To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This review was sponsored by Raleigh Electric. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased, this video and written review are not meant to be an endorsement of Raleigh products.
Raleigh is has been updating their lineups and today we get to check out one of them, the Venture 2.0 iE. The Venture is part of a popular section that is growing rapidly in the ebike world; the cruiser commuter segment. While it may not be decked out with accessories like some, it defiantly can be since it has threaded eyelets and bosses for adding a rack, fenders, bottle cage, etc. The real draw to this setup is the Bosch Active Line Plus motor. Bosh makes an amazing mid-drive system for smooth and natural feeling assisted pedaling… one of the best in the business. However, Bosch bikes are expensive. It is not uncommon to see them in $5,000-$8,000 ebike priced territory. What I love about the Venture is that Raleigh keeps the price point down by letting you decide what accessories you want to add and still gives you a Bosch mid-drive for $2,599. And while it may not have fenders, lights, and such… it is not a bare bones bike by any means, there is still a ton here to appreciate. For example, the bike has great accents like these padded stitched comfort grips. I love the attention to detail with the paint matched saddle back and even the decals on the battery to match the rest of the accents too. Not something you see on Bosch batteries typically. The frame comes in 1 step-through style, 3 sizes and 2 colors; a black or dark blue. Maybe not the best for visibility at night, but definitely a good-looking bike. The riding position is very comfortable, thanks to the adjustable angle stem matched with swept back handlebars so you can really dial this in the way you like. Overall, this is really kind of a refined comfort cruiser setup, you can tell by these higher-end Schwalbe Super Moto X 27.5” x 2.4” tires. Other features include adjustable kickstand mounted in the rear to eliminate annoying pedal lock, an alloy chain guard, clear sticker slap guard, and internally routed cables.
Driving the bike is a Bosch Active Line Plus mid-drive motor. This motor is a step up from the regular Active Line and has about 50nm of torque. I like this motor a lot since it is a step up from the entry level, but still stays outside of the fancier line up, which is of course amazing, but they do have some reduction gearing that gives you some pedal drag. Since that reduction gearing is not here, it makes the overall feel smooth, natural, and efficient. Mechanically, the bike is operated by a 9 speed Shimano Alivio system with 42 tooth chain ring in the front and 11-36 tooth cassette in the rear. So many bikes in this price range just go for tourney or altus… its nice to see a company build a bike with higher components than that. Anything higher end and you would be in mountain bike territory, so really this is one of the best you can get for cruising or commuting and you even get trigger shifters. Stopping the bike are these nice Tektro Auriga hydraulic disc brakes with 160mm in both the front and rear, each with dual piston calipers.
Powering the bike is a high-capacity Bosch PowerPack 500 offering 36 volts and 13.4 amp hours for nearly 500 watt hours of capacity. It’s one of the most widespread electric bike batteries in the world right now and uses the same form factor and mounting interface as the older, lower capacity, Bosch PowerPack 400. This means that finding replacements, borrowing additional packs, or renting batteries when traveling becomes much easier. The plastic casing is durable but lightweight, especially compared to the new PowerTube 500 which weighs 6.3lbs vs 5.7lbs. PowerPack batteries do stand out a bit visually because they mount on top of the frame tubing, but the manufacturer has done their best to sink the battery down into the downtube. The pack clicks down and secures with a high quality ABUS Ampero locking core. I noticed that the core is spring loaded, so you don’t need to insert and twist the key when mounting the pack… just be sure to push down until you hear it click. Any Bosch certified ebike dealer can help you adjust the mounting interface over time if you notice rattling or loosening, it’s a durable convenient design. And, that goes for the charger as well. With half a kilowatt-hour of capacity in this battery, the faster 4amp Bosch charger allows you to spend more time riding vs. waiting, and yet it’s about the same size and in some cases lighter than many generic 2-amp chargers included with cheaper e-bikes. I like the wide proprietary plug design as well, because it isn’t likely to be mixed up with other chargers or get broken as easily. You can charge this battery on or off the bike frame, making it great for commuters who need to charge inside at work, and you won’t be as likely to drop the battery during transport because it has a big plastic loop handle at the top. To maximize the life of this and most Lithium-ion batteries, try to keep it above 20% capacity and avoid extreme heat and cold. If you know you won’t be riding for some time, store at 50% to reduce stress on the Lithium-ion cell chemistry.
Activating the drive systems on this ebike is fairly straightforward. You charge and mount the battery then press the power button on the top edge of the little display panel, which is mounted within reach of the left grip. The Bosch Purion display/control pad is compact and easy to navigate. It keeps the handlebars open, and may not get damaged as easily if the bike tips or is parked at a crowded rack… but it’s not removable and lacks some of the deeper menus found on the Bosch Intuvia. Even though the display is a bit smaller than some competing models, it’s intuitive enough that you might not look down that often to read it and the really important readouts are fairly large (speed and assist level). I have grown to accept the Purion, but do have a few tips for use as follows. The + and – buttons, which raise and lower assistance, are designed to click in at an angle towards the right. They are attached near the left edge of the control pad and pivot in towards the LCD. With practice, I have found that the right edge is really the sweet spot for consistent clicking. Sometimes the lower left and middle areas can be inconsistent or non-responsive. The screen itself glows faint white at all times, which shouldn’t draw much power. Holding the + button would normally turn lights off and on if this bike had them. By comparison, the larger Bosch Intuvia display has a dedicated light button. Holding the – button will cycle through trip distance, odometer, assist level, and range. And, the range menu is dynamic, so you can see the bike calculate how far it thinks you can go before the battery completely drains based on the last mile of riding, your current state of charge, and the chosen level of assist. This helps to make up for the very basic 5-bar charge indicator on the left side of the battery and the display which isn’t as precise as a 10-bar or percentage readout seen on some competing displays. On the lower edge of the control pad is a walk-mode button. Press it once and then hold the + button to have the motor slowly assist you when walking the bike (you must be in Eco, Tour, Sport, or Boost for walk mode to work). It’s useful for crowded non-bikeable areas like parks, or if you get a flat tire, and not all companies have it enabled, so props to Haibike for this. I’ve created an in-depth Bosch Purion review in the EBR forums for more information :)
In conclusion, the Venture 2.0 iE is a smooth and comfortable bike. I must say, it really is a pleasurable ride. No bike is perfect though, so let’s go over the tradeoffs to see if it fits your style. As mentioned earlier, it is a good-looking bike and comes in 2 great colors. However, both of them are dark (black and blue) and may not be a good choice if you are looking for visibility. If you are a safety nut like me, you could try to stand out with a brighter helmet or clothing. The bike also has steel pedals which could bend or get bashed a bit if you’re not careful. And finally, the charging port for charging the battery on the bike is near the crank arm. Do be careful when charging in the garage or something not to bump the bike and have the pedals rotate and yank that cord out. These are pretty small tradeoffs however. It is hard to ignore an attractive bike with attractive features and an attractive $2,599 price point. Couple that with Raleigh’s 2 year comprehensive / 5 year frame warranty, and you have a great offering. A big thanks to Raleigh for letting me check out the bike!
As always, I welcome questions and feedback in the comment section below. Whether you own a previous version of the bike, have taken a test ride, or are brand new to the space, my goal is to provide an objective and honest resource. You can also join the Raleigh ebike forums and share your own photos, videos, and review updates to help others! Have fun out there, and ride safe :)
Pros:
- The deep step-thru frame is approachable, sturdy (reinforced with alloy gussets near the head tube and seat tube), and available in three sizes for optimal fit
- Most of the cruiser style electric bikes I have seen use a rear rack mounted battery (which can feel unbalanced and contribute to frame flex) or a downtube mounted battery (which can raise the standover height and get kicked), so I like that Raleigh went with something a little bit different here, mounting the battery vertically in front of the seat tube to keep it low and center but still balanced and out of the way (just be careful when unlocking and removing it because it seems like it could tip forward and fall off more easily)
- I was surprised that the Venture iE only weighs 48.1lbs because most cruisers are 50+, this is probably a result of using the lightweight Bosch Active Line Plus motor and PowerPack 500 battery, and having no suspension, fenders, or rear rack included… but it does have mounting points for fenders if you wanted to add some
- The bike is fairly comfortable to ride because of the upright body position, oversized saddle with rubber bumpers, swept back bars with padded grips, and high-volume Schwalbe Super Moto-X tires! Great choice from Raleigh here, the tires are high quality and offer a unique 27.5″ x 2.4″ size vs. 26″ x 1.95″ on many of the older models
- The larger wheel size of 27.5″ provides a lower attack angle so you don’t feel bumps and cracks as much, the wide pressure range of the tires, 30-55psi, means that you can ride more comfortably if you are willing to sacrifice some rolling efficiency (which isn’t as big of a big deal on an electric bicycle)
- Great aesthetics here, I love the two color choices (navy or black) and appreciate that the paint extends from the frame through the fork and saddle, the grips, saddle, and battery stickers all match beautifully and that helps it to not look so much like an electric bike, note also that the spokes, hubs, bars, and other minor hardware pieces are black vs. a mix of silver and black
- The Bosch Active Line Plus motor is known for being lightweight, quiet, efficient, and easy to pedal unpowered because it uses a standard sized chainring without reduction
- This bike coasts efficiently and balances well because of the wider tires and relaxed geometry, I didn’t detect any speed wobble and was able to ride with no hands easily
- Cables are internally routed to look clean and stay out of the way, most of the weight is positioned low and center for optimal handling
- Bosch has been expanding their motor offerings and the Active Line Plus is meant to be smaller and cheaper but it is still very powerful and climbed well for me
- The price is reasonable considering that the bike has hydraulic disc brakes and a Bosch drive system with shift detection, great Shimano Alivio 9-speed drivetrain and is sold through a network of dealers with good support and warranty
- Hydraulic disc brakes tend to require less hand strength to operate, are easier to adjust (in terms of hand reach on the brake levers), and are more consistent than mechanical brakes which stretch over time
- Durable and reliable battery, I like that the pack has a big handle built in on the top and that it comes with a lightweight and compact 1.3 amp charger with a durable proprietary plug end
- Minor thing here, I appreciate the large rubberized quick release lever that makes adjusting saddle height easier
- Bosch PowerPack batteries are interchangeable so you could borrow or rent other PowerPacks to go further, this is one of the most common battery packs globally and that makes it easier to replace
- I’ve been told by many ebike dealers that it is possible to wire in 6 volt lights that will run off of the Bosch drive system, that’s a nice upgrade for people who ride in the dark or simply want to stand out more to traffic (hold the + button to activate lights if you add them)
Cons:
- The Active Line Plus motor offers a bit lower torque than the Performance Line products and has a limited 100 RPM pedal rate top speed vs. 120 RPM so you have to switch gears a bit more frequently to go faster vs. pedaling faster, it offers up to 50 Nm of torque vs. 75 on the highest torque Bosch motor
- The Bosch Purion display panel isn’t removable and doesn’t have an active Micro-USB port built-in like the Bosch Intuvia displays, I also found that sometimes the buttons aren’t as easy to push because they pivot inwards (towards the screen) vs. straight down
- The all-aluminum frame is lightweight but doesn’t offer the same vibration dampening properties as steel or carbon fiber, since there’s no suspension that comes stock, I’d probably consider a cheap suspension seat post to smooth out bumpy rides
- Many electric cruisers offer trigger or twist throttles to help get moving from standstill, it makes them Class 2 (which isn’t allowed as many places), and can expend the battery capacity more quickly but is nice to have if you want to take a break from pedaling
- Even though the display cannot be removed and may be a little small for people with limited eyesight, it’s intuitive enough that you can kind of guess what’s going on without looking down and those who want the larger Intuvia display can pay an electric bike shop to install the upgrade
- It is a good-looking bike and comes in 2 great colors, however, both of them are dark (black and blue) and may not be a good choice if you are looking for visibility, if you are a safety nut like me, you could try to stand out with a brighter helmet or clothing
- The bike also has steel pedals which could bend or get bashed a bit if you’re not careful, I might swap them out with like a metal and plastic hybrid pedal
- The charging port for charging the battery on the bike is near the crank arm so do be careful when charging in the garage or something not to bump the bike and have the pedals rotate and yank that cord out
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