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

[R1S88]

Very helpful review—thanks! With the fixed handlebars, did you feel like the riding position was too upright or too aggressively hunched over? Or was the main issue the reach to the bars?

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[svend76]

So it doesn't have a throttle? I though all Class 3 bikes had a throttle.

No, it depends on where you are. Under California rules, Class 3 bikes are not allowed to have a throttle. Under Arizona/Florida rules, a Class 3 bike is allowed to have a throttle as long as it stops working above 20MPH.

This is a pretty emotional issue for a lot of people in the eBike world, but my best interpretation of it is this:

In California, trail access is a big issue, and eBikes with throttles are a bit close to electric dirt bikes which they understandably want to restrict from hiking and mountain biking trails.​

In Arizona/Florida, it is often REALLY hot. You might want to do a quick errand or commute a short distance on a hot day and not get sweaty. Being able to make that trip on a eBike in throttle only mode lets you keep cool. Throttles on eBikes help keep people out of cars on hot days.​

 

[svend76]

Very helpful review—thanks! With the fixed handlebars, did you feel like the riding position was too upright or too aggressively hunched over? Or was the main issue the reach to the bars?

For me, 6ft tall with long legs and short arms, the reach was good but the bars were too low. I found it about half way between a commuter and a mountain bike riding position. I think an average 6ft tall person would find it close to a typical commuter bike stance, and then of course the shorter you are the more upright you would be on the bike.

I do a lot of riding with my youngest daughter, and she prefers to go pretty slow, 6-12MPH most of the time to take in the sights, so I prefer an upright, comfort stance on an eBike most of the time, with the option to adjust the bars down lower if I'm riding on my own at 15-20MPH.

 

[svend76]

I was playing with the configurator this morning. They have "Standard" (mid rise), and "Sport" (low rise) handlebars. If they added a "Comfort" (high rise) option that would ensure that the bike was a good fit for all sized riders and all use cases.

The bike has built in GPS and over the air updates, so there is no reason they could not unlock the throttle in states where it is allowed (like my native Florida), and keep it disabled in states like California where it is not allowed. I have heard mention that they plan to do this, but I would like to see it working before buying myself.

 

[Noplacelikeloam]

Hey which ones? Do they have reg braking? Can you Integrated your phone to play music or podcasts thru the bike and control it from the handle bar? Does it have over 100 nm of torque? Can you switch seats to make it off road or cargo or a cruiser? What is the range and battery size? What is the annual maintenance required? can the SW be updated Over the AIR? These are a few items that if answered may help me understand your concern. Since I can’t find an E-bike with all these features at this price point.

Ha — Swampnut accidentally nailed the problem with that comment. What he's describing is exactly where the eMTB market is today (and I say this as a SC Bullit owner, having come through Levo's, Norco, and others). It's a sophisticated, fast-moving, performance-driven segment.

The Also bike is a completely different product for a completely different rider. Comparing it to a modern eMTB is apples to oranges. One is built around performance — geometry, suspension, motor response, weight — and the other is built around lifestyle: commuting, errands, listening to music on the way to the café. Neither is wrong, but they're not in the same conversation. Today's eMTBs aren't designed for that use case at all, and their entire feature set reflects that.

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