To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This in-depth review was sponsored by Surface 604 Bikes. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased with you, this video and writeup are not meant to be an endorsement of Surface 604 products. I welcome your corrections, additions, and feedback in the comments below and the Surface 604 electric bike forums.
Pros:
- Includes a one-year comprehensive warranty and support from many dealers in the US and Canada, which is great not only for support down the road but also for test riding and fitting before you buy
- Your choice of two frame sizes, an upright relaxed riding position, the step-through design, and the high range of adjustability for the stem makes this bike extremely approachable, able to fit virtually any size of rider
- A new and much-requested feature here is torque sensitivity tuning! Dealers will now be able to tune the torque sensor to accommodate rider needs. It requires connecting with diagnostic hardware and modifying the firmware so it isn’t something you can change quickly on your own… but the vast majority of people shouldn’t change these settings since they are optimally configured by Surface 604. The big win is that bike shops can now customize this sensitivity for customers who need it
- The 3.5″ color LCD is a big upgrade from previous generations of the Rook. New features include password protection as a theft deterrent, an optical sensor for automatic display dimming & integrated light activation, and advanced settings that even allow you to tweak torque sensitivity
- Feature-complete with integrated lights, fenders, and a rear rack! The rack is weld-mounted which offers more sturdiness compared to an aftermarket attached rack, Spanninga lights are powerful and do a great job of illuminating the road ahead – and the rear light even activates and brightens on braking – and the full-size fenders are plastic which offers good durability
- A redesigned 48-volt battery pack that is shorter and standardized across Surface 604 models so you can share batteries if you own any of their other models, you also get a choice between the standard 10.4 amp-hour or the upgraded 14 amp-hour pack (which costs an extra $200)
- Two options for charging personal electronics are available here, which is awesome! There are two USB Type-A ports available, one is on the display and has 0.5 amps of power, the other is on the battery and offers 1.0 amps… For reference, a full 1 amp is required for charging an iPhone but 0.5 amps is sufficient for most Android phones. The battery charging port is nice because you can remove the battery from the bike and still use it to charge other devices, such as powering a portable speaker while on a picnic
- A responsive torque sensor is paired with a 500-watt Bafang rear hub motor, this is a rare combination and offers what feels like a smooth mid-drive motor experience at a hub motor price
- Full throttle power is available at any assist level (even level 0), I really appreciate this because you can ride in a low assist level and have access to the throttle for a short burst of speed or power without having to change the assist level first
- Excellent stopping power thanks to Tektro Auriga hydraulic disc brakes, three-finger levers make the dual-piston calipers easy to actuate, and the 180mm rotors are an upgrade from the 160mm rotors seen on previous versions of the Rook
- Large plastic chain guard does a great job of protecting the chain from wayward skirts or pant legs, and it also features a white reflective side panel for increased side visibility
- A Suntour suspension fork for with 110mm of travel, large Selle Royale gel saddle, and stitched leather ergonomic grips add up to a comfortable ride, you can also add a Suntour suspension seatpost ($100 upgrade) for even more comfort
- Beautiful visual appearance thanks to clean internally routed cabling, even more clean than previous versions of this bike – now even the brake light cabling is routed through the rear rack! You also get your choice of two colors, white or black with white accents
- Lots of changes from previous generations for easier maintenance and repairs, for example, the controller has been changed to use standard XT60 connectors and is much easier to reach for diagnostics and repairs when necessary. Historically Surface 604 bikes have been challenging for dealers to repair the electronics, so I appreciate that they’ve listened to feedback and worked to make their bikes more serviceable
Cons:
- These Kenda tires are fairly basic, they don’t include any puncture protection or reflective striping on the sidewalls. You can add puncture protection yourself, of course, and we do have good side visibility on the right side thanks to the reflective chain guard
- The display is a big upgrade from previous versions in terms of the information readouts and additional settings, but the color LCD can be a bit more difficult to see in direct sunlight. Make sure you remove the protective film as leaving it on (like we did in the video) will add some glare and make it even more difficult to see! The important readouts such as your current speed have a good contrast ratio and are easy to see, but some of the other details in the corners of the screen are using green text instead of white and can be tough to see in direct sunlight. Fortunately, the display swivels easily so just make sure you have it at a good angle to minimize glare
- The weld-mounted rear rack is nice for sturdiness, but of course, the tradeoff here is that you can never remove the rear rack. For most people this is a good thing, but if you already have a special rack you want to use or a bike trailer that mounts on rear rack bosses you wouldn’t be able to do so on this bike
- The ergonomic grips are not locking, so if you bear down on them you can twist them up and down which can be especially frustrating with ergonomic grips, fortunately, the relaxed position and use case for this bike means you won’t be bearing down on the grips the way you might with a mountain bike
- The charge port is positioned near the right crank arm, which means a risk of bumping and damaging your charger (or the charge port) when charging the battery on the bike
- There is no slap guard on the right chainstay, which means that bumps can cause the chain to bounce down and scratch the paint on the chainstay… A low-tech solution to prevent this is to put some clear tape on that chainstay. Previous versions of the Rook had cables routed on the top of this chainstay and they also served as a slap guard, but on this 2020 model the cables are now internally routed
- The headlight is mounted on the lower traveling portion of the front fork, which means that the headlight will bounce up and down as the suspension fork compresses. This can create a “strobe light” effect on bumpy trails, it’s typically not too extreme but good to be aware of
- The plastic fenders are lightweight, durable, and immune to dings and rust, but they do rattle more than steel or alloy fenders – especially when riding on bumpy trails
Mike says
First off, GREAT REVIEWER. Not too wordy on the written part, and no personal biases on nit picky things. (though the comments about the lack of a ‘slap guard’ just continues to be goofy – its such a simple and cheap item to add later, and many people want to personalize the color or style of what is there – and dont usually see too many ebikes that come with them anyway.)
The torque sensing is awesome on this ebike, and also it is TUNABLE, meaning you can adjust the sensitivity. Not mentioned in the written part. Torque sensing also really extends the range if tuned properly, and with 14 AH, riding in level 1 and 2, 70 to 75 miles of range is very doable. This is very different than cadence sensing where the cadence sensing can actually cause more motor power to be drawn more frequently, and drain the battery faster as just detecting your crank arm rotation, does not take into account or respond to the effort you are putting into the ride. Since the motor now responds to your effort, it will operate at less wattage potentially, especially if you are wanting the exercise, and /or wanting greater range. The beauty of torque sensing really shows itself on these hub drives. (while inherent to mid drives, but those can add easily $600 to $1000 to the cost of the otherwise equal ebike). Just a few years ago, torque sensing on hub drives used to be a little problematic in terms of tuning, or reliability, but Surface has definitely resolved this with their manufacturer and engineers. I’m honestly surprised that more hub drive oriented ebike OEM’s haven’t already converted their ebikes to having torque sensing too. They’d really give the mid drive ebike OEMS a run for their money, and many more options for consumers that are price sensitive but still wanting the performance feel of torque sensing, or that ‘natural bike’ feel while pedaling.
Not emphasized in the Pro’s – The rear light has a BUILT IN BRAKE LIGHT ! (yes !)
The new supports holding the front fenders are a BIG UPGRADE. They don’t slip like the old ones did. (yeah it should have been this way from the start, but hey they were trying to be price conscious I suppose.)
Greatly improved torque sensor in terms of where it mounts too (versus last year – so glad its now out of the bottom bracket), and the reliability is supposed to be improved as well.
All in all, this ebike gives you the performance ‘FEEL’ of a mid drive, in terms of smooth pedaling, but also the rear acceleration capability, more power, and simplicity of a hub drive, all at a much lower price point than mid drives. Honestly, you’d be hard pressed to make a case for a mid drive that can cost upwards of $3000 against these S604 Rooks and Colts. Also, the display does allow for changing the upper speed limit a few miles higher so you don’t have that awkward, or irritating ‘wall at 20 mph’. I have had the ebike up to 24 mph no problem. the 48 Volt, 14 AH battery is truly the best way to go, and again the price is very reasonable for it.
Another upgrade is the very improved adjustable stem, and more robust, and more secure once its tightened than the prior years stems.
Lastly, the Alivio derailleur is super smooth shifting, and seems every bit as smooth as the SRAM X5, which has been a winner for years ! You will notice a big difference in shifting over the Altus, the Acera, and other models below this in the Shimano line up. So many new upgrades and with how many ebike models have increased in price due to tariffs, with everything S604 has built into this, its excellent value.
If you were to want to upgrade from the value priced Aventon Pace 500, THIS would certainly be the ebike that I would go to, if desiring front suspension, torque sensing, color display, even higher end hydraulic brakes, integrated front lights and rear lights, with brake light, integrated rack and fenders, more speeds, better derailleur. There are so many other ebikes that are priced between the $1399 price point of the Pace 500, and the $2199 price point of this Surface Rook (or Colt), that simply do not have all of these nice upgrades and are often fitted with the Altus derailleur or other little things that are no better than whats on the Pace 500. Even the shocks are better than most ebikes with shocks where the ebike is priced below $2500.
The past year has had some hiccups for Surface, but got to give them loads of credit for really make some valuable improvements, keeping a good price point, and delivering an even better product for what was actually a really good seller before despite some of the little flaws that irritated some consumers and dealers alike.
Court says
Great comment, Mike! Thanks, and yes… Tyson did an amazing job with this review and we are excited to add more bikes in the coming months. I’d respond more but am in a hurry here and wanted to get your comment published quickly. Cheers!
Tyson Roehrkasse says
Hi Mike! Thanks for the awesome comment, I’ve made some updates to the written review based on your recommendations. Super cool to hear about the rear taillight functioning as a brake light too, I had no idea!
Cynthia says
Hi guys! I have watched many of your reviews and read countless posts from members. I have been able to test a variety of models from different brands (Aventon, Magnum, Gazelle, Blix and S604) at a somewhat local ebike shop. I initially thought a lower priced bike would be sufficient and I bought a 350W, cadence sensor bike. After a few rides, I’ve decided I want to upgrade and am leaning toward the Rook.
I really enjoyed the feel of the torque sensor and after riding this and then trying an Aventon Pace 500, I was convinced this was the way to go. Are there other bikes I should consider in this price range, should I wait for the 2021 version, and is it worth it to upgrade to the 14v battery? I initially didn’t think the extended range capability would matter, but now I’m wondering if there are other reasons to consider that. I’ve not ridden in years and am so excited to get back to riding. I will most likely be riding paved or gravel trails. I lost my job this year, so it’s a bit of a splurge and I want to make a “smart” purchase.
Thanks!
Court says
Hi Cynthia! I’m so sorry to hear that you lost your job, and I can relate to wanting to make a smart long-lasting choice. Make sure you get a good lock or keep the bike indoors too… my bike got stolen from my girlfriend’s gated garage the other day when they cut into the garage and then cut through my ABUS folding lock! Anyway, I’ll let Tyson chime in on this too, but I think it depends on your weight and ride style. If you’re heavier or carrying cargo and plan to ride hills, in the wind, and need to go further, then a higher capacity battery could make sense. I tend to never fully deplete battery packs myself because my back and neck get sore before that happens (and I’m light and like to pedal). You can give me a ring to chat more about this if you’d like, I don’t mind discussing if you text first 650-930-0342 cheers! Court
John says
Good review ! :) Reason why LCD display is not showing well is because there is protective plastic film covering it. It needed to be removed to see better. Camera is also making darker spots even darker as it’s metering against bright surroundings.
Court says
Thanks for the feedback, John! I noticed that during the video too. We can remove the film when I cover your other bikes but it’s great to have this feedback from you directly (John is the founder of Surface 604 for anyone who is wondering).
Robert G says
Excited to see the Colt 2020 review. Finally pot mine together and about to take it for a spin.
Court says
Sweet! Hope you have a blast out there, Robert :D
Justin says
I was curious of how you would compare the 2020 Rook against the Rad5 ebike. Looking for my wife who is about 5’4″ and 120lbs. She wants to ride on the roads most of the time, but wants the ability to take it on trails and off road. I ride the Surface 604 Shred but due to the Virus going on we can not get another Shred in her size for a couple months or more. So we would like to buy one of the two and would really like your opinion on this.
Court says
Hi Justin, glad you’re enjoying the Surface 604 Shred! I love that bike… As for the Rook vs. the Rad bikes, which Rad Power Bikes model are you talking about? The RadRover Step-Thru or RadCity? Please be more specific and I’ll try to provide some insight. Here’s the full list of Rad models.
Justin says
Sorry about that. We were looking at the Rad Rover comparing it to the surface Rook or Colt Is there much difference between the Rook or Colt besides the step through? Anyways we just want to make sure which one would give her the best trail or off road capabilities We would wait for the Shred but we have no idea how long it will be with the issues we are all facing. We waited a month already but now we were told it will be another month We know its not their fault but she wants to ride now. If none of those options are good and you have a better idea for the 2k or so price range with throttle please inform us. Thanks
Court says
Hi Justin, thanks for clarifying! The RadRover is going to be stable and comfortable because it has larger 4″ wide fat tires. The Surface 604 Rook and Colt models use narrower 2.1″ wide tires. This means that the physical size and weight of the Rook is easier to manage, and it will coast more quietly and efficiently… but if you’re mostly riding on trails and your wife is comfortable with the larger size of the RadRover, then go for it! They also have folding fat tire bikes like the RadMini Step-Thru that are worth considering (they have medium sized 3.3″ tires). Perhaps this comes down to the height of your wife, her strength, comfort wielding a full sized fat tire bike vs. a city bike like the Rook. I could discuss a few of these options with you if you call me.
Connie says
I’m interested in this answer also. I’m a 5″4′ woman and my husband is a great rider – me, not as much. He’d love it if I could keep up with him. I’m deciding between the Surface Rook and RadRover Step-Thru or Blix Aveny.
Court says
Hi Connie! I like all of those products, but find that the style and dealer network of Blix makes it worth checking into first (if possible). Surface 604 is awesome, and their torque sensors are unique, but the don’t have the same refined accessory options or name-brand recognition as Rad Power Bikes. I like the Rad products in general, because they are affordable but still really well made and thought out. The thing is, it seems like you’re comparing a city bike (Aventy) and a hybrid bike (Rook) with more of an off-road fat tire model (RadRover). It’s difficult for me to really recommend one without knowing more about your situation… but I hope these little details help, and I’ll respond to other comments if you share more ;)
Nicycle says
I’m curious about the reviewer’s point about the accessibility of the controller for replacement. Is this a vulnerable component needing to be replaced very often? Is it more likely to be damaged due to its placement outside the frame — whereas some manufacturers put it inside, and is the latter placement problematic due to possibly reduced heat dissipation? How much does it cost to replace it, and is it user-replaceable?
Court says
Hi Nicycle, those are great points… I was not the person who reviewed this model (that was Tyson, I am Court), but I’ve seen this model and covered similar bikes from Surface 604. External controllers tend to be easier to replace but not as beautiful or protected as internal. They might dissipate heat easier, and they usually make the battery cheaper to replace since the pack is less complex. I don’t mind external controllers, and I have never had to replace a controller on an ebike before. I don’t think it should be an issue if you aren’t overworking the drive system (throttling up a hill without helping the bike in extreme heat). Some companies have separated the controller units from the batteries AND internalized them in unique places such as the bottom bracket… that’s the case with a recent iGO ebike that I covered. I thought it was a mid-drive at first, but the box at the bottom bracket is just for wires and a high powered controller, which will tend to heat up more than a basic controller. They were very excited about this design because the controller is much easier to access if/when there’s a replacement needed. I hope this gives you some perspective, even though it’s more of an indirect answer ;)
Nicycle says
Thanks for your response. I’m still a bit puzzled about controllers. You write about “a high powered controller, which will tend to heat up more than a basic controller.” I would think it were the opposite, much like a transistor audio amplifier — the higher the power, the less heat for a given load. What is the purpose of a high-powered controller (rated in Amps?) and how does it affect the performance of the motor — does it contribute to the available continuous (or sustained) power output? Does it need to be matched to the motor power and/or the weight capacity and/or intended user application? If this is an important component spec, why is it not included in the Electronic Details to be compared to other brands & models? Finally, is it an expensive component and does the placement outside the frame make it vulnerable to theft? Thanks, again.
Court says
Hi Nicycle, all great questions! Perhaps I was sloppy with my language. I meant to say that a higher powered system, such as a 48 volt with a higher amp controller, could heat up more. I haven’t tested or compared this, I’ve only heard shops and manufacturers talk about how separating controllers from battery packs can help to reduce heat. I’m making some assumptions and repeating what engineers have told me. The biggest factor that seems to ring true is that a battery pack without integrated bike controller seems to be less expensive to replace :)
Steve Moore says
question, I know it has a 500 W motor and has ability to go 750 w. max
how does that differ from Rad Rover or others , that have a straight 750 w motor ❓
Tyson Roehrkasse says
Hi Steve!
A 750-watt nominal motor will typically feel a bit more powerful especially for sustained use… but there are a lot of other variables too, such as the amps of the controller, specific motor type, and how the manufacturer has tuned the electronics. Rad Rovers also have gigantic tires and weigh more, so honestly, the Surface604 may feel more responsive and powerful due to the lighter weight, and another nice benefit to the lower wattage of the motor is increased range since it will use less of the battery.
Steve says
thanks for the quick response, and good information.
David Cook says
Looks like a really nice bike! Will the rear rack take a Thule Yepp seat as is or does it require an adapter? Any info on the weight rating? I’m carrying a growing grandson on my RadWagon and looking for something a little more nimble. Is there a front rack option? Will this take a larger tire (say 2.3″) or is 2.1″ the limit?
Thanks!
Court says
Hi David! I do think that the Thule Yepp! Nexxt Maxi will work with this bike rack, but you could double check with their customer support before placing the order, it might even work with the standard Maxi (that fits into a rectangular opening “window” vs clamping to the sides of a rack). My guess is that the bike is rated to 250lbs and the rear rack can handle 50lbs (maybe 55lbs). Not sure about the front rack for this ebike, but Rad does make a RadCity model (and RadCity Step-Thru if you prefer) that offers a sturdy front rack that screws onto the head tube vs. the fork and stem. Also not sure about the tires on the Rook, my guess is that it could handle 2.3″ alright but the company could confirm :)
Jim says
I liked the review and am interested in purchasing one. However, I don’t find any dealers in the state of Georgia. I’m sure that I can order one and have it shipped but I am concerned about having it serviced and any warranty work that may need to be done. I am 250 miles from the nearest dealer in Charlotte NC. Is there an alternative that I’m missing on having any needed work done without driving all day to a dealer location? thanks
Court says
Hi Jim! Great question. I think you’re probably better off than most people, even though that dealer is 250 miles away. My understanding is that Surface 604 is mostly direct to consumer now, and they rely on phone support and shipping parts if/when required. You could always take the bike to a non-ebike dealer and pay for their help installing or repairing, and that’s that’s big trade-off for getting a lower price. This is why some companies like Magnum have spent more money building a big dealer network, and other companies like Rad Power Bikes have started working with Velofix and even buying their own vans to provide service in major cities. I hope this helps, and whatever you choose, I hope it works well! I’d love to hear back from you about the bike someday :D
Deborah B. says
Excellent, informative review! My husband and I just bought this model and this review really helped us to understand all of the features on the bike and to appreciate what we have purchased! The reviewer was very clear and covered every bit of information. The video was interesting to watch and I gained more insight into the bikes we purchased. I would recommend this reviewer to anyone!!
Tyson Roehrkasse says
Hi Deborah, thank you so much for the positive feedback! I’m glad our site has been helpful for you, that’s what we’re here for :)