Review: I rode the ALSO TM-B E-Bike: Rivian Micromobility Startup’s First EV

[Noplacelikeloam]

And now my insta feed is full of people riding this thing down trails with hilariously bad technique that will get them seriously hurt. One shot in particular a rider takes air, seat full extended, legs almost straight. Yeah, that isnt going to end well. Jeez, couldnt they have just rolled up to any given trailhead and found a few people to ask how to do this stuff? Or just have a nice ride along a towpath. Nothing shameful about that and it wont get you laughed out the room.

Rivian marketing need to clean up their game. Remember the camp kitchen photo that they parked and setup a dining table in the middle of trail blocking a bridge access? And now this disaster. They need to get a better producer on this stuff stat.

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[kurtlikevonnegut]

Yeah I don't think they are marketing this towards people who would recognize bad trail biking form. They are targeting people who like the idea that they could go on a trail, sort of the way that most Rivian drivers like the fact that their truck could go off-road, if they ever decided to.

 

[iansriv]

I don't get ebikes. I'd rather pedal a regular bike. Trek makes some affordable carbon fiber bikes in that price range. I'm sure there are plenty of people that likes ebikes but I'm not one.

 

[s4wrxttcs]

I wonder if Rivian will offer test rides at Rivian Galleries or Service Centers?

I'm intrigued because at its core it has certain features that I either have now with my Stromer or features I want to have.

I like that it has no gears as I hardly ever use gears on my E-bikes.

I like that there is no mechanical linkage from the pedals to rear wheels. But, I do have questions as to what exactly happens when you have 0% battery left. Can I divert all the power I put down directly into energy into the motor? How fast do I have to pedal to maintain 12mph on a flat road.

With my Stromer all I have to do is turn off assist and use almost as much energy as a 6mph jog in order to go 12mph on flat surfaces. This is due to the chunky tires and the weight.

Can you have high regen where you have to pedal hard just to get down a hill? My Stromer has this and its highly amusing to onlookers when I do it.

Not sure if I'll get this as its really not like anything I've been looking at.

Lightweight E-Bike for trails
Single Fixed Gear Belt Drive with E-assist meant for long rides with some solution for charging via Solar while camping. -> This is just a fantasy.
The Veemo since it always rains in Seattle -> https://veemo.ca/?srsltid=AfmBOor6SzWZ_ce3g0dgaxCGWm1km1BiXfR2lvG3pYFnuzszTtxQJF_c

 

[s4wrxttcs]

I don't get ebikes. I'd rather pedal a regular bike. Trek makes some affordable carbon fiber bikes in that price range. I'm sure there are plenty of people that likes ebikes but I'm not one.

I think we all have the "I just don't get it" when it comes to the buying behavior of others. What I don't get is parents who get their perfectly capable kid an E-bike or even worse an E-Motorcycle who don't seem to grasp how problematic that is.

I'm a huge advocate for pedal assist e-bikes so that's where my heart is. I like that synergy between man and machine. If I want a workout I use no assist or if I want to get to work without sweating then I use full assist. The e-assist is also helpful when I have knee pain which sometimes happens on long rides.

I think of E-bikes as a great equalizer which allows a bike fanatic to ride alongside someone who doesn't bike as much.

I do appreciate the beauty and simplicity of an analog bike. The purity of cookie powered pedal power.

 

[cjust2006]

There might as well be no pedals. The pedals just get you around what is/isn't allowed to go in bike lanes, and now we have people going speed limits in bike lanes. Might as well open it to motorcycles. As long as the motorcycles have pedals, it's all the same.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

I have a Specialized Turbo Levo, not the S-Works. Mine was only $6500 (one of the best purchases I have ever made). I can tell you that it is not in the same league mechanically or technologically as the ALSO, and I don’t think it pretends to be. That‘s a good thing. They are completely different animals. My Levo is a mountain bike at heart (I love it for that). The ALSO is a Rivian at heart (maybe not a bad thing).

Exactly. The detractors are passing judgement based on a fundamental misunderstanding. It's not apples to apples. Two different types of bikes, aimed at different audiences. And it's most definitely not the sub-$1k Chinese e-Bike they're used to seeing advertised.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

And now my insta feed is full of people riding this thing down trails with hilariously bad technique that will get them seriously hurt. One shot in particular a rider takes air, seat full extended, legs almost straight. Yeah, that isnt going to end well. Jeez, couldnt they have just rolled up to any given trailhead and found a few people to ask how to do this stuff? Or just have a nice ride along a towpath. Nothing shameful about that and it wont get you laughed out the room.

Rivian marketing need to clean up their game. Remember the camp kitchen photo that they parked and setup a dining table in the middle of trail blocking a bridge access? And now this disaster. They need to get a better producer on this stuff stat.

ALSO is a spin-off, with some former employees of Rivian. It's a separate company and has little to do with "Rivian marketing".

 

[madhat]

It's not for me, but it does feel like the Rivian of the bike world. And I respect that.
I think it's cool, if a bit gimmicky. It seems like the role it fills, it does well. I'm actually kinda excited to see where this ended up. Hope buyers find their way to this thing... if I was in the right city it might make sense.

 

[CharonPDX]

I don't get ebikes. I'd rather pedal a regular bike. Trek makes some affordable carbon fiber bikes in that price range. I'm sure there are plenty of people that likes ebikes but I'm not one.

I have a low-price (for a "fancy bike") commuting bike that is all "manual". I have (when I didn't work from home) commuted up to 15 miles each way (depending on the job) through Pacific Northwest winters, over some decent size hills (my biggest commute had an 800 ft elevation gain.) I've also done 100-mile rides for charity.

I don't need an e-bike.

But if my wife wants to go on a bike ride with me, she needs an e-bike. When we take our bikes camping, she brings an e-bike, or else either she gets left behind, or I'm impatiently going super slow.

And you know what? Maybe there are times I do want an e-bike. Just because I can ride 100 miles in a day, or go over that 800 ft hill on my 15 mile commute doesn't mean I wouldn't enjoy life more if I didn't have to work so hard on a 'pleasure ride'. Or my commute would be less annoying on 95 degree days if I wasn't also working up a sweat pedaling. (The last time I bought a bike for commuting, e-bikes were the old "giant super-heavy lead acid battery that only helps you out for about 10 miles" sort that would have meant my commute home would be "pedal a 100 pound bike self-powered because the battery died halfway" kind.)

 

[SASSquatch]

80lb...mentioned in write up.

That's the dealbreaker for me. I had to go digging for the weight asking Gemini because it was nowhere to be found in the tech specs on the website. A large frame (which a Sassquatch needs) in the solo configuration is 85 pounds.

No bueno.

That is more than double the weight (36 lbs) of my Canyon Grail: ON (below) which I have thrown everything at and it has handled it like a champ.

 

[Bother]

Great write up! I think it looks pretty great and reasonably priced if it's as well built as they're implying.

However, was there any discussion on the TM-B's IP rating? I was looking for an e-bike to commute on earlier this year and was really surprised and disappointed that most of them are not rated to sit in the rain (or the sun) for prolonged periods.

Also, we live in an area with pervasive puncture vine. It's a matter of when, not if, I'll get a flat during my commute on my non-electric commuter bike. It doesn't look like the bike has quick release wheels either. Thoughts?

 

[Davethadog]

That’s too many words to describe an electric bike.

ITS NOT A VEHICLE IT IS A CONVEYANCE

 

[kurtlikevonnegut]

After seeing the quad, I get the feeling that the bike is really a sideshow and the real product is the quad for commercial customers. So much potential for that thing with the different configurations.

To me, the bike appears to be a biproduct of the quad development.

 

[kvenom]

How do they plan on repairing these things when they inevitably break? Take it to a Rivian service center? LOL. Regular bike shops won’t touch this thing.

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