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Electric Bike Company Radical Scooter Review, 2021

Summary Review: Radical Scooter

We’ve had pretty positive experiences with the electric bikes we’ve reviewed from the Electric Bike Company. So we were pretty excited to review their Radical Scooter.

The Electric Bike Company is known for making comfortable, powerful electric cruiser bikes, and they managed to bring this look and feel to the electric scooter market with the Radical Scooter. Thanks to its generous suspension, tires, and moped-style seat, you can explore almost anywhere with comfort and ease.

The fast 350W motor on this e-scooter lives up to its promised expectations of 20 mph on straights, and it performs admirably on hills as well. You’ll be able to zip around town with little trouble, and thanks to the safety of lights on the front, back, and sides, you’ll be riding with a highly visible profile.

Taller and larger riders will appreciate the wide deck pad, adjustable stem, robust suspension, strong hydraulic braking power, and 250-pound weight limit. Three assist levels–eco, mid and high–allow you to ride at a leisurely pace through a park or at max speed for your workday commute.

For long commutes, the comfortable moped-style seat ensures you’ll be fresh and energetic when you arrive at your destination. And the wide handlebars and cushy grips mean your shoulders and hands will be too.

There is plenty to love about this feature-heavy, powerful, value-driven scooter. Read on to learn more in our full performance review of the Radial Scooter by the Electric Bike Company!

[Read more…] about Electric Bike Company Radical Scooter Review, 2021

eBike News: Diamondback and Cannondale Speed Pedelcs, eBike Hydrofoils & Much More!

In this week’s news:

Class 3 e-bikes – or speed pedelecs as they are known in Europe – seem to be flavour of the moment, with no less than five new models from quality brand names appearing on the scene this week. There is also further evidence, this time from the UK, of the trend for ‘crossover’ e-bikes or those that blend attributes from different traditional genres of bike in an attempt to make an e-bike that ‘does more’ and will appeal to a wider audience. And if you have ever wondered how you can e-bike on water this week’s news will tell you just how!

  • New Class 3 28mph Machines from Diamondback and Cannondale
  • Cairn’s New BRAVe 2.0
  • Cycling Between England’s Cathedrals and Across New Zealand’s Cook Strait (by eHydrofoil!)
  • England & Wales Bike Theft Heat Map
  • Driving Ban for Drunk UK eScooter Rider
  • Portland’s Hawthorne Avenue Bike Lane Controversey
  • Bikebiz Tells the Story of Chinese eBikes

[Read more…] about eBike News: Diamondback and Cannondale Speed Pedelcs, eBike Hydrofoils & Much More!

eBike News: Specialized, Gocycle, & Ribble Launch New E-Bikes, Aramid eBikes and Much More!

In this week’s news:

A busy week for the electric bike world with new bikes debuting from some of the better known manufactures from the US and the UK. Gocycle announced an update to their award-winning lineup with the G4. Meanwhile, Specialized’s Turbo Como SL packs quite a lot into a bike that weighs in at less than 40 lbs. Ribble also joined the lightweight e-bike news with their gravel bike that managed to stay below 30 lbs. In addition to bike announcements, there were some fascinating advancements in bike tech with noteworthy frame and belt innovation. Here’s a quick look at all of the biggest news of the week: [Read more…] about eBike News: Specialized, Gocycle, & Ribble Launch New E-Bikes, Aramid eBikes and Much More!

Ribble Launches Stealthy New Electric Gravel Bike, The Ribble Gravel Al e

Summary Review: The Ribble Gravel Al e

The British bike manufacturer that’s made a name for itself as a maker of lightweight electric bikes has added a new, slightly dirtier featherweight to its lineup of on and off-road e-bikes.

Performance bike brand Ribble launched its all new electric gravel bike this week, the Gravel AL e. The aluminum-framed rig clocks in at just under 14kg (about 30lbs for us Americans), comes stock with Shimano’s gravel-specific GRX groupset and — best of all — starts at the affordable price of $3,100 USD.

The Gravel AL e is one of the stealthiest e-bikes we’ve seen at Electric Bike Report, and at first glance hardly looks like an e-bike at all. A 250Wh Panasonic battery is hidden inside the non-oversized frame and the 250W MAHLE Ebikemotion X35+ hub motor laced to the rear wheel is almost entirely tucked behind the wide-range GRX cassette.

“Gravel riding has been embraced by the team at Ribble and continues to evolve covering everything from extreme racing, all-out adrenalin chasing through to the bikepacking adventurer. Our new Gravel AL e has been created from a vast wealth of experience and design expertise, incorporating new R&D technologies and specific off-road details that will enable riders to experience trails in an extremely new and exciting way,” wrote Andy Smallwood, Ribble’s CEO, in a press release announcing the bike.

[Read more…] about Ribble Launches Stealthy New Electric Gravel Bike, The Ribble Gravel Al e

First Look: Specialized Unveils New Turbo Como Sl Commuter Bikes

Specialized-turbo-ComoSL-profile-2021Continuing to buck the trend of bigger motors and more power, Specialized on Wednesday released the new Turbo Como SL electric commuter bike — the latest addition to the brand’s groundbreaking lineup of lightweight electric bikes.

First introduced in 2019, the Specialized Super Light powerplant is touted as one of the most technologically advanced e-bike drive systems on the planet. Across the range, which includes an electric road bike, an eMTB and an electric city bike — SL e-bikes are claimed to be about 40 percent lighter than traditional e-bikes in the same categories. The SL lineup also places greater emphasis on the “bike” part of e-bikes, featuring a carefully tuned power delivery to replicate the feel of riding a traditional bicycle.

Now, Specialized has trickled-down that revolutionary drive system to a totally redesigned version of the Turbo Como electric commuter bike.

Same Como Name, New Como Design

It’s hard to deny the new Turbo Como SL’s good looks.

Seriously. Tell me with a straight face that this isn’t a really, really nice looking commuter.

The new Turbo Como SL is a Class 3 e-bike, which means its 240w motor will give you pedal assistance up to 28 mph, and comes in two spec levels. The Turbo Como SL 4.0 ($4,000) comes with a 5-speed Nexus internally geared drivetrain from Shimano and the Turbo Como SL 5.0 ($4,800) comes with a 8-speed Alfine internally geared drivetrain paired with a Gates carbon belt drive.
[Read more…] about First Look: Specialized Unveils New Turbo Como Sl Commuter Bikes

Gocycle Launches the G4 Lineup, Its 4th Generation of Folding E-Bikes


Iconic British electric bike company Gocycle launched its fourth generation of folding e-bikes on March 30, featuring an all-new motor, a lighter weight frame and a new carbon fiber chassis and fork.

Weight savings and a new motor are the big takeaways from this new generation of fast folders, as new carbon fiber bits and the addition of other lightweight materials have shaved a claimed 2.2 lbs off the bike. Electric folding bikes have been plagued by their heavy motors and batteries since they became popular, making them slightly more cumbersome and less portable than their non-motorized counterparts. Gocycle’s been gunning for a solution to this since the company released its first e-bike in 2008, and their latest iteration is the lightest yet. The first two models in Gocycle’s three-bike G4 lineup weigh in at 37 lbs each. The high-end G4i+ clocks in a pound lighter at 36lbs, according to the company’s press materials. In addition to the carbon fiber, the company says it has worked to shave weight from wherever it can on the bike — even the disc brake rotors are lighter than previous models.
[Read more…] about Gocycle Launches the G4 Lineup, Its 4th Generation of Folding E-Bikes

eBike News: Calbike’s $10 Million eBike Affordability Campaign, Specialized Turbo Levo 2022, UK Budget eBikes and Much More [VIDEOS]

In this week’s news:

  • Calbike Campaign for $10 Million from State Funds to Ensure eBike Affordability
  • 2022 Specialized Turbo Levo Announced
  • New eBikes from COBOC and GT
  • Airless Tires from NASA
  • New Book on World’s Best Cycle Routes
  • More Low Priced eBikes For the UK
  • Rad Power Bikes eBike Exercise Test
  • Plus All the Latest eBike Biz and Legal News

Headline News

Calbike’s $10 Million Affordability Campaign

‘E-bikes are the greenest electric vehicle. They deserve the same state support as electric cars.’

So states Calbike’s latest campaign, for e-bike affordability. 

Calbike point out what they see as the inequity of California giving a $7,000 rebate to people who buy electric cars, on top of federal tax credits, but zero to people who want e-bikes.
[Read more…] about eBike News: Calbike’s $10 Million eBike Affordability Campaign, Specialized Turbo Levo 2022, UK Budget eBikes and Much More [VIDEOS]

Specialized Dropped The New Turbo Levo E-mtb, And Boy Does It Look Rowdy


One of the most popular electric mountain bikes on the market just got an update. The new 2022 Specialized Turbo Levo boasts up to a 5 hour range, more suspension and — brace for it — up to a $15,000 price tag.

It’s also sporting a mullet.

Specialized is the latest company to mix wheel sizes on its eMTBs, spec’ing the 2022 Turbo Levo with a 29 inch wheel in the front and 27.5 inch in the rear — a setup affectionately called the mullet. The larger wheel in the front helps the bike plow through crud and bumps while the smaller wheel in the back makes it a little more lively in the turns. The bike comes with 160mm of travel in the front fork (10mm more than the fork fitted to the 2021 Turbo Levo) and 150mm in the rear shock, placing it squarely in the mid-range of suspension sizes for modern enduro bikes and on the high end of the all mountain category.

The Turbo Levo Is Packing A Lot Into Its Motor And Battery:

The bike is equipped with Specialized’s Turbo Full Power 2.2 motor that pumps out 90 Nm of torque and 565 watts of peak power. That power is managed by a carefully-tuned motor controller that Specialized says will keep the power delivery smooth and controlled, closely matching your own natural pedaling and keeping the rear tire under control. The rider can tune, control and monitor the bike’s performance from the toptube-mounted MasterMind Turbo Control Unit, which has a small indicator screen mounted just behind the headset.

The battery is a 700Wh unit that claims up to a 5 hour ride time. A rider can even input their expected duration or distance into the Smart Control app and the bike will automatically ration your support level so you don’t run out of battery part way through a ride. The bike comes stock with a 64.5 degree head angle that can be adjusted between 63 degrees and 65.5.
[Read more…] about Specialized Dropped The New Turbo Levo E-mtb, And Boy Does It Look Rowdy

eBikeNews: Kent Kid’s eBike, Gazelle Family Cargo, Eunorau AWD & Lots More! [VIDEOS]

In this week’s news:

  • Kent’s $498 Children’s eBike
  • Gazelle’s New Family-friendly eCargo Bike
  • Moustache 28mph Pedelec with Dual Battery Option
  • Eunorau Defender S All Wheel Drive Crowdfunds
  • Speed Pedelec Helmets and Tyres
  • Plus All the Latest On eBike Finance, Infrastructure and Industry

New eBikes and eBike Systems

Kent’s $498 Kid’s eBike Now in Walmart

Kent’s kids’ eBike has a BMX feel but also sports front suspension

Kent Bicycles is a long established and well-known name in the bike world and they have just launched their first kid’s e-bike, the Torpedo. 

It has 20″ wheels, is pedal assist only (no throttle) and comes with front suspension and V-brakes with power cutout triggers for when the brakes are activated, ensuring power is cut immediately.  It also has a 125 Wh capacity battery which Kent says should take you  15 miles in the lowest power setting.
[Read more…] about eBikeNews: Kent Kid’s eBike, Gazelle Family Cargo, Eunorau AWD & Lots More! [VIDEOS]

Swytch Electric Bike Conversion Kit Review – 2021

Electric bike conversion kits don’t really get the attention they deserve on many e-bike review sites; the best ones offer an economic and easy way into e-biking and a way to keep riding an existing bike, possibly your old-time favorite, that could do with a lease of life thanks to electric assist. I tested the Swytch Universal eBike conversion kit to see if it really did prove to be as easy and effective as it looked on paper.

Last Updated: March 17, 2021
Review and photos: Richard Peace
Tested By: Richard Peace

Swytch are a UK-based company and since their formation in 2017 has been on a mission; to produce the most versatile, lightweight retrofit electric assist system out there. They have chosen a straightforward-looking system of front hub motor ready-spoked into a rim, handlebar-mounted battery and controller and a pedal sensing disc to provide motor power when the rider starts pedaling (there is also a throttle option, not tested here).

Swytch’s big selling point is the very wide range of bikes that their kit will convert to electric assist; in fact, they boast they can convert any bike to electric assist with the exception of those whose front wheels feature hub brakes or thru-axles, both relatively unusual designs. They even say the kit can be made to fit most recumbents, trikes and tandems though they request you contact [email protected] to discuss exact details of how it will fit your particular bike if it’s a relatively unusual design like these examples.

It also claims to be the world’s smallest and lightest electric assist kit. Whilst there are a few other kits out there that would contest this claim it certainly is one of the lightest electrification options out there.

Our bottom line on the Swytch retrofit system: Should convert the vast majority of ‘unpowered’ bikes out there to electric assist relatively simply and, if you order in advance, should do it at a great price.

[Read more…] about Swytch Electric Bike Conversion Kit Review – 2021

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