Smart ebike, road test

How many times have we heard that riding a bicycle every day is good for your health? Countless. How many times, however, have we actually had the chance? Very few, especially if you live in the city and your workplace is more than a few blocks away. The person writing to you lives in Milan, not exactly a cyclist-friendly city, yet by choice the faithful two-wheeled pedal is always the ideal companion for every day when the weather allows for a nice outing. It relieves your nerves and allows you to keep fit without spending almost anything, whether it's on petrol or the gym. What happens, however, if the workplace is really far away? Arriving sweaty and out of breath at your destination could be prohibitive for many. This is where the electric bikes, or pedal-assisted bicycles which, at the same speed, allow us to work much less, with all the benefits of the case. Pure urban mobility. So that's it Smart, the master house of city traffic, decided to get to work and produce a pedal-assisted bicycle that could be both efficient and cool: the Smart e-bike.

Design

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Fashionable and unmistakable

Customize a bicycle with the same look as Smart brand cars it wasn't easy, but in this case the German technicians absolutely succeeded. We are talking about a vehicle with an absolutely modern and attractive appearance, which will especially appeal to younger audiences. The ebike is marketed in two different colors: the white-green one of our test and also a grey-orange alternative which adds an extra touch of sportiness to the whole. The appearance of the bike is almost identical to that of a normal bicycle, if it were not for one detail: the battery central. This is located in the central body of the vehicle and is fixed to a special compartment that allows it to be extracted from the side. Overall we are talking about a bike that will attract a lot of eyes and there are not many bikes that can boast such quality. The seat is quite comfortable and generally average for a normal bike. The handlebars are decidedly wide, conceived more for pleasure rides than for covering kilometers at full speed during a race (also because its weight, between structure and battery, is certainly not insignificant).

Road behaviour

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Up to 25 km/h effortlessly

The electric pedaling of the Smart ebike is incredibly effective. However, one thing needs to be specified: especially in the city, between traffic lights, intersections and unpleasant close encounters with cars, the Smart ebike will not perform miracles in terms of either time or speed. Certainly not due to lack of ability, but due to the very nature of the scenario, full of difficulties and dangers. What you gain from it, however, is the pleasure of travel and the effort required. The person writing to you must travel approximately 7-8 km of urban road to go to work. At an extremely relaxed and cautious pace, it is a route that takes around thirty actual minutes (we are not racing the Giro d'Italia) and records an average speed (GPS reading) of around 16 km/h. With the Smart ebike you gain a maximum of a couple of minutes and the average goes up to 17 km/h. The real difference, however, is the effort: being a subjective sensation, it is difficult to quantify it, but we guarantee that the energy needed to complete the same route is practically halved. The maximum speed that the ebike can reach is 25 km/h, but all pedaling as if we were going on a picnic during the holidays. Small gem: there is one on the structure USB socket to which you can connect your smartphone (upon purchasing a specific support).

Technology and Costs

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High quality, which however has its price

From a technological point of view, the Smart ebike has nothing to envy of anyone, on the contrary. Above the handlebar there is a small pocket computer which, in addition to providing some essential data on the trip, allows you to balance the pedaling force. We are not talking about the gears, which are conveniently located on the right side of the handlebars, but rather about the amount of help that the electric motor can give. Starting from a zero base, help can be increased by four levels both up and down. Naturally, by raising the aid, the pedaling will become increasingly effective and lighter, up to the above-mentioned levels 25 km/h effortlessly. All this thanks to one maximum power of 250 W, which also allows it to provide 35 Nm of initial torque (we guarantee that the first pedal stroke at the beginning of every journey is a thrill due to the acceleration it can transmit). The battery, however, can also be recharged while using the bike, as well as with a normal household socket (maximum charging time: 5 hours). This is what the four downward levels are for: the pedaling becomes increasingly harder, but on the other hand it will be possible to recover energy to recharge the system. The energy is also taken up by the front disc brake. The rear one, however, does not allow recovery, but being a disc in turn allows for very decisive and precise braking. Too bad only for the lack of a shock absorber system, which makes traveling through the streets of Milan a bit uncomfortable due to the road surface, tram tracks and the like.

Let's talk now, however, about the price: the Smart ebike is undoubtedly an electric bike premium level, very beautiful and performing. For this reason its cost is equally high-end: 2.899 € VAT included. It's not money you spend thoughtlessly on a bike, but the long-term effects must be taken into account. Thanks to an ebike, in fact, you can save a lot of money on petrol, restricted traffic zones and parking, not to mention that its devaluation will undoubtedly be very low over the years. In short, it is a luxury object, which we would hardly hook to a light pole while having a coffee at the bar, just as we would have hesitations about parking a Lamborghini on the side of the road.

In conclusion

To close our evaluation, the Smart ebike is certainly a very high level bike and, as such, it has its price. If you buy it, you need to have safe parking for both the outward and return journeys. However, it is an object of style and great value, which allows you to make moderately long journeys (by the standards of a non-competitive cyclist, we are talking about a maximum autonomy of 100 km) with minimal effort. Not to mention two fundamental aspects of this bike: you will attract people's eyes as only a supercar would be able to do and, secondly, you will really have a lot of fun!

PROS AND CONS

We like it: Fast, comfortable and really beautiful to look at. You can reach 25 km/h without effort.

We do not like it: Significant price, the lack of shock absorbers makes it a bit stiff.

Smart ebike: the Motorionline Report Card

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Photo and video: Matteo Pozzi