Trek’s Hub Motor Electric Bike with a Torque Sensor

The Trek Dual Sport+ 2 Stagger is Trek’s first electric bike with a hub drive motor and torque sensor. This is a lightweight electric bike looking towards the entry level rider. The Dual Sport+ 2 is built out with a nice component spec and ready to ride home, right out of a Trek store.

The Lab

The Trek Dual Sport+ 2 Stagger is a class 1 electric bike with pedal assist up to 20mph. It has a 250 watt hour battery internally mounted in the frame. This powers the 250 watt hour rear hub motor that has 40nm of torque. There is a torque sensor to activate the motor. A torque sensor measures how hard the rider is pedaling to determine how much electric power to push to the bike. The harder you pedal, the more power it gives to the motor.

It has a Shimano 9 speed drive train and uses Hydraulic disc brakes with 160mm rotors for strong and effective stopping power. The controller is a simple three button layout with LED indicators to tell you what mode you are in. There are three pedal assist modes you can choose from which can be custom tuned by a Trek Dealer. There is an integrated headlight and tail light that turn on with the bike. The wheels are 27.5” wheels with 2” tires mounted on them and there are mounting points for a rear rack as well.

The size medium weighs 38.1 pounds and has up to 35 miles of range. You also have the option to use an 250Wh range extender you can purchase separately. This step through model of the Dual Sport plus 2 costs $2,399.

Quick Specs

  • 250w Motor

  • 250Wh Battery

  • Class 1

  • 9 Speed Shimano

  • 27.5″ Wheels

  • $2399

Advantages

There are a lot of things we liked about the Trek Dual Sport+ 2 Stagger. When we first picked it up and loaded it into the car we noticed that it was light in weight. Coming in under 40lbs it made loading it into the car nice and easy.

The Dual Sport+ 1 also has a sleek look with the battery integrated seamlessly into the frame. It looks like an analog bike at first glance, you don’t see any of the rear hub motor since it is hidden behind the large rear cassette. The motor is also nearly silent, when pedaling in the lowest settings you hear no motor noise, and barely any in the highest setting. The 9 speed Shimano drive train pairs well for this bike, giving you a good range of gears throughout the 9 speeds.

The torque sensor which activates the motor assist on this bike is very smooth and gives a very natural bike ride feel to it. Having the torque sensor, that measures the pressure you are applying to each pedal stroke, versus a cadence sensor, which just senses pedal movement, makes this feel a lot more like an analog bike would feel just with some extra boost. The harder you pedal, the more assist you get, so you get a nice workout as well.

The wheel and tire spec make this comfortable on rough roads and can handle a gravel road or trail with ease. The Stagger edition is also very convenient when having to get on or off the bike as well as at stops, There is still a cross bar which helps with the stiffness of the bike, but it does not get in the way when stepping forward.

Having a support system from a brand like Trek that has many physical shops is also very beneficial. We had an issue with the lights when we first got it so we called a Trek shop in the area and they told us to bring the bike in and they were able to troubleshoot the problem and get it taken care of right away. Having in person help with from a shop makes a big difference in the overall experience of owning a bike. The shop can also custom tune your pedal assist levels to your liking, they mentioned many people turn down their first pedal assist for maximum range, 2 for normal cruising and then turn up pedal assist 3 for maximum hill climbing power.

Disadvantages

There are just a few things on the Dual Spot +  2 stagger plus that we would have liked to see on it. . One of the things is that it does not have a display screen to show you speed/battery percentage/range. There is a thumb controller with LED lights to indicate battery levels and pedal assist mode, but it is nice to be able to see your speed/range on an actual screen. 

It’s nice that there is an option for a range extender to double the battery capacity, but this will take up the water bottle cage mount and then you will not have a place to mount a water bottle. It would be nice to have a place for a bottle if you are doubling the distance you can pedal. It does not come with fenders so you will have to get some aftermarket ones if you live in a wetter climate.

 

Final Thoughts

The Trek dual sport + 2 is great for someone who is looking to get a nicely priced electric bike for their commute to work,or just leisurely rides around town. Add a rear rack to it and it would be a great grocery getter. Adding the torque sensor to this rear hub motor bike keeps the price point down compared to a mid drive electric bike and gives it a really nice natural pedal assist feel and you’ll get a bit of a work out doing so.

Having a network of dealers to get this bike from is also very beneficial. The bike will be built by them and you can go to the shop if you have any trouble shooting. This isn’t the fastest class one bike and there is no throttle, so if that is what you are looking for then this bike may not be for you.

Price: $2399
Sizes: Small, Medium, Large
Weight: 38.1lbs
Website: Trekbikes.com