This is the 2nd post in our new series on eBikes.
As I mentioned before, I ordered the Doheny Fat Tire Cruiser after my wife got a Rad Power RadCity 3 eBike. I really like the RadCity 3 and searched frantically for a preowned one at a price below $1,000. I found one near my location on Facebook Marketplace, but the owner was not the original owner and had no way to transfer the purchase to me with Rad Power. That meant I could not get replacement parts, so it killed the deal.
As I searched other brands, I came across Doheny Bike. The Cruiser had all the features I was looking for, with the exception of hydraulic brakes (more on that later) and a place to mount a water bottle holder. Among those desired features, were:
- Samsung or LG battery pack (for safety),
- Pedal assist with at least 5 levels,
- Throttle,
- Rear rack (if no water bottle holder, I could strap one down…),
- Front & rear fenders (no mud splashed on me),
- 7 speed derailleur,
- 750 watt motor,
- Aluminum frame,
- 48V system,
- Front suspension,
- Headlight & taillight,
- Throttle (I wish I’d requested the twist throttle, but I didn’t see that option until after I placed my order),
- 40 miles of range.
I didn’t see any information on the Doheny website about the battery vendor, so I reached out to the company, via email. I was surprised to receive a phone call from a very nice gentleman. He told me they use Samsung batteries, so almost all my concerns were answered. The Doheny rep also mentioned they were ending production of the Cruiser, because demand was markedly higher for their folding ebikes, hence their deep discount. Since I do not need to transport my bike, on a regular basis, I did not want a folding bike. They are usually steel framed and heavier than non-folding, aluminum bikes. I mentioned the fact that I preferred hydraulic brakes but was willing to give the Cruiser’s mechanical brakes a try. He mentioned that, toward the end of production, they actually had started to make the Cruiser with hydraulic brakes!
I had an upcoming trip to Austin, to shoot some podcasts with Smart Charge America‘s founder, Joseph Barletta and to attend the first in-person TxETRA board meeting, since the COVID-19 pandemic began. I planned to be away from home Wednesday and Thursday. That’s when I noticed Doheny ships most of their ebikes from their store in Cypress, Texas (a Houston suburb)! The shipping map, on the Doheny site, showed ship time from Cypress to most of Texas to be just 1 day!
Yea Haw!!!! I was going to receive my ebike before leaving town! (on closer examination of the map, Dallas and Fort Worth fell into the 2 day shipping) I placed my order.
When I checked my shipment, I discovered it was going to take much longer to receive the Cruiser because it had shipped from their California location! Man, I was bummed! It would arrive while I was on the first day of my trip. Fortunately, I’m a nerd and have an MyQ device and app that can open my garage door or notify me of the door opening from anywhere I have internet access. My mother-in-law and her sister were visiting, so I also had a person who could receive the shipment. There is also a webcam, in the garage, so I can watch what’s going on. Still, I was disappointed about not being there to immediately assemble and test the bike. Doheny Bikes allow a 14 day return period. My major concern was the size of this monster bike! I am 5’6″ tall and Doheny’s website states, “RIDERS should be tall enough to touch both feet on the ground.” I decided I could give the bike a try and return it if too big for my size.
As Randy Newman would say, “Short people ain’t got no reason to live…“
While in Austin, I got the notification that our garage door had opened. I opened the app and watched the deliver occur. Our garage door has no windows, so the sunlight outside was very, very bright, on the video, as the door started to open. That reminded me of something that I thought would make a funny video (for science fiction fans, anyway) so I started editing one, by downloading the webcam video. Here’s the result (turn up the volume):
Yes, my garage is messy. We recently replaced our bedroom furniture, (1935 art deco antiques that need refinishing…want it?) so the old furniture is out there, along with my stained glass work area, the detritus of several home repair projects I have underway… and five bicycles.
I planned to make an unboxing and assembly video and succeeded until, returning from a short bio-break, I forgot to restart the recording.
At first I experienced consternation that there were no printed assembly instructions. The Doheny rep who called me had mentioned they had an assembly video on YouTube but I could not locate any information on the Doheny website, about how to access the video. It was fairly easy to find (along with tons of other Doheny videos) and was pretty comprehensive. I posted about the lack of assembly instructions on Facebook and the rep replied, reminding me of the video instructions and including a link to them. Great customer service!
As I carefully unpacked the Cruiser, I noticed a dent in the rear fender, but figured I could live with it. I also found that they included all the tools required for assembly! Unfortunately, I noticed the battery pack appeared to be bulging and became concerned about a fire hazard, if the battery was actually damaged. I decided to reply to the rep’s Facebook comment to post photos of the battery issue and ask about it. Here’s the conversation with the battery pics (click on conversation to see larger image of battery bulge):
In a follow-up email, I asked about shipping time for the new battery, mentioning the 14-day return policy. Their reply stated the battery would ship the following day, which would be the day before Thanksgiving and that they’d be happy to extend the return period by an additional week, so I could try everything out. The forecast for my area shows rain until the Saturday after Thanksgiving, but if the battery is here by then, you can bet I’ll be hitting the Trinity Trails!
Then, I noticed something else odd about my new bike: It was equipped with hydraulic brakes! THAT’s why it shipped from California instead of Texas! Again, great customer service!
I am now awaiting the replacement battery pack and will keep you updated on my progress.
