Lectric ONE: Pure electric fun
Lectric partnered with Pinion and Gates Corporation to create a bike that I cannot stop riding even with many other compelling options.
Hyperdrive Hits
5/5 Medals of Yavin: Highly recommended for commuters looking for a bike that makes that commute a sheer joy to make every day
Functional, capable Pinion transmission system
Maintenance-free Gates Carbon Belt Drive
Torque and speed to tackle any hill or bike lane
Affordable price for amazing technology in the bike
Single color, no suspension, one size
I have tested out several Lectric bikes in the past few years and have enjoyed most of them for their intended purpose. There were fun sporty models, folding models, off road models, and cargo models. I’ve never fully adopted one as my dedicated daily driver for my commute…until now.
A couple of months ago, Lectric sent along a pre-production model of its new Lectric ONE commuter bike. I heard about the announcement and was intrigued, but I had no idea what the Pinion transmission system was since I had never been exposed to it before. After the bike arrived and I charged up the battery, I was frankly blown away by the automatic gear switching as I started riding around my neighborhood.
The smile quickly spread across my face and it has remained there for two months. I have ridden the Lectric ONE more than 150 miles, including a one way 39-mile commute from my house to my office in May. I test quite a few electric bikes, but I keep coming back to the Lectric ONE and the solid build, responsiveness, automatic shifting, power, and comfort make it the perfect commuter and I highly recommend the bike..
Rating:
As explained in my palmsolo’s Refresh Rating Scale post, I’m awarding the Lectric ONE five (5) Medals of Yavin. It is pretty much a perfect e-bike for the commuter and the only thing that might make it better would be front suspension. That said, there is a LOT to like here and it is hard to express my pleasure at riding the bike in writing.
The Good and the Bad
It’s pretty rare for me to not find something that can be improved with a product and for things like electric bikes the pros and cons can depend on your riding needs.
Pros
Pinion transmission system
Gates Carbon Belt Drive
Left thumb throttle and easy to unlock for Class 3 riding
Accessible form factor for all riders
Affordable price for a Pinion and Gates bike
Front and rear hydraulic disc brakes
Basic, easy to read LCD color display and basic controller
Slick tires with reflective side walls
No gears to worry about, ample pedal assist power
Cons
Single color option
No suspension
Experiences
The Lectric ONE arrived in a rather small cardboard box just about ready to ride. I simply had to position the front wheel, it has a lovely thru axle design, and front fender/light. That pre-production fender was a bit of a pain because I had to remove some rubber grommets and snake the headlight cable through the fender and then secure it in place. Hopefully, assembly of the production model is a bit easier for buyers.
The Lectric ONE design is pretty basic, but that is perfect for a commuter looking for a bike that gets the job done. The Pinion transmission and Gates Carbon Belt drive add elegance and simplicity, along with minimal maintenance needs, and that all is absolutely lovely.
The handlebar stem folds down to help a bit with storage, but I also experienced a loose bolt on this pre-production model and I’m not sure that it needs to fold since the rest of the bike is not a folding bike.
I was able to achieve up to 35 miles with pedal assist so the advertised 45 miles is possible given a lighter rider and different conditions. Check out my YouTube video for more mileage and riding experiences.
While the Lectric ONE has two gear buttons on the right side of the handlebar, I rarely used them since the Pinion system automatically changed gears as my riding conditions changed. It is lovely to forget about changing up and down through manual gears and hoping the chain doesn’t jump or jam and I cannot express my joy at riding with this transmission system. It still blows my mind that a Gates Carbon belt is combined with the Pinion to provide such an advanced riding experience with minimal maintenance needs and I love it.
The ergonomic handgrips are comfortable for extended riding, the lights are perfect and the rear brake light is what I want to see by default. It’s a bit weird that no bell was installed, but I bought a nice one on Amazon to have in order to warn others that I am coming up behind them.
I’m loving the 20-inch tires that Lectric is putting on these new bikes with the reflective strip and good tread for road riding.
Specifications
Specifications alone don’t mean much, but they are useful for comparing similar devices and checking that you are getting value for your money.
Frame: 6000 series aluminum alloy
Motor: 750W rear hub (1310W Peak), 85Nm torque
Bike weight: 55 pounds
Bike capacity: 330 pounds, rear rack capacity of 30 pounds
Rider height: 5’-2” to 6’-4”
Pedal assist: Five levels with left thumb throttle
Transmission: Pinion C1.6i six-speed weatherproof gearbox
Drive: Gates Carbon Belt
Max speed and range: 20 mph with up to 45 miles PAS, 65 miles with long-range battery option. Can be unlocked for Class 3 pedal assist up to 28 mph
Battery: Standard-48V, 10.4 Ah, 500 Watt-hours and long range battery-48V, 14 Ah 672 Watt-hours
Brakes: 180mm hydraulic disk brakes
Tires: 20” x 2.5” slick with reflective strip and Slime installed
Display: LCD color with IP-65 dust/water resistant rating and USB-A port to charge other devices
Safety: UL 2849 (fire safety electrical systems) and 2271 (battery safety) certified
Size: Folded size of 63”L x 16”W x 44”H
Bottom Line
The Lectric ONE is the first bike I have tried with a Pinion transmission system and now I am hooked. That system, combined with the Gates Carbon Belt drive and Lectric quality means I can ride this bike for thousands of miles with very little maintenance. Commuters need a reliable bike that gets the job done daily and the Lectric ONE does this while providing the most enjoyable riding sessions I have ever experienced.
If you haven’t tried out the Lectric ONE yet, then I highly recommend you find a bike shop with one in stock. It’s hard to express my feelings about riding this bike, but I feel in control while also a bit wild with the power and responsiveness found in this bike. I plan to pick up a ONE and ride it into the ground, if that is even possible.