Little context before the actual review. I study in Arizona and live about 1.5 miles from campus. I don’t have a car so I have to bike to campus. In the summer, temperatures here hit 100 degrees and peddling in that weather is extremely difficult and I end up sweating profusely by the time I get to class.
I bought this bike towards the end of summer and despite its (almost) $500 price tag, it’s proved its worth every single day. It charges relatively quickly and lasts me a good three-four days of riding to and from campus. In fact, I charge the bike fewer times than I charge my cell phone.
My one concern was whether this bike would make me stand out like a sore thumb on campus but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The bike looks just like any ordinary folding bike without a huge battery pack sticking out (which is just bad design in 2018). It’s even extremely silent except for a slight hum from the electric motor. I’m almost certain that this is something people have gotten used to on campus considering how many electric scooters we have here.
My second concern was whether I, being 6 feet tall, would be comfortable riding this. Well, despite its tiny frame and 14 inch wheels the bike makes you feel like you’re riding just about any medium sized bicicyle. A plus of having wheels this tiny however is the small turning radius which lets you zip through groups of people with ease.
The bike gets up to a modest 15 miles an hour which is just perfect for campus and other places meant for people to walk in like parks but not ideal for roads. I usually ride on the sidewalk as opposed to blocking the bike lane of the road. However, 15 mph is quite a bit faster than what more people can accomplish on their bicycles especially in the Arizona heat. I noticed I would usually get to class a good 5-10 minutes early which if you’re a college student who’s always late is like a blessing. Also not needing to pedal means I don’t sweat by the time I get to campus.
The only problem is with the pedal assist. Pedal assist is basically the motor kicking in as soon as you begin pedaling. Since the bike has tiny wheels and no gears, when pedal assist does kick in, the bike accelerates very rapidly and pedaling to keep up with that speed turns your legs into egg beaters. I usually just stick with keeping my legs comfortably on the pedals while using the throttle to go everywhere. Pedal assist is absolutely amazing when going up an incline though which I see as it’s primary use.
Overall, I would recommend this bike to anyone in the market for an affordable e bike for the city/campus. It’s built with only high quality components and since it doesn’t utilize a cheap gear mechanism just for the sake of it, all it’s moving parts are very durable. The only other complaint I have is with the odd, almost childish name but that’s very subjective (and can be fixed with stickers). Definitely a purchase I’m very happy with!