Some links may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these.

Richard Peace

Ebike News: Scott’s Integrated eMTB, Vaast Urban Adventure, UK’s Evari and Much More

Three new e-bikes this week and all feature Bosch mid-drives. With high end mid-drives now giving pretty similar and very impressive performance the question for the manufacturers must increasingly be how they differentiate themselves from others.

Integration and connectivity are two areas based on the evidence of this week’s new e-bike releases – Scott have produced one of the most integrated looking e-bikes to date whilst Vaast have opted for a Unique suspension system and Evari stress hidden (or very well integrated) display and connectivity tech, with as many elements as possible hidden in a carbon monocoque frame.

In this week’s news:

Scott’s integrated Patron eRide eMTB
Vaast go Urban Adventure
Carbon-framed Evari from the UK
Bafang mid-drives
Magnet speed hack from New Zealand’s NLS
San Francisco Transit First Analyzed

Ebike News: Bosch 2022 ‘Smart’ System and New Mid-drives from Yamaha, Fazua and Others

It’s Eurobike right now – Europe’s biggest bike trade show – so new announcements on e-bikes come thick and fast. Some are more predictable than others; bigger batteries and more powerful mid-drives from the likes of Bosch and Yamaha may be welcome developments for some but they are hardly massive surprises.

The more exciting changes these days seem to be at the lightweight end of the market with lightweight yet powerful mid-drives announced by Fazua and the little known Maxon – to give just two examples. Of course, only time will tell which systems will endure and which will be less popular or even fade away (see the mention of the Mando Footloose below….) – but Eurobike remains a great showcase for all the new developments and an exciting time for e-bike tech watchers, whichever tech goes on to succeed.

In this week’s news:

Bosch 2022 Smart System
All new Yamaha PW-X3 mid-drive launches
Lighweight Maxon mid-drive
Fazua’s new removable mid-drives
Schaeffler’s Free Drive that needs no chain or belt
New Gen4 Lime e-scooters launch in New York City
E-bike charging stations set to grow says report

Ebike News: Bird Bike On Sale, Tenways Lightweight Crowdfunds, Eurobike Highlights and Much More!

This week’s headline news has to be Bird’s new e-bike now on sale to the public. It’s not a groundbreaking e-bike in itself, though it looks to pack in plenty of sleek design features at a reasonable price. Most comment-worthy has to be the fact this is a giant of e-micromobility hire now selling its own-designed e-bike.

Bird was founded in Santa Monica, California in 2017 and went on to become one of the biggest share e-scooter outfits in the world. Initially their business model was all about the software and the app, as many companies’ early cheap and cheerful share e-scooters had a notoriously short service life. But the hardware was gradually updated by many e-mobility companies, with share e-bikes and e-scooters becoming much more durable. Bird’s latest move seems to suggest their hardware capabilities have fully caught up with their software expertise.

In this week’s news:

Bird Bike on sale in US and heading to Europe
Lightweight Tenways city e-bike crowdfunds
Eurobike reveals latest e-bike designs
Spin and Bird on Google Maps
39lb Eovolt e-folder takes on 17lb carbon racer
DPD all-electric city aims to show the way on parcel delivery

Ebike News: Motorbike Inspired E-bikes from Ruff & Super 73, Peyman CVT, MacAskill Endorses E-bikes & Lots More!

This week we have a truly mixed bag of news, which shows how wide-ranging the world of e-bikes can be. Motorbike-inspired e-bikes have come to the forefront with two very different designs from Ruff and Super 73 / Mattel. There’s also a novel new bike transmission system from Peyman, a team up between e-scooters and an e-bike microvan and an example of mind-boggling e-mtb ability from Danny MacAskill.

In this week’s news:

Ruff e-bike produce their first Bosch mid-drive powered e-bike
Mattel and Super 73 team up for a limited edition
Intriguing Peyman CVT design
Specialized’s new battery recycling partnership
Spin e-scooters use EAV 2Cubed four-wheeled e-bike for logistics
Arlington’s life-saving bike lanes
Huge new e-cargo showroom in London
Danny MacAskill rides Torridon e-mtb style

Guide to E-Bike Conversion Kits

E-bike conversion kits are a solution that allow you to add a motor, battery and electric controls to a non-electric bike to make it into an e-bike. Chosen with care and installed correctly, the resulting e-bike lets you ride with electric assist just like a ‘regular’ e-bike. With the range of readymade e-bike designs larger than ever, kits have some competition from off-the-peg, ready to pedal e-bikes. However, they still offer positive advantages as well as some drawbacks which are considered first-off.

E-Bike Conversion Kit Pros

You Like Your Current Bike: You might want a bit of power assistance on a cherished non-electric machine that fits you like a glove.

Unique Bikes: The type of bikes you prefer may not be available in electric versions (folders and recumbents are cases in point, though more are appearing on the market, especially e-folders). Electric bike conversion kits can be useful at the ends of the power envelope less catered for by off the peg e-bikes, that is to say moderately powered but very ‘bikelike’ machines or at the other end of the scale, power hungry beasts.

Swapping: E-bike conversion kits can be swapped between bikes, giving the option of trying electric-assist on several different machines. Similarly, if the kit is a very easy to remove front hub wheel kit (for example as is the case with Leeds, Cytronex,Swytch etc.), you can use your bike unassisted at any time by simply swapping the wheel back to the original and leaving the battery off (the bike then weighs just a few hundred grams more than before). With such systems you can also choose at any time to electrify more than one bike and fully utilize your battery, just by swapping it between bikes.

Greener: If you already have a bike you want to make electric, e-bike conversion kits are generally a ‘greener’ option than a brand new e-bike, for the obvious reason they don’t need another brand new bike to be manufactured to replace the one you have bought!

Tinker or Do Something Totally Different: Those who love fiddling with bikes may be intrigued by the endless permutations of motor kits and bikes – the performance of a kit will be affected by the bike it is fitted to. Hub motors are usually geared for a specific wheel size to ensure they stay within the speed limit set for electric bikes in the territory in which they are sold. However, to take one example of how you can play with the design characteristics of motors and bikes, if you fit a hub geared for a larger wheel into a smaller one it will give excellent pulling power at low speeds, producing an excellent hill-climber or load-hauler.
You even have the chance to design an e-bike radically different to anything any mainstream manufacturer offers. To give one example, Canada’s Grin Technologies have a range of solar panels and associated devices that allow for solar charging of your e-bike conversion kits bike as you ride along.

Great Value: E-bike conversion kits can be great value for money. If you have a ‘recipient’ bike languishing in the shed or have picked up a decent quality steed at a good price, it can be converted quite cheaply when compared to the cost of a new e-bike of similar quality. Do note the Fitter’s Responsibilities section below about the quality of the recipient bike you might want to fit a kit to.

Lightweight: Kits also make it possible to put together an incredibly lightweight electric bike – a total weight of 22 pounds or 10kg is actually possible, and if money really is no object even lighter! There are an increasing number of off-the-peg lightweight e-bikes available now however, though these are generally mid to high priced e-bikes, so e-bike conversion kits can still be an economic way to a lightweight e-bike. E-bike conversion kits that add a little over 3kg to the weight of a non electric bike are now widely available and there are even lighter options out there, though these tend to be rather light on the amount of power assist you get.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Kits containing illegal motors and control units are in the market, and many people are using them on the road, either innocently or otherwise. A fast and/or powerful kit can be a lot of fun, but bear in mind that once you exceed the parameters set in the regulations, you are on your own. In most territories, your bicycle will be treated as a moped in the eyes of the law, and subject to the much more stringent penalties that come with motorcycle use. If you are found responsible for injuring someone, you will be in very serious trouble. The electric bike legislation is a safety net for your protection, and you leave it at your own risk.

E-Bike Conversion Kit Cons

May Be Complicated: Some e-bike conversion kits are easier to fit than others, but most require at least basic bike DIY skills. However, the simplest, such as the Leeds system and the rather more sophisticated Cytronex system really only require you to install a wheel, mount the battery on your bike and attach a basic cable run, so don’t really require any specialist bike knowledge. Even then you might need to do some unexpected mods in supposedly ‘universal’ fit systems, for example filing out fork dropouts that are a little too narrow.
All-In-One Wheels like the Zehus and Smart Wheel can offer an easy install option, though they have their performance limitations.

Somewhat Limited: If you want a mid-drive system your choice is very limited and they are more difficult to fit than most hub motor systems.

Aesthetics: Often kits will not look as neat as off-the-peg electric bikes. External cable runs secured with cable ties are the order of the day, whilst most complete electric bikes nowadays come with cables hidden within the frame.
Having said that, the smallest and neatest e-bike conversion kits out there do integrate very well onto the bike and it may be hard to tell it’s an e-bike.

May Not Fit: Not all e-bike conversion kits will fit all bikes. Attention needs to be paid to getting the correct speed of motor for your size of wheel (although most hub motors come ready spoked into the correct size of wheel) and finding a suitable battery mounting point amongst many other factors. Front hub motor e-bike conversion kits are generally easier to fit than rear hub e-bike conversion kits simply because they don’t involve interfering with the gear system. Some e-bike conversion kits must be fitted by a qualified fitter whilst with others it is only recommended unless you are a very competent bike mechanic.

Quality: As with complete electric bikes, quality varies from kit to kit: Heinzmann for example stand out in this regard because of its high quality connectors and cabling, giving you the confidence to produce smooth tight cable runs, minimising the kit’s visual impact.

Ebike News: Juiced go Step-Through, More Euro-lightweights, Serial 1 Head to Europe and Lots More!

In last week’s news intro I touched on how e-bikes in Europe tend to be lighter and pricier than in the US. So what happens? The very next week arrive two European spec e-bikes that are both lightweight and around the extremely competitive price point of £1000 ($1385). That’s great to see, so congratulations to both both Pure Electric and Velotton on their light and attractively-priced e-bikes.Meanwhile in the US the march of the powerful hub-motored, big-batteried e-bikes continues, this week with the launch of Juiced’s Class 3 Cross Current X Step-Through.

In this week’s news:

Juiced’s new step-through is sub $2,000
Pure Electric’s first e-bike
Polish firm Velotton announce new lightweight ebikes
Serial 1 e-bikes now in Europe through Harley-Davidson
EBFEC budget e-bikes for the UK
3D printed e-gravel bike from Urwahn
Checkout the latest kids seat – now compatible with some e-mtbs
Tern’s $45,000 Give Back grants

Ebike News: Giant’s New Motor and E-MTB, Bafang 2-speed Hub, New Cube E-folder & Lots More!

Giant Reign E 2022 E MOUNTAINBIKE News Review

Mid-drives are the dominant motors at the higher quality end of the European e-bike market and perhaps a little less so in the US and Canada where large batteries and instant motor response coupled with lower price tags are perhaps more important than keeping weight low and having an efficient e-bike, whatever the price tag (though the likes of Trek and Specialized might disagree with this analysis).

The fact remains though, in the US ‘regular’ e-bikes weighing over the 30kg / 68lb mark are not uncommon but in Europe and the UK e-bikes weighing this much would be assumed to be e-cargo bikes.

So it’s interesting to see how the latest motor developments from the likes of Giant and Bafang (both Chinese-based firms) could feed into the above trends. Giant have kept faith with their own modified version of a Yamaha mid-motor solution, but emphasising ever more power and performance rather than weight reduction. If the Bafang 2-speed rear hub motor proves practical to use and cost effective then it could prove to be the real market disruptor; in theory at least it offers as-good-as or greater motor efficiency and potentially at less cost than mid-drives. Will the likes of Bosch et al pay the price in the coming years for not developing lighter, leaner systems and relying on evermore power and bigger batteries to keep them at the head of the pack?

In this week’s news:

Giant’s new powerhouse motor gets its first airing
Bafang announce new 2-speed rear hub motor
Cube’s new e-folder
FLIT hint at new bike
More cash for UK infrastructure
Get jealous as you watch how the Dutch cycle
Recumbent Cycle-Con Postponed

Ebike News: Senate Set to Look at E-bike Tax Credits, More E-cargobikes from Raleigh, Greyp High Tech and Lots More!

Government efforts to promote the sales of e-bikes through financial incentives take various guises; in France you can trade in your old car for €2,500 towards a new e-bike whilst in the UK the Cycle to Work program is a tax incentive that gives a tax rebate to employees using the purchased bike or e-bike to cycle to work. There are many more examples from around the world, including some that specifically promote financial incentives for e-cargo bikes.

Whilst these are all very welcome, they are all aimed at promoting e-bike sale to solve a particular problem and so will only be available to a certain segment of the population; those with old cars or those in employment cycling to work etc. But the proposed US E-BIKE Act we look at again this week could just be one of the most wide-ranging government incentive initiatives – if it comes to pass – as it will apply to all US taxpayers. If it does succeed it will be a massive boost for the cause of e-bikes in the US.

In this week’s news:

30% e-bike tax credit Senate bill introduced
Raleigh UK launches two new e-bikes
Greyp T5 e-SUV – the ultimate high-tech trekking e-bike?
Bamboo e-cargo prototype from My Boo
Trek sustainability report and trail funding
Superpedestrian claims radical new pavement safety tech
E-bike four-wheeler firms in trouble

Eskute Voyager Review, 2021

Eskute Voyager Review: Summary

The Eskute Voyager is the companion bike to the Wayfarer – which EBR has also reviewed – but is a trail e-mtb, unlike the Wayfarer which is a city e-bike.

So whilst it doesn’t have the pannier rack or rear light of the Wayfarer it gets a bigger capacity battery to go with the same, dependable Bafang rear hub motor and it also has lockout front suspension (which the Wayfarer lacks) and grippy-looking Kenda 27.5 x 2.1 inch knobbly tires. It also has the same very attractive £999 price tag.

And like the Wayfarer, the spec is of course budget as it packs the same Zoom cable operated disc brakes and the same 7-speed Shimano Tourney derailleur gearing.

In our experience reviewing e-bikes, budget off-road e-bikes are perhaps a more difficult feat to pull off but Eskute look to have made a good start on paper by using a larger capacity battery for those energy-sapping trails and also using a 48V electric drive system, with the potential for more ‘on tap’ power delivery in contrast to the 36V Wayfarer, all of which makes sense.

But how would it measure up to taking on my local trails?

Eskute Wayfarer Review, 2021

Eskute Wayfarer Review: Overview

The Eskute Wayfarer from the UK is a fully equipped town bike with a frame-integrated battery and a great price of £999.

There aren’t too many e-bikes of any description at this price that we’ve reviewed, let alone ones like the Wayfarer which come with hard-wired lights, sturdy pannier rack, full mudguards, front suspension and electronic horn.

It’s clearly designed to be easy to use and comfortable, with low-step frame, plush saddle and adjustable handlebar stem.

The spec is of course budget and you wouldn’t expect anything else at this price, but features well-respected names from the Bafang rear hub motor to the Shimano derailleur gearing.

On paper it looks superb value but how would it measure up to our real world testing?

Sponsor

Ebike News: Scott’s Integrated eMTB, Vaast Urban Adventure, UK’s Evari and Much More

Ebike News: Bosch 2022 ‘Smart’ System and New Mid-drives from Yamaha, Fazua and Others

Ebike News: Bird Bike On Sale, Tenways Lightweight Crowdfunds, Eurobike Highlights and Much More!

Ebike News: Motorbike Inspired E-bikes from Ruff & Super 73, Peyman CVT, MacAskill Endorses E-bikes & Lots More!

Guide to E-Bike Conversion Kits

E-Bike Conversion Kit Pros

E-Bike Conversion Kit Cons

Ebike News: Juiced go Step-Through, More Euro-lightweights, Serial 1 Head to Europe and Lots More!

Ebike News: Giant’s New Motor and E-MTB, Bafang 2-speed Hub, New Cube E-folder & Lots More!

Ebike News: Senate Set to Look at E-bike Tax Credits, More E-cargobikes from Raleigh, Greyp High Tech and Lots More!

Eskute Voyager Review, 2021

Eskute Voyager Review: Summary

Eskute Wayfarer Review, 2021

Eskute Wayfarer Review: Overview

About

Guides

Top Posts

Categories

Richard Peace

E-Bike Conversion Kit Pros

E-Bike Conversion Kit Cons

Eskute Voyager Review: Summary

Eskute Wayfarer Review: Overview

Don’t be a stranger, stay connected

Subscribe to our newsletter

About

Guides

Top Posts

Categories