There's something exhilarating about riding a fat-tire bike. It's like you're in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, conquering Gotham City with wheels that can do just about anything.
The 4-inch-wide tires on Lectric Ebikes' Lectric XP will make you feel like a cloud on the road. And like all of the Caped Crusader's rides, this electric bicycle comes fully kitted out, with an integrated front light, a rear rack, a built-in LCD display, and a removable battery. Plus, it folds in half for easier storage—for only $899.
I've ridden it for more than six months now, learning its quirks. The front fender, for example, often rattles like it's on death's door. The bike is also a whopping 63 pounds, making it a pain to move around, even if you can fold it. But its value continues to shine through. If you want an electric bike but have been put off by the jaw-dropping $1,000+ price tags, the Lectric XP is for you—as long as you don't live in a walk-up.
The Lectric XP comes in two variants: a step-over and a step-through model. I tested the latter. It arrived nearly fully assembled in a box, which is a nice change from the usual 20-minute assembly process with many new bikes. All you need to do is unfold it and attach the handlebars.
Its weight makes tough to move around when it's folded up. If you're an apartment dweller, don't have an elevator in your building, and don't want to lock it outside, find another bike. It's too heavy. The whole thing is so thick that carrying it isn't comfortable either, even if the weight doesn't bother you. That thickness means it still takes up a good amount of room when folded, which might be an issue if you're in a tiny apartment like me where every inch of space counts.
Folding it is fairly simple. Just undo two clamps. The XP's weight turns it into an unwieldy process, but if you have a good foothold and enough clearance, it's manageable. Thankfully, you can remove the battery, so you don't need to bring the bike to an outlet to recharge it.
What's weird is you need to stick a key into the bottom of the bike for the battery to work. Without this key, it won't turn on. I usually leave it in all the time, but if you store it outdoors away from your watchful eye, make sure to remove it.
Aside from the wonderfully fat tires, I also love the bounty of included accessories. You get fenders, a rear rack, a twist throttle, an integrated front and tail light powered by the battery, and an LCD center-mounted display to show battery levels and other useful data like your speed (no app needed!). As an added bonus, you can bump the max speed from 20 miles per hour to 28 via the display, converting it from a Class 2 to a Class 3 ebike.
The ride itself is comfortable. The thick tires help smooth out a lot of the bumps in the road, but it is meant for the road. There's no suspension system, so avoid big potholes or extremely rocky terrain.
You have five levels of pedal assistance to choose from; I mostly stuck to levels two and three. Anything more wasn't as fun. I felt no resistance, as though I was pedaling air—even in seventh gear (the highest on the 7-speed Shimano shifter).