Unbiased, In-Depth Analysis of the Best Electric Bikes
This type of electric bike utilizes a motor system that is positioned at the middle of the frame, usually exerting force on the same chain that the rider is cycling as they pedal. They are known for their balanced weight distribution, unsprung weight advantage, battery use efficiency (because they benefit from gear shifting, just like the rider), and improved climbing power. Because they often require custom motor interfaces, mid-drive ebikes tend to cost more money. They exert more strain on the chain, belt, and drivetrain than hub motor and friction drive, and usually do not offer throttle on demand power. Most high-end and European ebikes utilize mid-drive motor systems.
The BOLD² platform is a hardtail, cross country style, electric mountain bike built around the same geometry as the non-electric Focus BOLD. The idea here, is that Focus is “focusing” on building a well-balanced, high-quality bicycle… that can be utilized in two different ways, with or without pedal assist. Of course, the electric version will […]
Focus is a Germany based bicycle company that designs and produces higher quality e-bikes. They are part of the Pon Group which also owns Kalkhoff, Gazelle, and Faraday but Focus offers more of the sporty and mountain concepts which is what the Jarifa 27 Donna is… Actually, this bike spans a couple of categories in […]
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Leading up into 2016 / 2017 in the United States, there weren’t many kid-specific electric bikes to choose from. Haibike offers a few youth models in Europe, and decided to bring their SDURO HardFour 4.0 to the States in limited quantities. I was lucky enough to find one at the Electric Bicycle Center in Fullerton […]
Focus is a German bicycle company that produces sport models for road and mountain use. The company was started in 1992 by mike Kluge and has since been acquired by the Pon Group, which also owns Kalkhoff and Faraday. Their products tend to use high quality drive systems and have been slowly making their way […]
The Gazelle CityZen T10 model improves over the 2016 CityZen C8 in a number of interesting and thoughtful ways, without raising the price. This is a sporty urban electric bike that makes for efficient commuting and allows you to pass through narrow spaces (between cars or through doors) easily because of its narrow handlebar, relatively […]
PESU is an electric bike company started in Shenzhen China in 2016 that is launching a first round of products through Kickstarter and Indiegogo crowd funding websites. As this review was underway, their Kickstarter campaign had raised more than double the goal and the PESU Monster 252W was the most economical offering. This is a […]
Electric Trikes tend to be popular with seniors and disabled individuals. This is a vehicle type that allows you to get around town without having a license and does not require as much money or space as a golf cart… it also allows you to pedal along on sidewalks and paths that might otherwise be […]
For this video review, I visited Cit-E-Cycles in Kitsilano British Columbia, Canada. It was the perfect spot for testing in wet conditions, steep terrain, and for having the different skew levels and frame styles offered by CUBE for their Cross Hybrid models. The Cross Hybrid Pro 400 is the more affordable offering which has a […]
For this review, I met with Brett Thurber from the New Wheel in Marin California. We took two of his shop’s Gazelle electric bikes down on the bike path, near Corte Madera Creek, and discussed all of the intricate details. The Arroyo C8 HMB is one of the more expensive, feature-rich, comfortable city style e-bikes […]
