Biomega OKO Review

This is the first Biomega electric bike I’ve seen in the US and the first time I’ve had an opportunity to test ride and review it. My initial thought was that it would cost way more than it does… especially given the three frame sizes, two drivetrain options (internally geared auto shifting two speed or eight speed Shimano Alfine) and two color choices. The bike I tested was a medium sized, silver color with the eight speed hub and it would definitely be my preference over the auto shifting though it does add weight, $400 more cost and some clutter to the handle bars. In my experience the two speed system forces a slower pedal cadence and I prefer to spin but for those who don’t mind and just want to relax… or save some money, the two speed is cool and both systems use a Gates carbon belt drive which is much quieter and cleaner than a chain. You don’t need to lubricate it the same way or deal with a derailleur that could get bumped when storing or transporting the bike.

It’s a solid product for cruising around the neighborhood, town or even commuting but lacks bottle cage bosses and rear rack mounting points which limit utility… Biomega does offer their own beam-style rack but these can get bumped side to side in my experience, aren’t able to hold as much weight and their design (while cool looking) lacks pannier blockers which would keep panniers from rubbing on the tires and spokes when turning. For what it is, this thing is pretty cool and the visual footprint can’t be understated… the tall top tube (which houses the battery), flattened seat stays and fork are all great reflective surfaces to help you be seen by automobiles. The tires have reflective sidewall stripes as well but there aren’t any lights built into the frame which would have been nice given it’s so custom already.

The motor switches on and off pretty quickly using a cadence sensor that is super-well hidden but I noticed the brake levers didn’t have motor inhibitor switches. Steering felt good and I was able to ride with no-hands without feeling unstable, there’s a bit of extra weight in the front but the internally geared hub is efficient and light weight, it’s probably the best choice here since the rear hub is taken up by internal gearing for pedaling. The motor makes a bit of whirring noise when pedaling but isn’t bad and overall the bike doesn’t stand out as being “electric” since the hubs are small and the battery is hidden. It appeared that the battery was removable but I’m not sure how easy it would be and you might do well to simply leave it on the bike as I’m not sure if you can charge it independently… Sorry for lacking some details here, this was an early build of the bike and some things may be changing including the control pad and display which were very minimal and did not show your speed, battery level or distance. Again, for the price and considering how nice it felt to ride this was an impressive product.

Pros:

• Incredibly clean and minimal cockpit area, no flashing displays or crowding of the grips, brake levers and shifter mechanism
• Custom designed by a famous team called KiBiSi from Copenhagen Denmark (this is also where Biomega is based), it looks beautiful but is also very comfortable and utilitarian with the integrated fenders
• Available in three frame sizes for improved fit, this is amazing to me given the relatively low price point for a carbon fiber frame
• Offered in two colors (white or silver) which are both highly visible for safer morning or nighttime riding, the visual footprint of this frame is large because of the wider top tube, seat stays and fork design as well as reflective tape on the tires
• Completely integrated cabling (brakes, shifters and electronics) for a beautiful appearance, reduced snagging and wear and improved aerodynamics
• The fenders offer great protection from water but are positioned very close to the tires so I didn’t feel like they were in the way or vulnerable to being kicked when pedaling
• The ride quality was pretty good overall even without suspension, the tires are a bit wider at 1.95″ diameter with some bumps that absorb vibration and if you wanted to improve comfort further you could use a seat post suspension like the BodyFloat with 27.2″ diameter
• Super clean and quiet drivetrain, the Gates carbon belt drive is upgraded to CDX (center-track so it won’t slip side to side) and doesn’t require lubrication the same way that chains do, there’s also no derailleur sticking out in the rear that could get bumped and would require more maintenance and tuneups compared with the internally geared hub (though that does weigh a bit more than a cassette)
• Incredibly light weight given the average sized motor and battery, most similarly specced electric bikes I test weigh closer to 50 lbs vs. ~41 here
• I was really impressed with the front fork design because the motor power cable is run through the top and then hidden on the inside where it attaches to the hub, this looks great but is also more durable if the bike tips and they even have a quick-disconnect point to make maintenance of the front wheel easier
• This ebike definitely performed like it was using a cadence sensor but I couldn’t see the sensor unit anywhere, normally there’s a disc with magnets at the bottom bracket but it must be integrated here and that’s an improvement as far as aesthetics in my book, it felt responsive as well

Cons:

• No kickstand offered with this frame… given how beautiful it looks I would like to avoid having it tip and aftermarket stands don’t tend to blend in as well as something custom, this one might work with the bottom plat design and is adjustable height
• The front and rear wheels are both bolted on and there’s no quick release option so you’ll either have to carry a tool or consider an aftermarket part
• No integrated bosses for a water bottle or rear rack… You can add an aftermarket seat tube or saddle adapter for bottles and Biomega does offer a beam style rear rack but it’s probably not as sturdy and won’t stay as straight as a more traditional multi-point carry rack
• Limited display readouts, minimal indication for how low the battery is getting (blue, green and red LED as it discharges) and definitely no speed or range readouts… just a few buttons for on/off and up/down to adjust assist level, maybe they will have an app someday to enhance the experience?
• Given the cool, custom frame I’m surprised they didn’t add LED lights to run off the main battery pack, you can always get aftermarket USB rechargeable lights like these but I prefer integrated so you don’t have to take them off when parking in public
• The hydraulic brakes work well and are easy to actuate but don’t seem to have a motor inhibitor switch built in which means you could be braking against the power of the motor if you continued pedaling (given the cadence sensing design), not a huge issue with the medium sized motor and super strong brakes but not ideal either

Resources:

• Official Site: https://biomega.com/
• More Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/VskJ8wZ9HxSV8yzR7