The Velociti is one of my favorite A2B electric bikes. Its elegant frame looks professional and the color options are bold without being tacky or cheap. Wires are integrated, custom fenders that hug the tires come stock and the chain is kept on track with a solid aluminum guide that doubles as a bash guard. While it doesn’t offer a fancy computer display or pedal assist, the twist throttle works very well, is intuitive and makes the bike easy to learn and share while avoiding extra parts that add expense and potential failure points.
I’m a big fan of gearless hub motors. They have fewer internal parts that can wear out, compared to geared motors, and coast with less friction. The 450 watt hub motor on the Velociti is no exception and it offers plenty of power to zip around town. There’s no regenerative braking or recharge mode here and it doesn’t come with pedal assist but that keeps it simple to use and less expensive than some comparable bikes.
Powering the motor is a beautifully designed 10 amp hour Lithium-ion battery pack that mounts to the rear rack extension. A2B’s first bike, the Metro, had an internally mounted battery that lived in the downtube and was not designed to be removable for charging. That bike had an option to add a rear battery for additional range. With the Velociti they kept it simple and only offer a rear battery that comes stock with the bike. It is encapsulated in a durable aluminum shell and combined with the control unit, power socket and on/off button along with a handle for easy transport.
This design works great and is built solid. The one drawback is that the weight of the battery is placed higher than some other bikes and the Velociti is rear-heavy overall. Still, it’s proven, easy to deal with for charging or removal and because the rack is welded on, it doesn’t rattle and wont break easily. If you need to haul stuff with this rack I recommend looking at the proprietary solutions from A2B or using a top mounted pack. There are no side guards to keep panniers from rubbing on the rear wheel with the stock design and the tubing is a bit larger than normal bike racks so that limits some of the mass market pannier options.
Once you’re ready to take this bike out for a ride you simply charge it, press the power button and twist the throttle. There’s really no learning curve and this makes it a great ebike for rentals, first timers or less sophisticated riders… who still want to look chic. Unlike many electric bikes, there’s no computer display to get distracted with. The downside is, you won’t know how fast you’re going or exactly how much battery power is left. A simple red, yellow green LED is built into the throttle grip to help guide users but doesn’t provide a whole lot of accuracy. The other trade off here is that you have to turn the lights on manually with a slider switch located on the front headlight. The good news is, it also has a built in daylight sensor and the two lights are powered off of the primary battery pack and linked together so it’s just one switch to deal with.
All in all this is a wonderful bike. When compared with the A2B Metro it offers a comparably smooth ride due to the front shock and wider diameter wheels (26″ vs. 20″) even though it lacks a rear shock absorber. The seat is a bit hard and solid but that’s my only complaint. The Velociti is $500 less than the Metro, ~10 pounds lighter, great looking and plenty powerful. I love that the chain and kickstand are kept up and out of the way along with the chain guard and fenders. Everything matches and compliments itself with this bike and overall it just works well.
Improves on the standard Kuo with smoother cadence sensing pedal assist, a larger motor and battery and upgraded drivetrain using Shimano Alivio vs. Shimano Tourney. Low weight distribution, removable battery is easy to access, fenders rack and lights look good…...
High-step urban cruiser with quiet resposive motor, removable battery pack and excellent warranty. Premium upgrades including ergonomic grips from Ergon, fenders with double supports, alloy chain guard and…...
Relaxed urban cruiser with quiet resposive motor, removable battery pack and excellent warranty. Premium upgrades including ergonomic grips, fenders, chain guard, suspension fork with lockout, rack and integrated…...
Sturdy step-through frame, strong smooth motor and higher top speed of ~28 miles per hour. Commuter ready with front and rear LED lights, fenders, rear rack and lots of reflectors...
Stylish frame with front and rear fenders, disc brakes, lights and a suspension fork for added comfort. Powerful 500 watt direct drive (gearless) rear hub motor is quiet and durable...
Light weight, affordable and feature rich with fenders, light and computer. Offers both twist throttle and pedal assist mode for increased range...
Smooth, strong ride with solid frame, dual suspension and large gearless hub motor. Beautiful design featuring integrated cables, matching fenders and front and rear lights...
Full suspension, forward positioned pedals and comfort seat make this bike feel like a Vespa scooter. High power 500 watt gearless rear hub motor provides torque and speed without a lot…...
Be the First to Post a Comment