Bicycling has boomed during the pandemic, but not everyone has the stomach or the stamina for extended cycling. Understandably, some don’t want to work up a sweat and risk a pulled muscle while fighting hills on mechanical steeds.
That is where electric bicycles come in. The two-wheelers have built-in motors to make rides easier and more enjoyable. You still get exercise, but the motor helps with the pedaling so you’re not wiped out and dripping in perspiration at the end.
I’ve been trying out one of the best electric bicycles around, Gocycle’s GXi. It’s pretty spendy at $4,799, considering that top-quality e-bikes are available for as little as $800. This puts the GXi way out of my (and likely your) price range — but those who can swing it will love its power, versatility, refined design and wicked-cool tech.
(Gocycle does offer more affordable models for those on tighter budgets. More on those in a sec.)
A few things to know about the GXi:
It’s a “foldable.” The GXi looks more like a trim scooter than a traditional bicycle, and it gets trimmer when you unlock two levers on the frame and quickly collapse it into a super compact package that you can wheel around and stash in tight spaces.
This is terrific if you need to load the e-bike into your car trunk for road trips, or use it for commutes that include the use of public transport; just fold and haul onto a bus or train. With practice, you can fold the bike in 10 to 15 seconds.
Its step-in design is near-universal. The maker says it will fit practically anyone from 4 feet 8 inches to 6 feet 4 inches.
It’s a mini-beast. Unlike other folding e-bikes that are on the dainty side, the compact GXi is built for rugged — or, at least, rugged-ish — rides. Its small but fat tires get you effortlessly over less-than-smooth roads, as does the peppy motor with three electronic gears (via a twist knob on the right handlebar) for hilly as well as flat terrain. The GXi does fine on gravel trails as well as paved ones, so the entirety of the Twin Cities’ fabulous bike-trail network is at your disposal. Have fun!
Pick your intensity. You customize how your ride will feel using a phone app linked to the e-bike. Among other things, you can designate how much manual pedaling is required before the motor starts to kick in for an assist, and how much additional leg exertion is needed for the motor to fully engage. You decide how little or how much exercise you get, essentially.
Feel lazy? No problem. A twist knob on the left handlebar lets you activate the motor with no pedaling, turning the GXi into a moped of sorts. Off you go! this is great for getting over steep hills. Don’t overdo the throttle, though, or you will drain the battery. The app can deactivate this feature so the motor only works while pedaling. The throttle does not work from a dead stop, either, so plan on doing a bit of pedaling before moped mode can be initiated.
You get decent speed and range. You can take this puppy up to 20 miles an hour, which is legal on bike paths — and you’ll go reasonably far, too. During a test ride, I managed nearly 24 miles before the battery conked out. That’s not bad, though well short of a 50-mile range Gocycle promises — Such extended range is possible only with extremely conservative battery use, the company later clarified.
You won’t die without power. The GXi is small and lightweight enough (at 38.6 pounds) that you can use it with relative ease — I emphasize “relative” — without the power assist, if it comes to that. During that test ride, I found myself far from my point of origin with a dead battery, and I had to manually pedal to get home. It wasn’t terrible! The bike defaults to its lowest gear when powered down, so it was slow going but not too much of an ordeal. Next time, though, I’ll take the bike’s compact, lightweight wall charger with me so I can find a power outlet somewhere if my battery dies.
It comes from the future — or, at least, it looks like it. The GXi’s handlebars build in a wide LED headlight, along with a digital readout that sports colored dots to give you critical information. At a glance, you can see battery and power-assist levels, plus gear selection and headlight intensity. None of this is easy to decipher at first, so plan on studying the manual. When the bike is turned on but idle, red dots bounce right and left on the screen. My nerdier friends will instantly react in unison: A “Battlestar Galactica” cylon!
Acessorize! Gocycle offers an extensive line of accessories that include spare batteries, luggage racks, pannier bags, light kits, mudguards, alternative tires for different riding conditions, and the like. I wonder whether some of this add-on gear should be standard given the e-bike’s stratospheric cost, though.
It’s a Minnesota product (kind of)! Gocycle is a London-based company. Its North American headquarters and service center are in Wayzata.
The bottom line. The GXi will set you back a tidy sum (especially if you load up on extras) but you will get a bike that is ready for just about anything. It is portable yet powerful, with decent speed and range, plus the flexibility to give you a workout (or not) depending on your laziness level. And it looks cool!
About those other e-bikes. As noted, Gocycle has less expensive (but still pricey) options.
The Gocycle GX, an immediate predecessor to the GXi, looks quite similar, and incorporates the same folding system. However, it is less advanced and refined with mechanical not electronic shifting, exposed cables, 25 percent less battery capacity, and a smaller readout showing only charge level. The GX sets you back $3,299.
The different-looking Gocycle GS is the “entry-level all-rounder,” according to the company, with a “compactible” design that takes a bit longer — about a minute — to break down, especially since the process involves partial disassembly. This makes it far less practical for commuting, but it’s good for car trips. The GS retails for $2,799.
Note that all Gocycles use the same phone app with the identical flexibility to customize your ride. I think this is Gocycle’s best feature, so I’m glad it’s standard across the line regardless of bike price.
If you don’t have the budget for an e-bike purchase but are game to borrow one for an hour or more, read Kathy Berdan’s coverage of local rental options (see here and here).
