The very first thing most cyclists do earlier than using a brand new bike is to accurately measurement the body, adjusting to verify the standover clearance, seat tube size, and attain are all the proper match. The Bronco has a one-size-fits-all body marketed to suit heights from 5′ 4” to six’ 5”. My 5′ 9” self was too tall to comfortably pedal, my knees virtually hitting my chest on each stroke.
Once I stopped pedaling, nevertheless, tooling round city utilizing solely the throttle, straddling the bike far again on the seat like I used to be using a Ducati, it was a fabulously enjoyable journey.
Seashore Burner
There’s a downside to a throttle-only pleasure journey on a Class II bike, nevertheless. First, the bike feels prefer it ought to fly, however legally it tops out at 20 mph, which is usually slower than pedaling an analog bike on flats. I additionally rapidly chewed by 25 p.c of the battery energy in lower than an hour whereas using on steep metropolis streets. (No off-road testing was obtainable as a consequence of snowy trails.)
{Photograph}: Stephanie Pearson
Chilly temperatures are notoriously laborious on ebike batteries, so the diminishing battery may very well be the results of 30-degree and under temperatures on testing days, however I nonetheless needed to flip again on my meant check route as a result of I feared being caught out at the hours of darkness with a useless battery.
The wintry testing circumstances weren’t optimum, so I attempted to provide the bike the advantage of the doubt. What’s a extra excellent state of affairs for this bucking Bronco? The optimum rider is somebody both shorter than 5′ 9”, who can prolong the battery life with pedaling, or it’s a Bronco fan who has a pair grand to burn on nostalgia-provoking toys.
Particularly, it’s for somebody who needs to take the Bronco tenting south of the border, the place the bike is supposed to journey wild and free over stretches of sandy again roads to an area market that sells contemporary ceviche and chilly beer.