Posts tagged State Bicycles
Affordable Lightweight Hybrid E-Bikes
August 23, 2023 9:45am
by
rob
This week Santa Cruz unveiled their new Skitch–a lightweight flat bar e-bike. Now, back in the 90s, we called the acoustic version of these 700c bikes "hybrids." I commuted for years on a Surly Cross Check I built up with flat bars. To me it’s the best all-around configuration for urban bike commuting.
The Skitch is very cool, with a carbon fiber frame and fork, mid-drive Fazua Ride 60 motor and a claimed 30 pound weight. But the $5,999 price tag was a bit eye opening. It made me wonder: who is the customer for this bike? The marketing photos show a guy in jeans and a backpack hooning around with it like it's a BMX bike. Who is gonna do that with a $6k carbon bike? For the same money, you could have a Santa Cruz Stigmata AND a half-decent ebike–one that you wouldn’t be worried about locking up somewhere (like the REI Co-Op bike I just scored for $998).
Weight is a big issue for e-bikes. My wife has a Specialized Turbo Vado (another bike I’d call a hybrid). It’s an awesome bike, but at over 50 pounds, it’s kind of porky.
So what are your options for more affordable, lightweight hybrid e-bikes? Here are three that come to mind. Let me know if there are others I should include on this list!
Propella 7S
Propella is a cool little e-bike company based near us in Redmond, Washington. We first met them at the Seattle Bike Swap back in February. The Propella 7s features a 7-speed drivetrain, a 250 watt hub motor and 250 wh battery, with a range of 20 - 40 miles. This Class 1 e-bike has five level of pedal-assist and tops out at 19 mph. It weighs in at a reasonable 37 pounds and is generally priced around $999. Want a cleaner look and lower price? Propella also offers a singlespeed variant for $799.
State 6061 eBike Commuter
I consider State to be the king of affordable, quality direct-to-consumer bikes. So when they introduced their 6061 eBike Commuter I definitely took notice. The State has a cleaner look with an integrated 360 wh LG battery in the down tube. Like the Propella, it has a 250 watt rear hub motor. State claims a 24 miles range in PAS level 5 and over 100 miles in PAS level 1. It weighs 38 pounds and is currently priced at $1,299. Hot shot roadie/writer Phil Gaimon has one, and you can see him ride it on Instagram.
Detroit Bikes–Electric
Can you justify spending a little more for a boutique, Made-in-USA option? Then be sure to check out the Detroit Bikes-Electric. This stylish steel e-bike has the cleanest look yet, thanks to the Zehus All-In-One Motor--no need to put a battery on or in the frame! The 250 watt hub motor provides pedal-assistance up to 15.5 mph, and Zehus claims a range of 20 to 35 miles (though the Detroit guys have seen significantly farther than that). And the belt drive helps make it no fuss, no muss. The Detroit e-bike weighs in at a scant 32 pounds and is currently priced at $2,599. I’m super excited to see and test one of these in person--and we will have one in the BikeList booth at the Electrify Expo in Seattle in less than three weeks!
What are your thoughts? And what bikes did I miss? Let me know in the comments!
The Skitch is very cool, with a carbon fiber frame and fork, mid-drive Fazua Ride 60 motor and a claimed 30 pound weight. But the $5,999 price tag was a bit eye opening. It made me wonder: who is the customer for this bike? The marketing photos show a guy in jeans and a backpack hooning around with it like it's a BMX bike. Who is gonna do that with a $6k carbon bike? For the same money, you could have a Santa Cruz Stigmata AND a half-decent ebike–one that you wouldn’t be worried about locking up somewhere (like the REI Co-Op bike I just scored for $998).
Weight is a big issue for e-bikes. My wife has a Specialized Turbo Vado (another bike I’d call a hybrid). It’s an awesome bike, but at over 50 pounds, it’s kind of porky.
So what are your options for more affordable, lightweight hybrid e-bikes? Here are three that come to mind. Let me know if there are others I should include on this list!
Propella 7S
Propella is a cool little e-bike company based near us in Redmond, Washington. We first met them at the Seattle Bike Swap back in February. The Propella 7s features a 7-speed drivetrain, a 250 watt hub motor and 250 wh battery, with a range of 20 - 40 miles. This Class 1 e-bike has five level of pedal-assist and tops out at 19 mph. It weighs in at a reasonable 37 pounds and is generally priced around $999. Want a cleaner look and lower price? Propella also offers a singlespeed variant for $799.
State 6061 eBike Commuter
I consider State to be the king of affordable, quality direct-to-consumer bikes. So when they introduced their 6061 eBike Commuter I definitely took notice. The State has a cleaner look with an integrated 360 wh LG battery in the down tube. Like the Propella, it has a 250 watt rear hub motor. State claims a 24 miles range in PAS level 5 and over 100 miles in PAS level 1. It weighs 38 pounds and is currently priced at $1,299. Hot shot roadie/writer Phil Gaimon has one, and you can see him ride it on Instagram.
Detroit Bikes–Electric
Can you justify spending a little more for a boutique, Made-in-USA option? Then be sure to check out the Detroit Bikes-Electric. This stylish steel e-bike has the cleanest look yet, thanks to the Zehus All-In-One Motor--no need to put a battery on or in the frame! The 250 watt hub motor provides pedal-assistance up to 15.5 mph, and Zehus claims a range of 20 to 35 miles (though the Detroit guys have seen significantly farther than that). And the belt drive helps make it no fuss, no muss. The Detroit e-bike weighs in at a scant 32 pounds and is currently priced at $2,599. I’m super excited to see and test one of these in person--and we will have one in the BikeList booth at the Electrify Expo in Seattle in less than three weeks!
What are your thoughts? And what bikes did I miss? Let me know in the comments!