2022 Jetson Bolt Pro Review

This review was provided for free. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased with you, this video and writeup are not meant to be an endorsement of Jetson products. I welcome your corrections, additions, and feedback in the comments below, and the Jetson electric bike forums.

Observations:

• The Bolt Pro is a very affordable compact electric bike that is sold in many countries including Canada, the United States, Spain, and the United Kingdom. I have seen it online at Amazon and in person at Costco stores.
• The only portion of the bike that folds is the handlebar post. In order to make this ebike as compact as possible for storage or transport, you could also remove the saddle and seat post, and consider removing the pedals (which do not fold).

Pros:

• Purpose-built frame is well balanced front to back, and the wires and cables are all internally routed through the frame. It looks pretty good in my opinion.
• Fairly easy to unbox and assemble! All I had to do was attach the seat post, pedals, and rear fender, then swivel the handlebar so the brake levers were easier to reach.
• One of the biggest pros is how affordable this electric bicycle is, at roughly $600 USD it could be a good option for a student, city commuter, or child who has a limited budget.
• I like that it offers pedal assist and twist throttle, although I was unable to test pedal assist because it was not working on my demo bike. The twist throttle is very smooth and offers variable speed output so you can go slow if you wish.
• Integrated headlight blinks to help keep you safe and visible to other cyclists and automobiles. The blinking might also reduce how much energy it uses vs. a steady beam.
• Although it’s basic, the rear 2-LED light offers three modes! It can go solid, fast blink, or slow blink. It uses a disposable coin battery.
• I was impressed by how quiet the bike is, the fenders didn’t rattle and the motor felt very smooth and quiet even when I was operating at full power! The website and manual say it can ascend inclines up to 15-degrees.
• The extra thick foam saddle has springs built into the bottom, so it really improves ride comfort. This is great, considering the smaller wheel and tire size, and lack of suspension.
• Jetson added a plastic chainring guard and chain cover to help keep your pants or dress from touching and snagging on the chain! The single-speed chain is unlikely to fall off and operated smoothly for me.
• Cast magnesium-alloy rims tend to be sturdier than spokes and require less maintenance. They usually aren’t as forgiving in terms of flex. I appreciate the large white reflectors that are attached to both wheels on both sides.
• While the bike doesn’t fold in half, the handlebar does fold down to the side and the saddle and seat post can be removed to make it very compact. You could even unscrew the pedals or replace them with folding pedals like these.
• I appreciate that they routed the motor power cable between the frame and rear disc brake rotor vs. inserting on the right side through the axle. It seems well protected and should be more durable here.
• The mechanical disc brakes worked well, and both brake levers have motor inhibitors for added safety! Mechanical brakes tend to be easier to adjust, and I appreciate the way that the housing for the wires both pointed down so water and dust wouldn’t enter as easily.
• They included a flick bell to help you signal in a fun way while riding. I also appreciate the lights, fenders, and chain cover mentioned earlier. The battery charger is small and light enough to carry along to help extend range if your trip is long or takes an unexpected detour.
• Jetson seems like a company that cares with online customer support, a phone number, and tags in the box that direct you to help if your bike has issues.
• I like how the frame was designed with an opening at the center to serve as a lifting handle. I used it frequently this way and appreciate how balanced it was to lift. It also fit into the back seat of my Toyota Corolla during transport!
• The bike is fun to ride and was able to power through grass and up a small hill (when I had momentum). I could see how it would be useful for a commute to school or the office, and I met a child who owned one and loved riding it around the block.
• Even though it’s a folding design, the bike felt solid. Since the steer post doesn’t telescope and the frame itself doesn’t fold, the bike is sturdy enough to support riders up to 265lbs (120kg).
• The website says they have a money-back period and a one year limited warranty, which gives me a bit of peace of mind that you could return the bike if it had an issue like mine… but I didn’t enjoy lugging the large box around and dread the shipping and waiting associated with that kind of situation.
•  

Cons:

• The bike is much heavier than I expected given the small overall size. I weighed it at 43.2lbs, which is very close to the official weight in the user manual. I think it has to do with the many steel parts including frame, fork, seat post, steer post, handlebar, and crank arms.
• Steel is sturdy and can offer vibration dampening qualities, but it can also rust if the paint gets scratched. Consider using car paint or fingernail polish to touch things up if you are concerned about rust.
• Since the battery is not removable, the bike needs to be parked near a charging outlet vs. left outside. This could be difficult if you’re commuting to school or work and want to extend range.
• The charging port for the battery is located near the bottom of the pack on the left side of the frame, directly in the path of the left crank arm. I found it difficult to reach and felt it was vulnerable to getting snagged if the cranks turn while plugged in.
• I’m not sure how battery replacement or repair works, but the manual says not to open the case. In some ways, this feels like a disposable product vs. one that could last and be repaired by a shop.
• The bike is a single speed, and it felt comfortable to pedal… but you don’t get as many options for starting and climbing efficiently or maintaining a faster speed comfortably without spinning the cranks at a higher pace. The crank arms are also shorter than average at 140mm long vs. 170mm long.
• The top speed is 25km/h which equates to 15.5mph, and that’s the top legal limit in much of Europe but not North America. Some might feel that it is slow, but this lower speed helps to extend range and could make it safer for children and young adults who are riding for fun and have less experience.
• The first bike I tried was supposedly brand new, but the motor did not activate. I could see the LED lights on the display, the headlight worked, but the motor would only slightly turn for a second and then quit. Perhaps the wires got bent or stretched, maybe there was a controller issue? The second bike I tried did not have working pedal assist and was just 2-3 weeks old.
• The bike only comes in one frame size, which is fairly small. I felt decently comfortable as a 5’9″ tall person with 30.5″ inseam, but I had the seat raised all the way and did not get full leg extension. Also, it might not fit on some car racks due to the shorter wheelbase and smaller wheels. It would be cool if they designed a rubber band or clasp to keep it folded and not rattling around… but I’m not sure I actually would fold it a lot due to concern about bending the wires repeatedly and causing an issue with pedal assist or the motor, as I experienced on the demo bikes.
• The unique 14″ wheel size isn’t as common as 26″ or 28″ which could make finding replacement inner tubes more difficult. I saw them for sale on Amazon. The tires do not have puncture protection, so avoid stickers.
• The bike sits low to the ground, so you might not be as visible when commuting. I appreciate the lights, but would love to see side cutouts on the headlight so it can be more visible, and possibly some reflective stickers on the sides or on the tires.
• The battery capacity is less than half of what I would consider “average” for this generation of electric bikes. It offers 36 volts and 6 amp hours for a total of 216 watt hours, and their range estimate is in the 5-10 miles in the manual but up to 30 on the website. It depends on the rider weight and how the throttle or assist are used… but there is only one level of pedal assist from what I could tell and the battery charge level is difficult to estimate precisely with a 4-LED readout meant to communicate 25% increments.
• This is a minor complaint, but the saddle clamp is difficult to adjust because it uses two nuts (so you might need two tools) and it can spin easier than a forged clamp that is built into the seat post. This is cheap old-school hardware that I remember from my very basic bikes as a kid.
• The smaller wheel size decreases ride comfort, due to the higher attack angle and lower air volume. There’s no suspension fork, but the sprung saddle felt decent, and the lower top speed improves comfort a bit.
• The battery charger is very small and light at 0.6lbs but also slower than average at 1.5 amps. The pedals are cheap and basic, but actually better than I expected! They worked fine. There’s no bottle cage mount, but it does appear that you could try to mount a rear rack or buy the basket accessories that Jetson offers.
• The biggest con for me is a lack of dealers and question about quality and longevity of the product. My first ebike was a disappointment because I rode it a lot and wished I had spent more for something long-lasting.