The Shima is one of A2B’s fastest electric bikes offering a 28 mile per hour top speed in pedal assist mode (which has three levels). It uses a higher end TMM4 torque sensor for smooth acceleration and comes stock with front and rear LED lights, fenders, a whole mess of reflectors and a license plate attachment (for states that require it). It’s a refined ebike that looks great, doesn’t make a lot of noise and is backed by a great warranty. The ride quality is good, though not as smooth as the A2B Octave or Metro which offer full suspension and a padded seat, but all of these bikes are rear heavy with a battery design that is higher up. The fancy Y-frame and weight of the battery reduces stiffness and I could feel a bit of flexing during test rides.
The motor powering this thing is quite strong, though very smooth and quiet because it’s a direct drive (gearless) design. Offering 500 watts of power, it accelerates well and can power up small hills without issue in throttle mode. It really shines however in pedal assist mode when you add to the system by pedaling along. The eight speed Shimano XT drivetrain works well and I’m a fan of the trigger shifters on the right grip that stay out of the way and let you firmly grasp the handles when riding.
While some other A2B bikes come with one battery mounted in the downtube and an optional second “B” battery that attaches in the rear, the Shima only has one pack (though it can be upgraded for increased range). The pack is removable for convenient charging or to make the bike lighter during transport. It uses the fancy new energy bus standard with a magnetic plug that’s easy to insert. The pack itself offers 36 volts of power and 13.2 amp hours of capacity for a solid range of up to ~40 miles per charge. The cells use a Lithium-ion chemistry that’s light weight and more durable for years of use (the two year warranty is also nice here).
This is a beautiful bike and I love that it offers both throttle and pedal assist mode with the speed pedelec 28mph top speed. It’s more aggressive than some of the other A2B bikes with a narrower, harder seat but the handlebars and seat hight are still adjustable to get a nice fit. The rear heavy design isn’t perfect and I’ve found it tricky to lock this bike up since the downtube is so thick. The tires are also non-traditional for bicycles which means it might be harder to fit into some racks or find replacements but they do offer good padding. While the key fob thing is neat and may reduce the risk of water damage, I feel like the console is difficult to interact with when riding and would have traded a regular key if the price was lower.
For someone who lives in an urban environment this could be a great electric bike for commuting and grocery getting. A2B sells their own rack attachment and panniers that look great (and cost a bit extra) but the included mirror is awesome for safety. This thing approaches the vespa/scooter look but is decidedly bicycle with the eight speed drivetrain and performance saddle. It’s a joy to ride and the warranty is solid, many bike shops I’ve seen use these for rentals because they are so durable.
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Chloe Stratton
10 years agoHi again Court. So I’m curious, do all of the A2B bikes that you’ve ridden wobble/flex like this one? As I’ve mentioned before one of the bikes I’m really interested in (if I think I can get it up the stairs) is the A2B Alva+ but I’m not so interested if it is going to flex when I ride it. Is this a problem inherent to all Y frame bikes?
ReplyCourt Rye
10 years agoHi Chloe! Yeah, many of their frames do flex like this (some of the larger, more expensive ones less so). There’s a trade off in how strong and reinforced the frame which adds weight and cost vs. something like the Shima that’s trying to be nimble and bring the price down. The biggest factor for wobbling here is that the battery is way out back and up high. Their older bikes like the A2B Metro put a pack inside the downtube and gave you the option for a second pack at the rear. Depending on your height, weight and style preferences I’d almost suggest something like the Easy Motion Neo Jet that’s stiff, well balanced, very fast and way less expensive. This was a 2014 model and may not be in stock everywhere, if you get to the point where you need help locating it at a dealer I’ve setup a form here to help.
ReplyCoran
9 years agoA2B are the most dishonest, careless companies I have ever encountered. Those bikes are death traps! Literally. They go out of control when the torque sensor repeatedly fails. Lucky I wasn’t thrown onto a busy road. They don’t care about fixing it. You have to pay to send it back, then comes back just as broke. Give a load of guff about their bikes being sold on websites they don’t approve of, eg Amazon, means they can totally void all warranty. Liars. They’re running a dangerous and illegal scam. Cheap faulty rubbish from the far east. Everything on it failed. Literally, everything. At least once.
ReplyCourt Rye
9 years agoWow! That really sucks Coran, thanks for sharing your experience here. I had a negative experience with A2B recently myself and it’s disappointing to see one of the earliest most iconic electric bike companies (at least in the US) falling short :(
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