I fell in love with the REI CTY e2.1 the minute I noticed its sizzling lava body come out of the field in my storage. The racy pink coloration and an easy-to-step-through body screamed, “Journey me now!” There have been no limitations to entry, like an app that I needed to obtain. All I wanted to do was flip the bike on and experience. (Notice: If you’re uncomfortable assembling the bike and stay close to an REI, the shop will construct it and in addition supply one yr of free changes.)
So I did. I pedaled throughout the town on a scenic drive, by way of busy intersections, down just a few steep residential streets to a biking path that led to a rocky seaside 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 good hues of inexperienced after a soggy spring, particulars I don’t all the time catch once I’m crouched over handlebars.
On the seaside, 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 the town. I purposely stayed out till the mosquitoes began buzzing so I may race the solar and my boyfriend in his automotive again to our home. It could have partially been the glass of rosé, or the great thing about an early summer season 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 believe it is price the additional cash, particularly contemplating that it is nonetheless effectively beneath $2,000 and in addition 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 % of battery energy left to spare, after toggling by way of all 4 ranges of help all through an ambling, four-hour tour of the 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 reinforces as much as 20 miles per hour, and a spread of roughly 60 miles in Eco Mode. The battery runs down the complete size of the sloping downtube and, per my scale, is roughly the identical weight as a sack of potatoes. However it’s nonetheless straightforward sufficient to take out with the flip of a key to cost it impartial of the bike.
{Photograph}: Stephanie Pearson
A entrance fork dampens the street chatter and hydraulic disc brakes make stopping extra exact. The Schwalbe Large Ben 2-inch-wide tires have a hefty tread sample for an city bike, providing good traction. The tire’s strengthened sidewalls are additionally reflective to make you extra seen at night time.
Added facilities embrace comfortable gel grips and a padded foam saddle, a cockpit with riser bars and a brilliant headlight, and a hefty kickstand for once you finally must park. No fenders, although, which is surprising because it received 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 Sufficient
At this value level, you possibly can’t anticipate to have all of it. There nonetheless are some areas that would use some enchancment. First, at 54 kilos 8 ounces (dimension massive), it’s not gentle—an element that doesn’t essentially lavatory you down whereas tooling round a flat metropolis, however it does make maneuvering it across the storage or hauling it up steps laborious 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 is probably not the best 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, which means it doesn’t require an accompanying app to experience. However the display screen is concerning the dimension of a wristwatch face. And whereas it offers loads of fundamental knowledge, like mileage, miles per hour, and energy mode, the push buttons are so shut collectively and the display screen is so laborious to learn that it’s virtually unimaginable to see whereas driving—an element that isn’t solely irritating, however will also be harmful. Nonetheless, if all you want is an additional push in your multi-mile work commute, the CTY e2.1 is an efficient choice—particularly within the pink coloration.
