Espin Sport Review 2024

The Espin Sport’s 48V, 13.6Ah (652.8Wh) battery left a little to be desired in our range testing, especially when compared to other e-bikes we’ve reviewed of similar makes and battery specs.

We tested the Sport’s battery life twice during the review period, once in PAS 5 and the next time in PAS 2. In the PAS 2 test, the Sport lasted 36.34 miles before dying. Kick the power up to PAS 5, and the range we recorded fell to 16.01 miles.

Both of those results are short of what we’d expect from a bike with a 652.8Wh battery and 500W rear hub motor. The Rad Power Bikes RadCity 5 Plus we just reviewed, which for context is a similarly spec’d electric commuter that costs a few hundred dollars more than the Espin, clocked a 51.39 mile range in PAS 2 and a 31.10 mile range in PAS 5. Like the Espin it too has a 500W rear hub motor and its battery is a hair larger at 672Wh to the Espin’s 652.8Wh — a difference in watt hours that doesn’t explain the marked difference in range test results.

Though shorter than expected, I’d still qualify the Espin Sport’s range as passing for an electric commuter, especially if you don’t max out the power settings for the entirety of your ride. Few commuters are going to log more than 20 miles a day on their e-bike, so it’s reasonable to think the Espin would cover that distance with just a little careful battery management.

Uphill, the Espin Sport is no rocketship but it is very capable of climbing steeper-than-average hills easily using pedal assistance and even on throttle power alone.

We tested the Espin’s climbing prowess twice on our test hill Hell Hole, first using just the throttle and again using PAS 5. In each, the Espin put up a confidence inspiring time.

Hell Hole is a third-of-a-mile long section of bike path with a 12 percent gradient on average, which is plenty long and plenty steep to put even the most powerful e-bikes we’ve reviewed into difficulty. But despite our hill’s reputation, the Espin Sport’s 500W motor held its own.

In PAS 5, the Espin Sport cleared Hell Hole in 1:16.00 with an average speed of 14.3 mph and in the throttle only test it made it to the top in 1:40.00 with an average speed of 10.8 mph. Both of those results are about what we expected from this descently powerful but refreshingly lightweight electric commuter bike.

Despite the aforementioned issues we had with the rear brake, the Espin Sport performed surprisingly well in the brake test portion of the review.

In five full-power stops from 20 mph, the Sport came to a stop in an average distance of 13-feet-2-inches, which is several feet better than the current all-time average of 15-feet-8-inches.

Considering I was almost entirely relying on the front brake alone during the test, that’s an incredibly impressive result that speaks volumes to the efficacy of the Zoom brakes when they are functioning properly. What makes me stop short of waxing poetic about these brakes is that I am concerned about their quality, and the likelihood that other consumers out there might have a similar problem with one or both of the brakes as we did.

When it comes to reviewing affordable e-bikes, brakes are arguably the toughest component to evaluate, especially when we’re talking about brakes made by new or lesser known manufacturers. Obviously the first consideration is whether or not they work safely and reasonably well, which, in the case of at least the front brake on the Espin Sport, the Zoom brake does appear to work well.

But engineering a functioning hydraulic brake system is only half the battle. The next half of the battle — which name brand companies like Shimano, Tektro and SRAM excel at — is how much engineering forethought has been put into how they can be repaired when something goes wrong. This is the part that gives me pause with these affordably priced and lesser known brake manufacturers: While they often work well when functioning properly, they’re often difficult or impossible to service when they’re not functioning properly.

There is some information on how to bleed the Zoom brakes online, a process that appears to involve generic syringes, hydraulic oil borrowed from other brake brands and a procedure that makes the bike mechanic in me scratch my head. My guess is that, if you had an issue similar to the one we had with the Espin Sport’s squishy rear brake, a shop likely will struggle to service the Zoom brakes. In all likelihood, they’ll suggest replacing the brakes instead of repairing them.

The Espin Sport’s handling and comfort were highlights of this review process. Espin did a great job building an e-bike that has balanced handling and a geometry that’s both comfortable and descently efficient.

In corners, the Sport is predictable and confidence inspiring at higher speeds or tight situations. There’s no indication of understeer or oversteer, and the bike handles nicely when cruising near its top motor assisted speed of 20 mph.

Comfort wise, Espin made smart decisions by using plain-old rubber grips that lock to the handlebars, a Selle Royal comfort saddle and by using an overarching geometry that places the rider in an upright position that’s athletic enough to take advantage of their leg power.

The rest of the cockpit is fairly standard with a full-color LCD display and a thumb throttle.

Overall the Espin Sport is a good contender in the affordable electric commuter category.

It’s a quick bike with a 500W rear hub motor, good looks and (mostly) good componentry. It also costs a few hundred dollars less than many of the other e-bikes in its category, which always makes it appealing to those on a budget or who are buying their first e-bike.

There are a handful of issues that cropped up in our review process, including the short range and issues with the rear brake, but those problems are either passable or fixable. More than anything, they’re factors to keep in mind if you’re considering this e-bike.

With a little troubleshooting and possibly some repair costs, our review model of the Espin Sport will likely turn out to be a formidable commuter. I’ll reiterate that the battery issue isn’t so much of an issue as it’s just shorter than we expected, and for the brakes, that’s a problem that could happen to any e-bike with cheap brakes; it just so happened it reared its head on this one. Are those issues enough for me not to recommend the Espin Sport? No — I still think this is a good e-bike for a good price. There are just some things to mull over before buying.

If you like the Espin Sport you can buy it on Espin’s website and have it shipped direct to your door. There are also a handful of test ride locations around the U.S. should you want to give it a try before buying.

‘Happy Riding, make sure to let us know if you have any questions down in our comments section or if you think we left anything out in this review of the Espin Sport.