The Velotric Breeze 1 - First Impressions

[Sefutau2020]

My First Impressions of the Velotric Breeze 1 – A Stylish, Surprising Ride

From the moment I hopped on the Velotric Breeze 1, I was impressed. It's light, fast, and more powerful than it looks, and the satin white paint job is absolutely gorgeous in person. The bike feels responsive and nimble, with a truly agile ride quality that makes city cruising or weekend exploring a pleasure. I was especially impressed by how natural it felt to ride in Eco mode (PAS 1); more than enough power for a strong rider like myself. That said, for steeper climbs, PAS 5 kicks in the extra boost when needed, no problem.

The ride quality is excellent, even without a suspension fork, thanks in part to the wide 2.2” Kenda tires, which absorb road chatter comfortably. The brakes perform confidently, the seat is surprisingly comfortable, and while the Dutch-style sweptback handlebars take a little getting used to, they give the Breeze 1 its laid-back character.

A standout feature is the display; hands down the best I’ve seen on any ebike. Crisp, intuitive, and stylishly integrated. The other is the sensor swap (Torque to Cadence) on the fly….super Ingenius.

Now, if there’s one area where the Breeze 1 underdelivers, it’s range. On a recent ride of just 17 miles in Eco mode, the battery consumption suggests a max range of about 60 miles, which is underwhelming for a 627Wh battery. For context, my Trek 8S with a larger motor and more weight consistently delivered 90 miles, and my new Ride1Up Vorsa recently clocked 38 miles in Eco with 70% battery remaining. So yes, the range could use improvement.

Still, I love this bike. It's one of the rare ebikes that actually feels great to pedal without any motor assist, and it brings a refined riding experience that’s hard to match. I’ll be doing a full range test soon and will share an update, but for now, the Velotric Breeze 1 has earned a place in my stable.

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UPDATE (05/30/25) Velotric Breeze 1: Second Full Range Test and Riding Impressions

After completing my second full-range test of the Velotric Breeze 1, I’ve gathered not only some solid performance data but also a few key insights that confirm why this bike stands out in a crowded market. Before diving into the numbers, I want to highlight a few characteristics that make the Breeze 1 a true winner in my book.

To begin with, the Breeze 1 is incredibly easy to pedal, even without any motor assistance. Of the 13 e-bikes I’ve owned over the last four years, including high-end models like the Specialized Vado SL 4, the Breeze is arguably the easiest to ride with the motor off. Despite the Vado SL being lighter on paper, the Breeze (at 50lbs) feels smoother and more effortless when pedaling unassisted. If you ever run out of battery, this is the kind of bike you can confidently ride home without struggling.

One of the key observations I made was about the ECO assist level in PAS 1. For my riding style, and perhaps because I’m a strong rider, PAS 1 already feels quite powerful, almost too strong for what should be a mild assist level. I believe Velotric would benefit from a firmware update to refine these assist levels, which would help improve the bike’s overall range. Yesterday, I rode 33 miles using PAS 1 (ECO mode) exclusively and felt great the entire time. I never touched Trail or Boost, and frankly, I can’t see a scenario where I’d ever need them. This bike may look unassuming, but it packs serious power and speed.

If I were making recommendations to Velotric, I’d suggest implementing a feature similar to what Specialized and Ride1Up offer; the ability to customize assist levels based on percentage values. My full-sized Specialized Vado 4 has three well-balanced PAS modes, while my new Ride1Up Vorsa includes five levels, each tunable to the rider’s preference. This kind of granularity would be a welcome addition to the Breeze platform.

Comfort-wise, the Breeze 1 is outstanding. There’s no need for a suspension fork, in my opinion. The bike feels more comfortable than my former Trek 8s, even though that bike was equipped with a Redshift suspension stem. The frame geometry and component choices on the Breeze result in a very pleasant, fatigue-free ride.

Now, let’s talk throttle. Unfortunately, the throttle response on the Breeze leaves something to be desired. It feels jerky and delayed, which isn’t ideal if you’re navigating traffic or merging onto a busy road. In those scenarios, I’d recommend using pedal assist with the cadence sensor engaged instead. The torque sensor also seems a bit sluggish initially, but once it activates, the bike accelerates with real intent. Still, the real beauty of this bike is how smoothly it rides, and how rideable it is even with zero assist.

On to the range: as with all of my bikes, I tested the Breeze on my standard set of routes, where I’ve logged over 27,000 miles across the last four years (including 8,000 miles in both 2023 and 2024 alone). During this test, I rode mostly in ECO (PAS 1) and some in PAS 0, covering 33 miles and arriving home with 57% battery remaining. I only tapped PAS 2 and 3 briefly on two challenging hills. That’s a very respectable result and aligns closely with Velotric’s own estimates and several YouTube reviews. However, I’ll note that if you increase cadence and ride in higher PAS levels, the battery will drain faster. With a 627Wh battery on a relatively lightweight frame, I think there’s room for optimization. For comparison, my old Trek 8s (57lbs) could deliver 80–85 miles in ECO mode, while my current Specialized Vado 4 (58lbs) can hit close to 90 miles in its 35% ECO setting, both of which outpace the Breeze slightly.

All in all, the Velotric Breeze 1 is a tremendous value and will appeal to a broad range of riders, from beginners to experienced cyclists like myself. It’s powerful, easy to ride, comfortable, and most importantly, fun. With a few software refinements, this could easily become a top-tier competitor in the commuter e-bike category.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Nice bike, isn't it? I have similar impressions of my wife's Breeze.

Best attribute by far: She actually rides it — with a big smile, too. Now she's the one asking me to go for a ride. Chalk that up to...

1. A weight (50 lb) she can comfortably control.

2. Perfect geometry for the stable feel, knee extension, and steering action she wants.

3. Nimble handling — thanks in no small part to the light weight and low center of mass.

4. Plenty of motor for a not-so-strong rider in this hilly area.

5. Either torque- or cadence-sensing assist switchable on the fly.

She likes to pedal and prefers torque-sensing 80-90% of the time but can only muster so much pedal force. That makes the cadence-sensing option very handy against high resistances from hills, headwinds, or soft surfaces.

She also likes the 15 assist levels and the way they're split into 3 groups of 5. She can always find a level she likes.

Neither of us likes the way they implemented the throttle, but it'll do, and she usually just switches to cadence-sensing now instead.

Still no good feel for range. Enjoy!

 

[Sefutau2020]

Awesome....great looking bike. I also like you, owned a Vado SL 4, and swapped it out for the Full Power Vado 4....still the bar to beat as far as engineering and ride feel go. I will say, Velotric is getting there, and I like the nimbleness of this bike. This weekend, I will take it out for a 40 mile ride, to see how it does. I really feel some sort of re-programming should be able to fix the range issue. As I stated above, I could ride in ECO mode PAS 1 all day...more grunt than I would normally need, and the light weight helps this bike a lot. I wish they would have include the rack at least, although I did order one, as I prefer trunk bags over backpacks...... Glad the wife is out riding and getting the exercise in. This is the great things about ebikes. Some folks who might not ever venture out, because of knee or strength issues, can now ride with friends or partners, and get exercise, explore, and just feel happier. Good job, and take care.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I also like you, owned a Vado SL 4, and swapped it out for the Full Power Vado 4....still the bar to beat as far as engineering and ride feel go. I will say, Velotric is getting there....

Agree. Only time will tell, but nothing about this bike looks junk to me, and there's a sizable dealer/service network to back it up.

Still totally in love with my Vado SL 1. But the Breeze is both competent and a ton of fun to ride in its own way. Certainly a vast improvement over the old torque-sensing hub-drive I kept for utility and beach riding.

Let us know how your 40-miler goes. Betting the Breeze will shine.

 

[stompandgo]

How does the MTX 2.0 bag attach to the factory rack? Velcro straps?

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

That's the "strap mount" version. Quite secure. Love this bag — not least for the drop-down panniers.

 

[stompandgo]

OK, thanks. I have the MTX 2.0 rack with the sliding mount.

 

[Flashbulb_RI]

"Neither of us likes the way they implemented the throttle, but it'll do, and she usually just switches to cadence-sensing now instead."

Please elaborate, what don't you like about the throttle implementation?

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Unfortunately, no short answer. We were spoiled by the progressive on-demand throttles on our first ebikes — a pair of torque-sensing hub-drives. Those throttles simply added motor power to whatever the assist was already doing. Press a little, add a little power. Press more, add more (up the motor's max).

Better yet, the same press gave the same boost in every non-zero assist level, right up to the 20 mph throttle cut-off. Put that kind of throttle on a torque-sensing PAS, and you get very flexible, controllable, and predictable power delivery.

In contrast, the Breeze throttle completely takes over the motor when pressed. So if you're pedaling away in torque-sensing mode at high assist and press the throttle just a little, you get just a little motor power — not a little more than you had before. Result: You slow down instead of speeding up, even when you're well below the 20 mph throttle cut-off.

Worse yet, a given Breeze throttle press seems to give more power in higher assist modes. All of this makes it hard to dial in the power you want from the throttle.

The ergonomics of the long-throw throttle lever (hard to see here) also leave much to be desired.

What a stupid way to implement a throttle! Surprising given Velotric's thoughtful design of the PAS and the rest of the electrical system.

Our only other Breeze complaint: The rear stays of the Velotric rear rack partially block the tail lights built into the lower seat stays as seen from behind. For a driver behind you, the blockage would be even worse than shown here. What a shame, as these aren't just running lights. They're also turn signals and brake lights.

To be clear, these issues are by no means deal killers. Love everything else about the bike. Switching to cadence-sensing PAS is often a good workaround for the throttle's shortcomings.

 

[Flashbulb_RI]

Thanks for the detailed reply. Yes, that's a terrible implementation of the throttle. Apparently there is no perfect bike out there. With my current cadence sensor eBike, I always keep the bike in PA level 1 and feather in the throttle as needed on inclines. I find this produces much more fluid/smooth ride rather than jumping up and down PA levels.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Thanks for the detailed reply. Yes, that's a terrible implementation of the throttle. Apparently there is no perfect bike out there. With my current cadence sensor eBike, I always keep the bike in PA level 1 and feather in the throttle as needed on inclines. I find this produces much more fluid/smooth ride rather than jumping up and down PA levels.

Good way of putting it: You can't just feather in some throttle on the Breeze. It's under either throttle or pedal control — never both.

Too bad. A throttle you can feather in is vastly more useful — especially when you factor in the many valuable uses while pedaling.

 

[Chazmo]

Too bad. A throttle you can feather in is vastly more useful — especially when you factor in the many valuable uses having nothing to do with getting out of pedaling.

Wow, this would set me off. I rarely push the throttle during my rides, but when I use it I want it to behave consistently/predictably. My torque+cadence-enabled controller programming are really good for me since I’m (almost) always pedaling. Juiced did an excellent job on that on my bike, at least. FWIW, that was the whole point of getting an ebike; the throttle is mostly an afterthought for me.

Anyway, I’ve been remiss in not trying out any rides with the torque sensor turned off. I will do that at some point, Jeremy, and report back. Sounds like the Breeze has some significant developments in this area, throttle notwithstanding.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Wow, this would set me off. I rarely push the throttle during my rides, but when I use it I want it to behave consistently/predictably. My torque+cadence-enabled controller programming are really good for me since I’m (almost) always pedaling. Juiced did an excellent job on that on my bike, at least. FWIW, that was the whole point of getting an ebike; the throttle is mostly an afterthought for me.

Anyway, I’ve been remiss in not trying out any rides with the torque sensor turned off. I will do that at some point, Jeremy, and report back. Sounds like the Breeze has some significant developments in this area, throttle notwithstanding.

I always pedal with exertion (not just ghost-pedaling) but still find many uses for the ideal throttle on my heavy 70 lb torque-sensing hub-drive. Nearly all involve layering a second or two of throttle on top of pedaling. Examples:

1. Protecting my old knees from high-torque, low-cadence situations — like starting out in too high a gear.

2. Sudden bursts of speed in traffic or to keep my distance from other hazards like erratic pedestrians.

3. Sudden bursts of torque to get past brief obstacles like roots or steep driveways without changing assist or downshifting. Very convenient.

4. On hub-drives only, unloading the chain for downshifts on steep climbs.

These uses are largely unnecessary on my 38 lb mid-drive, but still I miss the throttle in traffic at times. Your fattie's heavy enough to make the throttle worth a try in similar situations — again, on top of pedaling.

When you try your cadence-only assist option, keep in mind that in the usual simple cadence-sensing implementation, the pedals are nothing more than all-or-nothing foot throttles. Your cadence-sensing assist might be more sophisticated.

Bottom line: A good throttle's just another riding tool, and a very useful one at that — even if you always pedal. It's a shame that throttles have become so politicized.