The Pedego Element 2 eBike — CleanTechnica Tested

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Pedego was one of the earliest companies to see the promise of ebikes and to build them at scale. It sales model was based around developing retail stores hosting both sales and rental options for customers. It was a great option, as it let prospective buyers see Pedego’s various ebikes in person, rent a bike for a day, and even pick it up in person.

When ebikes moved into the mass market, Pedego was slow to adapt, and as a result, its $4,000 ebikes felt expensive and uncompetitive. Its retail stores were compelling and it felt like the company had a solid foothold in the market, so we were excited when Pedego reached out about the more affordable $2,195 Pedego Element 2.

Disclaimer: Pedego provided the Element 2 to the author for the purposes of this review.

We were excited to put the model through its paces to see how the company had improved its bikes for the masses and to see if they had cut any corners to achieve the lower pricing that they’re now able to offer. Assembly for the Pedego Element 2 was straightforward. It needed pedals, the handlebars to be mounted to the stem, and a few other odds and ends. But all told, it was very easy and straightforward to get it from the box to being street ready.

The Ride

Hitting the streets, we found the low-step frame to be extremely comfortable, with an attractive colorway in its satin finish paint. Ours came in a sand color that’s extremely attractive and looks modern with the black accents on the bike.

The Element 2 has an integrated rack to which Pedego fitted a set of panniers for us that make it just the ultimate cargo bike right out of the box. We loaded this up with some groceries on a neighborhood run to pick up some food for dinner and found it to be more than capable of both getting down the hill loaded up with groceries and, obviously back to the house.

Taking it on a run down to the beach, the Pedego is a breeze and feels very confident, especially with its oversized knobby tires. Their larger volume gives it a bit of extra cushion and complements the front suspension fork, making for a very comfortable and confident ride whether you’re on the road or on a short bit of dirt.

On that note, don’t let the knobby tires and suspension fork fool you into thinking this is an all-terrain machine. While it can handle the occasional stint on the dirt, it was never designed to excel in off-road adventures.

When it came time to tackle the hills, the Pedego’s torque sensor and high torque motor make it more than capable of pushing even my oversized frame up some of the most difficult hills you’re likely to find on a road bike. On the way back down, we tested the front and rear hydraulic disc brakes and found them to be extremely responsive even under the most aggressive braking.

On the lower end of the spectrum, the torque sensor makes it very comfortable to ride and lets you dial in exactly the amount of assist you want, no matter what you’re carrying or what terrain you’re riding on.

The bike features an integrated color display that makes it easy to see what’s going on, whether you’re looking for your pedal assist mode or your current speed. It also features a real-time chart that displays just how much power the motor is putting out in real time so that you can see just how much help the motor is giving you as you’re moving along.

It comes with integrated front and rear lights, which provide plenty of confidence and light if the sun goes down before you’re finished with your adventures or if you start your adventures before the sun comes up. They’re also fantastic integrated options just to add a bit more visibility to the bike while riding around town.

Pedego is offering this bike in a number of colorways that make it flexible enough to be used for just about any gender or age. The low-step frame also makes it a great option for a wide range of rider heights and sizes — anywhere from teens up through taller adults won’t have much of an issue feeling comfortable on this bike with just a few adjustments to the seat and angle of the handlebars.

Overall

The Pedego Element 2 is a fantastic platform that really ushers in a new chapter for Pedego to dominate the world of electric bikes in a much more competitive scheme than they saw when they first entered or even created the e-bike market all those years ago.

It features tons of great accessories, like the integrated rack to which you can add just about anything, that make it a great base platform for whatever adventures you have in store for your day, week, or life.

At just $2,195, it’s a great value from a brand that has been proven, meaning they know what components to put on it, offer fantastic support, and even have a few retail shops around the country that you can stop in at.

As with most e-bikes, you can also just take it to your local bike shop for a tune-up, as most are comfortable working on e-bikes and most of the components you’ll need service on aren’t brand specific. It’ll just be simple things like adjusting the chain, tuning up the brakes, etc., which is common to any bike.

For more information about the Pedego Element 2 or to buy one for yourself, head to its official online home.

Specs

• Weight capacity: Total payload up to 440 Lb
• Speed:
  • Class 1 – 20mph Pedal Assist
  • Class 2 – 20mph Pedal Assist & Throttle
  • Class 3 Ready (Participating Locations) – 28mph Pedal Assist
• Range per charge: Up to 81 Miles
• Rider Height: 5’1″ – 6’1″
• Motor: 48V, 750W, 90Nm Torque
• Battery: 48V17.4Ah 835Wh, UL2271 Certified Pack, UL2580 Certified Cells, LG 21700, Removable Battery
• Controller: 48V 25A PedalSense ®, Sinewave, Field Oriented Control
• Assist: PedalSense ® Cruise or Torque Assist
• Pedal assist sensor: Integrated Bottom Bracket – Torque and Cadense Sensor
• Throttle: Pedego Twist Throttle
• Headlight: 100 Lux Handlebar Mounted Headlight
• Taillights: Frame Integrated with Active Brake Light, Running Light and Turn Signals
• Colors: Warm Sand, Marsala, Dark Shadow
• Material: 6061 Aluminum Alloy
• Fork: Aluminum Suspension Fork w/ Preload Adjustment, Thru Axle & 75mm travel
• Brakes: Tektro HD-E3520 Hydraulic Disc Brakes w/ Power Cut-Off Sensor, 203mm Front Rotor, 180mm Rear Rotor
• Rack: MIK HD Rear Rack w/ 100 lb Capacity
• Fenders: Front & Rear Aluminum Fenders
• Bike weight: 68.3 lb / 31.0 kg w/o Battery | 77 lb / 34.9 kg w/ Battery
• Battery weight: 8.7 lb / 4.0 kg