Lectric XPeak Review | Big, Burly, Surprisingly Quiet

When we survey our audience, what we consistently hear from people is that their two biggest concerns are hill climbing ability and range. For our range test of the Lectric XPeak, we performed two different test rides, one in its max PAS and another in PAS 1. We wanted to know what sort of performance riders could expect from this 672Wh battery.

For our max PAS test, we recorded a distance of 30.16 mi., which gave us an average speed of 18.2 mph. For our second test, we went out in PAS 1 and got a whopping 59.26 mi., though at a fairly leisurely pace of 8.5 mph.

When I compare this to other range results by fat-tire e-bikes with similarly-sized batteries, it stacks up well. Our typical results run 29-53 mi., so Lectric has come up with a design that is competitive.

I do have a caveat regarding the Lectric XPeak’s long-range result. PAS 1 may be slower than most riders want to ride. An 8.5 mph average speed is very leisurely. In Lectric’s own testing, their PAS 2 result was 44 mi., which sounds reasonable, especially considering our PAS 1 test exceeded their result of 55 mi. I expect people who want to maximize their range but want to move at a pace faster than a jog will be happier in PAS 2.

I foresee buyers using the Lectric XPeak mostly on the road with some forays off-road. People are more likely to find themselves using PAS 5 when on the road, and the ability to cover 30 mi. when going full-blast will definitely satisfy anyone looking for an e-bike that can provide a viable alternative to a car.

As to that other big consideration our readers tell us matters, its hill-climbing ability, we took it to Hell Hole to see how this 750W, brushless, geared hub motor stacks up. Justin took the Lectric XPeak up Hell Hole, our ⅓-mi., 12 percent bike path climb, making two different ascents—one on throttle alone and another while pedaling in PAS 5.

We were impressed with the Lectric XPeak’s performance, in part due to the fact that the motor produces 85Nm of torque. Not only did it turn in good times, but the motor wasn’t as noisy as we’ve experienced with some other e-bikes.

For his first climb up Hell Hole, Justin used just the throttle and recorded a time of 1:19, which gave him an average speed of 13.7 mph. Then, on his second climb, he set the Lectric XPeak to PAS 5 and pedaled up the hill in just 1:11, shaving eight seconds off for an average speed of 15.3 mph.

Those are terrific results. The Lectric XPeak’s times place it in the top 20 percent of all e-bikes we’ve tested. Consistency of performance isn’t something we get to look at too often, but I’m happy to note that when we tested a prototype of the Lectric XPeak some months ago, we got the same result down to the second.

Hell Hole is meant to tax motors and we couldn’t help but note how much quieter the Lectric XPeak’s motor is than many others we test. Considering how well it performed on this test, I’d recommend the Lectric XPeak to anyone who lives in a place where their riding will include a steady diet of hills.

With e-bikes equipped with hydraulic disc brakes, the question in our brake test is never whether the e-bike will stop. Rather, the question is how quickly does it stop.

As is our procedure, I went out with the Lectric XPeak and three times took it up to 20 mph and then stopped. Once I took the average of my three stops, I got a result of 22 feet 11 inches. Currently, our average result in this test for fat-tire e-bikes is roughly 22 feet, which makes the Lectric XPeak competitive with the other e-bikes we’ve tested.

Remember how I said we got the same result in the hill test with both the prototype and the production versions of the Lectric XPeak? Well, the production version of the Lectric XPeak stopped 1 foot 3 inches sooner than the prototype did.

I’m chalking the difference up to the fact that I was on the step-thru frame, which left me feeling more cramped and maybe a little top-heavy, whereas the step-over frame seems a better fit for me and my riding style, not an actual difference in brake performance. Confidence can have a notable impact on how hard a rider is willing to brake.

The Lectric XPeak fits with my idea of a fat-tire e-bike’s value proposition. Considering they tend to be a little heavier than other styles of e-bike, I think they need hydraulic disc brakes and these performed on a par with others we’ve tested.

I’ve gotten to know the XPeak quite well. I made a number of rides on the prototype when it was here a few months back. I like the handling overall.

Lectric says the step-over version of the XPeak will fit riders from 5 feet 7 up to 6 feet 5, while the step-thru will fit riders from 5 feet 2 up to 6 feet 3. I’m 6 feet 1 and felt like I was rather cramped on the step-thru frame. This suggests, as we see with many e-bikes, that it’s hard to make an e-bike that will fit people over a height range of a foot or more. The closer a rider is to the edges of those height ranges, the more likely it is that they may struggle to fit comfortably on that frame.

As I’ve noted before, the combination of fat tires and a suspension fork make this an especially comfortable ride. No matter where you might plan to ride, being in the saddle of the Lectric XPeak is to ride in style.

Lectric seems to be hell-bent on making the most affordable e-bike of any and every style. Just consider the recent news that they’ve introduced their first dedicated commuter and at a price that will turn heads. Trying to lead the pack in affordability isn’t always a winning formula. Some companies will cut corners to get there, but Lectric has earned our trust with their attention to quality as seen in moves such as securing UL 2849 certification.

Lectric includes several free items with the purchase of the XPeak. They consider the RST Renegade fork one of the freebies. They also include a fairly typical accessory package of fenders, front and rear lights, a rear rack, and a kickstand. But the free stuff doesn’t end there. They even include an extra 672Wh battery—a $500 value. Seriously, I don’t know how they do it (but that might be a promotional thing that doesn’t last forever).

There isn’t much that I can criticize on the Lectric XPeak. It performed very well on our hill, range, and brake tests. I’m not wild about the thumb shifter, but an upgrade there would surely result in a price increase—I didn’t think you could deliver this much e-bike at this price. I’d also like more color options, but more colors means more inventory, and that makes prices go up as well.

As tradeoffs go, I can live with them, considering just how much value Lectric has managed to squeeze into the XPeak.

The handful of minor differences between the prototype I rode and this production version have only served to solidify my existing opinions, both on the good points and that handful of quibbles. All this, and they even went to the trouble to have the frame set (frame, fork, stem, and handlebar) certified to ISO 4210-10 to demonstrate that it will stand up to the rigors of riding off-road.

Lectric’s ability to defy expectations about affordability and value have made their site a must-visit for anyone hoping to stretch their dollar as far as possible in an e-bike purchase. Their ability to deliver a quality e-bike at previously unseen price points continues to make us reevaluate our definition of value.

Put another way, you can spend more, but you have to ask yourself, do you really need to?

Happy Riding! Make sure to let us know if you have any questions or if you think we left anything out in this review of the Lectric XPeak down in our comments section.