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Sam Gross

Product Reviewer, Content Writer

Sam likes bikes a lot. Probably too much. After a childhood spent racing bikes and learning to work on them in his hometown bike shop, Sam spent his college years skipping classes to chase his dream as an elite mountain bike racer. Injury and a lack of talent sent him back to school and into a career as a journalist, where he covered wildfires, public safety and environmental policy for a major U.S. newspaper chain before working at electricbikereport.com. Sam likes to get lost on his mountain bike in the deserts of the southwest and harass his two cats. He’s a new convert to the e-bike family but firmly believes they will change the world for the better.

Get to Know Sam Gross

Certifications

  • B.A. Communication and Media Studies

Favorite Style of E-Bike

eMTB, Gravel, Road

Favorite E-Bikes Reviewed

Specialized Turbo Vado, BULLS Alpine Hawk EVO

Current Bikes You Ride/Own

VENON EVO-GR FORCE AXS

Hobbies

MTB Races, cat videos

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

Sam Gross

iGo Core-Edge Electric Bike Review – 2024

iGo Core-Edge E-Bike Review 2024

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say there are hundreds of makes, models and styles of affordable e-bikes to choose from on the market today. But for all those types of e-bikes, very few among them are built with off-road use in mind.

And when I say “off-road use,” I mean real off-road use. There’s generally good reason for this void in the affordable e-bike market — the parts, engineering and bicycle know-how it requires to build a bike durable and capable enough to regularly tackle anything more than a dirt shoulder aren’t cheap.

But nonetheless, some companies are figuring out how to make it work without busting the piggy bank.

This iGO Core-Edge review takes a look at one such e-bike that’s struck a balance between affordable cost and off-road capability.

With an MSRP nestled nicely under $2,400 and component choices that better fit the bill for off-road use, the iGO Core-Edge is designed to be a durable choice for fire road and dirt trail riding, but stops short of the definition of a full-blown eMTB.

*iGO has shared an exclusive discount code with the Electric Bike Report audience. Use code: GOELECTRIC100 at checkout for $100 off your e-bike purchase.

[Read more…] about iGo Core-Edge Electric Bike Review – 2024

QuietKat Jeep Electric Bike Review – 2024

Quiet Kat Jeep Review

What do you get when you take the off-roading ethos of the Jeep brand, a full suspension all-mountain chassis and top it off with a souped-up 1,000W mid-drive motor? You get the QuietKat Jeep.

In this QuietKat Jeep review, we take a deep dive into the bike’s climbing ability, battery life, off-road performance and more to get the low-down on what makes this all-terrain electric fat bike special.

With a very capable full suspension design and one of the most powerful e-bike motors on the market, the Jeep is designed to tackle backcountry roads and rugged 4×4 tracks with ease. It comes with a stout suspension system, good brakes, a crisp shifting groupset and a host of other features that make it uniquely capable in environments far too punishing for your average e-bike.

Keep reading to see how this e-bike stacks up against the rest.

Editor’s note: QuietKat is not currently selling their Jeep model. Instead, we’d recommend that you check out their Apex Pro e-bike.

[Read more…] about QuietKat Jeep Electric Bike Review – 2024

Euphree City Robin Electric Bike Review – 2024

Euphree City Robin E-Bike Review 2024
Did you know there’s a newer version of this bike? Check out our Euphree City Robin X + reveiew here.

With Class 3 speed, a step-through frame and a host of new features for this model year, the 2022 version of the Euphree City Robin is a remarkably comfortable and quick electric commuter bike.

In this Euphree City Robin review, we test the new iteration of Euphree’s flagship commuter in the real world — getting a feel for how it performs on hills, how long the battery will last and how the bike rides.

Built around a Class 3 500W motor and 672Wh battery, the City Robin is no slouch when it comes to power. But with its step-through design and upright riding position, that power is paired with very comfortable and predictable handling that’s approachable for all levels of rider.

Though some companies choose to entirely revamp a bike for new model years, Euphree took a lighter touch with their 2022 City Robin. A number of small changes for this year have had a big impact on how the bike feels.

[Read more…] about Euphree City Robin Electric Bike Review – 2024

Ride1UP Roadster V2 Electric Bike Review – 2024

Ride1UP Roadster V2 Review 2024

Summary Review: Ride1UP Roadster V2

*Looking for the review of the new Ride1Up Roadster V3? Click here.

When Ride1UP sent us their Roadster V2 electric commuter bike for review and we pulled it out of the box for the first time, I was hit with a healthy dose of nostalgia.

It’s clean lines, urban styling and refreshing simplicity for an e-bike made me spend the rest of the day thinking about a bike I used to spend a lot of time on.

In college I rode a steel frame fixed-gear commuter bike to and from campus every day. It was silver with black wheels and a funky “Metropolis” handlebar from FSA and a leather Brooks saddle. It was the paramount of cool campus bikes, and I rode the wheels off it. It ferried me daily on an eight-mile round trip to campus, shepherded me safely home from more than a few nights at my favorite watering hole and was quick enough to claim victory at a small handful of local alleycat races.

I loved that bike. In fact, I loved it so much I’ve never been able to part with it. That steel commuter still lives in my garage today; its heavily stickered frame covered in a layer of dust (almost) thicker than my nostalgia.

The Ride1UP Roadster reminds me so, so much of that bike.

Ride1UP’s Roadster clearly takes its style cues from the same fixed-gear and urban commuting culture I sank my teeth into in college. The wheelbase is short and snappy and the bars narrow, perfect for darting through congested areas. It’s also hard not to stare at the monster 64-tooth front sprocket that turns a belt drive instead of a traditional chain — a 20-tooth cog at the rear wheel makes that gear manageable for the average commuter (when the motor is on), but it just looks fast when the e-bike rolls by. The frame is racy, and the geometry more closely matches that of a road bike than a commuter.

Our testers at Electric Bike Report agreed this is a bike rider’s e-bike, perfect for someone in an urban environment that needs a great looking e-bike to cover a relatively short distance fast. The modest 350W motor packed a nice punch and easily propelled larger testers to a good cruising speed; it even flattened hills surprisingly well considering you’ve only got one gear. This e-bike is extremely affordable at $1,095 and is a good value for the money. It’s also lightweight, and has an exceptionally well performing bottom bracket cadence sensor for a value-priced bike.

Overall, it’s a great buy for someone in the market for a value-priced, stealthy commuter e-bike with enough juice to whisk them around town for a day. In EBR’s opinion, the Roadster is an homage to the stylish fixed-gear commuter and messenger bikes made popular on the streets of Chicago, New York and L.A. The modest 350W hub motor has a surprisingly strong kick and the bike’s geometry favors a person unafraid of riding in a more aggressive body position.

[Read more…] about Ride1UP Roadster V2 Electric Bike Review – 2024

BULLS Grinder EVO Lite Review 2024

Bulls Grinder Evo Lite Electric Gravel Bike Review

BULLS Grinder Evo Lite Review: Overview

I love electric bikes that make me forget they’re electric bikes.

It’s not that I’m one of those cyclists who dislikes e-bikes or even remotely thinks they are cheating, but I am a person that identifies as a “cyclist.” I’m a bona fide, lycra-wearing endorphin addict who not just appreciates, but craves the feeling of physically taxing myself on a bike.

I’m also the type who’s grown to appreciate the help of an e-bike, especially the stealthy superlight variations that’ve grown more popular over the last few years.

That’s why I loved reviewing the BULLS Grinder EVO Lite, a hybrid road and gravel electric bike designed to be an affordable do-it-all e-bike with a motor that compliments your pedaling, but doesn’t overpower it.

It’s got fatter, knobbier tires and disc brakes, but it’s not designed to be a thoroughbred gravel bike. The Grinder is designed for the gravel curious, who maybe want to dabble on gravel roads but also want an e-bike that’ll be equally at home on pavement.

In some circles — probably the same people who thought up the *great* idea of calling non-motorized bicycles “acoustic” bikes — this sort of bike is called an “allroad” bike. This hybrid road/gravel ethos is further evident in the bike’s geometry, which more closely matches that of a comfort road bike than a longer-wheelbase gravel bike.

It’s also designed to be affordable. The Shimano 105 groupset is solid and reliable, but not over the top, and the frame is made of aluminum, helping to keep the cost below the $4,500 mark — pretty cheap for a performance e-bike.

But the Grider does not ride cheap. The component package is utilitarian but solid, even featuring such luxurious technology as hydraulic disc brakes and great tires from Schwalbe.

The cherry on top of this bike, however, is undeniably the Fazua Momentum drive system. This is the second BULLS I’ve reviewed with this lightweight and lightly-powered motor — the BULLS Alpine Hawk EVO was the other — and I’m a very big fan.

[Read more…] about BULLS Grinder EVO Lite Review 2024

Diamondback Response Review 2023

Diamondback Response Review

Hipsters and young folk in bike-saturated cities know and love a flavor of commuter bike dubbed the “urban assault bike,” or, to the unindoctrinated, a mountain bike that’s been repurposed as a go-anywhere do-anything asphalt commuter.

It would appear that there’s some hipsters and young folk on the Diamondback product development team.

The Diamondback Response electric bike is, for all intents and purposes, an urban assault bike. At its core, the Response is a Bosch-powered hardtail mountain bike with a few tweaks — like Schwalbe Super Moto semi-slick tires and Class 3 capabilities — that make it uniquely capable in paved environments. It’s a bike equally at home ferrying you to the office or sending stair sets.

Diamondback Response Review - Bosch Performance Motor

The Response’s Bosch Performance Speed mid-drive motor

Electric Bike Report got the chance to do a quick-hit review of the Diamondback Response at the Big Gear Show in Park City this August. It’s a shorter review than we typically do — it’s tough to squeeze in-depth testing into the schedule of a trade show — but we got to spend enough time with the bike to get a good feel for it.

[Read more…] about Diamondback Response Review 2023

Diamondback Union 2 Review 2024

Diamondback Union 2 Review

There’s few things better than an electric bike that feels exactly as fast as it is.

I like racy bikes — ones that don’t just roll fast, but look fast — and for me, Diamondback’s Union 2 electric commuter bike hits in exactly the right way. It’s sleek, has sporty geometry, no suspension (don’t @ me rigid bike haters) and is powered by the ultra-lux Bosch Performance Speed power plant.

To put it short, this bike is exactly as quick as it looks. It’s a thrill to ride and is a surprisingly affordable option in the growing lineup of Bosch-powered Class 3 commuter bikes.

Diamondback Union 2 Review - Branding

Sleek and stealthy


We got the chance to do a brief review of the Diamondback Union 2 during the Big Gear Show in Park City, Utah this August and were impressed by the bike’s considerable power, stable handling and solid spec level. It’s a lot of bang for your buck.

This is a shorter review than we typically do at Electric Bike Report (our normal in-depth reviews typically take several weeks, which isn’t particularly feasible during a morning at a crowded trade show) though we hope to land a bike for a long term-review of the Union 2 soon, so stay tuned.

[Read more…] about Diamondback Union 2 Review 2024

BULLS Alpine Hawk EVO Review 2024

BULLS Alpine Hawk EVO Electric Bike Review 2022

Summary Review: BULLS Alpine Hawk EVO E-Bike

If there’s one thing I’d like you to keep in mind while reading through this review of BULLS Bikes’ Alpine Hawk EVO electric road bike, it’s that subtleness is the name of its game.

Part of the emerging category of super light electric bikes, the BULLS Alpine Hawk EVO blends the pedaling performance of a traditional road bike with a small and lightweight motor and battery, packing just enough punch to take the edge off the more difficult parts of road cycling. Think steep hills and hard, low speed accelerations. With a slim 250W Fazua power plant tucked inside the frame and few obvious buttons or LED lights, it plays coy that it’s an e-bike. Even in the highest pedal assistance setting, I never felt like my legs were being overpowered by the motor and it was easy to forget I had some extra wattage backing up my pedaling.

That’s not to say this is an underpowered e-bike, because it absolutely is not. But bear in mind this is an e-bike for people who still want their legs, lungs and heart to produce the lion’s share of the force that drives them forward. The motor’s power delivery is subtle; it’s just there to take the edge off.

There’s been lots of debate on where these lightweight and lightly-powered e-bikes fit into the larger e-bike ecosystem. From the perspective of a human-power traditionalist, the Alpine Hawk’s 33.5 lb weight is high for a performance road bike; and from the e-bike perspective, it’s modest motor and battery combination can be construed as underwhelming. It seems to have one foot in the traditional bicycle world and the other in the e-bike world.

So, with one foot in two worlds, the Alpine Hawk begs the question: Is it a good choice for the e-bike enthusiast or is it best suited for the serious road cyclist?

I spent the month of May pedaling the Alpine Hawk EVO on Electric Bike Report’s home roads in southern Utah to find out.

[Read more…] about BULLS Alpine Hawk EVO Review 2024

Blix Aveny Skyline E-Bike Review – 2024

Blix Aveny Electric Cruiser Bike Review

Blix Aveny Skyline Review: Overview

Poise, elegance and maybe a little European flair — For an electric bike that costs less than $2,000, the Blix Aveny Skyline has those features (and more) in spades.

In this Blix Aveny Skyline review, we’ll test the mettle of this Dutch-style electric commuter bike, including how well it climbs hills, comes to a stop and even how far you can make it on a single battery charge. Re-released in 2021, the Aveny Skyline is the latest edition of the Aveny model that blurs the line between cruiser comfort and commuter efficiency.

This is the third and final Blix electric bike review Electric Bike Report has done in relatively quick succession, and we’ve learned a few things as we’ve blitzed through much of the Santa Cruz-based company’s lineup: Namely, that simple elegance seems to be the name of Blix’s game. Blix e-bikes are straightforward and lack many of the newfangled frills we see on many other affordable e-bikes. Instead, they’ve clearly invested in quality components, solid geometry and a paint job that’s top-tier.

The Aveny Skyline, in my opinion, is a very well done electric commuter with high-brow styling and an extremely competitive price tag — but that’s not to say it’s faultless. Let’s dive into our real world impressions of the Blix Aveny Skyline.

*Blix no longer sells the Aveny Skyline. But they have a folding cruiser bike worth checking out. See the Blix Vika X review here.

[Read more…] about Blix Aveny Skyline E-Bike Review – 2024

Blix Vika+ Flex Electric Bike Review

Blix Vika+ Flex Electric Folding Bike Review

Blix Vika+ Flex Review: Overview

What’s painted British racing green, folds in half and rides with all the enthusiasm and excitement of a peppy little go kart? The Blix Vika+ Flex electric folding bike does.

In this Blix Vika+ Flex review, Electric Bike Report takes an in-depth look at the Santa Cruz-based electric bike company’s electric folding bike by putting it through a gauntlet of tests. Those tests — including a hill test, range test and many more — are designed to demonstrate how well this bike performs in the real world so that you can make a better informed choice on if this is the right bike for you.

The Blix Vika+ Flex is a through-and-through electric folding bike designed for urban commuting and riders who need a compact, stowable and efficient mode of transportation. Blix recently updated the Vika in July of this year, so the version in this review is the most recent iteration of the bike with wider tires and a redesigned folding mechanism.

It’s an incredibly pleasant riding e-bike with quick handling, a surprisingly peppy 500W rear hub motor and an overall nicely done finish. And with a claimed weight of 55 lbs, it’s respectably light — an important factor for an e-bike designed to be folded up and stored in tight spaces.

*There’s a new Flex in town! Check out the latest with the Blix Vika X review.


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