Sunday, October 1, 2017

Populo Lift Electric Bike Review

After 100 years of selling bikes, we are now in the electric bicycle business. We feel their time has come. So I want to take a minute and show you the Lift from a company called Populo.

This bike has an all aluminum frame with what is called a "step-through frame" design, making it much easier to get on the bike. A lot of people at first think that this kind of frame means that it's a girls bike, but this is not the case anymore. These days, with all the different bikes out there, the step-through design has become unisex. And that's good news, because step through bikes are very convenient and comfortable. No longer will you have to swing your leg over the frame every time you want to get on the bike, and no longer will you be left incredibly uncomfortable every time you stop at a traffic light.

The motor on this style of electric bike is on the rear hub. The advantage here is that it's hidden in the wheel, and it is a very simple and reliable design. The battery pack on this bike is stored in a rack compartment over the back wheel. It can be charged inside the rack or be removed if you happen to live in an apartment or condo complex or just want to leave your bike in the garage and take the battery inside. The battery rack is aluminum, making it very durable, and it also comes with a bungee cord. This makes it really convenient for running small errands like a quick trip to the grocery store or carrying things like extra gear or clothes. One of the features I like about this bike over some of the other electrics is that it's just a good all around bicycle. It has a Shimano derailleur with seven gears. It's a lightweight frame that you could ride without the electric assist and it would be a perfectly good bicycle. It also has front and rear disc brakes from Tektro - a reputable brand name for disc brakes. As far as safety and night riding, it has reflective side walls on the wheels and a set of built in lights that are powered by the electric battery.

Now let's take a look at the electric components. As we know it is powered by a battery in the rear and a motor on the rear wheel. On the handlebars is a control panel. This control panel gives you tons of information like how far you've gone, how fast you're going, remaining charge on the battery and pedal assist. As you're pedaling, the motor will kick in and assist you depending on how much effort you want to put out or how much assist you need. The pedal assist has eight levels for a full range of usefulness. Going down a flat road you may only need the pedal assist at two or three to be going a comfortable 15 miles an hour, while cranking it up to eight going up a big hill will get you there in no time. There might be an instance where you just want to get to the store and back or it's hot out and you don't care about pedaling. For that, this bike does have a throttle on the left hand grip. Without pedaling, this bike's max speed is 20 mph, allowing you to get where you need to go quickly and efficiently.

It's a very high quality bike with good components and electronics. For a bike for the average person who wants to exercise with a little help or just wants to run to the store or work, grab your electric bike and go!

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