“On an item that’s going to be $2,500 or $4,000, the non-e-bike components are only a few hundred dollars at most. If we have to pay an additional tariff on that, it’s not a big deal," he said. We wisely dismounted on the steepest uphills and also walked one suicidal downhill. Other than my one crash in a deep washout, we survived the worst trail in the area and had a blast. To combat some of the weight issues and to beef up the ruggedness of my bike, I added higher-end front forks and installed new “run flat” tubes. VanMoof, manufacturers of sleek city e-bikes, recently announced plans to expand their physical presence from 8 to 50 cities. Most of the people buying this bike will love the wide, padded saddle and upright ride position, but adjusting the saddle angle was next to impossible. While nearly all the best electric bikes I’ve ridden or reviewed over the years have been aimed at commuters or enthusiasts, research shows that older Americans are the most frequent purchasers of motorized bicycles. Most of these buyers probably haven’t ridden a bicycle in decades and are looking for a cheap and non-intimidating way to get back on the bike. Retailing for under $700 (around £515/AU$970), the Kent Electric Cruiser was created for them. Anyone under 160 lbs will LOVE this bike—my wife (5’7 and 130 lbs) is one of those people who is a perfect fit for this e-bike. With a few upgrades, you can confidently ride almost any terrain and the pedal assist adds just enough boost to get you up the annoyingly difficult uphills without making you feel like you’re riding an overpowered dirt bike. The perfect choice for riders who are looking for a comfortable, and efficient ride. Crafted with a step-thru aluminum frame, this bike is lightweight and easy to mount and dismount. Cheaper mid-drive electric bikes tend to opt for Chinese-made mid-drive motors like those from Bafang, Truckrun, Tongsheng, and others. In the case of Kent’s mid-drive electric bike, seen above, it’s not clear exactly which 250W motor is used. Nicer (i.e., more expensive) e-bikes tend to use fancier mid-drive motors like those made by Brose, Bosch, Yamaha, and other major German or Japanese manufacturers. I chose the Kent Electric Mountain Bike 27.5” from Walmart for a couple of reasons. When I sold the CrossFit gym and moved to Gainesville, Georgia, I lost all of my MTB-riding friends, so my bike went into storage. This year, I introduced my wife Haley to some local beginner singletrack in our new town of Cleveland, Georgia, and she loved it. I installed new front forks on my bike, purchased her a ride, and we started making the weekly trek for a short 30-minute trail excursion. If that’s what you’re looking for, the Kent Electric Cruiser will make both you and your wallet happy. A new partnership with SPIN, an electronic bike and scooter service, will provide 100 electric bikes and 100 electric scooters within the city of Kent. The e-bikes and e-scooters will be available to the entire Kent community. Electrek reports that the steel-framed Torpedo sports a 180W 24V rear hub motor with a 125Wh battery.