Arthas
New Member
Hi guys! I bought a Wing Freedom bike and thought I'd share what I thought about it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I'll try to answer them.
TL;DR
The Freedom is a solid E-bike with good specs to back up its striking looks. I’m happy with my purchase and hope that it will last through many years of enjoyable service.
Who am I?
I’m an enthusiastic biker (not to be confused with a bike enthusiast). I grew up in San Francisco riding up and down hills, over the Golden Gate bridge, and around parks. Throughout college, I biked to class with a backpack. Most of the bikes I've owned are mass-produced mountain bikes. If it wasn't broken, I was happy with it. I've ridden a few E-bikes of varying price-points, but the Freedom was the first I've bought.
I’m in my 30s now and haven’t been riding much in the last few years. I bought the Freedom with the goal of eventually riding it 12.5 miles to work a few times a week.
First, a disclaimer
I purchased the Freedom bike during the early bird special, along with the extended battery, fenders, and throttle. I paid it all completely out of pocket.
Wing has offered to potentially send me some accessories for writing a review. I personally feel that the thoughts I've expressed in this review are unbiased... to the level someone can be after buying shiny a new bike. Take that as you will.
Why did I choose the Freedom?
The four categories I considered when looking at E-bikes were capability, reliability, cost, and style. I was looking for a bike that had decent battery range (>40 miles) and power (>250 watts). I didn’t trust direct-from-China bikes, especially due to some of the battery stories I’ve read. I also did not want to spend over 2,000 USD.
Those restrictions alone would have still left me with many E-bike choices. But alas, I also wanted the bike to be pretty in my eyes. I personally like the horizontal tube styling and straight lines. It evokes a classic-modern feeling. In my opinion, most of the E-bikes out there look like a mangled scooter with ridiculous wheel-to-body proportions, or they have a giant tumorous battery clinging to the frame. I appreciate that the Freedom’s sleek in-line battery is visually unobtrusive while also being removable.
I considered a Vanmoof Electrified S for a very long time, as well as the HaiBike Urban Plus. In the end, the Freedom beat them in value and features.
Setting up
The Freedom arrived almost fully assembled in a giant box. All I had to do was install the front wheel, attach the handlebar, and pop in some components (seat, pedals, battery, fenders, extension bar). It came with all of the tools, which was a bonus. The online instructions were thorough and complete, but slightly disorganized. I’m sure they’ll refine it over time.
The front wheel and the seat post are secured by fasteners. They do not have quick-release levers and are not meant to be easily removed.
Overall, setup was breezy and took about 20 minutes. I had to adjust the brake line and the derailleur slightly before my first ride. The hardest part was installing the optional throttle. Sliding the handlebar grip off and on can be difficult! Use a bit of liquid soap with water if you’re having trouble.
How’s the fit & finish?
The matte black paintjob is beautifully spotless. There is no sign of unfinished metal surface. The leathery handlebar grips feel soft and premium. Most of the cables are thoughtfully wrapped in a cable manager and routed into the bike itself. The bike looks very classy and clean. Overall, the Freedom has great fit and finish. The only thing I’d do would be to zip-tie the cables to the handlebar a bit more (which is possible only after setup).
How does it ride?
It rides like a disguised superhero! I got on the bike, started pedaling about a quarter turn, and the bike came to life. I noticed the motor kicking on. Fortunately, this wasn't jarring as the motor’s punch was absorbed by inertia. It felt like someone just got behind me and started pushing like when I was a kid (probably the result of a rear-hub motor setup). This feeling was trilling the first few times I experienced it, and quickly faded into unobtrusive background as I rode around.
The Freedom’s power assist is nimble, kicking in quickly as I start pedaling and cutting off shortly after I stop. On flat ground, even level 1 assist gets the bike going pretty fast...inhumanly fast if you’re used to non-assisted bikes. As my wife said, “The bad thing with the bike is that it makes going slow intolerably painful.” I find myself averaging much higher speeds. I can flexibly choose how much human power I put in via a combination of assist level, gear selection, and throttle. I find that this combination gives me pretty good control over how strenuous I want to be over a large variety of riding conditions.
When I ride with the assist turned off, the Freedom feels like a sturdy and well put together bike. It also weighs like it. I could feel even the slightest inclines transmitted into pedal resistance. The different assist levels effectively remove pedal resistance from steeper and steeper hills. I find myself cruising around town on level 0-2 assist. The assist makes hills significantly easier, but most of the time I still have to pedal to climb.
Using the Freedom in throttle mode (an optional purchase) feels like full-on cheating. It’s basically a scooter, except with a different seating arrangement. The throttle lever is spring loaded and activates different levels of boost depending on how far you push it. It is very fun to just cruise on full electric, and works well on flat-ish land. If you live in a hilly area and hope to use the Freedom in throttle-only mode, it’s not going to work well.
The Freedom has no shocks, but the beefy tires do a good job absorbing small bumps. The included saddle is acceptable, but I’m definitely replacing it with a wider softer alternative for commutes. I installed the included extension bar to make the handlebar higher, and they make riding much more upright and comfortable (I’m 6’0”).
The motor whirr is quiet, but noticeable at all assist levels. It doesn't bother me, but the sound and the visible battery pack will make it impossible to pretend that you’re a well-honed pedal machine as you breeze up hills. Oh well.
Everything else
LCD Display
The display is minimalist and fulfills its role, displaying speed, odometry, boost level, and battery voltage over different screens. It doesn't look flashy enough to attract thieves, which is great. The rubber buttons feel flimsy and I’ve already scratched the plastic casing. If it does break, off-the-shelf replacements should be pretty easy to find and swap in.
Lights
The built-in LED lights are sufficiently bright for night-time riding. The rear “red” lights are actually white LEDs behind a red lens. While this looks slightly strange, the rear lights are also significantly brighter this way.
Audible alarm
The Freedom has a built-in alarm with remote beepers. When the bike is disturbed, the alarm gives a few audible warnings. Continued disturbance triggers the wailing alarm, which is loud but not obnoxious. The alarm is pretty sensitive to vibration.
Horn
The bike comes with an electric horn! Press it, and the Freedom emits a nasaly beep, reminiscent of an antique car. It’s pretty cute, but I may eventually swap it for the classic bell.
Battery and charger
The battery locks into bike with a key and stays in position securely. Push a rubber coated button and a 4-LED battery indicator lights up to show how charged the battery is. Overall it looks well built and can probably handle only light water contact. The charger is a black brick the size of old laptop chargers. The single LED glows red when charging, and green when it’s done. Minimal but functional.
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They may be IP67 right out of the factory, but a year later? Highly doubtful.
