The Apollo 93pd is my favorite electric bike from Emazing Bike. It’s clean, light weight and rugged. The larger 350 watt motor is powerful for accelerating and climbing but still efficient and light weight. To me, this bike just feels good and the suspension fork and larger 29er wheels with knobby tires are a big part of that. I’ve always preferred hardtail mountain bikes for city commuting because they can handle curbs and a bit of trail riding when the occasion calls. The only downside is they aren’t as efficient to pedal. That issue is really solved with electric bikes thanks to the motorized drive system and the Apollo 93pd does it right. It looks clean and blends in, offers a unique pedal assist with cadence and torque sensing and the controls are easy to understand and use. The price is also pretty decent for a fully built electric bike with a five year warranty (one year on battery).
Driving this ebike is a 350 watt geared rear-mounted hub motor. It’s relatively quiet but offers good torque, especially combined with the pedal assist options. There are five levels of power to choose from with each step increasing the motor output but also using more energy. It’s satisfying to use and quickly reaches the 20mph top speed even at level 3. While there are many mid-drive electric mountain bikes coming out these days which tend to be more efficient and make wheel and tire maintenance easier, I appreciate the zippy feel of the hub motor for light trail riding. It’s nice that it powers the wheel independently from the rider (who uses the chain and gears). In my experience this lets you pick your own cadence and shift more easily. It’s not perfect for every application but it’s easy to appreciate here, especially at this price point.
The battery pack is mounted in an aluminum canister with plastic clips at either end. It includes a lock and can be removed easily for charging on or off the bike. The big downside is that it takes up the spot where a water bottle might otherwise sit and during my tests it did rattle a bit but overall it’s pretty good. The pack is relatively low and centered on the frame for improved balance when riding. It provides 36 volts of power and 9.3 amp hours of capacity which is about average. Given the light weight of the bike and the pedal assist only drive mode, it will take you quite far. I enjoyed riding this bike around even without the battery and I like that it blends in so nicely… If you ever ran out of juice it wouldn’t be too hard to make it home on human-only power or just ditch the pack temporarily for some short distance pedaling fun.
The computer console on this bike is small, easy to see and conveniently placed with external buttons that are positioned right next to the left handle grip. It’s great but my one ask would be for an option to remove the screen so people couldn’t mess with it at bike racks and stuff. It uses a monochrome LCD that shows speed, distance and precise battery capacity which is great for longer rides.
Other great features on the Emazing Bike Apollo include a solid plastic bash guard to protect the front ring during actual off road riding and hydraulic disc brakes. I guess it just reminds me of all the fun I had with my old non-electric hardtail growing up. It felt like I could go anywhere with that bike and it was clean, simple and tough. Compared with many other off-road electric bikes this one is priced well and the warranty is pretty solid. The company is responsive the fact that they offer it in three frame sizes means you can actually get comfortable and enjoy pedaling along. This is a fun ebike.
An approachable city style electric bike with sturdy paint-matched fenders, a nice chain guide and retention system, and adjustable handlebars with ergonomic grips. Upgraded tires provide puncture protection and reflectivity, the rear rack increases utility for commuting or…...
A lightweight cruiser style e-bike with classic cantilever frame style, reinforced top tube, good weight distribution, available in two sizes and two colors. Beautiful tubular alloy fenders with matching paint, sturdy chainring guard and plastic guide to keep…...
An efficient electric-assist city bike with sturdy tubular fenders, a rear cargo rack, puncture-resistant tires with reflective paint and a removable battery pack. Large 180 mm mechanical disc brakes provide smooth controlled stops and stay cleaner in wet…...
A lightweight, hardtail, 29er trail style electric bike with efficient motor and battery pack, it offers smooth, dynamic pedal assist and twist throttle. Nice 100 mm suspension fork with lots of adjustability (compression, preload, rebound, and lockout), durable…...
Light weight, urban style electric bike with pedal assist and throttle mode, mounting points for fenders and rear rack (not included). Upgraded 350 watt motor, throttle mode and disc brakes compared with the Emazing Bike Daedalus…...
An affordable, light weight active commuter style electric bike with excellent range. Lithium battery is mounted low and center on the frame for balance, removable for easy…...
Adora
10 years agoThis looks like it might be the right Bike for me. Wondering if they might have upgraded the battery to a 48volt? Excellect review. I wonder why there’s been no feedback from others about this bike? I don’t know if the nearest dealer has one … sigh, so many options!
P.S. They’re all “sold out” at the emazing website ;-)
ReplyCourt Rye
10 years agoYeah, there are quite a few options out there… I haven’t seen this bike in the wild at very many shops (just the Electric Bicycle Outlet in San Francisco). It was solid and well priced, I think you can find more dealers on the Emazing Bike website linked above. Interesting that they are sold out, maybe they are updating the design with more units on the way?
ReplyAdora
10 years agoI like the idea of this bike for it’s low weight, simple design and non-dependence on a throttle (keeps the biker peddling). I am concerned with the thought of 36v versus 48v – and have NO idea if I would be needing the added voltage. 36v might just be enough to “help me” power up hills -but not do it for me.
I did see the bike on-line for sale, but did send an mail to Emazing and asked that same question. Is there some way to mount a rear rack on this bike? Thanks Court.
ReplyAdora
10 years agoCourt, you are most helpful! Thank you for your time!
I have more research to do, but my choices have narrowed to this bike, the Voltom 500 or the Volton mid-drive. Still waiting anxiously for your review of the Alation mid-drive ;-)
ReplyAdora
10 years agoI’m having FUN looking at the racks … So, for the same price range as this Apollo, could you suggest I look at a few other mountain bikes with and without mid-drive? I’m sure the list is endless, feels a little overwhelming lol
ReplyCourt Rye
10 years agoHi Adora, depending on your weight and intended use the 36 volt will work fine. That’s the model I would go with because it’s cheaper and lighter weight (I’m pretty active and only weigh ~135 pounds). I hope Emazing Bike is able to help you find one nearby but ordering online isn’t so bad considering their five year warranty.
You can definitely mount a rack on this thing but probably have to go for a beam rack like this because there aren’t any braze ons along the chain stays and the brakes use disc which may crowd the dropout area where a more traditional rack like this would connect. Just looking at the pictures of the bike and considering the larger 29er wheels I might go with the A Type rack because it sort of angles up to keep the rack away from the rear wheel (here’s some more info on it). I have this exact rack on my mountain bike and it works pretty well. I also bought the sidebar blocker thing so I can use panniers.
ReplyCourt Rye
10 years agoHey Adora, I’d love to dig in with you but am a bit limited on time right now. All of the eMountain bikes I’ve reviewed can be found here and you could always pose this question in the forums here to get some well rounded feedback :)
Reply