Blog

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

E-bike News: Walmart goes sub-$1500 full-sus, Afreda 3-wheeler and Much More!

How cheap should cheap e-bikes be? That’s the question asked by the Hyper E-ride, a full-suspension off-road e-bike now stocked by Walmart. At $1498 it certainly looks a bargain as you would expect – but since there are very few full-suspension e-bikes available at this price it would certainly be interesting to see what compromises have been made by the manufacturers to achieve that price.

Elsewhere the search for e-bike innovation continues in the shape of the interesting looking Skarper ‘it’ slated for arrival in 2023 with interesting looking disk brake drive technology and the remarkable looking ‘reverse three wheeler’ with independent front suspension from Afreda.

In this week’s e-bike news:

Walmart stocks sub $1500 full-sus e-bike
Skarper – newly announced ‘disk rotor drive’ kit
Meet REI Co-ops’ new compact style e-bikes
The incredible three-wheeled Afreda F6
Gecko cellular puncture proof tyres to crowdfund their lightest tires yet
More Bosch charging points for the UK’s National Cycle Network

E-bike News: Evelo Galaxy SL for Smaller Riders, Solar E-bikes and Much More!

This week’s news is an interesting mix in more ways than one. The Evelo Galaxy SL is from a brand who we’ve reviewed a lot and looks to cut a niche with a combination of high speed for smaller riders. And the latest Tenways single speed shows, despite rising prices seemingly everywhere, there are still high quality yet very well-priced e-bikes to be had.

Looking to where e-bikes might be heading in the future there might also be interesting clues in the form of the intriguing Basalt electric fat bike from Mokwheel, which claims also to be a solar powered charging station and in the field of micro electric vehicles we have the Nimbus titling tricycle microcar! All is explained below….

In this week’s e-bike news:

Evelo Galaxy SL – a speed pedelec for smaller riders
Tenways CGO800S – a high quality city e-bike with a great price tag
Mokwheel’s Basalt includes a solar power station
Solar-power e-bikes roll out in East Africa
Nimbus, the latest light electric vehicle available for pre-order

Electrify Expo 2022: The Coolest E-Bikes (and Sorta E-Bikes) On Show

If you were to swing by the grounds of the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center in southern California over the weekend of June 4 – 5, you could have test driven an electric car from the likes of Polestar, Lucid Motors or Toyota and then walked across the venue to another test track, and taken a spin on an electric bike or e-motorcycle.

The event, called the Electrify Expo, was the first stop in a national series of expos by the same name intended to showcase all sorts of electric vehicles. From e-skateboards to e-snowmobiles and e-bikes to electric cars, there was seemingly one of every form of electric transport on show. There was even at least one e-tractor, which drew a surprisingly large crowd and at least one audible “I’m not a farmer, but I want one” from one attendee.

Unlike the usual trade shows and events the Electric Bike Report team attends throughout the year, which are typically focused on performance cycling and dominated by traditional e-bike brands, the Electrify Expo drew a more eclectic crowd of EV enthusiasts and had suited auto industry execs rubbing shoulders with e-mobility inventors and small e-bike startups. It was an interesting crowd, but one that surely better reflected our readership and the greater e-bike consumer base.

As per usual at one of these shows, I scoured the venue for the latest, greatest and downright weirdest new and cool models the e-bike industry had on show. While I tried my best to stay focused on e-bikes, I admittedly strayed from my lane more than once and found myself test riding and photographing things that aren’t exactly e-bikes in the traditional sense.

Without further adieu, here’s some of the latest, greatest and downright weirdest EVs (mostly e-bikes) I saw and rode at the Electrify Expo Long Beach.

Ride1UP 500 Series Review, 2022

Ride1UP 500 Series Electric Bike Review - Header

Summary Review: Ride1UP 500 Series Electric Bike

An old problem reared its head while we were reviewing the Ride1UP 500 Series: Electric bikes are just really tough to sort into categories.. There’s just too many ways you could feasibly use an e-bike — or too many opinions chiming in — to neatly parse out who and what exactly a particular bike is best for. But by golly we try.

That’s why this review of the Ride1UP 500 Series was a bit tough to write. When the Electric Bike Report team sat down to debate how we’d describe this bike and define who exactly it was for, we hit a wall. Despite our different backgrounds and areas of expertise in the bicycling world — from racing to weekend path cruising and everything in between — we all really liked the 500 Series. Usually, there’s at least one among us who’s a detractor. Not this time.

The 500 Series is a comfort commuter at heart, but in reality it’s just a really good all-around e-bike for the money. It’s comfortable, sporty enough to throw around, has good battery life and doesn’t pretend to be some newfangled take on an eMTB or electric folder. We’re not trying to claim it’s perfect — we’ve got some gripes with the cadence sensor and battery readout that I’ll get into later — but you’ll be hard pressed to find a more versatile and well decked comfort e-commuter at this price

Our testers with a racing background liked how stable the bike felt at speed, and our testers that look for commutability appreciated its surprising range and comfort during longer stints in the saddle. Everyone, no matter their background, liked the 500 Series’ mellow yet satisfyingly torquey 500W motor.

Add this all together, and Ride1UP has given you a solid option for anyone looking for one bike that can wear many different hats and won’t break the bank.

*The Ride1Up 500 Series is no longer being sold. However, the brand has several enticing models in the same vein you might be interested in:
Ride1Up LMTD 2 Review
Ride1Up Roadster V3 Review
Ride1Up Turris Review

GEN3 The Flex Review 2022

GEN3 The Flex Review: Overview

The Flex from GEN3 is a Class 2 hybrid electric bike that’s designed to span multiple styles of riding. The Flex’s sporty design mixed with a 21-gear range and 500W rear hub motor make The Flex a good casual commuter or a nice option for the exercise-oriented cyclist.

This GEN3 The Flex review revealed there is more to this hybrid than we were initially expecting, between its lively handling characteristics and fast rolling speeds The Flex is a hard bike to ignore when looking into budget-friendly hybrid e-bikes.

GEN3’s sporty hybrid e-bike combines the benefits of having an electric bike with a gear range that still allows the rider to get a good workout if they so please. The Flex also has puncture resistant tires with a versatile tread pattern and a suspension fork with 100mm of travel. This makes for good on-road and off-road riding.

Throughout our time with The Flex, we conducted numerous tests to get a better understanding of how the bike performs on steep hill climbs, how it stops, how comfortable it is and how long the battery lasts. Between all of our tests and sections in this write up you should have a good understanding of if The Flex is the right Class 2 hybrid e-bike for you.

Fiido D11 Review 2024

Summary Review: Fiido D11 Electric Bike

The Fiido D11 review process gave me a new appreciation for foldable electric bikes and e-bikes with less wattage and power. Typically, I’ve thought about e-bikes having lots of power for flattening hills and lugging cargo but that’s not the only way they’re designed.

E-bikes like the Fiido D11 show how less is more when executed properly. The D11’s foldable design and unique battery placement provided me with a unique experience that didn’t feel much like some other e-bikes. It feels like a gentlemen’s dapper bicycle designed for efficiency and aesthetics as opposed to power and torque.

Not only does the Fiido D11 fold down compactly, it also allows you to ride a bike first and have assistance second; you’re never going to be in awe of the D11’s power, but that’s not the point. With lower top speeds than your average e-bike comes a different experience that’s based more around smelling the roses, convenient commuting and enjoying your bike ride. Whether you’re commuting a couple of miles or riding around the neighborhood, the Fiido D11 will be ready.

Sponsor

Bike Category: City & Urban/Folding eBikeThe Fiido D11 is a lightweight foldable city bike capable of 15 mph

Bike Class: Class 1 Pedal and throttle assist, up to 15 mph

Aventon Level Step-Through Review 2022

Aventon Level Step-Through Review: Overview

*For a look at a review of the Aventon Level.2 Step-Through (ST), click here.

The Aventon Level Step-Through is a Class 3 commuter electric bike that combines sleek looks with a powerful motor and battery. The end result? A smooth riding commuter e-bike with fast acceleration and high average speeds, making for an efficient and exciting ride experience.

Our team has been familiar with Aventon for quite some time. Earlier this year we reviewed several other Aventon e-bikes – The high-step Level, Aventure, and Pace 500 – all of which proved themselves to be quality electric bikes.

I was eager to review the Aventon Level step-through to see how it’s different from the standard Level we reviewed in March.

Nearly identical to its standard counterpart, the obvious change made to the step-through Level is the absence of a top tube on the frame. This can change a bike’s handling characteristics, so that, combined with a handful of small changes Aventon made to the bike since we last reviewed it, left me wondering how the step-through would ride.

In short, despite their similarities, I quickly realized during testing that the step-through version of the Level has its own personality and characteristics that are notably different from the version we reviewed earlier this year.

E-bike News: New Mercedes N+ E-bikes, West Coast Highway Charging and Much More!

Mercedes are serious about e-bikes…..It was only December of last year that EBR reported on their launch models. Now comes the news of a renaming of the models but with extra, higher spec tech included and a new dual motor model. This is clearly not the common car industry marketing ploy of putting a manufacturer’s name on an existing e-bike and having little else to do with it; Mercedes are clearly looking to carve out their own distinctive space in the e-bike world.

Will others follow suit? German language reports suggest that Citroën Electric Bikes may be about to launch their first e-bikes in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in the coming months. Initial images are rather disappointing, suggesting a less than powerful rear hub motor and rim brakes rather than disks. EBR will keep you posted on developments.

In this week’s e-bike news:

Mercedes expands its N+ e-bike offering
E-bike charging stations on the West Coast Electric Highway
Giant’s Lifestyle Momentum e-bikes arrive in the UK
France’s Upway get serious about the used e-bike market
EMTB grand test results reveal trends
Shimano now handing third party batteries on STEPS in North America
Gocycle drop prices on G4 e-folders

Nutcase Baby Nutty Helmet Review

Bike rides make for classic family fun, but having quality safety gear is essential before the good times can be had. So for this Nutcase Baby Nutty helmet review, myself and the Electric Bike Report team really wanted to make sure it was safe and had all the essential features for taking the little ones out for a joyride.

Our EBR team includes several parents. So while reviewing the Baby Nutty helmet we had each team member with kids weigh in and give their feedback around 3 main questions: Is it safe? Are the features worthwhile? Do we like the overall value?

By the end of this review hopefully you’ll have satisfactory answers to those three questions, and any others you might have regarding the Nutcase Baby Nutty.

Fox Mainframe MIPS Helmet Review

The Fox Mainframe MIPS helmet is a fairly priced, eye-catching mountain bike helmet that includes MIPS technology, optimized venting and extended impact coverage all while still being under $100 USD. In this Fox Mainframe MIPS review we’ll get into the fit and form of the budget-priced helmet from one of the most recognizable names in the cycling industry.

The Mainframe has fast become one of the Electric Bike Report team’s go-to helmets for e-bike reviewing, and in total we’ve racked up close to 150 miles wearing the Mainframe. Thankfully, we haven’t had to put its impact protection to the test (yet), but it’s arguably one of the most affordable MIPS-equipped lids on the market.

Fox Mainframe MIPS Helmet Review - side angle

At less than $100, the Fox Mainframe is one of the cheapest MIPS-equipped lids on the market.

E-bike News: Walmart goes sub-$1500 full-sus, Afreda 3-wheeler and Much More!

E-bike News: Evelo Galaxy SL for Smaller Riders, Solar E-bikes and Much More!

Electrify Expo 2022: The Coolest E-Bikes (and Sorta E-Bikes) On Show

Ride1UP 500 Series Review, 2022

Summary Review: Ride1UP 500 Series Electric Bike

GEN3 The Flex Review 2022

GEN3 The Flex Review: Overview

Fiido D11 Review 2024

Summary Review: Fiido D11 Electric Bike

Aventon Level Step-Through Review 2022

Aventon Level Step-Through Review: Overview

E-bike News: New Mercedes N+ E-bikes, West Coast Highway Charging and Much More!

Nutcase Baby Nutty Helmet Review

Fox Mainframe MIPS Helmet Review

About

Guides

Reviews

What’s Trending

Blog

Summary Review: Ride1UP 500 Series Electric Bike

GEN3 The Flex Review: Overview

Summary Review: Fiido D11 Electric Bike

Aventon Level Step-Through Review: Overview

Don’t be a stranger, stay connected

Subscribe to our newsletter

About

Guides

Reviews

What’s Trending