FLX Babymaker 2 E-Bike Review 2024

Before we say anything about this e-bike’s range, we need to point out that part of this bike’s appeal is how the battery is hidden and the rear hub is small enough that it doesn’t scream e-bike. Is there a need to hide the battery? Of course not, but it does make for a stealthy appearance.

In Electric Bike Report’s testing, our test rider covered 45.2 mi. in PAS 2 in 3:32, for an average speed of 12.8 mph. And in PAS 5 the FLX Babymaker 2 covered 21.5 mi. in 1:23 for an average of 15.5. We were pleased overall, but the combination of a very small display and ongoing use of the fun speed (PAS 5) did result in a half-hour ride home on PAS 0 after I ran the battery down.

The natural question is what this bike would be had FLX not decided to keep the battery hidden. Would the bike benefit from the increased range that comes with a larger battery that is only integrated? In all likelihood one of the bike’s best features—its agile demeanor—would be compromised.

Because the FLX Babymaker 2 is a throttle-free Class 3 e-bike, we did not perform a throttle test on our infamous .3–mi. hill that is called Hell Hole. It’s easy to make the mistake of thinking that just because an e-bike has “only” a 350W motor that it won’t show much power This e-bike shows how wrong such an assumption can be.

In its PAS 5 ascent of Hell Hole, the FLX Babymaker 2 flew up it in just more than a minute—67 seconds—for an average speed of 16.2 mph. Our tester who performed the hill evaluation did attack the hill as if he was riding a fixie—out of the saddle.

When I went up hell hole to answer the question of ‘what would this be like if i didn’t feel like standing?’ the motor helped me as much as possible, but the bike did struggle a bit to reach the top.

More than anything, that illustrates a truism of single-speed bikes: They are best-suited to places where the hills are modest rather than full San Francisco. If you’re riding it true to the bike’s style you’ll find that comparatively, it’s a great hill-climber.

Even though the FLX Babymaker 2 is a Class 3 e-bike with a maximum speed of 28 mph, that’s not to say riders won’t feel a need for powerful brakes. The Magura hydraulic disc brakes are paired with 180mm rotors and do a fine job of keeping the Babymaker 2 under control. That sense of control can be useful when someone gets a first taste of this thing’s acceleration.

In our brake test we brought the FLX Babymaker 2 to a stop in 18-feet-1, a very respectable distance. We appreciate brakes that allow for a light touch and offer broad modulation and these Magura brakes performed admirably.

The Magura brakes don’t come with a cutoff switch which allows a rider to slow the Babymaker 2 while pedaling and ride at a controlled pace below 10 mph. That’s a handy thing for anyone negotiating bike paths with kids, strollers, skateboards and dogs. The motor’s tendency to take the rider right up to 14 mph on low PAS makes being in tight quarters with other users not especially fun. I prefer dragging the brakes and holding a steady pace to the on-off-on again of the motor’s surge followed by hitting the brakes.

The snappy handling and demeanor of the FLX Babymaker 2 isn’t just due to its frame geometry. The ultra-stiff aluminum fork and the relatively narrow 28mm-wide tires contribute to the bike’s zippy feel.

Added up, these features along with the aluminum frame mean that the FLX Babymaker 2 isn’t the most comfortable bike to ride. Think of it as the stiff suspension of a sports car. It’s hard to make a bike that has the lightning-fast behavior of a racing bike and give it the comfort of a cruiser. Those qualities are essentially opposites. For anyone wondering what to expect in comfort, the key is to look at tire width—the wider the tire, the more comfortable the rider will be because bigger tires can be run at lower pressure and these are narrow tires.

With a short stem and a 620mm-wide handlebar the steering is as precise as it is immediate. The ergonomic grips sport a faux leather covering.

Now, a word on the saddle: Most saddles we encounter on e-bikes are on the large side, full of padding and reasonably comfortable. The saddle on the FLX Babymaker 2 typifies what we find on fixies—a racing saddle with less padding than a startup’s budget. For long-term comfort on the Babymaker 2 the trick here is to buy actual bike shorts—not just stretchy Lycra shorts, but ones with the pad sewn into the shorts. The idea is to put the padding right where it needs to be—under the rider’s caboose.

The FLX Babymaker 2 is offered in two different sizes and normally that excites us, but in this case, even more, sizes would have been nice. The issue is that in this style of bike, the two tubes that determine a bike’s size (the top tube and seat tube) are rather long. While the Large/XL is likely to fit many taller men, the Small/Medium is unlikely to be comfortable for anyone shorter than say 5-feet-7 or so. That’s largely attributed to the 31″ step-over height of the top tube even on the smaller frame.

One of our few criticisms of the FLX Babymaker 2 is the tiny display. It’s mounted out near the grip and the farther from the stem the display is, the harder it is to read. Compounding that is that other than current speed almost nothing else can be read while riding (despite the presence of battery, odometer, and PAS level).

Provided the buyer is well-suited to the size, the FLX Babymaker 2 is comfortable enough for the style of bike that it is, and a very exciting ride.

So what’s the takeaway at the end of this FLX Babymaker 2 review? The hub motor and the hidden battery do a great job of allowing FLX to produce an e-bike that pays respect to the fixie ethos. We loved how nimble and quick accelerating this bike is. And because it’s an e-bike and not an actual fixie we appreciated the choice of hydraulic disc brakes instead of rim calipers. You want to be prepared for anything with e-bikes and the superior braking power of hydraulic brakes is a plus.

The Gates Belt Drive means a drivetrain that virtually needs no maintenance and won’t ever get anything dirty. That they managed all this and kept the bike to just 35 lbs. and well under $2000 is a real achievement.

For anyone wanting to mix thrilling handling with the practicality of commuting, FLX offers a “touring” package that includes fenders, lights, a rear rack, a bottle cage and even a mini-tool. This helps cast a wider net of appeal for different users.

With its 28mm-wide tires, this bike is meant for the road. This is an urban bike for urban riding.

The marketing for this e-bike is pointed towards younger adult crowds, and at a glance may not appeal to everyone who might otherwise dig this design. But once someone looks past the bike’s name and really looks at its substance, this e-bike can do little other than impress for anybody at any stage of life looking for a snappy handling bike that’s great for pedaling and navigating a city. This is a triumph of technology and creativity; an e-bike like this wasn’t even possible ten years ago and is good enough to make our staff ask, “With e-bikes this good, why wouldn’t you think of buying one?”

This FLX Babymaker 2 review model was immensely popular with our testers because it has the ability to make every ride exciting. Interested in buying one? Click on the button above and you can have one shipped right to your door.

‘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 FLX Babymaker 2.