GIANT RIDE CONTROL APP HAS LANDED ON PLAYSTORE

Pottsy

Active member
Founding Member
Feb 12, 2018
186
143
Northern Ireland
Hi Rob
Thanks for quick reply. Don't take as a criticism but rather a "user request" to have a Giant Section.

At some point when the forum was started a decision had to be taken to set up the different manufacturers sections before anyone joined, why choose Trek, Commencal, Merida, etc rather than Giant (largest bike manufacturer)? Probably just a gut feeling or your experience of whats out there, nothing wrong with that. Well done to get it up and running i say.

The availability of a dedicated section enhances the user experience, its like looking up a specific chapter in a text book, rather than having to look through the book for mentions of the topic your after. (yes I know there is a search function but its still not the same)

Is there a specific reason for not having a Giant section?

Taking a quote from a famous film "BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME", they just need encouragement;)

Thanks again for very helpful forum
Pottsy (y)
 

MattyB

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Jul 11, 2018
1,266
1,279
Herts, UK
So there are issues with both the Giant Ride Control app and the Specialized Mission Control app.
I guess these apps are not so easy to get right.
I guess we have to accept that none of the bike manufacturers had to do software development til ebikes came along. It’s a very different skill set to developing and manufacturing bikes, so it’s going to take em a while until they are as slick as other products supported by apps. For now it’s probably best to wait 4-6 weeks before upgrading to a new firmware version and let others find the snafus... ??
 

Dodgey_oz

New Member
Oct 18, 2018
6
2
Australia
Hi everyone.

We just recently bought an ex-hire Giant Dirt-E and have been riding it. Love it of course. Yesterday I downloaded the App, connected to the bike via bluetooth, registered an account, checked out all the screens and all seemed well.

Then I changed the Bluetooth name...... Result - The display is on but a rotating set of two lines go round and round without stopping. Can't stop it, can't reset it. I don't have the keys to the battery either as the bike shop forgot to give them to us (trying to get them now). So right now the bike is BRICKED.

In answer to another post - The "new" release of the App has a single change (if you read the note) - stops people upgrading firmware. Well guess what, now there may be another reason to pull this shonky App from the online stores.

I need to contact a local Giant Authorised dealer and watch them scratch their head just like the previous Poster Segla did. I'm going to try and get it replaced regardless as this is unacceptable in every way.. I'll update the forum if people are interested.
 

DaveMatthews

Well-known member
Aug 12, 2018
449
316
Vancouver, B.C. Canada
Oh no!
I've heard that the upgrade can take almost an hour though. How long has it been?
But it's only a name change. Hmmm...
To be clear, it's the display on the bike with the rotating lines, not the app?
 

estoril

Active member
Patreon
Sep 28, 2018
73
72
UK
I called Giant about this and they told me that the app was intended for 2019 models and it wouldn’t work with my 2018 Dirt-e

On a separate note, I went on the EMTB Forums ride on Sunday in the torrential rain, the bike performed faultlessly all day but on Tues night I went to go out for a ride and the control wouldn’t work, it powered up as soon as the battery was inserted but I couldn’t change anything, in fact it engaged walk mode more than once all in its own!

Still the same today so it’s back with the local shop, it’s knocked my confidence to the point that I have bought a secondhand Kenevo.
 

Dodgey_oz

New Member
Oct 18, 2018
6
2
Australia
Oh no!
I've heard that the upgrade can take almost an hour though. How long has it been?
But it's only a name change. Hmmm...
To be clear, it's the display on the bike with the rotating lines, not the app?

G'day Dave

Thanks for requesting clarification - yes. The Charge RideControl screen. These two lines (in the attachment) cycle around and around the large screen numbers that are no longer there.

Bricked_Screen_on_bike.jpeg
 

DaveMatthews

Well-known member
Aug 12, 2018
449
316
Vancouver, B.C. Canada
I called Giant about this and they told me that the app was intended for 2019 models and it wouldn’t work with my 2018 Dirt-e

On a separate note, I went on the EMTB Forums ride on Sunday in the torrential rain, the bike performed faultlessly all day but on Tues night I went to go out for a ride and the control wouldn’t work, it powered up as soon as the battery was inserted but I couldn’t change anything, in fact it engaged walk mode more than once all in its own!

Still the same today so it’s back with the local shop, it’s knocked my confidence to the point that I have bought a secondhand Kenevo.
Can you see condensation or water in the area where the pins meet the battery?
 

Dodgey_oz

New Member
Oct 18, 2018
6
2
Australia
I called Giant about this and they told me that the app was intended for 2019 models and it wouldn’t work with my 2018 Dirt-e

On a separate note, I went on the EMTB Forums ride on Sunday in the torrential rain, the bike performed faultlessly all day but on Tues night I went to go out for a ride and the control wouldn’t work, it powered up as soon as the battery was inserted but I couldn’t change anything, in fact it engaged walk mode more than once all in its own!

Still the same today so it’s back with the local shop, it’s knocked my confidence to the point that I have bought a secondhand Kenevo.

Well this is interesting then because there is NO warning on the App Store, nor the App that tells you to NOT do this with an older bike. These people (Giant) really don't understand the software world at all. If your guy is correct, it's a critical communication failure if it leads to potential bike-bricking and i'd put money on the fact he read it in an internal communique that no-one else has read and therefore no-one else will know. Somehow I think i'll be the one paying here..
 

Pottsy

Active member
Founding Member
Feb 12, 2018
186
143
Northern Ireland
I called Giant about this and they told me that the app was intended for 2019 models and it wouldn’t work with my 2018 Dirt-e

On a separate note, I went on the EMTB Forums ride on Sunday in the torrential rain, the bike performed faultlessly all day but on Tues night I went to go out for a ride and the control wouldn’t work, it powered up as soon as the battery was inserted but I couldn’t change anything, in fact it engaged walk mode more than once all in its own!

Still the same today so it’s back with the local shop, it’s knocked my confidence to the point that I have bought a secondhand Kenevo.

There is a known problem with water getting into both the display an the handle bar switch. The display will show condensation. Water in the switch can result in the bike going into walk mode as you describe. This is what happened to my 2018 SX and a few of my friends. All switches were replaced under warranty. Apparently the replacement switch has a better IP rating. Time will tell.

Get yours replaced under warranty, its a very simple swap, only takes 5 mins.

Pottsy
 

DaveMatthews

Well-known member
Aug 12, 2018
449
316
Vancouver, B.C. Canada
Well this is interesting then because there is NO warning on the App Store, nor the App that tells you to NOT do this with an older bike. These people (Giant) really don't understand the software world at all. If your guy is correct, it's a critical communication failure if it leads to potential bike-bricking and i'd put money on the fact he read it in an internal communique that no-one else has read and therefore no-one else will know. Somehow I think i'll be the one paying here..
That is a disaster if it applies to out of warranty bikes.
 

Pottsy

Active member
Founding Member
Feb 12, 2018
186
143
Northern Ireland
I called Giant about this and they told me that the app was intended for 2019 models and it wouldn’t work with my 2018 Dirt-e

On playstore the app states it works on all Giant ebikes.
It worked perfectly for me first time on my 2018 SX.

I even managed to get it to update the firmware on ride control, motor and bluetooth. Took ages but it worked.
Managed to turn down the assistance levels also which was good for me.
It recorded my rides OK at first but now it is very hit and miss. I would say 1 in 10 of my rides gets saved.

Pottsy
 

DaveMatthews

Well-known member
Aug 12, 2018
449
316
Vancouver, B.C. Canada
On playstore the app states it works on all Giant ebikes.
It worked perfectly for me first time on my 2018 SX.

I even managed to get it to update the firmware on ride control, motor and bluetooth. Took ages but it worked.
Managed to turn down the assistance levels also which was good for me.
It recorded my rides OK at first but now it is very hit and miss. I would say 1 in 10 of my rides gets saved.

Pottsy
Yeah, before they took away the firmware option the upload and share to Strava worked a helluva lot better than it does now.:confused:
 

Dodgey_oz

New Member
Oct 18, 2018
6
2
Australia
G'day Dave

Thanks for requesting clarification - yes. The Charge RideControl screen. These two lines (in the attachment) cycle around and around the large screen numbers that are no longer there.

View attachment 6452
A follow up to this story. Apparently the cycling lines on the screen are what you see WHEN you do a firmware update via the dongle. My bike shop confirmed this. Also, they asked Giant about the model specificity for the App and the response was "there should be no issue with older bikes" . So now we have two competing versions of the story as I suspected. It's possible that by putting the dongle into the system to do a firmware update we could possibly trick the system into resetting normally. I just need to find a shop that can do that.
 

Dodgey_oz

New Member
Oct 18, 2018
6
2
Australia
Yeah, before they took away the firmware option the upload and share to Strava worked a helluva lot better than it does now.:confused:
On playstore the app states it works on all Giant ebikes.
It worked perfectly for me first time on my 2018 SX.

I even managed to get it to update the firmware on ride control, motor and bluetooth. Took ages but it worked.
Managed to turn down the assistance levels also which was good for me.
It recorded my rides OK at first but now it is very hit and miss. I would say 1 in 10 of my rides gets saved.

Pottsy

I went back to the site(s) to check. One thing I missed was the following statement on BOTH the Apple Store and the GooglePlay store - "The Giant E-bike app is compatible with all our 2019 Giant E-bikes." When you expand the description it's under there (when looking at in on your phone you don't see it).

By not saying "this won't work on older bikes and don't try" we end up with these potentially damaging situations.
 

Pottsy

Active member
Founding Member
Feb 12, 2018
186
143
Northern Ireland
The Giant E-bike app is compatible with all our 2019 Giant E-bikes."

They have recently changed that description to include the 2019 reference. Before it just stated all ebikes.

It doesn't actually say it doesn't work with earlier bikes.

As I said it works with my 2018.

I think they are covering their arses because app was flawed on first release.

Hopefully they will fix soon. It looks very promising.
 

DaveMatthews

Well-known member
Aug 12, 2018
449
316
Vancouver, B.C. Canada
The Giant E-bike app is compatible with all our 2019 Giant E-bikes."

They have recently changed that description to include the 2019 reference. Before it just stated all ebikes.

It doesn't actually say it doesn't work with earlier bikes.

As I said it works with my 2018.

I think they are covering their arses because app was flawed on first release.

Hopefully they will fix soon. It looks very promising.
Yes, I think I'd use it exclusively if it got updated.
Cadence
Battery percentage
Speed graph
Wattage
Kcal
Etc...
Upload to Strava
 

Dodgey_oz

New Member
Oct 18, 2018
6
2
Australia
The Giant E-bike app is compatible with all our 2019 Giant E-bikes."

They have recently changed that description to include the 2019 reference. Before it just stated all ebikes.

It doesn't actually say it doesn't work with earlier bikes.

As I said it works with my 2018.

I think they are covering their arses because app was flawed on first release.

Hopefully they will fix soon. It looks very promising.

I have an update.... we got our key in the mail, removed the battery the bike reset itself back to normal. Dodged a bullet! Shame about the App, we were looking forward to the potential of it for future rides but wouldn't touch it with a barge pole now.

Lesson learned..
 

DaveMatthews

Well-known member
Aug 12, 2018
449
316
Vancouver, B.C. Canada
I have an update.... we got our key in the mail, removed the battery the bike reset itself back to normal. Dodged a bullet! Shame about the App, we were looking forward to the potential of it for future rides but wouldn't touch it with a barge pole now.

Lesson learned..
Awesome! Glad you're back up and running.
With any luck we'll see a more mature app with more bikes included.
 

EMTB Forums

Since 2018

The World's largest electric mountain bike community.

518K
Messages
25,442
Members
Join Our Community

Latest articles


Top