Been doing the Downtown Brooklyn to LES run after work on a Citi Bike e-bike. The climb up the Manhattan Bridge from the Brooklyn side is fine until that last little pitch right before you pop out by the tower, maybe the final 150-200 feet after the blind curve? I've got five or six bars still showing, but the assist feels like it checks out exactly when I need it. I'm grinding a 80 lb bike up the ramp. Is that a speed governor, cadence sensor, motor heat, or am I just gassed? Regular acoustic bike actually feels less awful there because it's lighter.

I know the exact spot. It's not the battery, it's how the assist ramps down as you slow under load. Citi Bike e-bikes are single speed, so when you come out of that curve too slow, you're stuck in the wrong cadence and the motor sort of loses interest. I've learned to hit the bottom of the ramp at a decent clip and keep a steady spin instead of mashing. The last bit still sucks, but it's rideable if the wind isn't howling.

Ooh, this is my pet issue! It's not thermal — it's the cadence sensor! The e-bike controller looks for pedal rotation, and if you slow your cadence too much on the steep part, the assist pulses or backs way off. People think it's dead, but if you deliberately spin lighter/faster instead of grinding, it keeps delivering. Have you tried doing little 1-2 second soft-pedal bursts to wake it up? Also the white e-bikes are heavier than the old ones, so the penalty for losing momentum is huge. I've made a game of catching the assist before it drops.

Makes sense. I definitely mash up that part, head down, slow cadence. I'll try spinning more tomorrow. My display flickers a bit right at that turn, so the sensor explanation tracks. Also noticed if I'm behind someone going slow, the climb is ten times worse because I can't keep any rhythm.

Yep, the blind curve behind a tourist on a gray Citi Bike is a special kind of pain. You're either track standing or taking the inside line through sand. One thing: the Manhattan side climb isn't as bad? I feel like I'm over the hump faster. The Brooklyn side just drags after the underpass. If you can come up Sands St instead of the direct ramp, you get a little more run-up, but you still hit the same last wall.

Yes! Underpass momentum trap! Have you tried standing for just five or six hard pedal strokes before the turn, then sitting and spinning once the bike straightens out? I used to stand the whole way and the assist would just stop helping. Also, check the rear tire before you unlock! A soft rear tire on an e-bike makes that climb feel like you're towing a shopping cart. I've rejected two bikes at York St in one afternoon because the rear was squishy.

Tried the standing burst + spin trick this morning. World of difference. It still felt like the bike wanted to tap out around 15-something, but it never fully noped out. I think the key was keeping my cadence up right after the turn. Also found a dock with a newer-looking e-bike, rear tire was actually firm. Felt less like a wheeled piano.

Nice. The tire thing is real. I grabbed one at Borough Hall that had maybe 20 psi in the rear and the bike felt like the brake was dragging for the first mile. There's a weird batch of ebikes that display full-ish but only give half assist on climbs too. I don't know if that's a software update or the battery health, but if the display has a little wrench icon, just redock and grab another. Not worth the bridge.

This thread is validating! I thought I was imagining the half-assist batch. There's definitely a firmware difference between some of the white e-bikes and the newer gray ones! The gray ones I've ridden keep assist through the climb noticeably better. Have you tried docking at stations that usually get the newer gray bikes? I just eyeball for them now. Also if the bell is broken or the seat won't stay up, just redock. Bridge climbs sort the good bikes from the junk fast.