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NIU BQi-C3 Pro E-Bike Review, 2024

Well-hidden dual batteries on this clean, classy-looking commuter e-bike with speed and simplicity.

The BQi-C3 Pro is one of the first e-bike offerings from the Chinese company NIU (new). Prior to the release of this model, the brand established itself globally as a manufacturer of electric mopeds and scooters with customers in over 50 countries. In this NIU BQi-C3 Pro review, we take a look at this unique e-bike’s specs, performance, ride feel, and more!

Visually, this bike presents itself in clean, sleek style. The BQi-C3 Pro hosts TWO batteries that are fully integrated into its step-thru frame, giving it one of the most polished appearances we’ve seen on a dual battery setup. This, combined with the flashy two-tone paint job and a ring-shaped running light around the bike’s headlight, gives the bike a futuristic look that we can’t get enough of.

In addition to looking good, those dual batteries give the bike an incredible range. NIU’s website advertises that the bike can travel between 60 and 90 miles on a single charge, and our testing fully supported this claim.

The bike’s step-thru frame also makes it one of the most accessible e-bikes we’ve seen, with a standover height of just 12.6 inches! This feature makes the bike easier to use for riders with limited mobility or for commuters wearing business attire.

Curious to know how this bike handles and performs? So were we! Continue on to our full NIU BQi-C3 Pro review below.

E-Bike News: Utility Series from Vvolt plus Canyon, Yamaha and Cube New Releases!

Not that long ago electric cargo bikes were seen as something of a niche, but this week’s news confirms they are much centre stage in the current e-bike world – both in the US and Europe. Based in one the US’s leading cycle cities, Portland, Oregon, Vvolt have chosen to launch a range of small-wheeled e-bikes that can carry pretty large loads – as their mission statement webpage says, they are ‘all about making daily transportation better for everyone.’

Meanwhile, over in Europe, Cube once had a reputation for making pretty conventional but high quality and good value e-bikes and have chosen to approach the cargo e-bike market from a much more niche angle with an e-trike. Trikes and e-trikes are rare machines indeed but if anyone can make their appeal more mainstream it is Cube. Both approaches are very welcome as load carrying is still a much-under appreciated forte of e-bikes.

In this week’s e-bike news:

Volt’s new Utility Series announced for second half of 2023
Canyon revamps e-mtb range
Yamaha wants to make European inroads with its moped style Booster models
Cube’s e-trike heading for production

Canyon Torque:ON Review – First Look at a Downhill Beast

What has a 250W motor, the ability to go for five hours (or more) and can handle drops that would make elevators cower? That would be the new Torque:ON, a new model from the German company Canyon that bridges the gap between e-bikes and full downhill bikes.

With 170mm of travel in the rear and a 180mm travel fork, the Torque:ON has the pedigree of a serious downhill bike combined with the climbing ability of an e-bike. Who saw this coming? Not us.

Canyon is a German company that led the bike industry in developing direct-to-consumer sales. From including the tools a rider needs to assemble their e-bike to videos detailing assembly, few companies can claim to match Canyon’s efforts to make it possible to shop for an e-bike from the comfort of home.

With the Canyon Torque:ON, shuttle runs become a thing of the past, as does the need for a chair lift at a ski area. What that will do for the fitness of downhill racers may surprise us all. Downhill courses for e-bike racing will need to be longer than current downhill courses.

Let’s take a deeper look at what jumped out to the Electric Bike Report team with this remarkable e-bike.

Troxus Explorer Electric Bike Review

Adventure awaits on this highly-capable Class 3 e-bike with awesome power and speed!

With fat tire e-bikes being a dime a dozen these days (or rather, many dozens of dimes per single – but still all over the place), it can be difficult for newer e-bike brands to differentiate themselves from the competition. With only a couple of years under its belt and a catalog chock-full of fat tire e-bikes, it’s fair to say that Troxus has such a challenge with the Explorer. We dive into the bike’s features and take a look at what separates it from the rest in this Troxus Explorer review!

As a Class 3 e-bike with throttle power up to 20 miles per hour and pedal-assisted speed up to 28 mph, the Explorer is seriously expeditious! Its 750W rear hub motor has super-speedy acceleration and a responsive cadence sensor for quick access to its substantial power.

We’ve come to expect such speed from most fat tire e-bikes, but the Troxus Explorer kicks things up a notch by featuring a full complement of quality components. Shimano, Bafang, and Tektro: these are just a few of the big names we see on the bike’s spec sheet, and all make parts with demonstrated performance and reliability.

We were seriously impressed by the Explorer’s uphill capability when pedaling, too. It’s not uncommon for e-bikes to struggle in their lowest pedal-assist setting, but for us, the Explorer confidently handled hills even in PAS 1.

Read on for more details about the bike’s specs, performance, and general ride feel in our Troxus Explorer review!

E-Bike News: Budget Models from Heybike and Razor, Raleigh Goes Compact Cargo and Much More!

It’s great to see plenty of new e-bikes from an ever expanding pool of manufacturers regularly coming along to feature in Electric Bike Report’s weekly news. But this can only continue as long as new tech is developed for premium brands to pick up and run with – it allows them to differentiate themselves from brands at the lower-priced end of the market and offers buyers genuine choice. The ‘digitalisation’ of e-bikes feels like it’s making significant steps forward recently as Bosch roll out their Smart System on more and more new models whilst – as reported on this week – looking at future applications for wireless tech and e-bikes. Is the e-bike world approaching a digital crossroads? If so, what direction will it take and will that direction be a success with e-bike buyers? The answers might not be imminent but the questions are certainly making their way up the agenda.

In this week’s e-bike news:

Heybike reveals 28mph, magnesium framed e-folder
Razor Rambler 20 – a $999 moped style e-bike
Raleigh Modum – a practical, Bosch-powered compact e-cargo bike
Is Bosch trialling the wireless road safety technology of the e-bike future?

Are Single Speed E-Bikes Any Good?

Single speed bikes (without a motor) have been around for a good long time – in fact Tour de France originator Henri Desgranges was a big fan and bikes with more than one gear were banned from the TdF until 1937! After that, they became somewhat more of a cult, mainly shared by fast, racy, city-style riders. In more recent times the advent of e-bikes and technology such as belt drives has undoubtedly given the single speed genre a new lease of life.

For many modern single speeds electric bikes you can enjoy multiple levels of pedal assistance which helps you dial in the assistance you need – it essentially provides you with a type of faux-gearing system. Thanks to this, it helps it to garner some more main stream appeal.

There is a lot to like in what today’s electric single speed bikes offer. But before we get into the pros and cons of single-speeds, those who haven’t come across them before might appreciate a bit more detail on the basics.

Specialized Turbo Levo SL Review: First Look at the New Trail Bike

What’s quieter than an owl in flight and lighter than some non-e-bikes? The new Specialized Levo SL. This is Specialized’s lightest, most nimble eMTB. The Turbo Levo SL Gen 2 has been reimagined to be more powerful and quieter, in an effort to make the e-part of the eMTB blend as seamlessly with the rider experience as possible.

This is an eMTB aimed squarely at mountain bikers who were reluctant to give up their lightweight mountain bikes for something that weighed 20 lbs. more. The Specialized Turbo Levo SL is designed to give trail riders everything they love about mountain biking in a package that makes them feel like a superhero, not a cyborg.

The Electric Bike Report team scoured all the details on the latest eMTB contender. See all our thoughts down below from our first look review of the Specialized Turbo Levo SL.

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Specialized Turbo Levo SL: Bike Overview

Let’s begin with the basics. The Specialized Turbo Levo SL is based on the Specialized Stumpjumper EVO, one of the best-reviewed mountain bikes on the market; its accolades read like Michael Jordan’s career. So, this is an eMTB with 160mm of travel in the fork and 150mm of travel in the rear suspension, which is a bit less than we are seeing from many bike companies that offer but one eMTB. As Specialized makes six different families of eMTB, they have longer-travel models available.

The Turbo Levo SL rolls on a mullet setup, which is a 29 front wheel and a 27.5-in. wheel in the rear. Running two different wheel sizes makes the e-bike a bit more nimble, without giving up the ability to roll up and over obstacles. Riders who prefer 29-in. wheels front and rear can adjust the rear suspension to work with a 29-in. wheel.

The difference between the standard Turbo Levo and the Turbo Levo SL comes down to the motor and battery. Where the Turbo Levo is reported to offer riders up to four times (4x) the power they can generate, the Turbo Levo SL offers riders double (2x) the power they generate on their own.

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Specialized Turbo Levo SL Review: Specs and Features

Motor and battery

Previously, Specialized’s SL 1.1 motor produced 240W nominally and 35Nm of torque. Those numbers may seem modest, but the goal of Turbo Levo SL was to offer athletic riders a boost, not afterburners. The new SL 1.2 motor sees an increase of overall power by 35 percent and an increase in torque by 43 percent. What that means is that the new motor produces 320W and 50Nm of torque, putting in striking distance of most existing mid-drive e-bike motors found on eMTBs.

Considering that part of the appeal of mountain biking is to be out in nature away from the proverbial “it all,” Specialized also brought overall noise down in the new SL 1.2 motor. Depending on which PAS level a rider chooses, noise has dropped by 35-44 percent.

Specialized says that with the integrated 320Wh battery riders can explore for up to five hours in Eco mode, and if that’s not enough, or they would prefer to stay in Turbo mode, they can add Specialized’s 160Wh range-extender battery.

So how does this stack up range-wise?

Battery	Eco (35% of total power)	Trail (75% of total power)	Turbo (100% of power)
Internal 320Wh	3:30-4:30 hrs. 28-35 mi. 6550-7550 ft. climbing	1:30-2:00 hrs. 12-18 mi. 2625-2950 ft. climbing	1:15-1:30 hrs. 12-15 mi. 2450-2800 ft. climbing
Internal 320Wh + Range extender 160Wh	5:15-7:00 hrs. 42-51 mil. 9850-11,300 ft.	2:15-3:00 hrs. 18-28 mi. 3925-4425 ft.	1:45-2:15 hrs. 18-23 mi. 3600-4250 ft.

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Frame

If the new Turbo Levo SL is like the previous one, then Specialized will produce this e-bike with three different frames. There will be a carbon fiber edition, as well as one with an aluminum frame in order to hit a more affordable price point.

Specialized makes each of the different versions of the Turbo Levo SL frame in a whopping six sizes. Not only can they accommodate riders from as short as 4 feet 11 inches up to 6 feet 8 inches, most riders can choose between two or more sizes, depending on the fit and handling they want; some riders may want the nimble handling that comes with the shorter wheelbase found in a smaller size, while some riders may want the calm nature that comes with a longer wheelbase. The point is, there’s room for choice.

Similarly, as we mentioned above, the choice of either a 27.5-in. or a 29-in. rear wheel will affect how quickly the Turbo Levo SL handles. And in a move that may be unique among the big brands, Specialized gives riders the ability to adjust the head tube angle by changes to the headset (the bearings that allow the fork to turn). While these headsets have been available aftermarket, no one has spec’d one before. Riders can choose between head tube angles of 63, 64.25 and 65.5 degrees, allowing someone to dial the handling to their particular riding terrain. Someone with fast fire roads who spends a lot of time in the air will love the 63-degree angle, while a rider on twistier terrain who stays on the ground is likely to prefer the 65.5-degree option.

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Components

As one of the two biggest bike companies in the universe, Specialized isn’t content to make an e-bike and be done with it. They recognize that people have differing budgets and as a result, they will produce a number of different variants.

Currently, the Turbo Levo SL comes in four different versions, as well as the option to purchase the top-shelf S-Works frameset. As this is meant to be ridden on technical terrain that can be difficult to hike, each version is equipped with a 12-speed drivetrain and hydraulic disc brakes.

Electronics

From what we’ve seen so far, Specialized offers one of the most interesting and complete combinations of controller and smartphone app on the market. Riders can make adjustments of +/- 10 percent on power on the fly, giving them finer control of the assistance they receive than by switching between the three PAS levels of Eco, Trail and Turbo.

The Mission Control app grants riders an unprecedented level of control over their eMTB. Not only can they adjust both nominal and peak wattage in each PAS level, they can adjust other performance dimensions like acceleration response. The app also gives riders security features like the ability to disable the motor so that would-be bike thieves can’t pedal it.

One remarkable feature of Mission Control is the riders can program in how long a ride is anticipated to be and Smart Control will manage power usage to make sure the battery is budgeted to finish the ride.

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EBR’s take on the new Turbo Levo SL:

The crew here at EBR are, first and foremost, e-bike nerds. We love a well-made e-bike and many of us rode regular bikes before taking up e-bikes. Some of us here have been riding Specialized mountain bikes since the 1980s. Their mountain bikes have always been at the head of the class for handling and the Stumpjumper EVO is a standard by which many other mountain bikes are judged. Srsly, some of the best praise a mountain bike can receive is to have someone say, “I’d put it up against a Stumpy EVO.”

The Specialized Turbo Levo SL serves as a kind of missing link between a regular mountain bike and an eMTB. It’s an in-between solution.

So why would Specialized make an eMTB that gives up range and power? For riders who have been pedaling regular mountain bikes that might weigh on the order of 30-35 lbs., making the transition to a 50-lb. eMTB can be harder than we might guess. The balance is different and a rider has to work harder to get the front wheel up and that’s a bigger deal than it seems because muscle memory is what we work from in the moment. Currently, the Turbo Levo SL Comp—the heaviest version of this eMTB (thanks in part to its aluminum frame) weighs only 42.7 lbs.; the S-Works weighs 38 lbs.

The upshot is that this will be an unusually nimble eMTB and considering there can be settings in which Turbo mode on a more powerful eMTB can be overkill, the Turbo Levo SL is unlikely to ever seem like too much e-bike. We did think that the original Turbo Levo SL was shy in the torque department, so upping the torque from 35Nm to 50Nm overcomes that eMTB’s one real weakness.

To fully appreciate what an alternative the Turbo Levo SL is, we should take a moment to stop and say that of the “full power” eMTBs, the Levo is one of the best, if not the very best eMTB on the market, and it’s arguable that no company has been more aggressive in its pursuit of advancing what an eMTB can be. Specialized may not have invented the eMTB but they did ask everyone else to hold their beer.

With an eMTB in which the motor and battery are small enough to be missed by the casual observer, the Turbo Levo SL holds the tantalizing potential of offering 80 percent of the performance of other eMTBs at 60 percent of the weight. This is a fresh take on what an eMTB can be.

It’s our belief that the Specialized Turbo Levo SL will find a ready audience among riders like some of us here in the EBR offices who aren’t as quick as we were in our 30s. An eMTB that weighs less than 45 lbs., can go for five hours, produces 320W and can muscle the chain to the tune of 50Nm of torque is enough to make anyone feel like a superhero. The only thing the Specialized Turbo Levo SL doesn’t come with is a cape.

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Ride1UP Rift First Look Review: Real Off-Road Ability

The e-bike lineup for Ride1UP has grown once again. Their new model, the Rift, takes many of the features common to Ride1UP’s other e-bikes and gives them a fresh twist in this new package. The Rift is a fat-tire e-bike with 4-in.-wide tires; a 48V, 960Wh battery; a 750W brushless, geared hub motor producing 95Nm of torque, an 8-speed drivetrain and 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes, all for less than $2000.

Trickle-down may not work in economics, but in manufacturing it does. As tooling ages, the cost to produce parts from those tools drops. This is why two years ago a sub-$2000 e-bike might include a big battery or a powerful motor or an 8-speed drivetrain or premium hydraulic disc brakes, but it wouldn’t include all four. In our review of the Ride1UP Rift we will dig into the details that make this a very exciting addition to the Ride1UP lineup.

*Ride1Up has discountinued the Rift, but here are some other e-bikes from the brand worth checking out:
Ride1Up Portola Review
Ride1Up CF Racer 1 Review
Ride1Up Turris Review

Ride1UP Rift Spec Review: Bike Overview

The Rift is aimed at a rider other than those who have been buying Ride1UP e-bikes. Until now, their models have been aimed at riders who planned to stick to the pavement. Thanks to a 750W hub motor that produces 95Nm of torque, knobby 4-in.-wide tires and a suspension fork, the Rift is intended to go places a lesser bike wouldn’t handle.

We see a great many fat-tire e-bikes that make bold claims about off-road abilities suitable to the Red Bull set. The fact is, many of these e-bikes won’t ride well on anything more rigorous than a crushed gravel path. The Ride1UP Rift isn’t an eMTB, but it may be one of the most off-road capable sub-$2000 e-bikes we’ve encountered.

E-Bike News: Great Value New Models from Ride1Up and Aventon, Garmin Radar, Volt E-folder and Much More!

The trickle down effect is a term used quite widely in economics but it can also be applied to the e-bike industry and its use seems very apt this week in relation to two new e-bikes from Aventon and Ride1Up that look great value.

Once upon a time features such as hydraulic disk brakes and torque sensing were considered as premium priced e-bike features. Nowadays hydraulics are pretty standard, having ‘trickled down’ from higher priced models and torque sensing is certainly appearing on more and more reasonably priced bikes. Whilst the Ride1Up Rift actually lacks torque sensing and the Aventon Sinch .2 lacks hydraulics, at $1895 and $1799 they offer great value for e-bikes with large capacity batteries and a list of features as long as your arm, including some rarely seen on e-bikes such as the Aventon’s turn indicators. Long may the trickling down continue!

In this week’s e-bike news:

Ride1Up get into e-fat bikes with the Rift
Aventon Sinch .2 gets major upgrades
Meet the Volt Lite – a lightweight e-folder with belt drive
Garmin Vario brings ‘plug and play’ vehicle radar detection to e-bikes
Rad Power battery recycling now available
60+ mph e-bike in Germany stopped and confiscated

The Sea Otter Classic: Day 3’s Coolest Stuff

The Sea Otter Classic, by virtue of having started as a mountain bike race, sees more eMTBs displayed than any other category of e-bike. That’s not to say we don’t see plenty of commuters, city e-bikes and even some cargo e-bikes—we do. In many company’s tents their e-bikes were front and center, often occupying the single most prominent display space available.

Marin Bikes gets our nod for the best eMTBs at Sea Otter. Sure, there were lighter eMTBs and ones with more sophisticated suspension, but with both the Rift Zone E and the Apline Trail E being equipped with Shimano STEPS EP6 motors and 10-speed drivetrains and going for $4499, we didn’t see a better opportunity for someone wanting to purchase their first eMTB.

RedShift is a component/accessory maker that produces a variety of shock-absorbing products, like stems, grips and seatposts. They also produce pedals with rechargeable blinking lights that automatically change color to orient the white light forward and the red light to the rear. It’s one of the smartest uses of blinking safety lights we saw.

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We’ve seen a number of fat-tire e-bikes touted for their off-road abilities, but often, they are better as commuters than they are on the trail. With the Specialized Turbo Tero X 4.0, we have a full-suspension eMTB capable of tackling technical terrain, but also equipped with fenders and a rear rack to allow owners to commute to work when they aren’t on the trails.

Bafang had a booth in which they showed off their motors, batteries and controllers. More interesting was how they showed off some of the diverse range of e-bikes their motors are spec’d in. This police-issue e-bike recalls some of the fat tire e-bikes we see from companies like Aventon and Himiway.

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Vinka is a Chinese maker of e-bike motors, batteries controllers and more. They one division within a giant manufacturing concern that produces appliances and automotive products in addition to e-bike electronics. Vinka has responded to the rise in popularity of pairing hub motors with bottom brackets that incorporate torque sensors by making their own. The device in the lower right is an example of a bottom bracket with a torque sensor. The cranks mount to the spindle and when the rider begins pedaling, the sensor in the bottom bracket detects the forces on the spindle and translates that into an electric signal that goes to the controller.

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Vinka not only makes hub motors, they make mid-drive motors, batteries, controllers and displays. This 36V mid-drive motor produces 250W and 80Nm of torque.

One of the more eye-catching designs we saw was the Miku Retrolax, a motorcycle-styled e-bike. The Retrolax comes equipped with a 750W hub motor, offers a range of up to 40 mi. (claimed), a maximum speed of 20 mph and tackles hills with the help of a 7-speed Shimano drivetrain.

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Sea Otter Classic: Day 3’s Coolest Stuff

The Pole Voima was another bike and brand new to us. Pole is a Finnish brand and the Voima is made through a most unusual process. The frame is constructed by CNC-machining two mirror-image halves and then welding those two halves together. Buyers can order either a frameset or a completely built e-bike, and, yes, the gold finish is an option.

Pytes is a company known for making battery packs for homes, medical equipment and personal care products (like toothbrushes). They also make a number of batteries for e-bikes and showed off a wide range of their 36 and 48V batteries.

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Specialized brought a whole fleet of their new Globe Haul ST to the Sea Otter Classic to allow people a chance to take them out for test rides. Riders returning from spins praised the Globe Haul ST for terrific acceleration, great handling and good on-the-bike comfort.

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NIU BQi-C3 Pro E-Bike Review, 2024

Well-hidden dual batteries on this clean, classy-looking commuter e-bike with speed and simplicity.

E-Bike News: Utility Series from Vvolt plus Canyon, Yamaha and Cube New Releases!

Canyon Torque:ON Review – First Look at a Downhill Beast

Troxus Explorer Electric Bike Review

Adventure awaits on this highly-capable Class 3 e-bike with awesome power and speed!

E-Bike News: Budget Models from Heybike and Razor, Raleigh Goes Compact Cargo and Much More!

Are Single Speed E-Bikes Any Good?

Specialized Turbo Levo SL Review: First Look at the New Trail Bike

Specialized Turbo Levo SL: Bike Overview