The Apes electric city bike makes your urban life much easier. It is designed so that you can cycle with it comfortably and safely. Cycling with it is playful and easy, so you will be able to overcome the paths to the set goals with it without much physical effort. If you cycle to work with it, you will reach your workplace practically without a drop of sweat, which means that you do not need to worry about what to change into when you arrive at your workplace. A reliable 250 W motor is hidden in the rear hub and, in combination with a 630 Wh battery, will propel you up to 25 km/h over a distance of up to 150 km. With a six-speed gearbox, puncture-resistant tires and three assist speeds set via an accessible controller, the Econo Apes bike is built for city and country life.
Tested and wrote: Niky Golavšek
Bike: Econo Apes 2M 2021
Grounding: Asfalt, makadam
Weather: Soncno, vetrovno
Motor: V zadnjem pestu 250W 40 Nm
Battery: Econo Tube M 36V 630Wh
Test date: 08.05.2021
Description of the ride and route
The outlined route was mainly on flat asphalted roads, with some not too steep climbs. From the center of Slovenska Bistrica, I set off in the direction of Ptujska Gora. I arrived at the first ascent shortly after the start in Spodnja Vas. I switched from the first level of assistance on the slope to the second level and overcame the hill without much physical effort. This was followed by a flat ride to the next climb a little outside Sestrže. The climb would be quite a challenge if you weren't on an e-bike of course. With the Apes bike, I beat him in the third help mode without much effort. The descent to Majšperk followed.
Thanks to a good choice of tires and an efficient Shimano braking system, the Apes e-bike performed very well on descents even at speeds above 35 km/h. I arrived at the foot of Ptujska Gora. The path began to climb moderately steeply, for which I used the already verified third level of assistance. During the ascent, the electric motor allowed me a speed of up to 15 km/h. I cycled to the charming church at the top of the hill, where I was greeted by a wonderful view of the Dravsko polje. I cycled 25 km to the top of Ptujska Gora, the battery indicator showed that I had used less than a quarter of the battery, as all four lights were still on.
After descending from Ptujska Gora, I enjoyed the plains of Dravsko Polje, all the way to Spodnja Polskava. All this time I cycled with first level of assistance. Despite the headwind, I managed to keep the driving speed around 22 km/h. During the journey, the battery consumption light went out, so after cycling 30 km, I still had 75% of the battery left. As time allowed, I also stopped by the Prager ponds.
The last 10 km of the route, from Zgornja Polskava to the return to Slovenska Bistrica, was separated by only two climbs and two descents. The two climbs were quite undemanding, so the second level of assistance was enough. I spent 2 hours and 45 minutes for the 50 km cycled route. I cycled at an average speed of 18 km/h. The cycling trip through Dravsko polje was completed and at the finish line the battery indicator showed 2 lights, which meant that I only used half of the battery capacity for the trip.
Motor
The electric motor is light and has a power of 250 W. It is installed in the rear hub, as it achieves maximum efficiency there for city driving. As a result, chain and sprocket wear is significantly reduced compared to mid-motor bikes. Also, the maintenance of this motor is almost unnecessary. The control of the electric motor is assisted by the controller on the steering wheel, which enables 3 levels of assistance. On the flat part of the route, level 1 assistance is sufficient for a pleasant but not too easy ride. A second level of assistance comes into play when climbing hills. In this mode, driving is surprisingly fast, compared to the first mode; taking into account the fact that it consumes less of its own power. The third way of assistance is suitable for steep inclines and when we are in a hurry and want to reach our destination quickly.
The proceeds of the trip
2:43'30
51.09 km
18.7 km/h
42.7 km/h
1131 kcal
566 m
570 m
350 m
228 m
Conclusion
The Econo Apes bike is definitely a good choice for a city bike, for all generations. It is also very suitable for recreational cyclists who are looking for a bike for shorter or longer trips and who, due to insufficient fitness, cannot or dare not embark on longer, more demanding cycling adventures. The rear trunk, which can accommodate a child seat, shopping basket, etc., contributes to the greater universality of the bicycle. In any case, I would recommend the bike to people who are looking for a means of transport for transportation to work, after shopping or simply want to spend their free time actively with it at home or on vacation by the coast or. in some other environment.