Electric Bike Review – Excitement is a low price for an Electric Bicycle Company Model F ebike. This is where Electric Bicycle Company USA (EBC) created the Model F for those who want a custom, built-to-order ebike that’s also a folding bike. Current market price $1799 regular $1999, plus shipping. Unlike many ebike brands, EBC bikes come fully assembled with the front wheel and are delivered via cargo. This means your bike will arrive in the same condition as it left the factory in California.
Read our Model F review or watch Electric Bicycle Company’s Model F video below.
Electric Bike Review
This is no ordinary folding rebike, this is a step-by-step folding ebike from Electric Bike. If you’re familiar with the brand, they’ve historically focused on vintage California cruisers (check out their website). The launch of the F model (F for folding) signaled EBC to tackle non-cruising bikes. In addition to its quality, its base sets it apart from other folders. Most electric folding bikes come with 20×3″ or 4″ tires. With the F model, EBC went with 24″ x 3″ tires. These tires ultimately raise the ride height, and the ride feel is comparable to many other folding bikes.
Bike Review: Yamaha Civante Road Bike
There are three stock colors, including red, white and black, but as with other Electric Bike Company models, you can use their color adapter to make this ebike your own for an additional fee. The frame is hydroformed from Aluminum 6061. On our scale, the Model F weighed in at 63.5 lbs.
The first generation Model F had several drawbacks. One other advantage is that the bike does not have a stand to rest on when folded. Usually, they are welded to the bottom of the frame. This is what is almost universally included in folding electric bikes, not only to protect the frame, but also to allow the bike to sit upright on its own.
The second downside is that the distance from the foot to the bottom of the pedal is 8 inches. This is likely a result of frame design, leg length and tire selection. In the F model, the seat needs to be raised higher than necessary to allow full leg extension, making stepping off the bike much more difficult. Our suggestion instead is to jump on the front of the bike with a step between your legs so you feel comfortable. This is shown in the video review above. Visit the EBC website for other Model F frame measurements.
The cabinet has an easy-to-use color LCD screen with a USB plug at the bottom to charge the device. The 12Ah battery in the tube is slightly smaller than the average 14Ah ebike battery.
Jackrabbit Review: An Electric Bike Like No Other
The Model F uses a 750-watt MXUS (now EBC brand) motor, which exceeded 900 watts in our testing. As a class 2 electric bike, it has a left hand thumb throttle at 20 mph. However, we were able to get the bike up to 23 or 24 mph with pedal assist out of the box.
In the advanced settings of the display, the top speed can be changed up to 25 mph with the help of throttle OR pedal. However, this should be done at your own risk and in accordance with all local laws and regulations.
Part of the higher cost of the F model is due to the inclusion of higher quality components. On the steering wheel, which is shorter than we’ve seen on many folding bikes (22.5 inches), you’ll find a vegan leather grip. These are printed by Electric Bike Company and give the bike a premium feel.
Another feature is the soft saddle of the big saddle. This is one of the best e-bike seats we’ve reviewed. The front suspension fork Zoom is to round out the comfort.
Et.cycle F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike Review
Electric Bike Company, which does not compromise on quality, has gone with Bengal hydraulic disc brakes, which work very well. Front and rear are 24″x3″ Electric Bicycle Company rhino tires with reflective sidewalls. According to EBC, they are puncture resistant.
An important difference in the Model F is its speed. The front end has a 58 tooth front chainring. It is paired with 16 rear sprockets for pedaling at high speeds. See the full Model F specs.
Included in the purchase price of the F model are front and rear LED lights that run off the main battery. In addition, you get an internal alarm with two keys. This puts a “lock” on your bike so that if someone starts to move the bike, it will sound out loud. This doesn’t eliminate the need for a quality bike lock, but it’s a nice extra security measure.
This ebike will have all the bells and whistles with a wide range of accessories available. Even better, some of these accessories can be custom painted, such as the front basket (our favorite) or the front and rear fenders.
Crane Folding E Bike Review
A variety of other ebike accessories are available on the EBC website, from helmets to mobile phones and even bike racks. Check out our list of electric bike accessories for more options.
Overall the Model F is an interesting entry point for the EBC on non-cruising bikes. Quality fittings are what we’ve come to expect from an Electric Bike, but we’d like to see some subtle changes in the next generation. If you’re interested in other Electric Bicycle Company bikes, check out this Electric Bicycle Company Model E review. If there are two great pieces of green technology that have greatly improved my daily life, they are probably electric bikes. and portable solar power plants. I reviewed both and they are even better when you put them together. Take the Mokwheel Scoria, which straps an inverter to an e-bike to create a mobile power station.
Mokwheel Scoria looks like a regular three-stage fat tire e-bike. And in many ways, it just is.
But what really sets this thing apart is the optional inverter and solar panel combination that turns it into a portable battery that can be recharged from the sun.
Aventon Pace 500 Review By Electric Bike
Check out the video below to see what I mean. But don’t stop there! Keep scrolling for the rest of my review.
Priced at $1,999, the base model Scoria does not come with extra goodies. You can shell out $2,398 for the version with an optional inverter, and $2,997 for that package with a 200W foldable solar panel.
The inverter has a cable that connects directly to the e-bike and distributes the power between the two.
In the power station, you’ll find a pair of 120VAC outlets, as well as several USB-A and USB-C outlets. It even has a full-power 100W USB-C outlet.
The Vivi 26 Inch Ebike
This is a great setup for cycling or camping as you can run gear from the AC outlet and also charge your USB devices. When you’re on holiday, the bike can be recharged via the foldable solar panel or you can use it on multi-day camping trips as the bike’s battery will run down over time. With the 960W battery on the bike, you have many options.
The inverter is definitely the main attraction here that separates the Mokwheel Scoria from other e-bikes. But even this e-bike is very good on its own.
It’s an electric moped bike, which means it has smaller diameter fat tires that give it less travel and more motorcycle-like handling. Front suspension and fat tires allow for better handling on potholes or nature trails, while rear racks provide excellent wood-lined storage.
Hydraulic disc brakes help stop this heavy 79 lb (36 kg) e-bike quickly and are important features of a bike that can carry a payload of up to 400 lb (181 kg).
Raleigh Array E Bike Review: Style And Substance
The bike has a top speed of up to 35 km/h over Class 2, so strong brakes are a good thing.
The 48V and 19.6Ah battery gives 940W power, which is especially important if you plan to drain the battery through an inverter rather than the wheels. The company claims a maximum range of 60 miles (96 km) from the big battery, but that seems optimistic to me unless you’re at the lowest power pedal assist level.
When it reached 22 mph (35 km/h) with the throttle, the bike felt fun to ride on the road and on the trails, but it doesn’t hold up to 60 mph at full throttle.
This 750W motor also drains the battery, so keep that in mind if you plan to use the inverter for a while and then run it again.