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.
The Kent Torpedo is the first electric bicycle that I know of designed specifically for children. And it’s so much fun (even for me as a full-fledged adult) that it surely won’t be the last one. Because its battery is mounted underneath its rear rack, SixThreeZero Around the Block e-cruiser has more of that classic beach cruiser look.
At this price point, you’re going to have to deal with some compromises. I wish the bike came standard with thru-axles or quick-release skewers for the wheels. If I ever got a flat on the road, it’s going to be that much more difficult to change the tire.
As a safety precaution, he used a low power charger overnight to ensure the batteries did not overheat. Before building his e-bike Mark tested each of the 70 vape batteries individually in his garden shed to make sure they could hold charge. Mark had already kent bayside cruiser been experimenting with vape batteries to make portable power banks and rechargeable lanterns. “I don’t think there are many facilities for recycling disposable vapes, so there’s got to be a better way of using them until the end of their life cycle.
I realize these are “tetherless,” but scooters laying on the sidewalk is unacceptable. I don’t know the answer to this problem, but the city and the company need to ensure the sidewalks are clear and safe. Having not ridden Kent’s new e-bike (yet, but hopefully that changes), it’s hard for me to judge it too hard on the spec sheet alone. But for the $1,498 price, it’s at least an interesting addition to a slew of Walmart e-bikes that so far haven’t taken a shot at such higher-end (or perhaps even midlevel) markets.