Meet Josh Dunlap, City Ground’s head mechanic and E-Bike shredder. Josh has been commuting to work on his Crew Dart for a couple years and has racked up over 3,000 miles putting it through its paces. We sat down to learn more about his experience with the Crew Dart and how it has held up the rigors of daily commuting.

  Why did you decide on the Crew Dart?

When I first started at City Grounds, one of the warehouse guys used to ride the ‘shop-bike’ and it was this super sweet, chrome E-bike (first electric bike I had ever seen in person) that just took off out of the parking lot and it looked like so much fun. I asked what kind of bike it was and he told me it was the Crew Dart so I started doing some research into it and realized it would make an excellent commuter vehicle as I lived less than five miles from the warehouse. I was not disappointed.

How far is your daily commute? What has your experience been like commuting on the Dart?

The exact mileage is 4.35 miles each way and it takes about 15-20 minutes. If I drive it takes about 12-15 so I’m not even losing much time out of my day by riding. My experience commuting is similar to that of people who commute on “acoustic bikes”. Flats are annoying, breaking in a saddle can be a literal pain when you ride daily, and rain is the worst without proper prepping. In my view however, not having to pay for gas is a huge positive that outweighs any annoyance I can think of. Overall, it’s been a blast and I’ve gotten the chance to explore new parts of my city without having to worry about wasting gas on alternate routes.

What accessories have you added or what have you customized?

The very first thing I did was install hydraulic brakes on it. I prefer hydraulic brakes on e-bikes for their stopping power. Cable stretch is a problem with mechanical brakes, and it can happen faster due to the high speed e-bikes travel at. The next thing I did was buy a padded seat cover. The stock seat is amazing and very comfortable on leisurely rides. Riding every day, however, will take its toll on you after a while. I also swapped out the grips for some Haro Gripoffs, the pedals for some TAG T3’s, and the chain to a black Cult 510 for aesthetic. I have my phone mount and a sweet bluetooth speaker for when I feel like blasting some tunes on my rides. For safety I also got a side mirror so cars can’t sneak up on me. The next upgrade I’m looking at is to get a Dart V2 motor installed for better torque and higher speed.

How has maintenance been? Have you had to replace any parts?

Overall, maintenance has been fairly light. The only things that I have had to replace so far are tubes and a tire or two. Eventually, I broke down and bought some tire guards. I’ve still gotten flats since, but they don’t happen as frequently anymore. There was also the time I sheared a curb with my pedal and ruined my crankarm’s pedal threads. All told though, it’s been a simple bike to own and maintain.

What are your favorite aspects of the Dart?

I really like the geometry and form factor. I wasn’t expecting a bike to have so many options in the on-board-computer menu and it is decently customizable. I’ve been running the bike in Power mode for the entirety of its life, and it gets up to top speed within a few seconds. My favorite aspect of the Dart, however, is not having to spend money on gas to commute. Three thousand miles is not cheap with todays gas prices.

Is there anything you would change about the bike?

For the most part the Dart is perfect right out of the box. The only thing I wish was different is the mechanical disc brakes. Hydraulic is just better on e-bikes for reasons both practical and safety related. Other than that, I don’t think I’d change a thing.