Is The Jetson Adventure E-Bike Perfect?

October 8, 20177 years ago Nicolas Zart 0 Comments

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Yes, we know the title is a little grabby, but a two-month test ride of the Jetson Adventure electric bike (e-bike) has been, well, a nice adventure.

It’s been about two months since Jetson sent us the Adventure e-bike, and so far, we’re smitten with it. The e-bike is easy to get along with, easy to ride, intuitive, and perhaps the best part is that it’s light. The Jetson Adventure hits all these points with a brilliant yet simple and straightforward design. The Jetson Adventure is all about lightness and agility. It feels more like a regular mountain bike than a heavy e-bike. The concealed lithium-ion battery rests neatly out of sight in the front V frame. In fact, when asked what kind of bicycle it was, most were intrigued to learn it is electric.

Jetson Adventure E-bike — Technical Details & Price

Jetson settled on $1,800 for the Adventure, which seems to be the new entry level for e-bikes these days. Its 9 levels of pedal assist give you a wide array of boost. The front shock suspension and shock-absorbing seat manage to keep you on the road and not brutalized by it. The LCD display is well positioned so that you don’t have to hunt for the state of your battery life, speed, and other information.

With a maximum speed of up to 20 mph in electric mode, the e-bike manages a maximum range of up to 40 miles, which we have tested to be fairly accurate for a medium-weight male body. Okay, I’m 175 lb.

The best part is that it only weighs 42 lb, which comes in handy if you run out of juice. We deliberately ran out of electricity and the e-bike never punished us for it. It’s fairly light weight made it easy to get back home pedaling without assistance. And if you feel like abusing it, it can handle 300 lb of weight.

Another thing we like about the Adventure is that all you need to do is pedal to engage the electric motor. Unlike other makers who still give you the option of a throttle, like GenZe does, pedaling kicks in the electric motor. This means that just pedaling without any extra effort or thought will engage the electric motor. This is a nifty feature we’ve come to like over the weeks.

We hear a lot of marketing around powerful electric motors that would make a 250-watt hub motor seem weak. The Jetson’s Adventure 250W motor does the job more than well enough and we found it to be very capable in everyday riding situations in an urban environment. The motor relies on a Panasonic 36V, 7.8Ah lithium-ion battery. However, the battery is not removable, which might worry a few people. We’ve looked at the Adventure to see how easy it would be to swap out the battery. It seems that removing the headlight incorporated into the frame would give you access to the battery. We are waiting to have Jetson confirm this.

Another thing that impressed us with the Adventure is that it sports 21 gears, which makes tackling any hill easy. The wheels are the new 27.5″ standard and rest on an alloy frame. We were worried the seat would be highly uncomfortable, but after positioning it correctly, it did its job well, as well as cushioning us from our bumpy local road.

This e-bike isn’t the always-on communication hub a la Bluetooth we seem to be seeing with other e-bike makers. This is a pure electric mountain e-bike with no added bells and whistles. You will have to put your smartphone and other connected devices away in your pockets and enjoying biking. Oh, wait, it does have a bell! It also comes with a one-year limited warranty.

The Things We Would Like To See Different

Although the Jetson Adventure does a great job at offering us a straightforward electric mountain bike, some will find it needs a few upgrades to make it fit into their lives a bit better. The handlebar is a straightforward affair, but a little too straightforward for these hands and wrists. We would like to see a more ergonomic design that raises the handlebar up and out more. That may just be a personal preference.

Another improvement we would like to see regard the tire and wheel makers, which is not solely a Jetson problem. Many entry-level wheels puncture holes in the inner tubes by using thin and small rubber wheel interior rim protection. After a series of three frustrating punctures, we decided to change the rim seam to cloth. So far, so good.

Lastly, on a personal note, we would change the cartridges to add more pedalling speed. We found ourselves pedalling fast to hold a spirited speed. The current setup, however, could be perfect for anyone with nearby hills or of if there are steep slopes in your commute.

The Jetson Adventure, In Conclusion

Overall, we haven’t been as excited about an e-bike for years as much as we are about the Jetson Adventure. Its simple design philosophy is pure and meets our every need — within reason, of course. What it also does is introduce a good electric mountain bike that can be fairly easily upgraded to meet your particular needs. We do like that it is a fun city riding experience right out of the box.

It’s exciting to see a no-nonsense electric bike that delivers exactly what we look for — lightweight and fun to ride anywhere — at a decent price ($1,800). The Jetson Adventure e-bike is straightforward, fun, and elegant.