Name: Faraday Cortland S Review
Item: Faraday Cortland S
Author: Court Rye

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Faraday Cortland S Review

Faraday Cortland S 8fun 250 Watt Hub Motor

Faraday Cortland S Control Switch Twist Shfiter

Faraday Cortland S 160 Mm Mechanical Disc Brakes

Faraday Cortland S Shimano Altus 8 Speed

Faraday Cortland S Rear Fender Led Light

Faraday Cortland S Planetary Geared Hub Motor

Faraday Cortland S Old Vs New Control Box

A light weight city style electric bike that draws on classic styles and geometry but delivers good comfort and handling
Efficient 250 watt motor, responsive torque and speed sensing pedal assist with two power modes and a smart phone app with speed adjustment and range estimation
Beautifully integrated front and rear LED lights, concealed wires, full length matching steel fenders, loads of upgrades including child compatible racks, battery range extender and a GPS theft recovery system
More affordable than the standard Cortland model but still relatively expensive, minimalist integrated display

Make:

Faraday

Model:

Cortland S

Price:

$2,499

Body Position:

Upright

Suggested Use:

Neighborhood, Urban

Electric Bike Class:

Pedal Assist (Class 1), Speed Pedelec (Class 3)

Learn more about Ebike classes

Warranty:

2 Year Motor, Electronics, Frame and Battery

Availability:

United States, Japan, Australia, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Spain, France

Model Year:

20162017

Total Weight:

41 lbs (18.59 kg)

Battery Weight:

4 lbs (1.81 kg)

Motor Weight:

6.5 lbs (2.94 kg)

Frame Material:

Chromoly Steel

Frame Sizes:

19.3 in (49.02 cm)20.5 in (52.07 cm)

Geometry Measurements:

Small (844 mm Seat Tube, 566 mm Top Tube - Effective, 400 mm Reach, 150 mm Head Tube, 598 mm Standover Height, 1077 mm Wheelbase), Small (5224 mm Seat Tube, 580 mm Top Tube - Effective, 401 mm Reach, 190 mm Head Tube, 615 mm Standover Height, 1092 mm Wheelbase)

Frame Types:

Step-Thru (Traditional Dutch Twin Top Tube)

Frame Colors:

Classic White, Slate Grey

Frame Fork Details:

Chromoly Steel, Rigid

Attachment Points:

Fender Bosses, Rear Rack Bosses

Gearing Details:

8 Speed 1x8, Shimano Altus, Sunrace Cassette 11-32T

Shifter Details:

Shimano RevoShift on Right Bar

Cranks:

Faraday Forged Aluminum with Chainguard, 42T

Pedals:

VP Touring, Aluminum Platform

Headset:

Prestine Sealed Bearing, 1 1/8", Threadless

Stem:

Faraday Forged 6061 Aluminum, Ahead-Style

Handlebar:

Faraday 6061 Aluminum, 25.4" Long

Brake Details:

Promax DSK-300R Mechanical Disc with 160 mm Rotors, Shimano R550 Levers

Grips:

Faraday Dura-Cork Ergonomic

Saddle:

Faraday Comfort

Seat Post:

Faraday Forged Aluminum

Seat Post Diameter:

25.4 mm

Rims:

36H Hubs, Faraday Double-Wall Disc-Only Rims

Spokes:

36 Total, 13 Gauge Spokes in Front and 14 Gauge Spokes in Rear

Tire Brand:

Chao Yang H-48, 26" x 1.75"

Wheel Sizes:

26 in (66.04cm)

Tire Details:

1.5 mm Kevlar Floc Breaker Hippo Skin Puncture Protection

Tube Details:

Schrader Valve

Accessories:

Integrated Faraday 4 Watt LED Headlight and LED Tail Light, Nuvo Aluminum Kickstand, Front and Steel, Optional Stem Extender Handlebar Raiser $44, Optional Porteur Rack $225 (20 kg Max Load), Optional Rear Rack $125 (20 kg Max Load), Optional Leather Pouch $69, Optional Spurcycle Bell $39, Additional Charger $49, Additional Pouch Mounted Battery $499

Other:

TDCM TS3 Bottom Bracket, Gates CDX CenterTrack Carbon Drive Belt, Smart Phone App Due in September 2016, Wireless Firmware Updates, Automatic Bike Shut Off After 10 Minutes, KMC Chain, Max Weight 275 lbs (Rider + Gear)

Motor Brand:

8Fun (Custom Tuned SYXD-01F)

Motor Type:

Front-Mounted Geared Hub

Learn more about Ebike motors

Motor Nominal Output:

250 watts

Motor Peak Output:

350 watts

Battery Brand:

Panasonic

Battery Voltage:

43 volts

Battery Amp Hours:

6.7 ah

Battery Watt Hours:

290 wh (24 18650-PF Cells)

Battery Chemistry:

Lithium-ion

Charge Time:

3 hours

Estimated Min Range:

20 miles (32 km)

Estimated Max Range:

25 miles (40 km)

Display Type:

E-Ink

Readouts:

Battery Level

Display Accessories:

Toggle Switch (Off, Assist, Boost), iOS and Android App (Range, Lights, Map, GPS Recovery, Speed Adjust, Motor Power Adjust)

Drive Mode:

Advanced Pedal Assist (Torque and Cadence Sensing)

Top Speed:

20 mph (32 kph)

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Make or Model

Model Year

Body Position

Suggested Use

Frame Type

Drive Mode

Availability

Price Range

$0 (0 €)$18,000 (16,920 €)

Total Weight

0 lbs (0 kg)227 lbs (103 kg)

Top Speed

0 mph (0.0 km/hr)50 mph (80.5 km/hr)

Battery Watt Hrs

0 watt3,456 watt

Frame Size

0 in (0.00 cm)432 in (1,097.28 cm)

Motor Power

0 Newton meters250 Nm

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Update! The Faraday Porteur S and Cortland S moved from $2,799 to $2,499 in 2017 and the review listing price here has been updated to reflect that.

The Cortland is a step-thru, city style, light weight electric bike from Faraday and their S model is the more affordable version. You get a more traditional chain, derailleur and cassette based drivetrain verses a belt and internally geared hub and some of the touch points are downgraded but otherwise it’s very similar. So what do these trade-offs really mean? Well, the Cortland S is actually slightly lighter because internally geared hubs use more metal than sprockets and derailleurs. You’ll probably incur more maintenance with the S because derailleurs are exposed to drops, kicks and other bumps during transport and in my experience they are messier – requiring lubrication and regular cleaning. Chains tend to be noisier than belts but they are more common, affordable and easier to replace or fix for many shops.

While the standard Cortland delivers leather touch points on the saddle and grips, the S uses synthetic leather and rubberized synthetic cork which both feel good and are still an upgrade from a lot of the other products I test and review. But even this starting model is priced at a more premium level when compared to similarly equipped ebikes. You get a modest 250 watt motor and 290 watt hour battery vs. 360 w and 350 ah respectively which I’d call “average” but being a pedal assist-only bike and relatively light weight at just over 40 lbs the Cortland S delivers solid range. It just looks beautiful compared to the rest and because the batteries are actually built into the downtube it’s one of the stealthiest e-bikes around. It’s quiet, the motor at the front is stylish and small and the classic colors and vintage handlebar and pedals distract from the question of “is that electric?” that often comes up with more powerful electric bikes.

Some of my favorite features here include integrated LED lights at both the front and rear… The headlight is especially well integrated with no exposed wires and a tough metal housing. The swept-back gull wing style handle bar is comfortable because it comes towards you creating an upright “alert” body position and the cockpit is clean and open. You don’t get an LCD display with this ebike but the Eink display shows battery charge level and takes very little energy to power. Below the display on the left grip is a custom designed slider switch that goes from off to standard to turbo. It’s the kind of interface that anyone can understand and operate without much thought or distraction. For those who want more feedback, Faraday is working on a mobile app which should become available towards the end of Q3 in 2016 showing your estimated range and allowing you to configure power output and light operation (solid, flashing, off).

The Cortland S isn’t not a perfect bike for everyone but it stays true to the original Porteur design and concept which has become an international favorite. The battery is hidden but is designed in such a way that it cannot be easily removed for charging independently. To address this, for people who need to ride further or want to top off at work, Faraday is launching a saddle pack style battery that actually clips below the seat (onto a plastic buckle mounted to the saddle rails) and this pack daisy chains into the main bike battery with a short power cord. My favorite part about this optional secondary battery is how good it looks. It’s also convenient, allowing you to plug into one spot and charge both batteries vs. charging separately. Faraday also offers a front and rear rack (the rear being compatible with Yepp! child seats and other accessories). One of the other big trade offs between the S and standard model is the fenders with some people actually preferring the S option because they are curved steel vs. flat bamboo. Faraday sells the bamboo separately if you want to upgrade and match the slats used in the carry racks. The color choices are also a bit different for the Cortland S with Slate Grey being an option here vs. Stingray Blue on the higher offering.

For my style of riding (more actively pedaling along) this is a perfect platform and the step-thru frame is easier to mount and hold at stops which is handy if you’re not tall enough to steady the high-step Porteur design. I say this about all of the Faraday models but it’s especially true with the Cortland, the bike feels comfortable even though it looks like a city bike. The tires are now wider, the bar and grips comes back further to meet you so you don’t have to lean forward stressing your back and arms and the steel frame offers good vibration dampening without feeling overly flexy. There is some frame flex however and that will increase with the addition of a rear rack and cargo but it’s not too bad. The front rack mounts directly to the frame and does not turn with the wheel as many aftermarket racks do which means steering is not compromised and you won’t see your groceries dumped when you park the bike (as the wheel naturally swings to one side). One more minor difference between the models is that the Cortland S features a more traditional single-side kickstand vs. the scissoring double sided hardware on the standard. For people who appreciate the aesthetic of a Faraday, are okay with pedal assist only and want a slightly smaller frame with lower seat options this could be a solid choice and quite a bit more affordable than the standard if you’re okay with more basic hardware. Note that both the Cortland and S offer eight gears so they’re pretty good at climbing, cruising and topping out at the set 20 mph top speed… I’m told that the future smart phone app will allow users to hit 28 mph by adjusting settings and this will change the bike to a Class 3 ebike which is very exciting.

Pros:

The pedal assist sensor measures speed as well as pedal force so it won’t accidentally activate the motor if you’re stopped and simply resting your foot on the pedal
Awesome smart phone app (iOS and Android compatible) shows your location, controls your lights (you can turn the lights completely off!) and can adjust speed (even going up to 28 mph!) and power with two profiles to match the two physical switch positions
Solid drivetrain with eight speeds to choose from for climbing or hitting higher speeds while commuting
Available in two frame sizes to fit a wider range of riders, handle bar is swept back for upright body position and is shorter than the standard Porteur model, optional stem extender
Mechanical disc brakes offer good stopping power and tend to stay cleaner in wet conditions, plenty of strength with 160 mm rotors for one rider plus cargo or a child
Lots of high quality matching accessories including the front porteur rack, rear traditional rack, add-on battery (that doubles range) and bell
I love the clean, smart aesthetic… wires are integrated but all tubes are round vs. having welded-on covers, frame colors are beautiful and unique, the additional battery pouch matches the leather accents on the grips and saddle and the bamboo fenders and rack slats are beautiful
Surprisingly comfortable with 26″ by wider 1.75″ tires (that are kevlar lined to reduce flats), even though none of the Faraday ebikes have suspension forks or seat post shocks as of this review they still feel comfortable on rough city streets
The new GPS recovery system is cool for those who may be exposed to bicycle theft and I love that older models can be upgraded to work with this feature by replacing the controller
Despite being a step-thru the Faraday Cortland is stiff and responsive, I didn’t experience much frame flex during my demo rides
This is one of the lighter weight, better balanced electric bikes I’ve tested and it functions well even if you’re not using the motor (if you run out of juice or just want exercise)
Optional seat-mounted battery pack upgrade will double your range and make charging in-office easier because it clicks on and off the frame so quickly, the primary downtube battery is also removable but you need tools so it’s really meant to stay in

Cons:

Relatively expensive compared to similarly specced electric bikes (modest 250 watt motor, 290 watt hour battery) but you get high quality drivetrain and aesthetic components and the S model is cheaper than the standard Cortland
No throttle mode here, you have to pedal in order to make all of the Faraday electric bikes go but their torque sensing bottom bracket is smooth and responsive, the app allows you to dial it in to your preferences
The thumb switch control module is easy to use while riding but limited on what is shown (an e-ink display shows approximate battery charge level) to get speed, estimated range and other information you’ll need a smart phone with the app plus a mount and that could drain your phone battery (no USB charging ports on this e-bike)
No quick release systems on the wheels or seat tube but this is really a city bike designed to be theft-resistant (you can even get special locking bolt kits from Faraday)

Resources:

Official Site: http://www.faradaybikes.com/
More Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/7P4zC8XKuTq6BAwX6

January 29, 2024 (10 months ago)

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Don Hall

8 years ago

I took advantage of Faraday’s great winter financing offer to purchase this bike for my wife. It is a beautiful bike and very light weight compared to my 50 lb. Blix Vika+ folding electric bike.

The battery range is very limited and more like 10-12 miles on regular assist. We will definitely be investing in the auxiliary battery once it becomes available again. It’s not presently on the Faraday website for purchase.

This bike is for more active riders who will ride it with no assist on flat ground. My wife wanted a bike that would give her help when needed but mostly ride like a non-electric bike. This fits that bill perfectly but the bike is so fun she would also like to ride it well beyond the current battery range. For now that will have to mean carrying the charger and planning for a three-hour break to fully charge the bike again.

Court Rye

I enjoyed hearing your feedback Don, these Faraday ebikes look nice and are so light and efficient it’s easy to ride unassisted… glad your wife is enjoying hers so far. Hope they get more of the auxiliary batteries in stock so you can get one soon and go further :)