This ST7 starts at $13,200.
Over the past six years, I’ve personally reviewed several dozen electric bikes. Far and away, one of the nicest I ever tried was an early model from Swiss-based company Stromer called the ST1x. That was six years ago, and it retailed for what was a then-pricey $5,000. As you know, the economy has changed a lot since then. And e-bikes have not been immune to inflation. Yes, you can still buy models for less than $1,000 – keeping in mind you generally get what you pay for.
Stromer has a reputation of making some of the finest e-bikes on the market. According to Matti Rajakyla, who is the general manager of the company’s North America operations, the company has 100,000 customers – mostly in Europe. But the astonishing thing he says is that 87 percent of them have replaced their cars with a Stromer. That’s how reliable and smooth the bikes are. The company has even started a subscription riding program in the Bay Area, in which Stromer e-bikes are available on a month-to-month basis with built-in insurance and maintenance.
The brand’s top-end bike, the flagship ST7, hit the U.S. market in April. I finally got the opportunity to take it out this week. With upgraded seat suspension and suspension fork, it sells for a cool $14,749. So is it that much better than riding a much less-expensive model? I had to find out.
Visiting the company’s San Diego facility, I was given a loaner for a spin. It was a cold, cloudy and breezy morning. I deliberately took it on a hilly route. There’s no throttle on it – just four pedal assist levels. And everything is sleekly displayed on a screen melded seamlessly into the frame for easy visibility at all times. So many other things impressed me immediately. For one, I’ve never seen an e-bike with Pirelli tires before. Then there’s the anti-lock brakes, carbon belt drive, and Pinion’s new Smart.Shift that’s essentially an electric gear shifter. At the push of a button, the gears go up or down. And after you have stopped at a red light or stop sign, the shifter automatically drops into the easiest pedal gear. So when you pull away again, it’s effortless and smooth to accelerate — unlike on most no-throttle bikes where there is a lot of effort and teetering when starting to pedal.
Speaking of acceleration, and I think this is where this model excels, it’s able to climb hills and fight the wind without issue. In fact, I would say that most other e-bikes could go up these particular steep hills at maybe 15 mph tops. The Stromer got up these same inclines easily at 18 without me breaking a sweat. In some cases I broke 20. Super impressive.
The model I tested did not have the advanced suspension. The ride was still smooth, although I would’ve preferred an ultra-cushioned seat for a bike of this price. Yes, you can upgrade it. Other things I would love to see included on a premium bike like this: turn signals and a side-view mirror. The last thing the Stromer blew me away at is its battery range: Each charge can get you up to an advertised 160 miles. That said, Rajakyla says that’s under ideal conditions. Depending on your weight, the wind, the grade of the hills you ride, and the pedal assist level you use, you can realistically expect it to fall somewhere between 60 and 100 miles, he told me. Which is still pretty amazing in today’s market.
Overall, you can tell everything’s super solid and well-made on this bike. It has premium components all the way through that work seamlessly in concert with one another. Is it worth $15,000? That’s for you to decide. Riding it for me was nothing short of fantastic. But I also really enjoy my current $2,000 model that’s equipped with a throttle — and in my 1,600 miles on it so far, it’s been super dependable. That said, if I had the money… a guy can dream, right?