eProdigy Logan Review

The 2017 eProdigy Logan offers more than double the motor power and nearly twice as much battery capacity of its predecessor while preserving the classic diamond frame and utilitarian accessories. The bike would make an excellent commuter thanks to fenders, a saddle designed to not absorb water and threaded bosses for mounting a rear rack. Rather than produce a single model that comes in high-step and step-thru frame style, eProdigy creates and names their bikes completely separately giving each one a distinct focus and personality. I view the Logan as a balanced, powerful commuter for tallish riders. As a 5’9″ individual myself, I found the frame approachable and appreciated the adjustable stem because my ride style is more upright (especially when commuting). I like to spot traffic and be seen… and while the bike doesn’t have integrated lights, it does have upgraded tires with reflective sidewall stripes designed to make riders visible from the side. The tires also feature K-Shield puncture protection so you don’t have to worry so much about thorns and glass on the road.

Another feature I appreciate with the wheels is that they’re both quick release. This is handy if you do end up with a flat or just have to take on some maintenance. Many times, when I used to own a station wagon automobile, I would take the wheels off my bike so I could fit it in my trunk. Note that the battery pack on this bike is also locking and removable but the display panel is not. It is however, large and easy to understand and use. Operating the bike is a two step process whereby you press a button on the battery pack followed by the center button on the control pad. From here you can navigate through five levels of assist or choose zero which lets the bike ride under pedal power alone. Unfortunately, the throttle does not work in this mode but it does in any of the other assist levels which is handy for taking a break. Considering that this ebike uses a cadence sensor to activate in pedal assist mode, I found it to be quite responsive. At any time, either one of the brake levers cuts power acting as a kill switch for the bike. One of my favorite little accents here is an integrated bell in the left brake lever ;)

The brakes themselves are kind of basic, you get 160 mm rotors with mechanical operation. They offer good enough stopping power and might perform better in wet conditions than rim brakes. I would say they must have chosen mechanical brakes to save money but the price on this bike isn’t that low. At $2,599 I think what you’re paying for is the larger custom motor (that really is powerful!) and the 48 volt battery pack. This newer version of the Logan electric bike is $400 more but the display is also upgraded and now you can opt for one of two NuVinci continuously variable transmissions instead of the standard nine speed Shimano Alivio derailleur. The bike I tested for this review had the electronic NuVinci Harmony which adds nearly $1k to the price but is a dream to shift with… even at standstill. Given that the “Achiever” branded motor does not have shift sensing, it would probably keep your chain and sprockets working longer to use a CVT, but that’s true of most mid-drive powered e-bikes, even those that do have shift sensing.

The power on this bike is great but you do hear a bit of noise from the motor, especially at higher RPM. I like that it keeps weight low and centered, along withe the battery pack above, but wish they could have squeezed in a bottle cage. I tend to use the mounting points for pumps, folding locks and other accessories even if there isn’t much room for an actual cage. Still, with a rear rack added and a trunk bag you’d be alright. Considering that this is a purpose built electric bike with a custom interface for the canister motor (which is quite compact) I was surprised they didn’t try to run the shifter, brake and electrical cables through the frame? It would have looked better and reduced the potential for snagging damage. Perhaps it was another cost savings approach or they wanted to make it easier to service? I like the people at eProdigy, appreciate their warranty and respect their different approach. It’s a family run company from Canada with an excellent warranty and even though their technology isn’t as fancy as some of the competing products these days, I still enjoyed using the bike. Mid-drive motors can make a lot of sense for urban riding and that’s exactly what this bike is designed for.

I’d love to see a few more accessories added such as integrated lights so everything could run off the main pack and perhaps those bottle cage mounts in years to come. For now I appreciate that it’s one of the only electric bicycles with a mid drive that can be throttle activated and actually ascend medium to steep hills (depending on your gear). I enjoyed the black color scheme of the test bike because it helped the wires to blend in but might opt for the white just to say safe and visible… still, the reflective sidewall stripes make a big difference and there are more and more helmet lights, reflective jackets and even panniers with reflectors built in to help you out :) Big thanks to eProdigy for partnering with me for this review.

Pros:

• eProdigy has their very own custom frame and motor designs, the bikes are unique but still professional and well thought out
• While the bike only comes in one frame style (high-step) and one size, it is available in three colors and eProdigy has other bikes that are smaller and easier to mount for petite riders, the benefit of the diamond frame here is that it’s stiff and might be easier to mount on some car racks
• Several nice comfort upgrades here including a suspension fork (with lockout for efficiency if you don’t want bobbing as you pedal), an adjustable angle stem, ergonomic grips and wide Velo saddle
• I’m told that the Velo saddle was chosen in part because it’s sealed and won’t absorb water (or squish it out when you sit down), that’s a neat consideration and good combo with the fenders for people who live where it rains a lot
• Decent plastic fenders keep you dry and clean in the winter months and rainy season, I like that the bike comes with a kickstand and that it’s mounted further back to stay clear of the crank arms
• Tektro disc brakes will stay cleaner and work better in wet riding conditions that rim brakes would, I love the levers they chose because they have an integrated bell and motor inhibitors that cut power to the system if you need to stop quickly
• Excellent two year warranty with five on the frame, I’ve found that the eProdigy team is very friendly and responsive whenever I had questions, it’s a family run company from Canada
• Powerful motor and battery combination, I was able to climb easily and love that it has a throttle mode in addition to pedal assist for getting up to speed, adding power or just giving your legs a break
• The bike is efficient because of the rigid frame, larger diameter wheelset and suspension lockout but if you want comfort beyond just unlocking the fork… consider a 27.2 mm suspension seat post like the Thudbuster ST but note that it will raise the minimum seat height by a few inches
• The bike handled well thanks to the low, centrally located weight of the mid-drive motor and battery pack… I love that both wheels offer quick release so you can fix flats or just transport the bike more easily
• Kenda K935 hybrid tires offer K-Shield puncture protection and reflective sidewall stripe tape so they should perform more reliably and keep you visible, consider adding rechargeable lights to the bike for even more safety
• If you hold the trigger throttle consistently for a few seconds it activates cruise control which could be nice for longer commutes, note that you can disable at any time by pulling either brake lever
• Having tested the motor in a runoff ditch and up a moderate hill with wind I was impressed with the power, this is probably the highest watt mid-drive of any electric bike I’ve tested to date and it offers great torque

Cons:

• There was quite a bit of cable clutter when I looked closely at the downtube and bottom bracket area of the bike, that’s due in part to the NuVinci continuously variable hub upgrade
• The battery pack mounts on top of the downtube and takes up space for where a bottle cage or other accessory might otherwise go, consider adding a disc brake compatible rack and getting a trunk bag with a bottle slot like this
• Activating the bike is a two step process, first press the battery power button then press the control pad power button near the left grip… just takes a bit of extra time
• The trigger throttle was flipped and mounted on the left (probably to make space for the shifters on the right) so it took a bit of getting used to for me, not a huge deal :)
• I noticed that because of the trigger throttle and brake lever mount on the left, I had to reach further to interact with the assist button pad than on some competing bikes that either don’t have a throttle or mount it on the right side (but that can then sometimes crowd the shifters)
• The mid drive motor on this bike isn’t quite as sophisticated as some of the more expensive optoions out there and thus, does not have shift sensing or a torque sensor so it’s easier to grind gears… consider upgrading to the NuVinci N380 CVT for $499 to avoid mashing and wear that might otherwise occur

Resources:

• Official Site: http://www.eprodigybikes.com/logan.aspx
• More Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/Ft6X1PPzx28aNxNV9