Espin recently announced some new additions to its fleet of electric pedal-assist bikes, as well as some improvements in its older models.
Espin makes a great bike — I have one myself, and have been riding it for about a year and a half. It’s my daily commuter, as well as my surf bike, as you can see above (I customized and added the basket and surf rack). I live on a good-sized hill, which makes the pedal assist a wonderful way for me to not sweat buckets on my way home. I estimate I’ve put about 3,000 miles on the bike, and the motor, battery, and all componentry are cruising along no problem. To this point, I’ve done nothing but pump up the tires and lube the chain occasionally.
Espin markets itself as affordable, green, stylish, yet highly functional. With a starting price of about $1800 for my bike, it was one of the most affordable on the market, but sleek and sexy. I still get a lot of comments on the bike — it turns heads as I cruise at the speed of traffic on downtown bike lanes, passing traffic-plagued cars with frustrated and tired-looking drivers. The super bright LED head and tail lights are a really nice way to stay safe at night, and the new bikes come with a rear rack capable of carrying 55 pounds.
Other features of the new lineup:
- 160 mm hydraulic brakes
- USB charging port for the removable battery
- 27.5 inch wheels for faster rolling speeds
- fast response time — start pedaling and it kicks on the power assist in 10 milliseconds!
- 50–80 mile range on a charge
- 3 models, all below $2,000
My bike has about a 25 mile range. Though, I’m usually riding at the highest level of pedal assist (I’m a little Ricky Bobbyish with my bikes … I do like to go fast). At the level 5, my range has been more consistently in the 20 mile range on a charge, but that means cruising without much effort at 20 miles per hour, and since I live in a city, that means it takes me everywhere I need to go and then some. One of my favorite features is the removable battery, which I bring up to my office to charge every day, so that my ride home is always fully “gassed up.”
Espin was founded in San Francisco (where they learned that riders in hilly areas really would appreciate a little extra boost) in 2016. The company provides free shipping in the lower 48 states.
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