In 1947, the father of the current President founded his own business, Philkam Cycle, which provided bicycles and components to retailers throughout the Eastern United States. In Kearny, New Jersey, it started making bicycles in 1979, but in 1990 it closed the plant and moved the production elsewhere. Constructing a factory in Clarendon County, South Carolina, it brought manufacturing back to the country that year. Head to the page below and fill out the warranty claim submission form. I contacted Kent’s customer service about a different issue and an actual human being answered the phone after just a couple of rings.
The Electric Cruiser offers three levels of electric assist, with a maximum boost of 20 mph. A very basic LED display indicates battery and power-assist levels but doesn’t include a speedometer or mileage counter. Then one day, a fellow mountain biker asked if I wanted to ride his bike around the parking kent bayside cruiser lot. After a few seconds of strenuous pedaling, the bike suddenly took off with explosive force. It was an e-bike, an electric pedal-assist MTB with a motor that engages when an internal sensor encounters a hill. If these were throttle-enabled e-bikes, then I probably wouldn’t be so jazzed.
Most of these buyers probably haven’t ridden a bicycle in decades and are looking for a cheap and non-intimidating way to get back on the bike. Retailing for under $700 (around £515/AU$970), kent road bike the Kent Electric Cruiser was created for them. There are numerous trails in North Georgia with large inclines and several over 15 miles long that we had intentionally avoided.
I realized we could skip the gym to train a couple times a week specifically for these longer rides or we could buy e-bikes. The motor is supplied by an adorable little 24V 5.2Ah battery with just 125 Wh of capacity. In low power mode, the battery is sufficient for 15 miles (25 km) of range. That isn’t a bad thing, as many riders (including myself) have been very happy with lower-cost mid-drive motors.
Everything was going great until I encountered a 11%, 6-degree incline. Even while pedaling and in the highest level of assist, the bike barely had enough torque to push me up the hill. At one point, I smelled burning plastic when it hit me that the smell came from the motor, which was burning hot from overuse. When I sold the CrossFit gym and moved to Gainesville, Georgia, I lost all of my MTB-riding friends, so my bike went into storage.
Instead of providing various speeds for each assist level, a “torque simulation” controller should (if it is what it is typically termed) supply a distinct current level. As a result, it is very likely that you will need to change the controller in order to add a throttle. There are currently very few e-bikes designed specifically for kids available (in the US).
Kent currently offers three electric models for adults, plus one for kids. Alongside the 27-inch Kent Electric and Kent Step-Through Electric, the Cruiser is more of a unisex offering and is available exclusively from Walmart. For our third eMTB trip, I chose a 16-mile gravel forest service road in nearby Helen, Georgia. The first half was mainly uphill and the bikes performed magnificently. Somehow, we made it the whole 16 miles without a flat and with our brains intact.
The geared motor doesn’t provide any extra resistance other than adding a couple pounds of needless weight. There’s also a 6-speed shifter that makes it easier for kids to climb hills in the proper gear, even without electric power. If the battery does die on a ride, the shifter definitely makes it more manageable to pedal. E-bikes for kids are sized in accordance with wheel size, just like traditional kids’ bikes. Consequently, your youngster will probably fit on a 24′′ kids’ electric bike if they are currently riding a 24′′ bicycle. As all motorcycles, it’s crucial to consider the minimum and maximum seat heights because, depending on the brand, they can differ significantly within a wheel size.