Zongshen e-bike

[Chinggis101]

After 2 years with a 64v e.bike I decided to get a replacement. One of my colleagues at work has a 72v e.bike which leaves the rest of us way behind so I knew there was only one way to go - get a new 72v. I was expecting the standard shape that all e-bikes in Chongqing seem to have, until I saw photos of some new models on offer. Best of all, the one I wanted was made by Zongshen, rather than the no-name brands that seem to proliferate here.

Was it worth the 5460 RMB? In my opinion, absolutely. Although heavier that the rest of the pack (it must be one of the 'big' e-bikes referred to in the Shanghai thread), and I'm heavier than the other riders, it still cleans up the other 72 as well as anything else on 2 wheels at work. Perhaps the best value aspect of this bike is the headlight/lamp. After nearly 3 years of e-bike riding I can now clearly see further than 5 meters ahead of me, and I have a 'bright' beam that is a real 'bright' beam. I can see it shining ahead of me when the street lights are out. Brilliant! It has disc brakes, front and back, so I feel safer at 50 kph and the fact that it can do a real 50 Kph is a pleasure. I'm not sure of the range but Chongqing is all hills so I'm not expecting to get the claimed 60km. However I live about 3.5 km from work so I only recharge every 4 days, although I could get at least another 2 days worth of commuting if I wanted to push it. It has a fairly wide seat but the two passengers I've carried both attest to it being more comfortable and spacious. I wouldn't mind a little more legroom up front, but that seems a problem with all e-bikes so I'm not complaining.

The best aspect of this bike is the ride. The sound, the feel and the riding position, in my e-bike world and experience there's nothing to compare. I've posted a pic below to give you an idea of what it looks like. There will be more to follow once we've had some warm dry weather so I can clean it.