I fell in love with the REI CTY e2.1 the minute I noticed its scorching lava body come out of the field in my storage. The racy purple coloration and an easy-to-step-through body screamed, “Ride me now!” There have been no boundaries to entry, like an app that I needed to obtain. All I wanted to do was flip the bike on and experience. (Be aware: If you’re uncomfortable assembling the bike and stay close to an REI, the shop will construct it and likewise provide one yr of free changes.)
So I did. I pedaled throughout town on a scenic drive, by means of busy intersections, down a couple of steep residential streets to a biking path that led to a rocky seashore on the shoreline of Lake Superior. The bike’s upright geometry, which had me much less hunched over than different e-bikes I’ve examined, made the world pop. I seen the odor of lilacs on the breeze and the sensible hues of inexperienced after a soggy spring, particulars I don’t all the time catch after I’m crouched over handlebars.
On the seashore, I met my companion who was good and introduced a picnic. We ate cheese and crackers and sipped rosé till the solar dipped low over the hills of town. I purposely stayed out till the mosquitoes began buzzing so I might race the solar and my boyfriend in his automobile again to our home. It might have partially been the glass of rosé, or the fantastic thing about an early summer time night, however the 22-mile spherical journey experience on the CTY e2.1 made a Friday night time particularly enjoyable.
About City
The CTY e2.1 is the improve to the entry-level CTY e1.1 ($1,299). I feel it is price the additional cash, particularly contemplating that it is nonetheless effectively beneath $2,000 and likewise goes on sale very often. The battery capability of the CTY e2.1 is greater than sufficient. On that day, after a mile-long, 1,000-foot climb again up the steep hill to my home, I had 39 p.c of battery energy left to spare, after toggling by means of all 4 ranges of help all through an ambling, four-hour tour of town.
As an city commuter, the CTY e2.1 is a properly packaged machine for the worth. It’s a category 1 ebike with a 250-watt Shimano E5000 motor, accompanied by a 36-volt, 418 watt-hour, lithium-ion battery that enhances as much as 20 miles per hour, and a spread of roughly 60 miles in Eco Mode. The battery runs down your entire size of the sloping downtube and, per my scale, is roughly the identical weight as a sack of potatoes. But it surely’s nonetheless straightforward sufficient to take out with the flip of a key to cost it unbiased of the bike.
{Photograph}: Stephanie Pearson
A entrance fork dampens the street chatter and hydraulic disc brakes make stopping extra exact. The Schwalbe Massive Ben 2-inch-wide tires have a hefty tread sample for an city bike, providing good traction. The tire’s bolstered sidewalls are additionally reflective to make you extra seen at night time.
Added facilities embrace cozy gel grips and a padded foam saddle, a cockpit with riser bars and a vivid headlight, and a hefty kickstand for once you finally must park. No fenders, although, which is surprising because it bought fairly sloppy on a experience after a storm. However, the bike is little doubt enjoyable and navigates all method of metropolis streets effectively—from easy, paved paths to bumpy, potholed roads. It’s not a motorbike to tackle gravel roads or singletrack.
Inexpensive and Enough
At this value level, you’ll be able to’t count on to have all of it. There nonetheless are some areas that might use some enchancment. First, at 54 kilos 8 ounces (measurement giant), it’s not mild—an element that doesn’t essentially bathroom you down whereas tooling round a flat metropolis, however it does make maneuvering it across the storage or hauling it up steps arduous to handle.
{Photograph}: Stephanie Pearson
Additionally, the 250-watt hub motor is fairly standard-issue on many e-bikes, however this one solely has 60 newton meters of torque versus at the very least 80 on different e-bike motors. The dearth of torque, which is the acceleration that retains your bike transferring ahead particularly up hills, makes the CTY e2.1 a wimpy climber. So, this will not be the most suitable choice in a metropolis like San Francisco (or Duluth, the place I stay).
Lastly, I really like that the bike is minimalist in its e-ness, that means it doesn’t require an accompanying app to experience. However the display screen is concerning the measurement of a wristwatch face. And whereas it offers loads of fundamental information, like mileage, miles per hour, and energy mode, the push buttons are so shut collectively and the display screen is so arduous to learn that it’s virtually unimaginable to see whereas driving—an element that isn’t solely irritating, however can be harmful. Nonetheless, if all you want is an additional push in your multi-mile work commute, the CTY e2.1 is an effective choice—particularly within the purple coloration.
