2020 OHM Cruise Review

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 OHM electric bikes. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased with you, this video and writeup are not meant to be an endorsement of OHM products. I welcome your corrections, additions, and feedback in the comments below and the OHM electric bike forums.

Observations:

• The OHM Cruise takes the same drive system, battery, fenders, rack, as the Quest and Urban, but gives you an approachable step-thru frame, I was impressed by the strength of the frame, that it didn’t suffer from frame flex while standing up and pedaling hard, and just how well the rack was position in relation to the saddle. OHM has been making ebikes since 2005 and this is their fourth generation frame build, they really pay attention to quality
• Now that OHM includes integrated lights for all of their Shimano powered models and is including the faster four amp charger, it feels like a great value, the parts they user are all very high quality (tires, grips, event the saddle and streamlined rack)
• I find myself looking at this bike in relation to the high-step Quest and thinking it would make a good his and hers setup, but many guys have hip or knee issues, or just like the more approachable wave step-thru frame, so I appreciate that OHM offers two colors (including a gender neutral grey) and that they also offer four frame sizes! I was on the medium sized frame by the way. This ebike is one of my favorites for 2020… but the one big downside is that the rear rack does not officially support child seats because of how the support arms are hidden inside the fender and fit uniquely into the seat stay. For some, that could be a deal killer… but there are aftermarket racks that Michael actually uses for him and his wife and their child, he mentioned the Thule Yepp! seat that clamps on from the sides

Pros:

• Beautiful approachable step-thru frame, but it’s also sturdy and rigid thanks to the larger downtube sizing and extended gusset that connects to the seat tube, this is a purpose built electric bike that is well balanced and solid… notice the smooth welds and internally routed cables, even the grommets they use to cover the cable entry points are aluminum alloy vs. plastic!
• OHM now includes the faster four-amp charger with all of their 2019/2020 models, which means you can spend more time riding! They used to charge additional money for this charger, so it’s a great value to see it included
• The Cruise comes complete with fenders, a rear rack, and integrated lights! It’s ready for any ride conditions that an urban environment could bring and would make for an excellent commuter platform
• I really appreciate how OHM designed the rear light to be protected by the rack tubing… and that they chose a light with two LEDs to keep you extra visible from the back and sides
• So many times, companies will mount headlights on the fork, but OHM stuck it up high on the handlebar/stem so you’re more visible, it still points where you steer and the casing just felt solid and high quality
• OHM is a reputable company that uses great brand-name components, powered by a Shimano mid-drive motor and drive-train, quality and reputation is the name of the game, OHM has been in the ebike world since 2005, a lot longer than most other companies I see out there
• OHM is based in Vancouver, B.C. and offer free one hour demo rides at their headquarters, or you can order online since they ship all over North America and even have options to send it assembled to your door via a partnership with Velofix, the bike also has a 2 year comprehensive warranty, they even offer four frame sizes!
• For tires, you get a set of Schwalbe Big Ben high volume comfort tires, these are 27.5” tall by 2” wide which adds stability and makes up for the rigid fork a bit, wider tires perform well on gravel and offer improved stability overall. The PSI range is 35 to 70 so you can dial them in for your body weight and intended use… higher PSI is more efficient for good range but less comfortable
• The tires are great, but so are the rims. OHM went with ALEXRIMS that have reinforcement eyelets designed to add strength and durability, it’s one of many small upgrades that set the Cruise apart from other similar city/commuter electric bicycles… and notice how the rims, spokes, and hubs are all matching in black
• Another great bonus to the tires here is that they have both puncture protection and reflective sidewalls, as a big fan of safety and convince, having both means visibility for riding at dusk or dawn as well as peace of mind against potential threats to your tires
• This bike has a 30.9mm seat post, so if you were looking to add more comfort to the ride setup, you could get an aftermarket suspension seat post like a Kinekt or SR SunTour NCX seat post to give the ride more cushion for longer more sustained rides, I am told that this is one of the most popular upgrades that OHM sells on their site
• The bike is comes in at 49.7lbs (on the medium frame) and that weight includes the battery, motor, and everything on the bike ready to ride, pretty light weight compared to similarly outfitted products, but if you wanted to shed some weight for carrying it around or loading it on and off a rack, you could always remove the battery temporarily
• The bike has a quick release setup in both the front and rear wheels, this is great for maintenance like changing a flat tire or truing a wheel, since it is easy to get the wheels on and off, it also makes for great portability if you are loading it into the trunk of a car or other storage considerations… and both axles are sturdy thru-axles (15mm front and 12mm rear) vs. the standard 9mm with a skewer, this adds strength and is something you usually only see on speed pedelcs and mountain bikes
• I was amazed to see that OHM included two sets of bottle cage bosses, you can see how they put them on the thick gusseted section of tubing so screws won’t hit the seat post or downtube battery… ultimately, these mounting points allow you to reach your bottle more easily while riding (vs. a trunk bag holster or handlebar mount) and can also be used for a folding lock, mini pump, or storage box for little tools and parts
• Great mounting choice for the kickstand, it’s out of the way at the rear of the bike but provides plenty of stability for a loaded rack, if you add a trunk bag or panniers
• I love the included rear rack, this is rated for 25kg (which equates roughly to 55lbs) as a max weight limit and has great standard gage tubing to fit all sorts of styles of panniers, really one of the must-haves for a feature complete commuter bike… and Michael mentioned that the base interface increases the lateral stability of the rack by 20% compared with standard rear racks! Color me impressed :)
• Powered by the Shimano E6100 mid drive motor, this is 20% more efficient than the older E6000 and has 130rpm pedal support (so you can downshift and “spin” in lower gears to climb steep hills), the motor uses a standard Q factor, offers 250-400 watts of power, and a varying rate of 50nm-60nm of torque. In my opinion, this is a neat motor that is pretty quiet and very stable
• The new display that OHM has chosen for the Cruise is removable, fairly large and easy to read, uses transflective LCD technology that looks good in the sun or overcast/dark conditions because it’s backlit… you get a dynamic range estimate too. It has all of the important menus and a dedicated light button, which is perfect for this ebike since it has a headlight and rear light
• The lithium-ion battery uses high quality LG cells, the pack fits nicely into the downtube of the bike and when you unlock it, there’s a two-step release so it doesn’t just drop out
• I like that the battery is removable because experts in the field have told me that extreme heat or cold can be damaging to Lithium-ion cells… Not everyone has space for a bike inside their house, but the battery isn’t that large, and taking it off to charge is pretty convenient
• A big win here are the 180mm rotor hydraulic disc brakes! The larger rotor cools faster and provides a great mechanical advantage for heavier loads or larger riders (especially relevant given the four frame sizes) and the brake levers are much easier to actuate and more consistent than mechanical brakes, the brake levers are even adjustable for different hand sizes (and can be adjusted tool free), and the quad piston calipers provide more stopping surface for the brake pad and better cooling, this is mountain bike level componentry
• Very impressive 16″ stand over height! This is one of the most approachable ebike frames on the market right now, and that’s great for people with hip and knee issues, or if you’re wearing a dress or skirt
• Even though the frame has a power button on it, you can turn the bike on directly using just the display… the frame button is redundant vs. some other ebikes I’ve reviewed that have a two-step power on/off process
• Narrow-wide tooth pattern on the chainring reduces the potential for drops, if you’re riding over bumpy terrain, and I like the aluminum alloy chainring guard that will help protect pants and dress ends from touching the dirty chain
• Even the crank arms and pedals are upgraded here! The bottom bracket uses a stiff hollow spindle design from Shimano and the lightweight magnesium Wellgo pedals have independent metal pins stuck in, more like you’d find on a nice trail bike… they’re great for wet weather so you don’t slip off as easily
• So many times, city bikes will only come with 11-32 or 34 tooth cassette, but OHM offers an even wider range with 11-36, which makes starting and climbing easier. The Shimano Deore derailleur is reliable and includes a clutch system for tighter shifting vs. easier rear wheel maintenance depending on whether you click the little grey lever into the up or down position respectively
• Great choice on the Shimano Deore trigger shifters, the high lever offers two-way interaction and the low lever offers multiple steps, this is performance hardware that makes the bike snappier and fun to ride
• Mike showed me how they have upgraded their plastic battery covers to be more rigid and water tight, the battery pack that is protected is still highly water resistant, this is just another detail that OHM is scrutinizing
• The bike uses high-quality FSA headset and sealed bottom bracket, which means you won’t get the same rust, squeaking, creaking, and friction over time as lower quality ebikes
• OHM sells a bunch of upgrades that are guaranteed to fit with their ebikes including a suspension seat post, pannier bags, and a cool basket that interfaces directly with the frame
• The motor controller measures rear wheel speed, pedal cadence, and pedal torque to give you a fluid, natural feeling of pedal assist… and the speed sensor has been designed to fit into the disc brake rotor, so it won’t mess up your spoke or get bumped out of place as easily, this is a nice little upgrade from older ebike technology
• I like that the display has a menu system with lots of options (just hold the square button to get into settings) and that one of those options is to turn off the electronic beeping noise! Also, the bike comes with a fairly nice bell for signaling other riders on the path
• Great lightweight kickstand PERFECTLY positioned to be out of the way when you pedal, move the bike, and when you stow it so there won’t be any contact with the larger 180mm disc brake rotor, OHM nailed it beyond what I see with many other rear mount kickstands

Cons:

• Charging the battery on or off the bike is a great feature, however, when charging on the bike, you have to remember the charging port is near the crank arm on the left side of the bike, this means that if you had it plugged in and parked in the garage, moving the bike or rotating that crank arm could come down on the charging cord, causing it to snag… it’s also a minor inconvenience to reach down vs. having the port up high on the downtube
• This is a little gripe that I have about many mid-drive ebike systems: when you pedal backwards, the chainrings do not cycle… the crank arms just spin, which could make servicing the drivetrain more difficult if you don’t have access to a bike stand, it also spins without a lot of friction and could smack your shin if you slip off while riding
• I wish the display had a USB charging port built in, so you could maintain a smartphone or additional lights / accessories while riding, the battery capacity of the bike is pretty great, so why not take advantage of that?
• The bike lacks a front suspension fork by default, this is part of what keeps the weight down and price reasonable, but you can add an aftermarket fork (though it might not match) and OHM does sell suspension seat posts
• Another gripe would be the extra dongle you need to charge the battery directly, having a different setup for charging on the bike or off the bike is confusing and convoluted, many won’t be bothered by it, but remember to carry it around in your backpack for more charging options, also dongles can get lost sometimes too, something that happens with my computer, so just kind of a minor annoyance
• The E6100 motor is a nice upgrade from the previous Bionix system as well as the older E6000 motor, however, there is no shift detection present… that’s really a feature unique to Bosch, and it just means that with Yamaha, Shimano, Brose, and others, you want to ease off a bit if you’re shifting wile riding with the most powerful motor settings engaged
• I was told that the rear rack is setup to be sleek and sturdy, in the sense that it can handle 25kg (55lbs) of weight, but that it isn’t ideal for children’s seats, because of how it connects to the frame. This was a bummer to learn because I could see the bike being great for parents and kids, still, Michael told me that there are aftermarket racks and seats that will work, and he uses one for his own child
• Minor consideration here, the battery pack is a little tight to get on and off the bike because the front wheel and fender get pretty close to the downtube, you can turn the front wheel to the left or right to create space and make it easier
• The Shimano motor controller calibrates output each time the bike is turned on… so you need to make sure you aren’t riding the bike or putting pressure on the pedals. This is not something you have to worry about with most of the other ebike mid-drive systems like Bosch, Yamaha, and Brose, and it could throw an error on the display so you’ll have to restart the bike