Electric Bike Reviews, News, & Testing

Electric Bike Report

x
Menu
Sponsor

Blog

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

HeyBike Hero Review | You Haven’t Seen A Frame Like This

Blazing-fast e-bike with only a 6 lb carbon frame, pushing the envelope of innovation and some promised improvements.

HeyBike HERO Review
Testing the Heybike Hero has been quite the adventure, and it shows just how far e-bike design has come in our time. The first thing that caught my eye was its 6.2 lb carbon fiber frame, something we certainly do not see often in the e-bike world.

After logging 100 miles on both smooth roads and off-road trails, I got a feel for what the Hero actually offers. The lightweight frame did make it relatively easier to handle, which is a big plus. However, the bike’s presence is still very much felt on day-to-day rides, largely due to its big tires and hefty components. The motor packs a punch, delivering a powerful ride, though it does have a distinctive motor ‘whine’ that adds a bit of character, whether you like it or not.

One aspect of the Hero that stands out is its speed. I hit 32 mph, which is close to its top speed of 35 mph. The HERO combines this impressive speed with some cool new design elements. With a few tweaks to improve comfort and reduce motor noise, the Heybike Hero could become a go-to for those looking to explore a bit deeper and ride a bit faster.

It’s worth noting that the Heybike Hero we tested was a pre-production demo model. Heybike has informed us that several areas we critiqued have been addressed in the production model, and we’ll mention those improvements as we come across them in the review.

[Read more…] about HeyBike Hero Review | You Haven’t Seen A Frame Like This

Lectric XP 3.0 vs Ride1Up Portola vs Velotric Fold 1: Fight!

These three folding e-bikes are similar in specs and price, so which is best? We compared the performance test results to find a winner.

Lectric XP 3.0 vs Ride1Up Portola vs Velotric Fold 1 Comparison Review

If you’re looking for an affordable entry point to e-biking, or you’re considering a folding e-bike to bring with you on RV trips or other family adventures, there’s no doubt you’ve heard of the Lectric XP 3.0.

After all, Lectric was largely catapulted to success after marketing to RV enthusiasts and other niche markets. The XP is the best-selling e-bike in the US for a reason: the brand essentially defined (and has since regularly redefined) the industry’s expected quality, spec, and performance metrics for affordable e-bikes.

Long story short, Lectric has enjoyed its time at the top, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stay there. With prestige comes attention; other brands took note of Lectric’s approach (and success) and adapted with the goal of overthrowing the reigning King.

Enter the Ride1Up Portola and the Velotric Fold 1. These newer entries to the affordable folding e-bike market are serious contenders for the throne. Both Lectric alternatives offer similar specs, a competitive price, and an appealing design, making them enticing to those seeking versatile, budget-friendly folding e-bikes.

As indicated by their well-earned places on our list of the best folding e-bikes, the Lectric XP 3.0, the Ride1UP Portola, and the Velotric Fold 1 are the cream of the crop for their cost and category. If you’re stuck between the three options, we’re here to help narrow down your selection!

In the following comparison review, we’ll walk you through the bikes’ features, feel, and functionality to find a first-rate folding e-bike worthy of your hard-earned funds.

Lectric XP 3.0

Check Best Price

Ride1Up Portola

Check Best Price

Velotric Fold 1

Check Best Price

[Read more…] about Lectric XP 3.0 vs Ride1Up Portola vs Velotric Fold 1: Fight!

The Ridley Urbx: the Brand’s First Urban E-Bike

The Belgian brand, best known for racing bikes, has introduced its first e-bikes for commuters.

The Ridley Urbx: the Brand’s First Urban E-Bike

Belgian bike maker Ridley, which is best known for high-end carbon fiber bikes raced in the Tour de France, has just introduced its first city e-bike, the Urbx. The name Urbx stands for urban exploring and this is meant to fit the needs of the city dweller.

As this is a commuter aimed primarily at the European market, it is more modestly powered than we see with some e-bikes. It’s equipped with the Bafang G310 hub motor, which offers 250W and 30Nm of torque, plenty of muscle for a Class 1 e-bike. It should enjoy good range thanks to a 360Wh battery, which wouldn’t be much with a 750W motor, but can accomplish much with a 250W motor. Ridley estimates that riders may enjoy as much as 80km (50 mi.) of range on a single charge.

The Ridley Urbx is a single-speed e-bike spec’d with a Gates carbon belt, Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, a high-quality Ergon seat, carbon fiber fork and an accessories package that includes fenders, front and rear lights as well as a kickstand.

The Ridely Urbx comes in both a traditional, step-over frame as well as a mixte (mid-step) frame. The step-over frame comes in three sizes and the mixte frame comes in two sizes, which will allow it to comfortably fit riders across a wide range of height.

Sponsor
Sponsor
The launch of the Urbx comes following a €15 million investment in e-bike production by Ridley’s parent company, Belgian Cycling Factory.

With premium touches such as the Gates carbon belt, carbon fiber fork and multiple frame sizes, the Ridley Urbx goes for a bit more than $2000. No word yet on whether this model will be distributed in the U.S.

Sponsor

Sponsor

Cube Updates the Kathmandu With Bosch SX Motor

The Kathmandu is the first commuter/touring e-bike we’ve seen to hit the market equipped with the Bosch Performance Line SX motor.

Cube Updates the Kathmandu With Bosch SX Motor

Cube, a high-end manufacturer of road bikes, mountain bikes, gravel bikes and several types of e-bikes has announced an update to its Kathmandu model. The Cube Kathmandu Hybrid C:62 SLT 400X and Kathmandu C:62 SLX 400X are city/touring models built with a lightweight carbon fiber frame and fork, Bosch’s Performance Line SX motor and CompactTube 400 battery. The Kathmandu C:62 SLT comes with Shimano’s Deore XT 12-speed drivetrain and hydraulic disc brakes, while the Kathmandu C:62 SLX comes with Shimano’s 12-speed Deore group.

The decision to spec the Bosch Performance Line SX motor grabbed our attention as this is the first e-bike that isn’t an eMTB we’ve seen equipped with the Bosch motor laying claim to its highest power to weight ratio (300W/kg or 136W/lb.).

If you’re thinking that the combination of a carbon fiber frame and fork combined with Bosch’s lightest motor should yield a lightweight touring/city e-bike, you’d be right. The Cube Kathmandu Hybrid C:62 SLT 400X weighs less than its name, coming in at just 35.7 lbs. (16.2kg). With such a low weight it would be a dream for any city dweller who must carry their e-bike up stairs.

With a carbon fiber frame and fork, the Cube Kathmandu isn’t designed for carrying heavy loads and is limited to a total weight capacity of 253 lbs. (115kg)—including e-bike.

The Cube Kathmandu Hybrid C:62 SLT 400X and Kathmandu Hybrid C:62 SLX 400X are made in both step-over and step-thru frames and each frame is produced in four sizes. Worth noting is that the step-thru frames have a much greater stack height, meaning they allow the rider to sit more upright than is possible with the step-over frame.

Sponsor
Sponsor
The Cube Kathmandu Hybrid is an exciting e-bike for those who are willing to spend more for quality. The Cube Kathmandu Hybrid C:62 SLX 400X goes for slightly less than the Kathmandu Hybrid C:62 SLT 400X, with a retail price of a bit less than $5500, which, considering the Bosch Performance Line SX motor, CompactTube 400 battery, carbon fiber frame and fork and Shimano Deore group, presents a solid value, a Mercedes at Lexus prices.
Sponsor

Sponsor

Have You Seen This? Man Builds E-Skateboard/Bike In One!

Proof that if you can dream it up, someone will try to build it: A man built a combination electric skateboard and bike—only the skateboard is motorized.

Have You Seen This? Man Builds E-Skateboard/Bike in One!

Have you ever wanted to convert your bike into a skateboard? No? What about converting your skateboard into a bike? Someone with a YouTube channel took an electric skateboard and a kids bike and eliminated all the bits that would prevent you from using both at the same time, or something.

After removing the motors, battery, trucks and wheels from the skateboard and after cutting off half the fork, one crank arm and the brake cables, he drilled into the bike frame to mount the skateboard components to the side. It’s a flavor of creativity that clearly subscribes to the, “Why not?” school of thought.

With just half a fork, one crank arm and no brakes, this might not be a product we’d want to bring to market (okay, there’s no way on His green earth), but good grief, it’s pretty amazing what people can dream up.

Sponsor
Sponsor
Not that we think our readers are crazy, but we do have a responsibility to say out loud: “Please don’t try this at home. Or anywhere else. At all.”

We can’t help but wonder if this is just a prototype of a toy that will soon be on the shelves of big box retailers. In the meantime, this video will remind us all that human beings are really inventive.

Sponsor

Sponsor

Norco Fluid VLT Review | An Absolutely LOADED eMTB

With Bosch’s most sought-after motor, this is one eMTB that can hold its own on any terrain.

Norco Fluid VLT C1 E-Bike Review 2024
Designing a top-of-the-line eMTB isn’t easy. Everyone wants their eMTB to be as light as possible, or at least no heavier than necessary. But people also want as much power and range as possible.

Those two interests compete because as an eMTB gains power (bigger motor) and range (bigger battery), it also gains weight, so brands must choose how they want to balance one against the other.

The Norco Fluid VLT is a case where the brand did its best not to choose.

Our test bike was the Fluid VLT C1, a model of the “spare no expense” variety. Spending more than $10,000 on an e-bike, even for a sophisticated eMTB, can seem excessive, but the Norco Fluid VLT C1 demonstrates why such a hefty outlay can pay off in a better rider experience.

Nearly every feature and component choice on the Norco Fluid VLT C1 will make a mountain biker’s mouth water. For starters, there’s the full carbon fiber frame and RockShox suspension, which make big drops feel like curb jumps.

The highly-coveted Bosch Performance Line SX motor, one of the lightest full-power motors on the market, lived up to its reputation with a powerful yet controlled feel.

The parts pick heavily relies on SRAM’s top-of-the-line XX Eagle AXS group, and features 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes and electronic shifting. Everything added up to an incredible ride.

But there is more—much more, in fact—to discover with the Fluid VLT. See how it did in all of our testing below.

[Read more…] about Norco Fluid VLT Review | An Absolutely LOADED eMTB

Electric Bike Company Model J Review | Chill Vibe & Fun Ride

This retro scrambler e-bike combines customizable, classic style with a cruiser feel for a unique and comfortable ride.

Electric Bike Company Model J Review
Riding an Electric Bike Company e-bike is usually comparable to a relaxing day at the beach — if your favorite recliner came along too.

When EBC released its first moped-style e-bike, the Model J, we wondered if its feel would resemble the brand’s characteristic, cozy beach cruisers or break from the norm with unbridled speed.

At first glance, the Model J looked like a classic scrambler, with an open, minimalistic frame, a “gas tank”-style battery, and an upswept saddle.

On closer inspection, however, I noticed its larger-than-average wheels, standard fork, and BMX-style handlebars — each of which are common on EBC cruisers, but far from typical on your average moped-style e-bike.

As with all EBC e-bikes, the Model J’s appearance can be completely customized – from the paint scheme of its major structural elements down to its individual components. Our test bike matched most of the base model’s specs but included greatly appreciated comfort upgrades like a suspension fork, squishy rubber grips, and a half-twist throttle.

After an easygoing test ride, I found myself perplexed. With its supportive but non-adjustable saddle, the Model J felt much like a typical Moto-style bike. It wasn’t quite as peppy as I was prepared for, but it felt lighter, more comfortable, and more nimble than I expected.

Only the gauntlet of standardized performance tests here at Electric Bike Report would reveal the Model J’s true colors. Would it prove itself a champion of the moped-style e-bike category, or would it fall short of our expectations based on its design and EBC pedigree?

Spoiler alert: we loved most of what we experienced, but there is ONE aspect of its performance that prospective owners should be aware of…

[Read more…] about Electric Bike Company Model J Review | Chill Vibe & Fun Ride

Hesitant To Go Electric? See Pearson’s On And Off Gravel Bike

With a Mahle hub motor, carbon fiber frame and fork and a parts pick from Shimano’s GRX groups, this is ready for dirt roads right out of the box.

Hesitant To Go Electric? See Pearson's On And Off Gravel Bike

London-based brand Pearson has launched a new e-bike. The On and Off is a gravel e-bike that uses the Mahle X20 hub motor and is produced in three different versions to give buyers three different price points to choose from.

All three versions of the On and Off come with the Mahle X20 motor, which produces 250W and 55Nm of torque—the most powerful hub that Mahle makes. It is powered by a 350Wh battery which is estimated to offer up to 160km (100 mi.) on a single charge.

The On and Off features a full carbon fiber frame and fork. Both frame and fork sport enough tire clearance to run 45mm-wide Pirelli tires.

The parts pick draws from Shimano’s GRX gravel groups, with the top-of-the-line version receiving Di2 electronic shifting.

Sponsor
Sponsor
Pricing on the Pearson On and Off begins at a bit more than $5000 and goes up from there. Buyers looking for a capable gravel bike that can lend a little extra oomph will appreciate the Mahle X20 hub and the fact that the complete system weighs just 3.2kg (7 lbs.) and unlike gravel e-bikes with mid-drive motors, should you push the On and Off beyond its considerable range, it will pedal with no resistance.

The On and Off comes in four sizes, which should fit riders from 5 feet 2 up to 6 feet 3.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The Bosch Performance Line SX Motor Is a Year Old—What Does It Tell Us About the Future?

What new advancements does Bosch have in store for eMTBs, and how are Bosch’s competitors going to respond?

The Bosch Performance Line SX Motor Is a Year Old

During the summer of 2023 Bosch introduced a new motor, the Performance Line SX. This is Bosch’s lightest drive unit to date, weighing only 2.0kg (4.4 lbs.). What makes the Bosch Performance Line SX so special isn’t just that it is light; it is also powerful. At peak power output it produces 600W.

Light is good for performance-oriented e-bikes such as eMTBs, road and gravel e-bikes, but light only gets us so far. There are other lightweight motors out there. The Brose-made Specialized SL 1.2 motor weighs just 1.95kg (4.3 lbs.) and produces 320W at peak. The TQ HPR 50 weighs a tiny bit less than the Specialized, at 1.85kg (4.1 lbs.) and produces nearly as much wattage at peak: 300. The Fazua Ride 60 improves on both of those by running in the same neighborhood weight-wise (1.96kg), but producing a more muscular 450W.

The difference in weight between the Bosch Performance Line SX and the Fazua Ride 60 is 40g, or about 1.4 oz., which is roughly the weight of a slice of bread, or $1.75 in quarters. The difference between the Bosch and the TQ is about ⅓ of a one-pound box of pasta or a bit more than two Clif bars that you might bring along on a long ride. We’re talking very small amounts of weight … but a big difference in power.

It’s easy to see that the Bosch Performance Line SX motor offers nearly double the power-to-weight ratio of both the Specialized and TQ motors and roughly 33 percent more than the Fazua Ride 60. This is what makes the Bosch motor so exciting. Even compared to Bosch’s coveted Performance Line CX motor it shaves almost a third of the weight while producing the same peak wattage. It does give up some torque, though—55Nm for the SX compared to 85Nm for the CX.

E-bike manufacturers making high-end eMTBs have been racing to launch eMTBs using the motor. Because the Performance Line SX motor is essentially housing-less, it uses a different mount, which means that manufacturers can’t simply decide to swap out the Performance Line SX motor for the Performance Line CX motor. Brands must design an eMTB or other e-bike with the motor’s mount integrated in the design.

Because a manufacturer can spend two years designing a new model or revising an existing one, and because the Performance Line SX motor is only one year old, most companies have yet to begin offering an e-bike equipped with this motor.

That’s not to say you can’t find it out there. There have been plenty of early adopters. It can be found in Canyon’s Neuron:ONfly, the E-Lyte from Whyte Bikes, Norco’s Fluid VLT, Orange’s Phase EVO, the E-Troy Lite from Devinci, Mondraker’s Dune, the KTM Macina Race and Macina Scarp, M1-Sporttechnik’s 400 variants, and the Sonic EVO and Sonic EVA from Bulls.

In bike racing the absolute measure of a cyclist’s fitness is gauged by how many watts they can generate per kilogram of body weight. It’s the same for motors; the Bosch Performance Line SX generates 300W/kg and that number is the one that competitors like Shimano and Yamaha will be aiming to match.

Sponsor
Sponsor
That the Performance Line SX motor lacks wide availability a year after its release isn’t surprising. There are a few reasons for this. First, Bosch likely knew that they would have limited production capacity for this motor during its first year. They very likely only offered it to a select number of customers so that they didn’t find themselves in a position where brand demand outstripped production. Back orders might be a happy problem to have, but they are still a problem.

It is likely that several brands such as Trek, Haibike and Cannondale are busy developing eMTBs that will use the Performance Line SX motor. With the world’s largest trade show for the bike industry—Eurobike—just around the corner, it seems likely that we will see some new e-bikes displayed there using this mount.

Our bigger question regarding Eurobike has to do with Bosch. Last year Bosch updated what was then their top-of-the-line motor, the Performance Line CX with the limited edition Performance Line CX Race. We’re wondering what goodies they might introduce in 2024.

We’re also wondering how Shimano, Yamaha, Bafang and others will respond to the Performance Line SX. They’ve had a year to prepare an answer. Not responding to such a motor would mean ceding high-end spec on lightweight eMTBs. Every company that can get their hands on that motor will.

I’m not a fortune teller, but I played one at a kid’s party once, which qualifies me to prognosticate here, maybe. Our guess is that they may make an update to the Performance Line CX motor. The Performance Line CX Race was always meant to be a limited-edition offering, whereas the Performance Line CX is one of the most popular motors for high-end eMTBs. Even if all we saw was a tweak to the software, there is a wide-range of performance parameters that could be doctored to provide a different mountain biking experience.

Giving the Performance Line CX motor some software tweaks—as we’ve seen with Bosch’s many recent updates to the smartphone Flow app as well as their Smart System—would be a way to reward existing owners while simultaneously making the case for why someone should buy a Bosch-equipped eMTB.

Sponsor

Sponsor

Mahle Introduces New X30 Smart System Motor

Mahle’s new motor drops weight while picking up muscle over its X35 hub motor; the X30 motor will be compatible with components used by the X35 and X20 hubs.

Mahle Introduces New X30 Smart System Motor

Mahle, a maker of high-end hub motors, has introduced a new hub motor, the X30, to their lineup. Mahle already makes two of the lightest hub motors on the market, the X20 and X35.

The new X30 hub sits between the X20 and X35 both numerically and in terms of performance. The X30 produces 250W and 45Nm of torque which places it between the X20 (250W and 55Nm of torque) and the X35 (250W and 54Nm of torque).

The X30 is another lightweight wonder, weighing in at 1.9kg (4.2 lbs.). Compare that to the X35, which weighs 2.1kg (4.6 lbs.). Like the X35, the X30 comes with a threaded axle for bolt-on wheels. Also, the X30 is a freehub-equipped motor, same as the X35, meaning we will see it spec’d on e-bikes with 8-, 9- or 10-speed drivetrains.

The combination of 5Nm more torque and a loss of roughly 200g (4 oz., roughly the weight of a pair of socks) may not seem like much on paper, but we suspect that there will be a distinct enough performance difference that riders would notice the gains if switching from an e-bike with the X35 hub to the X30 hub. After all, tacking on an additional 5Nm of torque represents a 12.5 percent gain, an amount that will certainly be noticeable.

Sponsor
Sponsor
Mahle’s X35 Smart System, including motor, battery and controller weighs just 3.5kg (7.7 lbs.), making it one of the lighter complete systems on the market. The X20 Smart System is even lighter. Because the new X30 hub is compatible with batteries from both systems, brands will be able to choose from capacities of 350Wh, 250Wh or 236Wh, as well as a 171Wh range extender battery.

We anticipate that we will see this on e-bikes in higher price points, especially on road and gravel e-bikes where it is acceptable to give up power in exchange for keeping weight low. Despite the bolt-on axle, we don’t anticipate seeing this on e-bikes retailing for $2,000 or less.

Sponsor

Sponsor
Sponsor