Acer eUrban eBike R electric bike review: lets ride a hundred km

 

The Acer company decided not to stop at experiments with electric scooters and this year surprised with a new class of e-transport – electric bicycles. Even search engines are so shocked by the expansion of the portfolio that in the results they show a series of protected Acer Urban laptops, but not bicycles at all. Nevertheless, a Acer eUrban eBike R visited us, and we are ready to share our impressions of the city bike with an electric motor.

 

Positioning

 

This point is important for many devices, but for an electric bicycle, especially. Today there are many bikes with electric motors. Some use motors mounted in the hubs, some built into the carriage. In self-made models, batteries are placed on the trunk or in the triangle of the frame, and factory batteries are often hidden in the frame. All this affects not only the aesthetics, but also the center of gravity. As is the quality of the components, which obviously affects the efficiency of the engine and battery.

 

 

So, Acer eUrban with the quality of components and ergonomics in general – everything is fine. Of course, it is best suited for parks, conquering bike paths and well-trodden dirt roads. Episodic sand will slightly knock it off course, but you can tolerate it once or twice.

 

The comfort of operation decreases in our areas. What about exits and curbs, what about driving on roads that are repaired when it is not necessary. Bike lanes and roadways have the best surface for him. Yes, he will, of course, pass over asphalt spills, pits, and potholes from tree roots, but the rider will be hurt.

 

Design

 

 

We would describe the general appearance of Acer eUrban as “modern, restrained, a little austere.” The feathers of the fork are wide and flat, they add an urban style to the image. If you remove the fenders and the trunk, what remains is a classic city bike with big wheels.

 

The black trunk, pedals, fenders, headlight, just a little chrome and reflective stripes on the tires generally create the image of an expensive model. The black color of all elements does not allow us to immediately understand that we have an electric bicycle. Already during the trip, a nimble character and roll are outlined, which provide good dynamics.

 

Equipment

 

 

The geometry of the frame is a little closer to MTB, the top tube is almost horizontal. However, the landing is vertical and this shows discomfort when driving on a poor quality surface. All vibrations and shocks are very felt, since the hands do not remove part of the load.

 

The fork has no cushioning, so you should carefully drive over curbs and bumps. The center of gravity is usually shifted back when riding a bicycle, and here a trunk and an electric motor in the wheel are added.

 

From electronics – motor, battery, remote control on the steering wheel and headlight. There are no stop turns. Bike includes a rear red reflector, we just didn’t get it. The control panel with a monochrome 1.4-inch display with backlight is mounted on the left side of the steering wheel. To “start” the bike, you must first press the button on the battery, and then the small button in the middle of the remote control.

 

 

The high-capacity battery is built into the down tube of the frame. The fact that it is even closer to the front is very good, at least some load on the rear wheel is removed. The battery capacity is 504 Wh. It takes 4.5 hours to fully charge.

 

 

The battery case is protected against moisture and dust according to the IPX5 standard. So getting under the rain is not too scary. If desired, the battery can be removed and taken home for charging. To do this, you will need to open the lock next to the battery.

 

A 250 W motor is installed in the rear axle. It plays the role of an assistant, being activated during the rotation of the pedals. We noticed that it sometimes “forgets” to turn off and continues to work even when the pedals are not turned.

 

 

There is also a special mode of assistance during ascent. By pressing the remote control button on the steering wheel, the engine activates, developing a speed of 5 km/h. The torque is enough to pull a twenty-kilogram bike up the ramp of the pedestrian crossing or even up the stairs.

 

The maximum speed that can be reached with an assistant is 25 km/h. In fact, we were able to accelerate it down the hill to 45-46 km/h. Fortunately, there is no electronic limiter, so the maximum speed can be maintained both with the pedals and the engine.

 

There are five levels of gradations of assistance in total. They are switched with the “up” and “down” buttons. On the first one, you can move on a horizontal flat surface at a speed of 10 km/h. The fifth stage allows you to reach 20 km/h in a few seconds of pedal rotation, and then another 5 km/h depending on the type of surface and a well-chosen gear.

 

Of course, it is worth starting from the first gear and as the acceleration increases, switch to higher gears. Firstly, this way you can gain a few seconds to the maximum speed, and secondly, and more importantly, the stars wear out less. It is not so difficult to start from 6-7 gear with an electric motor, but the stars will rub off a couple of hundred kilometers earlier.

 

An LED headlight is installed in front. It is turned on by pressing the “up” button on the remote control. Since there is no marker lamp, stop sign, or turn signals, you should take extra care to mark yourself on the road, and show maneuvers with your hands. Well, he will upgrade the horse with a set of lighting devices.

 

 

A nice bonus is complete wings. They cover most of the wheel from where water and dirt will fly. There is also an aluminum luggage rack in the back with a pressure bracket. Good quality and doesn’t feel too heavy and fits the style. There is also a footrest.

 

 

The pump, which you could see in the photos, is not included in the package, it is the concern of the representative office of the Acer company.

 

Impressions

 

In general, emotions and comfort from the Acer eUrban-R electric bicycle are provided. It is comfortable, ergonomic and has good dynamics. This is primarily an urban model, so it is not worth accusing it of poor passability or stiffness when driving through potholes. By the way, other Acer bikes have appeared at the Taipei Cycle exhibition before. Among them is the eCity-R, which has an open frame and 7-speed. We also wrote about a model called “remove-children-from-screens” -bezpekoyu-peresuvannya/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>ebii.

 

Medium level components are installed. It may seem that more reliable options should be used for an electric bicycle. At least the Shimano Deore rear derailleur. However, this is still an urban format, on which it is supposed to ride leisurely through the park and to work on a nice bike path, empty of pedestrians. It is allowed that the rider can forget to reset the gear and start movements with a big star, pressing the pedals with all his might. Several times the Altus will withstand it and its replacement will be much cheaper than the Deore. But the hydraulic disc brakes showed themselves excellently and for that special gratitude. As they say – “there are not many brakes”.

 

The control panel is convenient and intuitive. All necessary information is displayed – speed, assistance level, total mileage, mileage after charging. At startup, the Bluetooth icon is displayed along with the odometer. The bike can transmit data about the battery, speed and mileage to a smartphone. True, the Acer eMobility program “flew away” on all editorial smartphones.

 

There were unpleasant glitches in the operation of the motor and remote control, without this there is no way. For example, the engine continued to work even when the pedals were not turned, this is convenient, but as far as we understand it is not provided. Presumably, this may be related to the fact that this is still a test specimen that was “driven into the tail and mane”.

 

The declared range is 110 km. In our experience, one of the three divisions of the battery charge is responsible for 33-35 km. We drove 87 km on it and there was one more division left. So adjusted for weight, efficient shifting and number of descents, a hundred is a more than realistic range figure.

 

Will it be suitable for long-distance travel? From the point of view of autonomy and the presence of a convenient trunk – yes. However, it is uncomfortable to sit on a complete saddle for a long time. Standard tires are not designed for potholes and noticeable surface irregularities. They make the whole bike vibrate with the rider even on park cobblestones. If you install rubber with a larger profile, it may become more comfortable, although a lot of weight will remain.

 

 

If, say, there was a bicycle path from Kyiv to the Korostyshiv quarry, then yes, with an overnight stay or a stop for 4-5 hours to rest and recharge the battery, it would be possible to ride there and back.

 

Unfortunately, all these generally positive emotions are reduced by the price in Ukraine. Of course, the main factor is economic realities. The cost of more than 2,000 conventional units is now a lot for an electric bike of this class. And it should not be improved with more reliable components or add a forgotten headlight at the back, it is enough to reduce the price by 300, or better by 500 dollars, and then this model will become the number one price recommendation.

 

Acer eUrban eBike R tech specs:

• 28-inch Swift Arriv rims are installed. The standard tire size is 700x40C;
• Coins and rear derailleur – Shimano Altus;
• Connecting rods and sprocket – Prowheel RPL Rear – 9 sprockets;
• Shimano MT-200 hydraulic brake. Brake discs 160 mm.

 

General characteristics of the electric bicycle Acer eUrban eBike R (AUR-R5070L-230)

Frame:	L, aluminum
Wheel diameter:	28”
Rubber diameter:	700x40C
Number of speeds:	9
Brake:	Disc, hydraulic
Transmission:	Shimano Altus
Engine:	250 W, IPX5 protection
Battery:	LG (manufactured by Reention), li-ion, 504 Wh
Max Speed:	25 km/h
Declared range:	110 km
Display:	1.4”, IP65 protection
Weight:	21 kg
Maximum load:	120 kg
Dimensions, frame L:	180×65×108 cm
Provider:	Acer representative office in Ukraine
Price:	$2350

Rating:

+ engine power

+ power reserve

+ effective brakes

+ equipment

-price

 

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