Lectric XPeak E-Bike Review: First Ride & Impressions
Lectric takes aim at the wildly popular 26” X 4” fat bike category with features and pricing that’ll be hard to match.
We know from experience having reviewed a lot of fat tire e-bikes that there are TONS of companies popping out quality and affordable rides. So in such a hotly contested space where many brands are all vying for customers’ dollars, what did Lectric do to set the XPeak up for success? They’re going back to the same successful playbook they’ve used before: give it all the features people want, make sure it has a few claims nobody else does, and sell it at “how are they making money on this thing?” prices.
The XPeak has a 750W rear hub-motor (1310W Peak) with 85 Nm torque, a 48V, 14Ah (672Wh) battery, hydraulic disc brakes on 180mm rotors, and it comes in either a high step or step-thru frame. It comes as a class 2 ride, but can be changed to class 1 or 3. Of course, let’s not forget what puts the “fat” in fat bike as it comes with Chaoyang 26” X 4” tires. As an added bonus, they come with slime pre-installed to encourage you to head offroad and have some fun and hopefully not allow a thorn or two to get in the way of riding.
While those are the commonly-found specs shoppers go looking for in the electric fat tire market, the XPeak starts to separate itself with its suspension and durability, and of course, the price.
Lectric has equipped the XPeak with the RST Renegade spring fork with 80mm of travel. It’s a nicer fork than you typically find on these types of e-bikes, but Lectric said its inclusion was a must. Why? It helped them achieve the ISO 4210-10 rating: the eMTB standard for a bike holding up to the rigors of off-road riding. Lectric says the XPeak is the first sub-$2000 e-bike to receive that rating.
But the XPeak doesn’t just sneak in under $2000, it’s debuting at an MSRP of $1399. Those who snatch one up when preorders start on November 1st will only pay $1299, with shipping expected to start in January 2024.
The bike has everything it needs for success and now just needs to stick the landing. So how does it ride? Keep reading for all of our thoughts from our first ride review of the Lectric XPeak.
Right now you can get $553 in free accessories when you preorder an XPeak during Black Friday shopping! Click the button above, or head to our Black Friday E-Bike Deals page for more info.
*Editor’s Note: Updated Nov. 20th, 2023 to include award badge, and links to latest info and pricing.
Lectric XPeak: Bike Overview & Ride
One of the highlight qualities of a fat tire electric bike is its versatility. More often than not, I see them being ridden on city streets and bike paths (where the fat tires lend great stability and a bit more comfort), but they can definitely hit the local fire roads and mild double-track with gusto.
When Lectric invited us to their HQ to see the XPeak and learn first-hand what it could do, I was half-expecting a jaunt around an empty parking lot and cruising down the road a little way.
Boy was I wrong.
They threw us straight into the off-roading capabilities of the XPeak with a trip to some local dirt trails. If you’re going to get a fat tire e-bike durability tested to eMTB standards you may as well show that off I suppose!
The XPeak held up well making it up and over the numerous rocks in our path. While the majority of the course was dirt and gravel, there were a handful of smaller technical sections and larger rocks to climb too, and the XPeak got me through it all.
It’s a 70-ish lbs fat bike with 4” wide tires, so while it’s not nimble like an eMTB, it is still capable in many ways as the tread grabs the dirt well, and the tires are big enough to just bowl your way over most rocks.
The rear hub motor made it so I wasn’t breaking much of a sweat. After taking a minute to figure out the gear and PAS level best suited for the course, it was rather easy to keep up with our trail guide.
Whenever I’m riding offroad with an above-the-bar, push-button shifter I try to not shift too much if I can help it – it was maybe the only thing I wasn’t particularly stoked about on the XPeak. However, I found that sticking to the fourth gear and the third PAS level really was a good combo for climbing at a nice pace and pushing ahead when things mellowed out.
Lectric has worked on what they call their PWR programming of the motor. It focuses the output to certain power levels instead of just telling the bike to hit certain speeds. It makes it a nicer option than a typical cadence sensor-based hub motor which can sometimes give you too much juice when you pedal on a winding dirt road making it a little tougher to stay on the track.
Splitting the difference between the amount of power you need to climb rocky hills, without giving you too much speed is a little tricky on hub motors, but I think the programming here on the Lectric XPeak is a little nicer than what I would have expected from a different fat tire e-bike.
As far as comfort and control, the RST fork was pretty nice. I didn’t get a lot of time to set it up to my preferences, but I thought it overall had a good feel to it.
We’ll soon have an XPeak sent to us for more in-depth testing, but for now, I feel like the XPeak will ride as well as most other sub-$2000 fat bikes on dirt roads. Maybe even a bit better compared to typical cadence sensor ones, and the value proposition of the RST Renegade fork is pretty impressive.
Lectric XPeak Review: Specs and Features
Here are all the details on the specs and features we have available on the Lectric XPeak up to this point:
- Battery: 48V, 14Ah lithium-ion battery,
- Display: Black and White
- Motor: 750W (1310W peak) rear hub motor, 85Nm torque
- Controller: 24 Amp
- UL Certification: UL 2849
- Headlight: Included
- Taillights: Brakelight, included
- Throttle: Push lever
- Brakes: hydraulic disc, 180mm rotors
- Fork: RST Renegade Spring Fork, 80mm travel
- Frame: 6061 aluminum
- Drivetrain: Shimano Tourney 7-speed, 11-28t cassette, 46t chainring
- Grips: Rubber
- Saddle: Lectric
- Kickstand: included
- Pedals: Quick release
- Tires: Chaoyang Hippo Skin, 26” X 4” knobby tread
That’s a solid spec list that looks even better when you remember that it only costs $1299. Let’s highlight a few other points worth mentioning while we’re reviewing the Lectric XPeak though.
Motor
Lectric’s motors are a continually evolving project for them. While this is a similar 750W motor to what can be found on their XPedition model, it’s been refined. Lectric’s made an effort to reduce the motor noise, while still keeping the benefits of the PWR programming and the torque delivery that helps the motor go up almost any hill.
Pedals
Not something I typically highlight, but the quick-release pedals with pins for keeping your foot secure are a nice touch. It’s another uncommonly seen thing on a fat bike in this price range, and makes life a little bit easier if you plan on doing a lot of rougher, dirt-based riding.
Shipping / Assembly
This is the only active Lectric model being sold that doesn’t have some folding element to it. The folding stuff has made their other models ready to go out of the box once you had it unfolded, so the XPead will have a little assembly required.
Lectric made a concentrated effort to make putting the XPeak together as easy as possible and remove any fear the less-mechanically inclined of the world may have. The assembly is actually toolless. The front wheel uses a thru-axle attachment system so customers only need to get the wheel in place and insert and secure the axle then it’ll be ready to ride.
Pre Order Bonuses
Not only does pre-ordering save you a $100 off the MSRP, but Lectric is further incentivizing early adopters with a nice accessory package that includes both front and rear racks, front and rear baskets, fenders, a bike lock, and an elite headlight ($450 value).
And Lectric is keen to keep existing customers happy. If you’ve ordered a Lectric e-bike in the past, you can get the XPeak for $1199.
EBR’s final thoughts on the Lectric XPeak:
One of the biggest surprise new releases of the year, we’ve named the XPeak to our list of best e-bikes!
Lectric has carved out a massive slice of the e-bike market while offering bikes that only had 20” tires. The XPeak and its 26” size tires are definitely going to open the door to new customers who may have written off some other models due to their size.
So far, Lectric has one of the most popular e-bikes in all of America with the fan-favorite XP 3.0 model. Their recent releases of an electric cargo bike (the Lectric XPedition ), and an electric trike (the XP Trike) have quickly become top sellers in their respective categories. So why not expect the XPeak to do the same amongst fat bikes?
We’re still in the early stages of e-bike adoption. To navigate through those early stages you need to motivate the curious onlookers with prices that are palatable, and Lectric is hell-bent on making sure they have the most affordable (but still worthwhile) e-bikes around. And a 26” X 4” fat tire is sure to grab the attention of riders who are on the big and tall side, or those looking for a proper tire size for going off-road. At that price, it’ll be hard to see other companies matching it’s value. So long as the XPeak rides well, it’s poised to be an e-bike that many will flock to.
For such a heavy bike, I need a rack that doesn’t break the bank to transport. I can put my current e-mountain bike (50 lbs) in the back of my truck but at 70 lbs plus, I won’t be able to do that. Thoughts?
We have a list of the best bike racks for that! Anything from Hollywood typically gets high marks. And don’t forget that you can take out the battery to reduce the weight and make things easier to transport.