Europe has an electrical bike downside. Direct-to-consumer e-bikes from cheap Chinese language manufacturers like Engwe and numerous others could be simply bought on-line regardless of brazenly flouting EU restrictions. They function throttles and highly effective motors that may be simply unlocked to far exceed the 25km/h (16mph) authorized velocity restrict — no pedaling required.
Right here in Amsterdam, low-cost Super73-knockoffs ridden at nearly twice the authorized velocity have made the town’s famend bicycle lanes more and more chaotic and harmful. Throughout the Netherlands, over 10,000 of those electrical “fats bikes” had been seized in 2024.
Engwe’s new Mapfour lineup is the corporate’s try at going legit by increasing from souped-up electrical fats bikes and foldables into “premium commuter” e-bikes. And since they’re the primary e-bikes that Engwe has designed solely for European roads, the corporate swears they will’t be unlocked for extra velocity.
I’ve been using the brand new Mapfour N1 Professional mannequin for the previous couple of weeks. It lists for €1,899 (nearly $2,000), or €1,799 through the preliminary launch — a worth that brings heightened expectations.
The N1 Professional is slathered in premium capabilities like GPS/GSM monitoring for which some bike makers cost subscriptions. The monocoque body and fork are comprised of carbon fiber equipped by Toray — “the identical high-quality carbon fiber as Trek and Specialised,” claims Engwe. There’s even turn-by-turn navigation constructed into the full-featured app, a big colourful show built-in into the handlebars, and a built-in mechanical lock within the rear wheel hub that routinely engages when the bike is turned off and stationary.
My evaluate bike was lacking a fender bolt, sometimes flashed an odd error code, and the solar-powered rear gentle received’t activate. Nonetheless, it’s seemingly the very best high quality electrical bike Engwe has ever made.
$1714
The Good
Seems and rides sportyLong record of options for priceRemovable batteryCan’t be velocity hacked
The Unhealthy
Unusual error messagesServicing elements seemingly an issueDoesn’t assist peak vary claimedCan’t be velocity hacked
I’ve a number of expertise with assembling direct-to-consumer e-bikes and the N1 Professional was able to experience in about an hour, which is typical. Even with a carbon-fiber body it weighs 20.1kg (44lbs) absolutely assembled based on my scale, which is heavy for an e-bike — simply not Veloretti-heavy.
Within the field you’ll discover a primary toolset that features every little thing wanted for meeting and directions written in stellar English in contrast to some earlier Engwe tutorials I’ve learn. I needed to assemble the pedals, entrance wheel, kickstand, handlebar, and fenders, and fish out a substitute fender bolt from some spare bicycle elements I had mendacity round. I then went to regulate the saddle to my peak solely to find that I used to be too tall for the N1 Professional.
The saddle stem has a marked security line that stops effectively earlier than the peak wanted for my 6 foot (183cm) body, regardless of being offered within the Netherlands the place I’m thought-about a brief king. Nonetheless, exceeding the road by about 2.5cm (one inch) hasn’t made the saddle really feel insecure, even when using over tough cobblestones. Engwe claims the N1 Professional helps riders from 165–190cm, and is contemplating providing the choice for an extended saddle stem at checkout primarily based upon my suggestions.
The N1 Professional’s geometry places the rider into what’s basically a mountain bike stance: a average ahead lean with fingers unfold extensive out in entrance of the physique. That wrist and physique angle mixed with a fairly stiff saddle are usually not very best for using lengthy distances, particularly together with a backpack that’ll put much more weight on the fingers and derrière. I do like that enjoyable, sporty posture over brief distances, however if you happen to’re searching for a extra relaxed experience then Engwe has the upright €1,399 MapFour N1 Air obtainable in each step-over and step-through frames.
The 250W mid-drive Ananda motor on the N1 Professional is sort of silent underneath the din of street noise, and the built-in torque sensor offers an intuitive pedal-assist in any respect speeds. It produces as much as 80Nm of torque that lets me simply begin from a useless cease in fourth gear (of seven) on flat roads, however testing on a hill with a gradient of about 15 p.c required a begin from first gear. Usually, I solely wanted to shift to a excessive gear once I needed to make use of my leg energy to propel the bike at speeds above the 25km/h motor cutoff.
Regardless of claiming a spread of as much as 100km from its modest 360Wh battery, my first check carried out over a number of weeks yielded simply 23km off a full cost in near-freezing circumstances. I often rode in energy setting three of 5 on principally flat roads. The second check carried out on a single hotter day improved the vary to 27km with 28 p.c cost remaining — or an estimated 36km if I had time to run the battery dry for a under common 10Wh consumed per kilometer travelled. The bike battery appears to endure from idle battery drain of about 1-2 p.c per day when parked inside my home.
Worrisome for a “premium” e-bike: on two events I noticed an “09” error message flash on the show which Engwe continues to be diagnosing. As soon as, whereas beginning the bike after it had been sitting outdoors within the rain for a number of hours. One other time after using residence on a rain-soaked avenue whereas switching between the N1 Professional’s common and high-beam lights. Within the first case, a easy reboot cleared it and I used to be capable of experience away superb, however the different time required using residence underneath my very own energy earlier than it inexplicably cleared the following morning.
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There was a time when premium e-bikes had record costs round €2,000 / $2,000. These days are as gone because the free enterprise capital propping up e-bike startups, pushing premium costs as much as a beginning worth nearer to €3,000 / $3,000. The Engwe N1 Professional is subsequently priced about proper. It’s not a foul e-bike, but it surely’s additionally not nice regardless of checking off a number of options on a advertising sheet.
Simply bear in mind, servicing a direct-to-consumer e-bike generally is a downside because it requires the prepared availability of spare elements and the information to exchange them. As with every electrical bike uncovered to the weather and common street use, the N1 Professional’s motor and any proprietary electronics just like the controller, show, battery, lights, buttons, and built-in lock will finally want servicing. So that you’d higher be on superb phrases together with your native bike store or be helpful with a wrench and oscilloscope to stop your mail-order e-bike from shortly turning into e-waste.
Images by Thomas Ricker / The Verge
