I fell in love with the REI CTY e2.1 the minute I noticed its scorching lava body come out of the field in my storage. The racy purple coloration and an easy-to-step-through body screamed, “Journey me now!” There have been no limitations to entry, like an app that I needed to obtain. All I wanted to do was flip the bike on and experience. (Notice: If you’re uncomfortable assembling the bike and reside close to an REI, the shop will construct it and in addition supply one 12 months of free changes.)
So I did. I pedaled throughout the town on a scenic drive, by busy intersections, down a number of steep residential streets to a biking path that led to a rocky seaside on the shoreline of Lake Superior. The bike’s upright geometry, which had me much less hunched over than other e-bikes I’ve tested, made the world pop. I seen the odor of lilacs on the breeze and the good hues of inexperienced after a soggy spring, particulars I don’t all the time catch after I’m crouched over handlebars.
On the seaside, I met my associate who was good and introduced a picnic. We ate cheese and crackers and sipped rosé till the solar dipped low over the hills of the town. I purposely stayed out till the mosquitoes began buzzing so I may race the solar and my boyfriend in his automotive again to our home. It might have partially been the glass of rosé, or the great thing about an early summer season night, however the 22-mile spherical journey experience on the CTY e2.1 made a Friday night time particularly enjoyable.
About City
The CTY e2.1 is the improve to the entry-level CTY e1.1 ($1,299). I feel it is value the additional cash, particularly contemplating that it is nonetheless nicely under $2,000 and in addition goes on sale very often. The battery capability of the CTY e2.1 is greater than enough. On that day, after a mile-long, 1,000-foot climb again up the steep hill to my home, I had 39 p.c of battery energy left to spare, after toggling by all 4 ranges of help all through an ambling, four-hour tour of the town.
As an city commuter, the CTY e2.1 is a properly packaged machine for the value. It’s a class 1 ebike with a 250-watt Shimano E5000 motor, accompanied by a 36-volt, 418 watt-hour, lithium-ion battery that reinforces as much as 20 miles per hour, and a spread of roughly 60 miles in Eco Mode. The battery runs down the complete size of the sloping downtube and, per my scale, is roughly the identical weight as a sack of potatoes. But it surely’s nonetheless simple sufficient to take out with the flip of a key to cost it unbiased of the bike.
{Photograph}: Stephanie Pearson
A entrance fork dampens the highway chatter and hydraulic disc brakes make stopping extra exact. The Schwalbe Huge Ben 2-inch-wide tires have a hefty tread sample for an city bike, providing good traction. The tire’s strengthened sidewalls are additionally reflective to make you extra seen at night time.
Added facilities embrace cozy gel grips and a padded foam saddle, a cockpit with riser bars and a vibrant headlight, and a hefty kickstand for while you finally have to park. No fenders, although, which is stunning because it received fairly sloppy on a experience after a storm. However, the bike is little question enjoyable and navigates all method of metropolis streets nicely—from clean, paved paths to bumpy, potholed roads. It’s not a motorcycle to tackle gravel roads or singletrack.
Inexpensive and Enough
At this worth level, you may’t anticipate to have all of it. There nonetheless are some areas that might use some enchancment. First, at 54 kilos 8 ounces (dimension giant), it’s not gentle—an element that doesn’t essentially bathroom you down whereas tooling round a flat metropolis, nevertheless it does make maneuvering it across the storage or hauling it up steps onerous to handle.
{Photograph}: Stephanie Pearson
Additionally, the 250-watt hub motor is fairly standard-issue on many e-bikes, however this one solely has 60 newton meters of torque versus not less than 80 on different e-bike motors. The dearth of torque, which is the acceleration that retains your bike shifting ahead particularly up hills, makes the CTY e2.1 a wimpy climber. So, this is probably not the best choice in a metropolis like San Francisco (or Duluth, the place I reside).
Lastly, I like that the bike is minimalist in its e-ness, that means it doesn’t require an accompanying app to experience. However the display is concerning the dimension of a wristwatch face. And whereas it supplies loads of primary knowledge, like mileage, miles per hour, and energy mode, the push buttons are so shut collectively and the display is so onerous to learn that it’s virtually unattainable to see whereas driving—an element that’s not solely irritating, however will also be harmful. Nonetheless, if all you want is an additional push in your multi-mile work commute, the CTY e2.1 is an efficient choice—particularly within the purple coloration.
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