First off, this is my second Seagull by Ecotric. I’ve read a lot about e-bikes and have ridden several. I’ve see people make conversions and seen enough of the highest end. This is the deal that no one can beat and won’t for a while. The list is long of what the bike has from the 1000 Watt hub motor to the hydraulic brakes to front shocks. It’s a great ride no matter what road. Hills are no problem. I have very steep hills all around my neighborhood. I’m talking Twin Peaks in San Francisco and riding the rim of Lake Tahoe. Not even breathing hard. It has a nice twist throttle to make starts easy and variable power settings so it isn’t always all power all the time. It has normal tire size. It has a built in taillight. On flat terrain it isn’t necessary to use power as it has a 7 speed Shimano. Add all this up and it’s quite a bargain. The regular price is amazing but when it’s on sale it’s outrageous that I got all this for less than $1000!
There are some downsides. But there’re downsides to all e-bikes, whether it’s cost prohibitive or the tires are hard to replace. That isn’t the case for this Ecotric. It’s “downsides”, if you’re an avid off-roader, is that it isn’t designed for challenging off-road rides. This would be best suited for roads. Touring around towns, commuting, shopping, cruising the Boulevard. It’s heavy. All e-bikes are. Sure, anyone could spend $5000 for a lightweight e-mountain bike and not worth about getting stuck on some rock or roots but most rarely ever go off-road even when buying that $5000 bike. I know. I have one of the best mountain bikes ever built and it’s only been on trails two times. That one isn’t electric.
The other “downside” is its range, though, I’ve never run out of power while riding. I pedal a lot without the power, using it on uphills only.
If range is an issue, but a second battery. With two, 40 miles would be easy even if using mostly with the power on with hardly any pedaling. And with a second battery it still would cost less than any other e-bike with comparable components.
I also have an Ecotric Beach and Snow e-bike which I purchased years ago before there was the Seagull. It has been great but it isn’t the best for the steep hills of San Francisco. Especially, now that I’m over 65, the extra boost from the Seagull’s 1000 Watt motor makes it fun to ride again.
