GenZe Electric Bikes—Simple Sophistication.
The perfect setting for a cool ride on the GenZe e102
While the bike lane un-folds in front of me, I continue to get caught-up in a moment of solitude. Feeling almost as I am the vehicle, it’s just me and the world on the move. The reality of the bike being part of the equation is present, but not pressing. With each smooth pedal stroke, seamless electric-assist lightens the load of my physical and mental state. Such is the way of E-bikes and this GenZe e102 seems to master the experience.
To say I am impressed by this new bike would be an easy understatement. The complexity of its inner workings are masked by the simple look and ease of the ride. Like many other E-bikes it has adjustable control parameters, yet unlike those, it really just needs a rider with a smile to keep the movement flowing. Once I found the setting I liked, the bike did the rest with a quiet comfortable demeanor.
As you can see the GenZe e101 is set-up just a little more sporty for those who like it that way.
My wife and I both got a chance to ride the up-right GenZe e102 quite a bit. The squared-off handle bars put me in a nostalgic mood, as they are so similar to the ones on our old English 3-speeds. Even though it was the smallest frame bike they offer, I still felt comfortable and at ease. The perfect saddle matched the ride and kept the smiles coming. I also spent some time on their sport E-bike, the e101 with equal satisfaction.
A slow moving trend for E-bike makers to add multiple frame sizes is well covered by GenZe. The e102 has two on the roster, while the sport e101 comes in three. The one size fits all mentality isn’t shared by this fast moving E-bike company. There are many other aspects of these bikes that show modern forward thinking that I feel is needed.
A trend they don’t follow is all that un-needed E-bike appearance craziness. The GenZe e101 and e102 look like regular bikes, but have just enough cool flair to set themselves away from the pack. The internal battery tucks into a slightly enlarged frame that still says everyday bicycle. The flow of the frame work is modern yet classic. Looks don’t come first to function, but match well with the way I like an E-bike to perform and present itself.
Both bikes share almost all the basic components and controls. This 250 watt geared hub motor feels much more like the 350 watt ones you might be accustomed to.
Many might thumb a nose at the 250 watt rated motor (just by the number alone). Be assured that there is plenty of power for all but the steepest of hills you might encounter. That power comes smooth and quietly with a control system that stands easily against E-bikes double and triple of the price point they ask. Easy use of the display and control panel fit in with this statement, as another impressive feature of interest.
A sweet control panel and an easy to reach button unit work all the electrical controls. This is the e102 with the sweep-back bars and the up-right seating position.
The torque-assist control of the motor is nice. It gives the right amount of motor power when you want it with no waste or jerkiness. With five levels of sensitivity you can tailor the juice to your riding needs at any given time. It has a setting for just pedaling too, with the use of the half hand throttle whenever you need to manually add some assist. Control systems are big on my reasons to like or dislike E-bikes, and you would be hard pressed to find one better. And to my liking, in pedelec mode the motor will not ramp up until the bike is moving forward just slightly.
I do like to see a added throttle over-ride (so the hand throttle can be used in any mode). I talked to the GenZe tech guy at length about this and he is hot on making it available for a safe and secure riding experience. With a E-bike like this with advanced electronics, it would be a quick program up-date to any bike already on the road if they do decide to offer that ability in the future.
Tucked and locked into the frame, the lithium battery is what powers the electric-assist motor.
A decent sized lithium battery hinges and locks into the frame. Charging can be done in the bike or away from it. The fit and finish in this department matched what I found from front-to-rear of the bike. There is just nothing that stands out as an add-on or extra. One well rounded package is just another plus factor that draws me toward liking the GenZe E-bike line-up. That and looks aside, it just plain rides nice.
Of course quick and strong disc brakes cover both ends of the GenZe E-bikes. Solid but light aluminum frames are nicely finished in a sharp shade of silver. The rather basic 7-speed drivetrain works well and allows this lightweight E-bike an easy ride when not using the power-assist. The tire choice is my favorite, with easy rolling and smooth riding 26” fairly large cross section rubber hitting the roadway. Fenders and a full chain guard aren’t on-board, but the center-mount kickstand almost makes up for that.
Part of the cool riding excitement comes from the 46 Lbs. overall weight. It is a fun and maneuverable machine with a frame geometry that was well thought out. The sport e101 was a little more designed for darting around and the up-right e102 was just my style for easy cruising. Every time I took to the saddle of these E-bikes from GenZe I felt like someone in the design department was riding the high wave that day. If we go back to the title of this post, I stick by my guns. They seem so simple, yet the level of sophistication is brought to life with each pedal stroke and mile covered.
GenZe is a product of a major company that already have mastered their first chosen product line. As they have moved to E-bikes (and E-scooters too) they have brought much to the table with mindful and quality bikes. Like most tests I can’t tell the future on long term life, but judging from what I have experienced with these two bikes and the people behind them, I have a good feeling. I know riding these E-bikes was a good feeling and wake-up call that other E-bike companies might have to up their game some.
While I quite often add a photo of me with the bike, today Steve is doing the duties.
If I had my pick, you would see me choosing the larger frame up-right e102 for some big fun around town. You might be more of the sport bike type yourself. As GenZe works up their own retail locations, and gets invited to more existing E-bike shops, you should have a better opportunity to see for yourself if you like them as much as I do.
E-power can be so good for you, don’t wait, Turbo Bob.
“Bicycling is the nearest approximation I know to the flight of birds.”—Louis J. Helle.
You can find GenZe Bikes on the web and Facebook.
http://www.genze.com/e-bikes/
https://www.facebook.com/mahindragenze
For videos of both the GenZe e101 and e102—click here.