Troxus Explorer Electric Bike Review, 2024

We perform our Range Test for a few reasons; first, to validate or refute the claims made by an e-bike’s manufacturer. We also use this test to evaluate the efficiency of the motor and battery pairing, as well as to determine if a battery’s capacity matches the needs of the motor and the design intent of the bike.

The Troxus Explorer’s 48V, 960 Watt-hour (Wh) battery has an unusually large capacity when compared to what we’ve seen on similar models, but one that we think matches the bike’s name and design intent. Troxus designed the Explorer to handle a wide variety of environments and to take its rider far; they advertise a range of between 30-62 miles. To establish their estimates, Troxus performed their own range testing on the Explorer “using a rider weight of 180lbs on 80% flat terrain,” as stated on the bike’s webpage.

In our testing, the bike achieved a distance of 24.7 miles using maximum assistance and 72 miles in PAS 1. We were very happy to see the Explorer’s results when using the minimum amount of assistance; considering the 10-mile-per-hour speed limit in this setting, we were unsure of how practical it was going to be. In most other cases, we would have increased our test setting to PAS 2, but with the Explorer’s jump to 15 mph there, we felt that it was better to be conservative.

In my experience, the Explorer still feels quite a bit like a non-electric bicycle in PAS 1, despite the benefit of its motor’s assistance. This setting takes the weight of the bike away and helps significantly on hills, so I do think it’s a practical setting for riders who still want to feel like they’re contributing to the experience. For this reason, I’m glad that we kept the bike in its lowest setting.

The Explorer’s result in PAS 5 is somewhat less exciting when compared to those of similar e-bikes, but it does match closely with Troxus’ claims. If we go by the math, a 960Wh battery should be able to power a 750W motor for roughly an hour and 15 minutes in this setting. We had slightly less time on the bike, but we don’t feel the difference is great enough to be concerned with; overall, the Explorer’s advertised range seems accurate.

As it is, the 25 miles we measured in PAS 5 should likely cover most adventures or commutes when traveling at its top speed of 28 miles per hour. As our Circuit Test results showed, the Troxus Explorer is also quite capable in its lower PAS settings – so if you need to travel farther, using the bike at lower speeds will provide extended range.

We chose our test hill due to its challenging nature; it’s not a slope that most riders would choose to pedal up on a traditional bicycle, and it exceeds the difficulty of most hills that riders are likely to encounter. Therefore, if an e-bike can make it to the top of Hell Hole, it should be much less likely to struggle on more average-sized hills.

Our first run with the Troxus Explorer used only the bike’s throttle. The bike made the climb in just under a minute and a half, with an average speed of 12.5 miles per hour. This isn’t the best performance we’ve seen from similar fat tire e-bikes, but the Explorer made it, so we can’t fault it too much for its speed.

The bike’s result when pedaling at PAS 5, however, was excellent! With an average speed of 16.2 mph and a time of one minute and seven seconds, the Explorer easily kept pace with some of the better hill-climbers we’ve tested. The Explorer didn’t set any new records, but its performance was absolutely solid, and much better than we expected after its throttle-only trip.

To see what the bike could do in its other PAS settings, I tried the Explorer on less-extreme hills outside of our hill test, and was impressed with its performance! In PAS 1, the bike easily climbed hills that have proven challenging to similar bikes in settings as high as PAS 3. The bike moved expectedly slowly in this setting, but I never felt uncomfortable. Its abilities improved even more as I increased the bike’s pedal assist setting, with more power and faster speed, and its motor never struggled or sounded strained. When pedaling uphill, this thing is a champ!

With Tektro hydraulic disc brakes on 180mm rotors, the Explorer’s average stopping distance was 21’-7”. This is about two feet greater than our average when looking only at the fat tire e-bikes we have tested, but certainly still within the expected range. At 83 lbs, the Explorer is decidedly on the heavier end of the e-bike weight spectrum, which likely had at least some influence on its brake performance.

We noticed that the rear wheel did have a tendency to lock up and skid when braking hard, but the bike’s size and weight were able to keep it stable and almost completely in line with its path of travel. All-in-all, we were happy with the bike’s performance and also with its overall braking feel!

As is common with e-bike braking systems, the Explorer’s brakes have a motor cutoff feature that prevents the brakes and the motor from competing to slow down the bike. When it comes to other safety features, there isn’t much to discuss aside from the included reflectors, headlight, and taillights.

While the headlight seems somewhat small and underpowered in the context of the rest of the bike, the taillights are a great feature. There are two taillights – one on each of the bike’s seat stays – that also function as flashing brake lights. This placement is becoming more commonplace, and for good reason; it allows for better visibility when carrying cargo on the rear rack that might otherwise cover a higher-placed single light on the underside of the saddle or the seatpost.

As a fat tire e-bike, the Troxus Explorer features puncture-resistant Kenda 26”x4” tires. These give the bike good traction on both paved and unpaved surfaces, and also help to soften the bike’s ride. In my experience, it handled well overall, although it is a large bike that feels its size in terms of maneuverability.

It’s worth mentioning that the Explorer comes in just a single frame size, which Troxus claims can accommodate riders between 5’-4” and 6’-10”. This seemed on the broad side to us, but we did our due diligence by having various testers between 5’-4” and 6’-5” ride the bike. All of those riders thought that the Explorer felt comfortable – so color us impressed!

While the Explorer is by no means an all-terrain e-bike or eMTB (we’ve seen plenty of similar e-bikes marketed as such), I did try it out briefly on sand and dirt to see how it would perform. To be clear: the bike is a hardtail, so it’s always going to be fairly stiff in rugged terrain, but I was generally pleased with its performance. The front suspension fork handled bumps well despite being a budget-tier component, and the bike’s tires carved nicely through loose ground. The Explorer’s motor did seem to struggle a little, especially in sand – but this is generally expected. Still, I might recommend sticking to more compact surfaces when adventuring.

In terms of the Explorer’s ride experience, I found it to be somewhat noisy. We were unable to determine the exact source of the noise – it was likely a combination of factors – but it didn’t affect the bike’s ride quality.

One thing that did, however, was the Explorer’s gearing. I found that I was frequently ghost-pedaling at my preferred cadence when traveling at speeds around 24 miles per hour and above, and I kept reaching for the shifter to find a higher gear (that wasn’t actually there). Upon comparing the Explorer’s specs to those of similar e-bikes that I felt more consistently engaged with, it seemed to me that the 46T chainring was the culprit. The Explorer’s gearing is great for lower speeds and hills, but we feel that the bike could benefit from a slight increase to a 48T chainring for better engagement at higher speeds.

If I’m being honest, I didn’t expect to be wowed by the Troxus Explorer. I began this review by saying that there are plenty of fat tire e-bikes on the market, so it is difficult for newer models from less-established brands to stand out. This is true, but over the course of my time on the bike, I believe Troxus has successfully found its own place in a crowded market.

The Explorer may not break any new ground – but it is a solid offering that excels in both expected and surprising ways.

The bike definitely has the exhilarating power and speed that we anticipate from a Class 3 fat tire e-bike with a rear-hub motor. Its cadence sensor, however, is refreshingly responsive – which means that the bike’s power will be there when you want it! It is also unexpectedly comfortable and capable on hills, making it easy to cover just about any terrain without switching out of your preferred PAS setting. Furthermore, the spread of name-brand components included on the bike is appreciated – this inspires confidence in the Explorer’s ability to perform well over an extended period of time.

We do think that the Explorer would benefit from the inclusion of a full-color LCD display that might feel more up-to-date than its current black-and-white screen. And if we were really wishing, we’d love to see the ability to pair with an app for ride data tracking, easy Class setting adjustment, and some of the other commonly-seen features on similar fat-tire e-bikes. Additionally, while it’s a relatively minor gripe on a bike that wants to do most of the heavy lifting, we’d appreciate seeing a slightly larger 48-tooth chainring on the next iteration of the bike, as this would help to reduce or eliminate the ghost pedaling we encountered near the top end of the bike’s speeds.

As it stands, we think the Troxus Explorer is a great choice for riders drawn to the fat tire category – especially those who want a bike with speed, style, quality parts, and superior uphill capability!

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 Troxus Explorer.