard’s bike, and it is on par with some of the Bafang mids I’ve ridden. The common response from pedestrians and bicyclists I’ve passed on rides is that they didn’t know I was riding an eBike until they “saw” it as I rode by. I’ve ridden motorcycles for decades and some of them had so much internal rattling and tapping that they sounded on the verge of blowing up, but only the rider sitting on top of it is aware of the commotion. A brushless eBike motor, itself, spins quietly. Some system sound is from all the ball bearings, but most is created by the internal gearing: the number of gears, the pitch of their teeth, and their manufacturing tolerance. The drive gear on the motor shaft is usually a quiet-running helical, so the secondary spur gears within the case are the noise makers. From what I’ve seen of mids, it is common for secondary gears to be made of molded polymer which run much quieter than metal gears. Polymer is also used for the planetary spurs in geared hubs. The whirring sound is safe and perfectly normal. Noises to be concerned about are clicking, chaffing, and grinding.

 

[Canard]

My husband tells me the same thing. He rides a Pedego, and when we're riding together on the trails... I can't hear his motor at all, really... and he says he can't hear mine! Especially when I'm riding past.

I just can't imagine not hearing it, because while on my bike, it just seems so loud!

I guess I need to set up my video camera on a tripod and ride past it a few times.

 

[Larry Ganz]

I feel that my wife's Neko+ with Steps sounds louder than my Powerfly 7 with Bosche CX.