Lectric built the XPress Lite for people who want a city bike they can easily maneuver and pick up. At just over 53 lbs, it sits firmly as a light-to-mid weight e-bike and is a nice addition to the current Lectric lineup.
The bike isn’t flashy out of the box. Components are fairly straight forward and nothing on the spec sheet stands out as crazy (examples of ‘crazy’ would be Monarc offering 2 batteries for the price of one with their Tracer and Marker).
What did stand out was how well Lectric did with the motor and overall feel of this bike. The quality is not what I was expecting given the bikes $1,099 price tag.
There is also a story behind this one that I think speaks volumes about the brand.
Originally, Lectric planned to launch the XPress Lite as a 350W commuter. They sent bikes out to reviewers (they sent us 2), and were a week or so away from launch when I called them to report that the bike wasn’t performing well in our hill tests. The 350W motor wasn’t enough to get it up the hill on throttle, and if you did a throttle test then a pedal test back-to-back (like we do on all our tests), the bike didn’t finish the hill climb while pedaling in max assist either.
That was obviously not what Lectric wanted to hear. They have always prided themselves on delivering e-bikes that the average person loves, which to most means powerful to the point where you don’t have to strain to get up a hill. The 350W version missed that mark.
So Lectric hit the pause button, dove back into R&D, and delayed the bike launch, and upgraded the bike to a 500W motor (while also increasing the rear rotor size from 160mm to 180mm to improve braking).
Doing that at the 11th hour is incredibly expensive, and it also throws several wrenches in every department’s spokes. And I’m sure it didn’t put a smile on Lectric’s PE investors’ faces. But Lectric did it anyway – prioritizing performance over the initial launch timeline, a rare move that shows how much Lectric cares about their brand and customers.
My Experience Riding the Lectric XPress Lite
Ride Quality Score: 7.5 / 10
I don’t normally enjoy riding entry-level commuters. I’m more than spoiled when it comes to e-bikes, and more often than not a budget priced commuter will feel like…well…a budget priced commuter. The frame will be a little floppy, the shifting won’t be super crisp, and there will be two or three components that are under-specced and don’t perform great – and that’s generally OK, because you have to give up something in order to save money.
The XPress Lite, however, felt much better than what a budget level commuter should feel like. And riders don’t give up hardly anything in terms of ride quality in exchange for a $1,099 price tag.
There is no suspension, but the trade off there is how stiff and nimble the bike feels. There is not a rack or fenders, but the bike is a bit lighter than the XPress 2. Paired with the dutch-style cruiser handlebars, the bike is simply fun to ride. It doesn’t creak, it doesn’t flex, and it feels much more like a $2,000 level bike while riding.
Of course, the bike isn’t perfect. Other than the lack of stock fenders, the bike only comes in one size. It’s a one-size-fits-most approach, which does save Lectric some money. However, at this point in Lectric’s life, I find myself expecting 2 sizes from them on bikes like this. I’d recommend a small/medium and a large/extra large option so riders under 5’3 and over 6’1 have a bike that fits them more comfortably.
A few other notes and items to be aware of:
- The stem is not adjustable. Yes, you can put on a different stem, or a different handlebar to adjust your reach, but you will have to go to the bike shop and/or get the parts yourself. The positive side to the lack of adjustability is stiffness and confidence.
- No suspension + thinner 1.95″ tires make for a more bumpy ride than some might like. If you fall into that category, then go with the XPress 2.
Personally, I prefer a bike without an adjustable stem, but I also have a full bike shop and crack mechanic at my office. I also love how lighter weight commuters feel on the road without suspension.
Power / Motor
Hill Climbing Score: 8.5 / 10
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I’ve already talked several times about how well programmed the XPress Lite motor is, and I’ve done so for a reason: it’s pretty rare to see a bike pedal this well for around $1,000.
It actually pedaled so smoothly that I reached out to Lectric to see if they upgraded the controller from a square-wave controller to a sine-wave controller.
(Geek notes: a square wave controller generally acts jumpy and sporadic, as the programming is essentially on / off. A sine-wave controller has programming that enables the motor output to be significantly smoother and natural feeling. Think about a sine-wave and how it flows.)
However, instead of upgrading to a sine-wave controller (which would have cost more $$), Lectric spent a lot of time fine-tuning the programming, and their hard-work paid off. The power output is predictable, smooth, and is quiet enough to where I almost forget that I’m riding an e-bike because I mostly hear the wheel hubs and tires rolling on the ground.
Powerwise, I’m going to break this down into two sub-categories: Speed, and Torque (hill climbing). You need different types of power for speed and torque, and this was where that 350 motor failed – it was tuned to be fast on flats, but lacked the torque needed for climbing hills.
Speed
The Lectric XPress Lite is a Class 3 capable bike, meaning it can provide pedal assist up to 28mph. In our testing, we were able to achieve Class 3 speeds, with one caveat: I found that I had to pedal a bit harder once I got to 26mph in order to push to 28mph.
That’s not a big deal IMO, but does show you that even with upping the bike to 500W, the Lite won’t be able to compete fully with 750W commuters.
Torque (Hill Climbing)
The XPress Lite was able to finish both our tests climbing up the ‘Black Hill’:
- Throttle Results: 2:17 | 9.1 average mph
- Pedal Results: 1:37 | 12.9 average mph
These results were pretty interesting. On throttle, the XPress Lite’s results were towards the slow end when compared to the other 500W commuters.
However, when pedaling, the XPress Lite finished on the fast end of the 500W commuter category.
Yes, the XPress Lite has power to climb hills – but it does perform quite a bit better when pedaling. As such, if you are climbing up steep, long stretches of challenging hills, then I recommend you pedal vs throttle for better performance.
Range / Battery
Range Score: 6 / 10
Min Assist: 42.23 Miles
Max Assist: 22.36 Miles
Lectric estimates 45 miles, so pretty spot on with what we were able to get in ECO mode.
The UL-certified battery is a 48V, 7.8Ah pack, which works out to a total capacity of 374.4 Wh. In comparison to other light to mid-weight commuters, that’s on the lighter side of things (yes, pun intended).
Obviously, Lectric is choosing to cut weight with the battery in exchange for less range. However, 22 to 43 miles is a great result for a 374.4Wh battery.
Would I like to see Lectric offer a bigger battery pack? Yes, if they could swap out for higher density cells and keep the overall weight the same. The problem is that I don’t think swapping to 21700 cells is possible at this price point – at least not with the current tariff rates.
One last point on battery / range: 22 miles is a long ride. I know it doesn’t look like a ton on paper, but I would wager that the average distance for a single ride, even on an e-bike, is around 5-7 miles. I just wanted to put this into perspective a bit since we often get lost in numbers and forget what those numbers translate to in the real world.
Components
Components Score: 6.5 / 10
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At $1,099 there is usually one component dragging the rest of the bike down, the part that makes the whole thing feel just a little bit off. And while a 6.5 score clearly shows that the components are not top-notch, it is above average for this tier.
However, and once again to add context to numbers, I would expect a bike priced around $1,000 to be more in the 5.5 to 6.0 range for component scoring.
The Xpress isn’t shiny, but it is solid and there isn’t a single component that you need to worry about or swap out.
Components include:
- Drivetrain. Shimano Altus 8-speed with a trigger shifter mounted under the bar, paired to a 46-tooth chainring and an 11-32T freewheel. Most bikes in this range use a 12 or 13 tooth for the smallest cog in the rear, which can lead to ghost pedaling. Thanks to the large front chainring and that 11T in the rear, there is no ghost pedaling in Class 3 speeds.
- Brakes. Hydraulic discs running mineral oil, with 180mm rotors front and rear at 1.8mm thick. This is the first Lectric in a while that does not have Star Union brakes, and I was a little surprised by that. I’m going to guess that it was a cost decision, as their 602 Star Unions have performed better than these. But, for this price, they are average to a little better than average and I have no complaints.
- Suspension. There is none. Rigid aluminum fork, no suspension seat post. Lectric sells a suspension seat post as an add-on if you want to take the edge off.
- Tires. Chaoyang 27.5 x 1.95 inch slicks with light grooving for wet and sandy traction. They roll well and they are not meant to go off road. And I LOVE how Lectric adds slime to the tires at the factory so you don’t have to worry nearly as much about flats.
- Cockpit. Lock-on ergonomic butterfly grips, which give your palm something to rest on, 27 inch bars, and a fixed 40mm stem. The quick release pedals are the same ones Lectric uses across the lineup.
- Lighting. A 90 lumen headlight up front and a Star Union rear unit with a running light, brake light, and turn signals. Turn signals at $1,099 is the part I am happiest about.
Worth knowing before you order: there is no rack and there are no fenders. Both are optional paid accessories, so if you are comparing the XPress Lite against commuters that ship ready for weather and cargo, add those into your math.
Screen / User Interface / App
Screen / App Score: 6 / 10
The XPress Lite has a 3.5 inch color display with a separate control pod on the left grip. The first screen gives you speed, assist level, and a battery readout in true percentages instead of bars or 10% steps.
Press the power button and you move to a second screen with cadence, trip time, distance, and odometer. The third screen is the one I ride on. It shows my input power next to the motor’s output power, along with amps and volts, which I always love to see.
Hold plus and minus together and you are into the settings menu. Brightness, sleep timer, units, tire size, odometer reset, and walk mode are all in there. The ones that matter more: you can set the bike as Class 1, Class 2, or Class 3, and there is a California Class 3 option that accounts for California’s rules.
You can switch the pedal sensor between torque and cadence, which is what Lectric calls the “XPerience Switch” – but even in torque mode you are getting plenty of power so I don’t see much need for swapping to cadence.
You can also pick a standard or increased torque multiplier, and also limit throttle output by assist level so you can better control your speeds while throttling, or you can run full throttle at every level.
There is no app. No phone customization, no GPS tracking, no over-the-air updates.
Bike Model Options
The XPress Lite comes in only one frame size, one frame style, one motor, and one battery option. The frame is a mid-step, which sits between a high-step and a step-through, and Lectric picked it so a single frame covers the widest range of riders.
Lectric lists a fit range of 5’4″ to 6’4″. Based on how far that seat post drops, I think a rider at 5’1″ could make it work, though their hands will sit high because the stem does not adjust. And once a rider starts to get taller than 6’1″ they will lose leg extension and the cockpit will start to fill a little small.
There are four color options:
- Toasted Marshmallow
- Pine Green
- Glacier White
- Stratus Blue
Of course, Lectric has a lot of accessory options for the XPress lite: A rear rack, fenders, a suspension seat post, a comfort seat, pannier bags, a trunk bag, a handlebar extension mount, a phone mount, mirrors, a bike lock, a water bottle cage, a bell, and a wireless speaker are all sold separately.
Is The Lectric XPress Lite Worth Buying?
At $1,099 this is one of the best midweight commuters on the market right now, and I do not say that lightly.
The XPress Lite rides incredibly well, and is a perfect example of a bike where the overall ride quality is far greater than the sum of its parts.
No, it’s not for everyone. If you want a super plush ride, or need 40 miles + in range, or if you’re quite a bit taller or shorter than average, then you will likely want to look at something else.
But for the vast majority of city riders who just want a reliable, responsive, and budget-friendly cruiser that nails the fundamentals? The XPress Lite isn’t just a good deal—it needs to be at the absolute top of your list.
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