Looking for minimalist, "undercover" ebike?

B

bartfliet

New Member
Region
Europe
Hello everybody, I am new to the forum and am looking for a specific type of ebike in Europe (Belgium specifically)!
I've found a couple of models, but sadly, they are only available in the US.

To give you an idea of what I like, I'm in love with the Ride1up Roadster V2 and The Luna Fixed Stealth.
The thing I like about those bikes mostly is the frame type, where the rear bit connects to the frame a bit lower, and how the frame is just regular sized, not with that ugle thick bottom tube.
I also love that you can almost just not see that it's an ebike, and also just the very clean look of these bikes.

I've looked into getting these shipped over, but there are a couple of issues.
First being that bikes that go over 25km/h here need a licence plate, and I don't really want that, nor need it to go faster really.
Secondly, getting it shipped over here would add nearly 50% cost to the bike, that's a bit much...

I would be using the bike for inner city commuting, so short distances, which these types of bikes are perfect for.

So summerized what I'd want is:

- Available in Europe
- not crazy expensive, around 1000 - 1500 euro
- clean minimalist look
- single speed is good for me, adds to the minimalist look
- preferably belt drive, though not required

If all else fails I am considering going the DIY route, though I'd like to hold off on that until I'm sure I can't find something to my liking pre-made.

Thanks in advance!
 
bartfliet said:
I've found a couple of models, but sadly, they are only available in the US.
Click to expand...
European Union defends herself against cheap Chinese imports; that's why you cannot buy e-bikes such as Ride1Up in Europe. Prepare to pay far more for a decent Euro e-bike but also expect high quality and excellent warranty. (For instance, the Roadster comes with mechanical brakes; we expect hydraulic disk brakes from a Euro e-bike). Also, bear in mind the belt drive will make a Euro e-bike even more expensive, as it typically involves an Internally Geared Hub.
----------------
Let me give you an example of a minimalist and lightweight Euro e-bike: It could be an Orbea Vibe H10 that is EUR3050, and it still is equipped with derailleur/chain. This e-bike comes with Mahle hub-drive motor, giving the Vibe a stealthy look.

The next competitor, Specialized Turbo Vado SL 4.0 comes at EUR3,700 and is equipped with a mid-drive motor.

Giant offers several e-bikes in the price range you gave (Entour E+ or Triple X E+). These e-bikes come with old-school e-bike style (the battery on the rear rack), which is not only far from being minimalist but also simply ugly. Other Giant e-bikes are well over EUR3000.
----------------
Perhaps you could find something you would like at low price in Belgium. Good luck. You perhaps could do a conversion of a traditional bicycle with a cheap Chinese e-bike conversion kit: are you brave enough?

The last thing: e-bikes do break, and it is the electronic/electric side I'm talking about. I strongly recommend getting a demo ride at a Local Bicycle Store and making a purchase there. Buying online without local support might get you stranded with a bricked e-bike soon.

P.S. A good news to you. Recently, Trek came with interesting budget e-bikes. It is Trek Dual Sport+ (EUR2400) and Trek FX+ (EUR2500). Both come with a little known Chinese hub-drive motor Hyena, and are equipped with derailleur/chain. Trek is a big company and if you buy from Trek LBS, you could be satisfied.
 
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That's a good point about regulations being stricter in the EU. I have found a couple though that come close. For instance the "Fixie Inc backspin" Which uses a really interesting backhub that houses everything, even the battery. This bike I can get in Belgium for 910. The materials are really the cheapest though :p https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/fixie-inc-backspin-zehus/rp-prod211772
This one is ok, this looks more just cheap, instead of minimal.

Then you also have this Bonvelo Rakede, which is 1800 euro and ticks all the boxes really, though I'd like to look around to see if there anything maybe a bit cheaper... https://bonvelo.de/en/bikes/singlespeed-e-bike/rakede-boost

So I don't think it's impossible to hit that pricepoint, maybe just harder to find. Looking forward to hear if anybody else has found anything interesting. :)
 
bartfliet said:
That's a good point about regulations being stricter in the EU. I have found a couple though that come close. For instance the "Fixie Inc backspin" Which uses a really interesting backhub that houses everything, even the battery. This bike I can get in Belgium for 910. The materials are really the cheapest though :p https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/fixie-inc-backspin-zehus/rp-prod211772
This one is ok, this looks more just cheap, instead of minimal.
Click to expand...
I would not touch this e-bike if I hadn't a dealer LBS selling it to me, and a solid demo ride behind me. V-brakes on an e-bike in 2023? :D The promise of a recharge while not pedalling (regenerative braking) must be a funny marketing trick; only huge and very heavy Direct Drive motor can do it (and the outcome is disappointing). A battery in the hub? A wet dream of a startup company but even they cannot defeat the laws of physics. How many Wh could be stored inside the hub battery?! OK, you have been warned :)

bartfliet said:
Then you also have this Bonvelo Rakede, which is 1800 euro and ticks all the boxes really, though I'd like to look around to see if there anything maybe a bit cheaper... https://bonvelo.de/en/bikes/singlespeed-e-bike/rakede-boost
Click to expand...
A far better option. The battery is 252 Wh and it is one of the smallest main batteries used on lightweight e-bikes (a battery of the same size is used on lightweight but very expensive e-bikes with Fazua mid-drive motors). The hub-drive motor is from Chinese company AKM, and is not bad. The only problem is the Bonvelo is (as I can understand it) a bike bought online. No local support, right? Well. Pay 1800 euros as a lesson price. You might actually like that e-bike :)

I paid some 1700 euro for a Czech made Lovelec Diadem in August 2019. It had an integrated removable 576 Wh battery, an AKM hub drive motor. It weighed 26 kg and had pretty decent components. I still own it and it could be my only e-bike... I bought it online, and at least I was able to buy replacement components from the manufacturer.

Maybe you would be happy with Bonvelo, too?
 
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Stefan Mikes said:
The promise of a recharge while not pedalling (regenerative braking) must be a funny marketing trick; only huge and very heavy Direct Drive motor can do it (and the outcome is disappointing). A battery in the hub? A wet dream of a startup company but even they cannot defeat the laws of physics. How many Wh could be stored inside the hub battery?! OK, you have been warned
Click to expand...
That Zehus motyor has been around for at least 5 years. and the advertisng guys cannot resist the empty promise of recharging as you ride,
.
I remember one of the early reviews Court had done on a Vello folder equipped with this motor. He said aomething to the sales rep like ... "Where's the charger connector? Ooooh, you never have to recharge this bike, do you?", but there was no answer.
 
bartfliet said:
Hello everybody, I am new to the forum and am looking for a specific type of ebike in Europe (Belgium specifically)!
I've found a couple of models, but sadly, they are only available in the US.

To give you an idea of what I like, I'm in love with the Ride1up Roadster V2 and The Luna Fixed Stealth.
The thing I like about those bikes mostly is the frame type, where the rear bit connects to the frame a bit lower, and how the frame is just regular sized, not with that ugle thick bottom tube.
I also love that you can almost just not see that it's an ebike, and also just the very clean look of these bikes.

I've looked into getting these shipped over, but there are a couple of issues.
First being that bikes that go over 25km/h here need a licence plate, and I don't really want that, nor need it to go faster really.
Secondly, getting it shipped over here would add nearly 50% cost to the bike, that's a bit much...

I would be using the bike for inner city commuting, so short distances, which these types of bikes are perfect for.

So summerized what I'd want is:

- Available in Europe
- not crazy expensive, around 1000 - 1500 euro
- clean minimalist look
- single speed is good for me, adds to the minimalist look
- preferably belt drive, though not required

If all else fails I am considering going the DIY route, though I'd like to hold off on that until I'm sure I can't find something to my liking pre-made.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Yes, very difficult to find a lower cost, big brand bike like that available to you in Europe.

I have the same love as you do, for the simplicity and look of the SS belt drive low key bike. I wasn’t sure about the Ride1UP Roadster before I got it, but I’ve gotten almost 7000 miles on it in the past 1.5 years … and it is absolutely fantastic.

Almost no maintenance or major issues over that time, except for a carbon belt replacement. IF you were to take the leap and get one shipped over, the only thing would be to also order two spare belts ($50 each) to last you in total 15-20,000 miles or more. You could also order a spare rear wheel with motor for $350, but I’ve had no issue yet over 7000 miles. Other stuff is primarily normal bike mechanical stuff, more easily dealt with.

The regular Roadster has rim brakes which have been fine for me given the light weight of the bike, and a TopTrans belt. The gravel version has disc brakes, though mechanical and not hydraulic, but also a better Gates carbon belt.

Regarding the Europe speed limit limitation, if you modified the bike to reduce it’s max speed for assist, would that be enough to be legal? I modified my bike with the change to an EggRider display (from the UK), and it is customizable to allow setting max speed for assist.

Otherwise, there are several other SS bikes available in Europe, but will be several $thousand, unfortunately.

Otherwise, maybe a conversion is your best best. Or just getting a really lightweight non-electric SS (track bike based)?
 
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Stefan Mikes said:
I would not touch this e-bike if I hadn't a dealer LBS selling it to me, and a solid demo ride behind me. V-brakes on an e-bike in 2023? :D The promise of a recharge while not pedalling (regenerative braking) must be a funny marketing trick; only huge and very heavy Direct Drive motor can do it (and the outcome is disappointing). A battery in the hub? A wet dream of a startup company but even they cannot defeat the laws of physics. How many Wh could be stored inside the hub battery?! OK, you have been warned :)


A far better option. The battery is 252 Wh and it is one of the smallest main batteries used on lightweight e-bikes (a battery of the same size is used on lightweight but very expensive e-bikes with Fazua mid-drive motors). The hub-drive motor is from Chinese company AKM, and is not bad. The only problem is the Bonvelo is (as I can understand it) a bike bought online. No local support, right? Well. Pay 1800 euros as a lesson price. You might actually like that e-bike :)

I paid some 1700 euro for a Czech made Lovelec Diadem in August 2019. It had an integrated removable 576 Wh battery, an AKM hub drive motor. It weighed 26 kg and had pretty decent components. I still own it and it could be my only e-bike... I bought it online, and at least I was able to buy replacement components from the manufacturer.

Maybe you would be happy with Bonvelo, too?
Click to expand...
That Bonvelo looks nice, and seems much more like the Ride1UP Roadster. And Gates carbon belts are known to be very reliable.
 
You may be right! Too much of a coincidence that it has essentially the specs for battery capacity, 40nm of torque, and weight :)
 
p.s.- Regarding risks of ordering online, having a SS belt driven bike does generally reduce the risk of problems, since you have no derailleurs, shifters or chains to deal with. Keeps things simple, and less to maintain.

Though I would avoid the cheapest models without many reviews or history.
 
PSm said:
p.s.- Regarding risks of ordering online, having a SS belt driven bike does generally reduce the risk of problems, since you have no derailleurs, shifters or chains to deal with. Keeps things simple, and less to maintain.

Though I would avoid the cheapest models without many reviews or history.
Click to expand...
I would avoid e-bikes without the local support but that's the price to pay for an inexpensive e-bike.
 
Over in the EU, the brand that springs to mind as a value brand with low-for-the-EU pricing is Cowboy. In the EU they have a recycled/reconditioned bike program available that knocks pricing down to a couple-thousand Euro or even a bit less.

C3 refurbished: €1.490. Belt driven and single speed.

cowboy.com

Cowboy Cowboy 3 - The Connected Electric Bike

<p>Shift your ride, not gears. Find the fastest way to move in the city as the bike adapts intuitively to power the speed you need.</p>
cowboy.com cowboy.com

C4's are running €1.990 on the circular program. Also belted and single speed.

I have owned a Luna Fixed and while that bike is not certified for the EU (no such thing as a Certificate of Conformity) its motor is essentially a 250w EU motor that only peaks in the 400w range. Its average output is right inline with an EU powerplant.

My daughter and son-in-law live in Halle and the time I have spent over there, the far-and-away largest contingent of quasi-stealth ebikes are Van Moofs. But surely you know this just by watching them go by. Both daughter and son-in-law ride Sondors X EU-spec bikes with motors labeled 250w (but we know from experience Bafang merely changes the engraved rating on the casing and the motor interior is identical across multiple different ratings). They report nobody cares in the least as to power levels. Those bikes were about 1500 Euro each when purchased at the time (right about the time the EU tariffs kicked in), and delivered to their doorstep.
 
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bartfliet said:
Hello everybody, I am new to the forum and am looking for a specific type of ebike in Europe (Belgium specifically)!
I've found a couple of models, but sadly, they are only available in the US.

To give you an idea of what I like, I'm in love with the Ride1up Roadster V2 and The Luna Fixed Stealth.
The thing I like about those bikes mostly is the frame type, where the rear bit connects to the frame a bit lower, and how the frame is just regular sized, not with that ugle thick bottom tube.
I also love that you can almost just not see that it's an ebike, and also just the very clean look of these bikes.

I've looked into getting these shipped over, but there are a couple of issues.
First being that bikes that go over 25km/h here need a licence plate, and I don't really want that, nor need it to go faster really.
Secondly, getting it shipped over here would add nearly 50% cost to the bike, that's a bit much...

I would be using the bike for inner city commuting, so short distances, which these types of bikes are perfect for.

So summerized what I'd want is:

- Available in Europe
- not crazy expensive, around 1000 - 1500 euro
- clean minimalist look
- single speed is good for me, adds to the minimalist look
- preferably belt drive, though not required

If all else fails I am considering going the DIY route, though I'd like to hold off on that until I'm sure I can't find something to my liking pre-made.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

there are some really beautiful european bikes that meet all your requirements but the price. e.g. desiknio. perhaps used ones are available?

other similar but less expensive brands are lekker, bonvelo, maybe cowboy?

7C4AD9F6-E830-452F-AD9A-8AB03DB88D0C.jpeg
 
bartfliet said:
If all else fails I am considering going the DIY route
Click to expand...
Here is one bike that I made. I purchased it for $250 US and it sold in 36 hours before I finished the conversion. I am doing a house call in an hour to adjust the Nexus 8 hub. Having gear choices is very nice. Consider at least a three speed.
 

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PedalUma said:
Here is one bike that I made. I purchased it for $250 US and it sold in 36 hours before I finished the conversion. I am doing a house call in an hour to adjust the Nexus 8 hub. Having gear choices is very nice. Consider at least a three speed.
Click to expand...
I'm so glad you do not live in Europe... :D
 
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