Unbiased, In-Depth Analysis of the Best Electric Bikes
Optibike was started by Jim Turner in 1998 in his garage in Boulder, Colorado. After graduating with an advanced degree from Stanford, Turner first became a design engineer in the Advanced Vehicle Controls Division at Ford Motor Company. But, after he became frustrated with slow innovation in large corporate life, Jim looked for something that would provide a positive impact on people’s lives. After learning about the electric bike, he knew he had to be a part of the industry. In 2007, after 9 years of “trials and tribulations”, the first Optibike was sold. Since then, Optibikes have been sold in over 33 countries. “I love that Ebikes are good for your health and the environment, with Optibike, I get a chance to directly impact the lives of others” – Jim Turner
To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This in-depth review was sponsored by Optibike. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased, this video and written review are not meant to be an endorsement of Optibike products. Optibike is one of the oldest electric […]
EBR charges a service fee to manufacturers to produce ebike reviews and videos, this began in 2018. It’s the same flat fee for each bike, and it helps us to keep the site going while limiting ad clutter. We appreciate the opportunity to serve you with our opinions and data but respect your right to […]
The Optibike Pioneer City is an efficient mid-drive style electric bike that offers a durable frame and drive system with lots of useful accessories. This is the kind of ebike you see a lot in Europe where people cycle to work on a daily basis and need to be able to carry supplies and stay […]
This second iteration of the Optibike Pioneer Allroad improves on the original in several key ways while keeping price constant. You still get the power and efficiency of a mid-drive motor (in fact it’s torquier now) and it’s quieter to operate. The suspension fork has been upgraded for improved strength and performance along with an […]
This review is for the 2013 version of the Optibike Pioneer Allroad (it was the first generation model) and the latest version has also been reviewed here. The new version has a quieter motor that offers a bit more torque. The frame design has changed along with the LCD display panel and front suspension fork. […]
The Optibike SIMBB system is simply amazing. It stands for “super integrated motorized bottom bracket” and that’s because inside its sealed aluminum case is a 600 watt motor, 37 volt battery and control system. That’s everything you need to go upwards of 30 miles distance at nearly 30 miles per hour! The 29C model is […]
The R11 is Optibike’s top of the line “off road” offering. It features knobby Schwalbe Fat Albert tires, long travel Fox 36 Talas and Float suspension, reinforced Swiss F630 rims, and King headset. Those are top of the line components and this bike is designed to last and handle even the toughest terrain. In addition […]
The R8HD is Optibike’s mid-level “off road” offering. The HD stands for “heavy duty” and that alludes to the burlier suspension, rims, headset and tires that this bike offers over the standard R8. This bike delivers high end components, massive range and slightly discounted price over the R11 which features a larger motor and weighs […]
The R8 is Optibike’s “all around” offering. It’s an upper-mid level bike for them but super high end compared with most other ebikes. It’s very capable of taking on mountains but is accessorized more for town and light trail riding. If you’re focus is purely off road, you can upgrade to the R8HD (heavy duty) […]
