Written Review
Lectric has built a reputation on aggressive pricing, and with the new Xpress 2, they continue to throw their weight around in the component department.
Priced at $1,399, this upgraded Class 3 commuter addresses almost every complaint riders had of the original model, improve the component quality, and still keep the bike priced under $1,500.
The XPress 2 may not be quite as refined as the Aventon Level 4 REC or the Velotric Discover 3. However, it’s around $600 cheaper than those bikes, making it a very good option for anyone needing a quality commuter or dutch cruiser e-bike without the premium price tag.
My Experience Riding The Lectric XPress 2 E-Bike
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The first thing I want to say about the XPress 2 is that it rides better than you would expect given the sub-$1,500 price point.
Also, the second version of Lectric’s commuter/cruiser is not just an iterative update — it’s a meaningful step forward, with a lot of improvements being made on all the main components. The motor is quieter, the power delivery is smoother, and the overall ride feels more dialed in than the original XPress.
I’ll be honest: in the past, the XPress was my least favorite of Lectric’s bikes. Not that the original version was a bad bike, it just didn’t offer as much bang for your buck as the rest of Lectric’s lineup.
That is no longer the case. I was thoroughly impressed with the XPress 2.
I tested both the high-step commuter and the step-through cruiser, and they’re genuinely different riding experiences — which is exactly the point. Let me walk through both.
The step-through is what Lectric calls a cruiser, and that’s the right word for it. The geometry puts you in a very upright, relaxed Dutch-style stance, and I found myself just… enjoying it. Hands comfortable, weight well distributed between the saddle and the bars, no pressure building up after 30 minutes of riding. I have had wrist issues in the past, and I was pleased with how the adjustable stem let me dial in the angle exactly where I needed it — and that adjustment is essentially toolless, which makes it very easy, even for inexperienced riders who hate turning wrenches.
If you’re someone who prefers a more comfortable, upright riding position but has been reluctant to ride a step-through because you don’t think it looks as cool, I’d encourage you to get that out of your head. The XPress 2 ST has a stiff frame, rides well, and I think a lot of our older readers will appreciate how approachable the low-step frame is — and yes, I’m also talking about myself here.
The high-step commuter puts you in a more forward, semi-aggressive position — flat bars with a slight rise, but not going full road-bike aggressive. I rode this one for about 45 minutes and felt great throughout. Weight distribution between the saddle and my hands was solid, and it never got to that point where my hands started going numb, which can happen quickly for me on bikes that aren’t balanced right (thanks to some nagging wrist issues). If you’ve spent time on road bikes or gravel bikes and you want something that still feels like you’re riding rather than sitting, this is your version.
No ghost pedaling at 28 mph in Class 3 mode, which I was happy to see. The 46-tooth chainring and 8-speed 11-32 freewheel keep you in a usable gear through the full speed range. For what it’s worth, I was spending most of my time in fifth, sixth, and seventh gear while riding on flat roads, and didn’t really have to shift down to first or second unless I was climbing a very steep hill.
One honest callout: at around 72 lbs, this is not a light bike. You’re not hoisting it overhead, but you’ll want a hand if you’re lifting it onto a rack or into a truck bed. That’s a reasonable tradeoff for everything Lectric packed in at this price, but it’s worth knowing upfront.
For riders on the taller end of the stated range — 6’2″ or 6’3″ — you may find full leg extension a little harder to achieve once you get up there. Most e-bike riders don’t need a full road-bike extension anyway, but it’s something to be aware of if you’re right at the edge. The sweet spot on fit is comfortably 5’6″ to 6’0″, where both versions of this bike work well.
Overall ride vibe? Fun, confident, and approachable. This is a bike that casual riders, returning riders, and daily commuters are all going to enjoy.
Range
Estimated Range (from Lectric): Up to 60 Miles
Real World Range Test Results: 33 miles (Turbo) | 54 miles (Tour)
Lectric claims up to 60 miles of range on the XPress 2, and based on our testing, that number is achievable – but it comes with the usual caveats. We ran our min test in Tour mode (the second assist level from the bottom) using the torque sensor, and got just over 53 miles. On max – full throttle, Turbo mode – we got just over 33 miles. If you’re willing to drop down to Eco mode and cadence sensing, you could probably get closer to that 60-mile claim, though I’ll be honest: I found Eco mode a little light for my taste, and I don’t think most riders are going to spend much time there.
One thing I want to flag on the display side – and I’ll cover this more in the Screen section – is that the battery readout operates in roughly 10% increments rather than a true granular percentage. That means when it says 10%, you could actually be closer to 2%. Get to know the bike over a few rides before you trust that number too closely, especially if you’re planning a longer route.
Power (Motor & Battery)
The XPress 2 has a 750W nominal rear hub motor that peaks at 1,310W with 85Nm of torque. Those numbers put the motor right where I think it needs to be for a Class 3 commuter e-bike, as you need a powerful motor when commuting at higher speeds.
On the hill test, this motor felt fantastic – it was powerful but still smooth, and didn’t feel like it was strained. I had the torque multiplier set to the increased setting, which I’d recommend to most riders. The standard setting is fine, but the increased setting just gives the bike a little more pep that I think most people are going to prefer.
What really stood out to me was how much quieter this motor is compared to the original XPress. Lectric has done a lot of work here, and you can feel it. The original was a little loud for my taste – this one is genuinely quiet and smooth, which makes the whole riding experience feel more refined and premium than the price tag would suggest.
The torque sensor is the other big piece of this puzzle. The XPress 2 defaults to torque sensing mode, and the power delivery is natural and responsive – noticeably better IMO than cadence mode. That said, the torque sensor is tuned differently than some other bikes in this category.
It feels like Lectric has programmed the motor to do more of the work for you, which means riders and commuters who want an e-bike that gives you a lot of power are going to love it. However, if you are a more traditional cyclist who likes to put a lot of wattage into the pedals, then you likely will prefer a higher-performance mid-drive bike like the Aventon Level 4 ADV, Velotric Discover M, or Specialized Turbo Vado.
Neither approach is wrong – it just depends on what kind of rider you are. For the target audience of this bike, I think Lectric got the tuning exactly right.
The battery is a 48V, 14Ah pack, which works out to 672Wh. Is it the biggest battery you’ll find on a commuter e-bike? No – bikes like the Aventon Level 4 REC and the Velotric Discover 3 offer more capacity, but those bikes also run $600 more. Given that the battery is one of the most expensive components on any e-bike, Lectric made a smart call here. The 14Ah pack is well-suited to what this bike is designed to do, and most commuters are going to have zero complaints about the range it delivers.
The battery is removable, which matters more than people give it credit for. If you live in an apartment or don’t have easy access to an outdoor outlet, being able to pull the battery and charge it indoors is a genuine quality-of-life feature.
On charging: with the included 2-amp charger, you’re looking at around 7 hours to fill the pack from empty – fine if you’re charging overnight. But Lectric does offer an optional 5-amp fast charger that cuts that down to just under 3 hours. For commuters who want to top up mid-day or turn around quickly, I’d seriously consider adding that at checkout – it’s worth it.
Finally, it’s worth noting that the XPress 2 carries both UL 2271 battery certification and UL 2849 system-level certification. Given the e-bike battery fire incidents that have made headlines in recent years, and the legislation that has followed in some states, this is something I consider meaningful – and it’s good to see Lectric continuing to prioritize it.
Components
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Lectric, once again, has leveraged their purchasing power and put together a bike that punches above its price point when it comes to the components.
Fork: The SR SunTour XCM 32 fork is one of the more impressive upgrades on the XPress 2. You get 80mm of travel and – here’s the part that really stands out at this price – a 15mm thru-axle instead of a traditional dropout. This makes the front end stiffer and feel more solid overall. The preload adjustment doesn’t do a whole lot, I won’t pretend otherwise, but the travel is there and it takes the edge off on rougher pavement.
Brakes: Lectric developed the Star Union 602 brakes in partnership with Star Union – the 602 being a nod to the Phoenix area code where Lectric is based. We’ve now seen these on a couple of Lectric bikes, and they continue to impress. These are hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors front and rear, and the rotor thickness is 2.3mm – thicker than the 1.8mm standard you typically see at this price. The lever feel is smooth and consistent, stopping power is strong, and during hill testing I repeatedly rode up to 28 mph and hit the brakes hard without any fade or overheating.
Drivetrain: The XPress 2 comes with a Shimano Altus 8-speed drivetrain with an 11-32 freewheel and a 46-tooth chainring. Shimano Altus is the minimum I want to see on a quality value e-bike, and it’s good to see Lectric step up to it here. Shifting is pretty good, the trigger shifter is easy to operate, and every bike shop in the country can work on it if something goes wrong. Given that the Altus is the entry-level groupset from Shimano, you will likely need to adjust the shifting more frequently than you would on a higher-end counterpart. However, that’s to be expected at this price point.
Tires: The XPress 2 is specc’d with 27.5″ x 2.1″ Chaoyang slick tires with Slime pre-installed for puncture protection. I will never understand why other brands don’t ship their bikes with slime in the tires – so kudos to Lectric for doing that, as it will likely save you from having to fix a flat every other month.
Pedals: Lectric has included their quick-release pedals which are great when you’re regularly loading this bike onto a car rack or storing it in a tight space.
Cockpit: The two versions of the XPress 2 have notably different handlebar setups, and that’s intentional. The high-step commuter comes with a 680mm flat bar that has a 40mm rise and 10° of backsweep. With a shorter reach than some commuters, this gives you a semi-aggressive setup that puts your body in a forward, engaged position.
The step-through cruiser gets a much more swept-back 585mm bar with 50mm of rise and 50° of backsweep, which is what gives it that relaxed, upright Dutch-style feel. The step-through also comes with a fully adjustable stem, which I really liked – easy to set up, essentially toolless, and makes a real difference in making sure the bike rides comfortably.
PLEASE take the time to set up the cockpit how you prefer. It might take 30-45 minutes, but is well worth it.
Lights and Accessories: The XPress 2 comes ready to commute right out of the box. You get a 90-lumen front headlight, and a rear light that doubles as a brake light and includes left and right turn signals. I think that is a great feature for anyone riding in traffic.
I like the hard nylon fenders as they get the job done without all the noise made by metal fenders. I also like how Lectric included a rear rack, just note that to remove the rack, the rear fender comes off with it, so I’d just leave it on.
Overall, for a bike at this price, the component package is better than what I would expect.
Screen / User Interface / App
The XPress 2 comes with a backlit LCD display that gives you three screens to toggle through via the power button. The first shows your speed, battery indicator, motor power bar, and assist level. The second adds cadence, trip time, trip distance, and odometer. The third – and my personal favorite – shows input power, motor power output, amps, and voltage. If you like to geek out on what the motor is actually doing while you ride, that third screen is where you’ll spend most of your time.
Getting into the advanced settings is pretty easy, just hold the up and down buttons on the control pod at the same time. From there you can adjust screen brightness, set your bike classification (Class 1, 2, 3, or California Class 3), toggle between torque and cadence sensing, customize throttle behavior, set walk mode speed, and adjust light operation.
One critique: the battery readout operates in 10% increments rather than a true percentage readout. As I mentioned in the Range section, that means when it reads 10%, you could actually be at 2%. I’d love to see a more precise readout in a future version.
Lectric does not have a companion app for the XPress 2, which means no over-the-air updates and no phone-based customization. For a bike at this price point that’s understandable, but it is worth noting.
Lectric XPress 2 Model Options
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The XPress 2 comes in two versions, a high-step and a step-through. Which one you prefer depends mostly on if you want to sit more upright and relaxed, or if you want a more aggressive riding position.
The XPress 2 Commuter is the high-step version, designed for riders who want that forward, more aggressive riding position. It comes in two colors – Tempest Grey and Pine Green – and claims to fit riders from around 5’4″ to 6’4″.
The XPress 2 Cruiser is the step-through (ST) version, built around a relaxed, upright Dutch-style geometry with swept-back handlebars and a fully adjustable stem. It comes in Stratus White and Raindrop Blue. Lectric claims that the ST fits the same 5’4″ to 6’4″ rider height range.
Both versions have basically the same components, as the only differences are the frame style, step-over height, and handlebars.
My recommendation: if you’re a more experienced rider and prefer straight handlebars, go with the high-step. If you care more about comfort, are returning to cycling after a long break, or someone with limited mobility who wants easy mounting and dismounting, the step-through is the one. You won’t give up any performance either way.
Is The Lectric XPress 2 Worth Buying?
Short answer: yes.
When I started this review, I mentioned that the original XPress was my least favorite of Lectric’s bikes. It wasn’t a bad bike – it just didn’t offer the same value proposition that made the XP series such a runaway success. The second version changes that. Lectric has addressed the right things. They gave the XPress 2 a quieter, smoother motor, a meaningful fork upgrade with a thru-axle that has no business being on a bike at this price, excellent Star Union 602 hydraulic brakes, and a complete commuter package that gets you everything you need right out of the box.
At $1,399, this bike is going to be a very compelling option for a few different types of riders, especially if they don’t want to spend over $1,500.
If you’re a daily commuter who wants a reliable, well-spec’d e-bike that doesn’t require you to go buy fenders, a rack, and lights separately – this is it. If you’re someone who hasn’t ridden in a decade and wants a bike that’s approachable, comfortable, and easy to just get on and go – this is it. And if you’re an older rider who wants the accessibility of a low-step frame without sacrificing performance or build quality, the step-through cruiser is one of the best options in this price range.
Is it perfect? No. The battery readout could be more precise, and riders who want a more performance-oriented torque sensor experience may find the tuning a little too casual for their taste. At 72 lbs it’s also not the easiest bike to lift. But these are small potatoes given everything else this bike gets right.
What Lectric has done here is what they do best – leverage their purchasing power to deliver a component package that punches well above its price point, wrap it in a clean, practical design, and get it to your door ready to ride. The XPress 2 is a genuinely impressive commuter, and I think it’s going to find a lot of happy owners.
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