Story Electric Step Through Bike

I was not in the market for a bike, much less an Ebike, and was just accompanying my husband to bike shops while he compared and went on test rides. As he prepared to go for a test ride one of the guys at the store invited me to ride along and said there was a bike my size ready to go so I figured why not? He did not mention it was an E bike though and the experience totally blew my mind! I try not to be an impulse buyer so I just put a deposit on the bike and went home to research. It was then that I came across Story Bikes and I had a lot of questions. So many in fact that one of the founders, Mark, called me and spoke to me taking the time to answer all my questions and address all my concerns.

Immediately after our conversation I jumped on line and ordered my stepthrough with wicker basket in white and I have no regrets! I am 5'2 and the fit is comfortable. The seat could definitely be cushier but I can shop for a padded cover so that should be an easy fix. The retro basket is adorable, I recommend putting all your items in a bag though because I've found that on bumpy trails contents tend to bounce out and I have to dismount and chase down my belongings.

I love the fact that I can control the amount of assist. We just got a puppy and she weighs about 13lbs now with her adult weight topping at approximately 17lbs. She rides with me in a K9 backpack so being able to start off with even just level 1 assist is such a gamechanger!

My husband spins so I feel like he's in better shape than me when it comes to cycling and I want to ride with him without limiting or holding him back. I think just having the knowledge of the electric assist in my backpocket makes me a more confident rider. I generally only use it for starting off and for steep hills but it makes the whole riding experience so much more enjoyable! For reference, we are weekend riders and go 10-20 miles on (usually) paved trails.

I am VERY happy and can see many years of enjoyment with my StoryBike!!!

PS We did need to purchase an additional bracket that attaches to my bike in order to secure it to the bike rack for transport.

What can I say? The moment I step on the pedal of my Story Bike and feel the assist kick in, I cannot help but smile! My husband says I’m like a school girl riding her very first bike. He’s right. I sit straight and tall on my Story Bike and ride it everywhere - with and without assist. My Story Bike is taking me places and I am enjoying every moment!!

I purchased a black step thru bike to have some fun riding and to get some exercise. My two main reasons are the Story e-bike looks like a bike and its weight is lighter than most of the other e-bikes. Plus the bike has upgraded components, like torque pedal assist, nice LCD display, 20 to 40 mile range, fenders, back rack, and front light which runs from the battery. Since I got the bike my wife (who was scared of e-bikes) tried my e-bike and found it easy to ride which resulted in her purchase of another Story e-bike. It was great for me because now (when it is delivered) we will be able to ride together. That's my Story.

First off, this was a big purchase for me, so I researched a lot of e-bikes for several weeks before deciding on this one, especially since it wasn't a known brand to me (I live in the Pacific NW). There were many things going for it, but the 39# weight, the range per charge & features for the price point, and their mission to donate bikes for kids in Ghana AND train people to fix them when needed were the main things that convinced me to go with them. The other ebikes in the same general price range were 10+ pounds heavier. I am 51, 5' 7", and in decent shape, and really debated between the step thru vs. commuter. I went with step-thru for ease of use and longevity as I age.

I ordered early September 2020 and it arrived early November. We assembled it easily- and even completed it by flashlight because the power went out in the middle of our assembly! haha. Luckily, our weather was good that month and I was able to take several neighborhood rides to get used to riding again and then completed a 30 mile ride with friends. It took prepping for this ride to notice a few things I had not considered (as I have never biked anything other than the neighborhood with any other bikes).

1- My bike rack requires a cross bar mount the bikes. I contacted customer service to see if they sold something, and they recommended a bar from amazon. It works great. However, eventually, I would like to get a different rack that the tires sit in racks, rather than being supported by the crossbar. It's 39# weight means I can get it on/off the rack myself w/ help. Bonus!

2- There are NO water bottle cage screws on the bike!! So I had to take my two water bottles in a backpack that I strapped onto the rack (thank goodness for the rack!), which was pretty inconvenient, as I had to stop anytime I wanted a drink. After that ride, my husband found me a velcro strap on bottle rack- it's not great, because it slides around a bit, but we found mounting it on the vertical part of the frame below the seat works best (it doesn't slide around as much). He also bought an adapter that screws on to my handlebars (I wrapped the bar with electrical tape first to prevent the metal adapter from scratching the bar up). Since then, I have taken several 10-15 mile bike rides now that I have easy access to two water bottles.

3- There isn't a powered rear light, just a reflector. I bought a rechargeable flashing light that hooks to the under seat bag I bought for tools/spare tire). This was important to me because it is those rear strobe lights that really grab my attention when I am driving in a vehicle.

4- The front tires do not have quick releases. However, I had to change my first flat tire last week (I didn't notice until home after the ride) and the wrenches worked well on the nuts. I was able to change the tire easily.

I know that was a lot of information, but I wanted to point those things out for those of you researching and comparing so you don't have to learn the hard way, like I did. However, this bike is advertised to be a cruiser, not a long distance exercise machine. However, it IS doing the job as both for me! I wanted it to work for both a casual Saturday morning ride to the farmer's market but have also found a lot of enjoyment in riding it and the diversity it is providing in my weekly exercise routine!

Overall, I am VERY happy with my purchase. I love how easy it is to switch between using the peddle assist or not. I no only need peddle assist going up our long, steep hills. The seat is comfortable and my toosh has not been sore (I used padded bike shorts). The seat height adjusts easily and although the handlebar grips are for looks and not grip- they have worked great with and w/o gloves. I got the matte black and the tan seat/handles look really classy with it. The back rack is practical and I plan to get a waterproof pannier for it at some point. If you are still here at the end of this novel, I hope it was helpful for you. I suggest you do some comparisons- seeing how much the Storybike offers compared to other ebikes in this price range- this one is a winner for sure (in spite of the few things I overlooked and learned would be beneficial). Enjoy!

Nervous about major cross country purchase without possibility of test ride but glad I took my chances! First of all, I had so many concerns and questions I was pleasantly surprised when one of the actual company founders called me in response to my email chat! We had great conversation and not pushy at all but I was definitely feeling confident enough after the call to place my order. My husband assembled in no time flat and I must admit I was a bit taken aback at the size and weight of the bike, but to be fair it is a commuter bike. And once you get on and ride...well all those concerns disappear! After a quick test ride in the neighborhood we went on a 20 mile ride that weekend for mothers day and my new bike made for a PERFECT day! Looking forward to years of fun and exercise!