Electric bike test: Decathlon B’Twin Riverside Original 920 E electric hybrid Car News

Decathlon B’Twin Riverside Original 920 E Electric Hybrid

How much does it cost?

It is priced at £ 999.99, making it one of the cheapest e-bikes on the market.

What is that?

The Decathlon B’Twin Riverside Original 920 E Electric Hybrid Bike is an affordable electric assist bicycle, perfect for commuting or leisure travel on roads, towpaths or bridle paths.

The B’Twin brand belongs to the French sporting goods giant Decathlon, a company known for its good-value bicycles. The frame is constructed from aluminum, and the lowered top tube design makes it easy to assemble and disassemble the bike. It’s a unisex frame, with both saddle and post height adjustment to provide the best fit.

There are two sizes, M (for riders measuring 1.45m-1.74m) and L (1.75m-1.95m), which determines the size of wheel supplied. M bikes are fitted with 26 inch wheels and L with 28 inch wheels. Both are ideally suited for on-road and light off-road use, but the 28-inch wheels offer a bit more stability and a wider tire choice.

The bike uses a combination of Shimano Tourney and SRAM X3 components and runs on a 1×7 speed setup, with a single chainring up front and seven sprockets on the rear cassette. It has V-brakes, which can be a bit tricky to adjust, but there are plenty of step-by-step guides online if you need to maintain them.

The motor and battery are mounted on the back of the bike. The battery sits neatly under an included luggage rack, while the motor is mounted on the rear wheel hub. Unfortunately, that means all the weight is on the back of the bike; at 25.5 kg for size M, this can make maneuvering difficult.

Battery life is dependent on mode usage, with mode one providing up to 56 miles of range, mode two up to 43 miles, and mode three up to 31 miles.

How is?

In a nutshell, it’s fun. It’s an incredibly capable bike that performs much better than you might expect from a bike at this price point.

The 2.64kg battery is fixed, so charging should be done near a wall outlet, from which a full charge will take 6.5 hours, meaning you should be prepared to leave it All night long.

But once it’s ready to go, the motor provides three levels of assistance. Level one assists up to 10.6 mph and level two assists up to 13.7 mph. Level three assists up to 15.5mph (although the screen often reads up to 16.8mph) and will make you feel like I imagine Max Verstappen does when DRS is on. Rather than climbing hills, you slide to level three.

I tested it on long trails and steep and short climbs, and the bike maintained the assist level successfully.

Much like turbo lag, assistance tends to be slightly delayed between when you press the button and when it starts. Although slightly annoying for the impatient, it can be very handy if you are starting from a crossroads, not lifting the front wheel off the ground.

The on-screen display is handy for presenting all bike data, such as mode, route and battery level, and it controls front and rear lights. Having this information handy is important, as you can adjust your ride to battery levels as needed, rather than being surprised when the juice runs out and you are 30 miles from home to each other. side of the Dales.

Considering the weight of the bike, the disc brakes would have been a good idea, but the stock V-brakes work surprisingly well and are easy to modulate. The bike has proven its ability on different terrains and tackled my local bridle path network with ease. The suspension absorbs the bumps in the road and provides an incredibly comfortable ride.

Although not recommended to be taken on a train, due to its weight, it is a fantastic bike for commuting, shopping, or even recreation. The included luggage rack can carry up to 15kg of luggage and you can safely lock the battery away from any opportunistic thieves.

Should I buy one?

This is not a bike designed for racing or for long weekends on the road, and it would be unfair to compare it to any other.

The idea behind the 920 E is to get you from point A to point B with minimal hassle and make it easier for you to change your transport habits on shorter trips.

It’s also not designed to replace a car, but at the very least, it makes commuting to work, school, or shopping more enjoyable and healthier. And the 920 E does it perfectly well.

Verdict Decathlon B’Twin Riverside Original 920 E Electric Hybrid – 3.5 / 5

The big seller of Decathlon offers great value for money and deserves credit for doing the same at that price, but weight is an issue and it’s hard to maneuver when not riding it.

Where can I buy it?

Directly in Decathlon stores or online.

How does it happen?

The bike arrives at 95% …