The Stromer ST3 is a beautifully designed paragon of solidity. A high-quality bike that does what you expect of it smoothly and quickly, without squeaks or creaks. What do you want, it is of Swiss origin...
Text: Gerben Bijpost Photography: StromerThe ST3 is by no means a bargain. Its starting price is €6990. But that money buys you serious quality. You see it and you feel it. Those who ride this speed pedelec is overcome by a wow feeling. You select the electric support for your pedalling effort via the display on the on-board computer, from minimum to full power. This amounts to an impressive 820 W / 44 Nm. This power is linked to your pedalling effort via sensors, so gradually becomes available as you increase speed, giving a euphoric feeling of infinite acceleration. As if you have the wind at your back forever, no matter which direction you ride.
BOLLENSTREEK
We tried the bike for several weeks for commuting and recreational rides in the cyclist's domain, the Bulb Region. Thick tyres that would not be out of place on a moped and a rigid frame ensure very direct contact with the road surface. This is nice when you are whizzing along smooth tarmac at over 45 km/h, it makes you feel safe and stable and puts a smile on your face. But watch out when that smooth road surface suddenly turns into bumpy cobblestones. Then your fillings will rattle out and slowing down is your only option to maintain that smile. If you have the option: opt for the optional suspension fork (it costs an extra € 990)!
Officially, the Stromer ST3 can do 45 km/h, but in reality it even goes a bit faster than that, simply because it is allowed under moped rules. You can reach up to 48 km/h without too much effort, as the engine happily assists. Of course, you can go even faster, even 70 km/h if you want to. But... then you will have to rely on your own muscle power. Good luck.
PUFFING CYCLISTS
In practice, 45 km/h proves more than enough to overtake puffing cyclists left and right ("Sorry, I cheat"), with the moped-like horn coming in handy. The Stromer ST3 features direct drive on the rear wheel. This offers the advantage over a mid-motorised bike that the chain is under less load (namely only by leg power) and thus lasts longer. Moreover, a rear-wheel motor is quieter. There is also a downside: because gears cannot be fitted, the ST3 uses an 11-speed (Shimano XT) derailleur system, and that again is just a bit more fragile than a dense hub gear. 27 kilograms of bike with rider means quite a bit of forward-leaning mass. It is therefore pleasant to find that the front and rear hydraulic disc brakes are well up to the task, in terms of braking power as well as metering. So no unplanned emergency braking when you just want to slow down a little. Also nice: pedal and brake sensor and motor power can be easily adjusted to personal preference via a handy app, making the bike respond even more precisely the way you want.The speed pedelec has had the same status as a moped in the Netherlands since 2017, hence the yellow number plate on the back. Specifically, this means that you are obliged to wear an approved helmet, must hold a (moped) driving licence, the bike is WA insured and you must always carry the registration certificate. But that moped status also means that you are not allowed to ride on bicycle paths, but only on the carriageway or on a bicycle/moped path. That takes some getting used to. Not only is it sometimes searching for the right spot on the road, but also the feeling of riding between those cars is different from when you are on a scooter or moped. You feel especially more vulnerable in t-shirt and with that light helmet on. Especially when, at full speed, you suddenly have to leave the carriageway again (those moped signs sometimes force you to do the strangest antics) and have to put your hand out - direction indicators, like on a moped, would then also come in handy. A bumpy road surface, strong winds and cars from both directions, makes this a stunt for beginners. But you get used to that too. Soon you don't know any better. And the rear-view mirror helps just fine to keep an overview of the road behind you.
ACTIERADIUS
We did discover a somewhat strange gap in our legislation: a speed pedelec is nothing but a bicycle equipped with an auxiliary motor and battery. So it can run out of power at some point. Unlike any other form of motorised transport, you can continue riding purely on muscle power from then on. As a regular bike, in other words. However, that means your speed drops from 45 km/h to 20 km/h - or slower still, depending on headwinds; after all, a Stromer is by no means the lightest bike to pedal forward. But even at this low speed, without auxiliary motor drive, it remains a moped according to the law (we checked with the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, who had to find out for themselves). And so the safe bike path remains off limits. From then on, you feel like a snail on a survival mission among cars racing past at 50 km/h. Ergo, regularly check the status of the battery and charge it on time. Fortunately, the range of a Stromer ST3 is generous: you should be able to get around 150 km on a battery charge. And that's more than enough for most commuting or recreational riding. But keeping a safe margin is important, because of course that range is also affected by temperature and that seemingly forever gone headwind....
More info can be found HERE.
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