:lol: After much reading online (including the woes & joys in this very thread), every competing ebike I found (meaning competitive in componentry
and price), was
not available this April. (Of which only one was really in the same price range as equipped anyway.)
Edit: It should be noted that our plan is to use this ebike as a reference point to learn what works for our split use-cases & what doesn't. Long private trail rides are an essential aspect, but ultimately if this ebike proves maintainable, we hope to make it just the first of a small electric fleet, registrations & all. Functional ("high powered") electric bikes are shockingly rare under current regulations.
I do mostly city riding in a city where the streets often resemble simulated lunar craters, where unlicensed contraptions roll around through red lights every few blocks, & where anyone actually riding safely barely gets a second glance. ("E-Bike" regulations here are openly admitted to be inadequate for real needs & a stance of encouraging
any alternative to big combustion powered SingleOccupancyVehicles is frequently cited.) When I ride technical trails, it's most likely on my Trek Gary Fisher 29er. When I cross town, it's most likely on my 29er. When it's too hot, or the route is covered in icy ruts, I... would really like a motor to assist me. I wanted a fat tire, but
my primary concern is RANGE, & I'm a big guy (~6'10"/208cm by 252lbs/114kg), who tends to carry at least a few dozen pounds of cargo. A bike that's heavy all by itself, is a pain to ride, so I wanted something that could help me up more than a handful of hills without overheating or battery death or both. I wanted full suspension & a mid-drive because hub motors don't fit the heavy abuse I dish out. I wanted decent components & if a SRAM gearset failed, maybe I'd try that expensive hub everyone kept lauding.
To get an ebike which assuaged my concerns more than the AM1000, it seemed I might end up spending at least $1000 more. The AM1000 just looked like a list of components I wanted anyway. The EX potentially looked even better, but the price was higher than the AM1000, which was already more than I could really spend...
So I bought the AM1000. Yes, after reading about all the recent shipping issues,
and the other ebikes I could have bought/built. After a year of economic crises compounded by COVID shutdowns, I am neither surprised by, nor unused to, delays: "Eventually" sounds better than "No" right now.
When I first spoke to Cecilia Li about via Alibaba this April 15th 2021, she said they were operating at a 3 month production backlog.
I didn't opt for the Lyric shock (really hope I won't need it), but I did select the throttle, lights, gear sensor, fenders, a rear rack, & a second 1008Wh battery. They're using SRAM not Shimano gearsets right now.
After compiling a prospective order, reconsidering my alternatives several times, & then having to wait until banking hours to get the transaction to go through, I placed my order, with $600 ground shipping including tax (per Alibaba). I paid for a 10% credit card transaction fee and Alibaba's production monitoring (which probably won't work, given the timescales, but we'll see!). The order, placed on the 21st of May 2021, states that the product is expected to ship within... 150 days.
If I get to ride it in the snow this winter, that's still sooner than I could have afforded most of the "comparable" bikes!
Next spring, I have my eyes on a 2hr40min 35 mile +2700ft ride. Think I can do it with two batteries & a non-competitive level of pedaling? (Downhill, I think for sure?)
4 months is long enough to wait, plus shipping. I really hope everything arrives "on time", and intact! I wish the small staff at Frey good fortune, sharp minds, steady hands, and strong backs, getting all their bikes together!
Code:
Please wish me luck with this new Frey AM1000 I've just ordered,
& I'll try to keep everyone here posted on how it goes!
(Also via Reddit & YouTube, but who uses those? ;)
Maybe this is a price per pound type of deal? 
but it's a nice option. Why not though as the mounts seem pretty strong? 
