![]() ![]() The rotors are not matched, the front is extra-large at 203mm (as you would see on a downhill mountain bike) while the rear is 180mm. Each lever has a tool-free adjustable reach knob allowing you to bring them in close, which could be useful if you have smaller hands or like to ride with gloves. I say beautiful, because the levers are silver to match the bar, seat post, and other accents. The bike comes with beautiful hydraulic Promax Lucid disc brakes. If getting up to speed is important to you, then stopping must be equally matched… especially with a larger, heavier platform like the Scrambler. There are benefits to having just one speed however, including reduced weight, longer service intervals, no bounce or chain slap, and a cleaner cockpit without shifter mechanisms. I felt most comfortable pedaling around 10 mph. That’s because, it can be difficult to pedal beyond 15 mph without the single-speed getting outpaced. I would probably skip on the pedal assist unless your hands and right thumb are sensitive to reaching and pushing a trigger throttle setup. ![]() Normally it is rated for 20mph, but for $149, you can get a key to unlock the motor and get it up to near 36mph! I never felt like the bike was struggling to help me climb, and it takes off so smooth with the variable speed trigger throttle or optional torque-sensing pedal assist. It’s physically larger and much heavier than a standard gearless or geared hub motor at ~16 lbs, but it’s super durable and incredibly quiet. That’s much higher than the average electric bike which usually peaks at 500 or 750 watts. Other features include metal pedals, rear metal fender (and provisions in the front to add a front one as well), and a kickstand, although it is mounted near the crank arm so you could get pedal lock when reversing.ĭriving this bike is a gearless, direct drive, hub motor from Crystalyte rated from 750 to 3,000 watts. Both lights are automatic which I love since they turn on and off in low conditions without any fuss. Although they are mounted right under the seat, so you could block it with a jacket or backpack. You get a 6 LED yellow headlight with wire mesh for that perfect look and in the rear you have 5 LED red lights. Both are great with the front serving perfectly between form and function. Speaking of safety, you also get battery integrated lights here. The bike is capable of some very high speeds, especially when unlocked, so the weight makes higher speeds comfortable and safe. That may be a lot, but it really serves a purpose here. There is a lot of weight here, overall the bike weighs 86lbs. Continuing on the strength theme are these 14 gage spokes in the front, 12 gage spokes in the rear, and 26” x 2.5” Schwalbe Black Jack nobby tires. It’s little details like this that let you know this was defiantly a purpose built setup. It also comes with these great leather grips here, really a nice touch. Even the custom handlebar has the right sweep and bend to feel less like a bicycle and more like a motorcycle. This also makes it very strong and sturdy and I love how they even have these leather wraps at the top of the fork to prevent metal on mental contact with the frame when tightly turning. The fork is an inverted fork, so that means the 60mm of travel portion is lower down the fork like a motorcycle. From the custom stem, crown, handlebars, battery casing, and in the case of the Scrambler, the unique suspension fork… all make it look more like a motorcycle than a bike. A lot of custom parts are here to achieve this. It has a unique retro look, similar to a cafe racer and much of this is due to motorcycle cues in the body line. Jumping right in, the first thing anyone notices about Vintage Electric bikes are the aesthetics. Among them is the Scrambler, a more rugged and powerful cruiser electric bike that feels just at home on gravel as it does pavement. Vintage Electric invited us out to come see their new offerings for 2019. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased, this video and written review are not meant to be an endorsement of Vintage Electric products. This review was sponsored by Vintage Electric. To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews.
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