Today, we are finally dipping our toes into the water and checking out an Ancheer electric bicycle. So what has taken so long? Well, Ancheer is a bit of a complicated brand. Some sing praises for the fast shipping, its truly affordable price, and getting people outside again. Meanwhile, others in the community have blasted it for being unreliable, low quality, and un-supported. So which is it? Or maybe it is perhaps a little of both? If you are unfamiliar with Ancheer, they are an ebike brand sold online only and have gained much notoriety due to being one of the few brands shipped via Amazon Prime, as well has having a very low price point. Getting on Amazon Prime is not easy for a manufacturer of ebikes, mostly due to lithium-ion battery shipping regulations as well as box sizes and weight. Selling ebikes from $500-$800 is also not an easy feat, but Ancheer manages to do both. Most of the bikes save money by going with generic systems (both mechanical and electrical), and are brought over direct from China to Amazons warehouse with no real middle man, dealer, branding or marketing to get in the way.
So to get a closer look at Ancheer, we chose the Power Plus Electric Mountain Bike. At the time of this review, it is listed on Amazon for $625 while the Ancheer website has it listed for $799 normally. First off, it would seem on paper you get what you pay for; there are definitely a lot of compromises here. You might notice the water-bottle style battery, large separate controller mounted on the seat post, and a bunch of external wiring…. In all honesty, this looks like a conversion ebike. And that may be the best way to describe it, a mass produced bike converted to electric. But it may not be as bad as it seems. The tires here are 26” x 1.9” and have some good knobby tread to them. These are the foundation for the front suspension fork with 55mm of travel and it works great on casual rides or on the road. I know there are not many ebikes under $1,000 that have a suspension fork, so this is pretty neat. However, I would not really take this thing on the mountain trail despite the name. The tires don’t specifically excel on off-road terrain, and the fork felt like it kept bottoming out time and time again while testing on some technical trails. I was happy to see some nice details on this bike, like the rear mounted kickstand to eliminate annoying pedal lock, the electric horn, rear rack provisions, and my favorite, the comfy gel saddle. If you can believe it, it even has a battery integrated headlight! A nice addition for safety, just make sure to turn the rocker switch on the handle off when you are doing using it. I have seen other integrated lights with switches and if you forget to toggle it, it can leave you with a dead battery.
Driving the bike is a 250 watt rear hub motor. Many manufacturers say 250 watts for legal purposes when the bike in reality has a 350 or 500 watt peak rating. Electrically, the bike did not preform very well so I wouldn’t be surprised if that 250 watts was actually a peak rating. But you do have options to propel the bike. I like that it has a twist throttle and a sealed cadence sensor for pedal assist. I don’t know the exact magnet count, but I am pretty confident it is 6 or less. The top speed is limited to 15mph, which will still get you there faster than your average regular bike. Just be aware that competing brands have average systems for 20mph, 25mph, and 28mph. The mechanical aspects of this bike is where it really shines. It uses a Shimano Tourney 7 speed system with a 14-28 tooth cassette and a front gearing system with a 24,34, and 44 tooth chain ring. A 14-28 tooth cassette may not be the best for mountain biking (as I said before, this works best on roads), but the Shimano Tourney component level has come a long way. It was the entry level (and still is) line for Shimano, but in recent years, Shimano has made the setup more efficient and reliable. Ancheer has also added a derailleur guard to keep that Shimano system protected during shipping or if the bike takes a spill. Stopping the bike is a set of 160mm mechanical disc brakes from a generic company. These get the job done and even have motor inhibitors built in to cut power to the motor when braking. Mechanical brakes are easier to adjust and maintain which is a bonus too. My only gripes with the brakes are that the handles feel a little cheap and the brake position is switched…. Meaning to stop the rear wheel, you use the left handle while the right stops the front wheel. Not a big deal at all when you get used to it, but it
Powering the electrical motor system, display, and headlight is a 36v 8ah battery. As mentioned before, this is a water-bottle style battery as it is shaped as such and sits where some bikes place their bottle cage bosses. Some of the benefits of this battery are that it sits in a place that keeps the weight centered and also has a metal casing to keep it protected. The battery is secured via lock and key, and even has an on/off switch. It may not be the highest capacity battery, but it fits the price well. What I do worry about is the battery mounting hardware. After just one day of light riding, there was gunk and water built up into the plate-cup the battery sits on. This is not stuff you want around your battery connections, so really try to keep an eye on it and keep it clean. To really care for this and other lithium-ion packs, I have heard that storing in a cool dry location vs. extreme heat or cold will extend the life, and try to keep it about 50% full when not using for long periods so you won’t stress the cells. Try not to let it run down to zero, because that’s really hard on the cell chemistry.
Operating the bike is very simple and straight forward. Once the battery is charged, locked into position, and turned on, you can begin to turn on the display. The display is basic and uses a series of a few labeled LED lights to communicate information. Hold the M button to turn on the display. You will then see an LED indicator for battery level in 5 ticks (20% increments) below while the top will indicate what level (1-3) of pedal assist you are in. Press the + or – buttons to raise or decrease the level of pedal assist. Decreasing levels by pressing – in level 1 will turn off the light indicating you are in level 0, or to put it simply, the assist is off. When it is off (or in level 0, whichever you like to call it) you can then engage the throttle. The bike does not allow you to have throttle and pedal assist active, it is really just an either or scenario.
In closing, many of our followers know that EBR has advertising and service fees so it is easy to see us as part of the industry. With that, comes perhaps a bias you might perceive on us as negative towards a low cost disrupting bike. We do not feel this is the case. Rather than part of an industry, we sincerely feel we are part of a community. We review expensive brand name bikes as well as low cost no-name bikes and the Ancheer is just one of many of those. We strive to be fair, transparent, and honest. In that honesty, we must report that the Ancheer died during testing. Once our video review was done, we sent the bike to Ebike Test Lab for some in-depth testing that we typically post to the forums. Unfortunately, during this testing the controller failed in the middle of examination, with the motor going out shortly after. We have reached out to Ancheer to get replacement parts, we still have not confirmed yet if this is a possibility. It would be easy to dismiss the bike after this, but there are some positives to gain here. In 2015 or so, the average ebike price was over $3,500. Sure, there are still plenty like that today, but currently in 2019, there are so many value offerings at $1,500 and below. Thanks to value brands like Ancheer, these offerings brought prices down across the industry which in turn helped put more ebike riders on the road. I think the bike is fine if you have the right expectations and use it as such. But when comparing ebikes every day, imperfections are bound to show. Imagine if you will a nice home-cooked meal with all the trimmings and fixings. Everything made from scratch. After the desert course, you are stuffed and even looking forward to leftovers at work the next day. Now instead, imagine you are staring into the freezer at a frozen microwave meal. You know it is not the best food you ever had. The food at that moment may be more fuel than experience. But to your surprise, there is a savory moment or two during the meal and you saved a ton of money. You feel perplexed as to why some people look at this with shame when it gets the job done for less. We are correct in feeling those ways, and like that, the Ancheer is just one of the many options on the spectrum when choosing what is right for you at this time.
As always, I welcome questions and feedback in the comment section below. Whether you own a previous version of the bike, have taken a test ride, or are brand new to the space, my goal is to provide an objective and honest resource. You can also join the Ancheer ebike forums and share your own photos, videos, and review updates to help others! Have fun out there, and ride safe :)
Pros:
- An extremely low cost ebike with surprising features like Shimano 7 speed system, front suspension, gets you outside and having fun again, and is one of few brands available with speedy Amazon Prime shipping
- The price is by far one of the greatest strengths of this bike, the bike we tested is $799 on their website and $625 on Amazon, at this cost, you could easily buy 2 or more for the price of other ebikes on the market
- The tires are 26” x 1.9” and have some good knobby tread to them, I love the machined sidewall look
- Most sub $1,000 ebikes wouldn’t dream of adding a suspension fork, surprisingly, Ancheer gives you one, it works great on casual rides or on the road and has 55mm of travel
- This low cost bike has great little details here and there like the rear mounted kickstand to eliminate annoying pedal lock, the electric horn, rear rack provisions, and my favorite, the comfy gel saddle
- A big win here (especially for the price) is that it even has a battery integrated headlight! A nice addition for safety, I really appreciate more and more bikes are adding these in
- 250 watt hub-motor that can be engaged either via a twist throttle, or this cadence based pedal assist, the cadence sensor is sealed which helps keep debris out, something I think is great
- Shimano Tourney 7 speed system with a 14-28 tooth cassette and a front gearing system with a 24,34, and 44 tooth chain ring, the Shimano Tourney component level has come a long way in recent years, Shimano has made the setup more efficient and reliable
- Ancheer has also added a derailleur guard to keep that Shimano system protected during shipping or if the bike takes a spill, another great feature that you don’t always see on competing bikes
- 36v 8ah battery is cased in protective metal and is mounted in a central position on the bike, helping to keep weight balanced
- The display may be more minimalist, but this makes the bike easy to hop on, understand, and teach others to ride too
- Ancheer has been around for years now and has helped curve the industry towards more competitive offerings, they have helped show just how much bike you can fit in a low cost package, inspiring many other brands over the years
Cons:
- Some generic parts, for example, the brakes had handles that were switched and the handles them selves felt low quality and made noises
- I think the bike works fine on the street, and basic trails, but I wouldn’t advise doing any technical mountain biking with it, the electric system is not strong enough and will drag you down, literally, because of the added weight and low power
- I appreciated the front suspension, however, it felt like it kept bottoming out time and time again while testing on some decent bumps
- The top speed is limited to 15mph, which will still get you there faster than your average regular bike, just be aware that typical ebikes have average systems for 20mph, 25mph, and 28mph
- Due to the design of the battery mounting hardware, gunk and water can build up into the plate-cup the battery sits on, this is not stuff you want around your battery connections, so really try to keep an eye on it and keep it clean
- Minor gripe here, but a lot of bikes out there will try their best to ‘blend in’ and not look electric, due to the water-bottle style battery, large separate controller mounted on the seat post, and a bunch of external wiring, the Ancheer looks more like a conversion which may put off some
- The 250 watt motor again is fine around town, but the lower top speed, peak watt output, and minimal levels of pedal assist can make this a poor performer when you compare with other systems
- The rear motor does not have a direct disconnect, so if you take it in for service, the shop will either have it for a longer time than usual, or may charge you more money to have it serviced since they cannot remove the motor without cutting foundational wires
- Our bike sadly failed during testing, first the controller went out, then the motor fell shortly after, you can read more on the testing here, we are talking with Ancheer to see if it is possible to get a new motor and controller
Resources:
Mikey Geurts
5 years agoHey guys! since this is one of the more requested reviews, I’ll be checking the comment section here for about a week to answer questions on the bike/review. If there’s anything specific you’d like to know not covered there, lemme know! 8^)
ReplyCourt
5 years agoThanks Mikey! I’ll ping you if/when I see comments coming up here. Great job with the review, I really enjoyed it!
ReplyDan Howard
5 years agoThey have a new model with 26″ wheels, 500W motor and 36V 12 Ah battery. The warranty on the motor and electronics is only 90 days. Other , more expensive bikes also have a 90 day warranty on those components. I’d be more confident in the purchase with a longer warranty, especially with the rainy season coming up and less bike riding. In any case, thanks for reviewing an Ancheer product. Still a possible purchase.
ReplyTalbertc
5 years agoThank you, Mikey, for the great review. Thank you Court for including this review on your site. I’ve been watching a ton of reviews and appreciate how you’re educating the public about ebikes.
I bought the 250 watt version of the Ancheer as my first ebike several months ago. I wanted to buy something to ride and determine what I really want in an ebike. I have been surprised at the quality. It seems to be a very good value. I live where it’s fairly flat so not a lot of hills. I’m a bigger guy at 6’2″ 250 lbs and the Ancheer feels too small in the frame size and definitely in the motor. It struggles taking off and on smaller hills when I do encounter them. I have learned that I like the throttle for getting started. The pedal assist is not very smooth and I don’t use it when I’m riding through a park or off trail since It makes me feel a little out of control.
I’m not a commuter but a city biker that would enjoy going on some trails to get outside and enjoy myself. I’m looking for a replacement now since I know more what I want. I would like my next ebike to not look so much like an ebike.
The biggest concern I have is service after the sale. I love to tinker so I have considered building my own bike, that way I’m more likely to be able to fix or replace parts if something fails. That may or may not be true. If I could find the right ebike, I would buy it. I’m 65 years old, I’ve had a stroke almost 2 years ago but seem to be fully recovered. My balance isn’t what it use to be.
Some I have considered:
Here are the specs I’ve determined I want in my next ebike.
I live near the east coast and have a vacation home there. I would like to ride on the beach a little but I’m concerned with how that would work with an ebike. I’ve ridden my older mountain bike and the strong winds make it possible to only ride 1 way and then push the other way. The only option I have found for local service is Pedago and Specialized. The Ancheer is still running and looks nice so it has served it’s purpose to help me get out and ride a little to determine if I like ebikes and what I would want. I welcome input from anyone that has ideas for me to consider.
ReplyCourt
5 years agoHi Talbertc, great overview! thanks for the quick testimonial about how your Ancheer is still going strong and has worked well to get you into the ebike space. One electric bike came to mind when reading your list. But first, I should share that I have had kits and purpose built ebikes and much prefer purpose built. Unless you really enjoy the project side of converting a bicycle you already own and love, I have found that they make more noise, have more wires exposed, and aren’t as well balanced. Here’s a recent example where I tested some bikes with a really solid kit from Magnum. Anyway, the ebike that has a throttle, step-thru, and pretty good pedal assist and lots of power (because of mid-drive motor) is the eProdigy Magic Pro. I hope this helps get you started and you can always chime in with your feedback and more questions in the “help me choose” section of the EBR forums.
ReplyHal Campbell
5 years agoCourt, the eProdigy Magic Pro looks like a really nice bike. The model you reviewed is out of stock right now. Do you recommend the carbon belt version? I really like the idea of no chain or derailleur. In your opinion, what kind of service would I expect on the East Coast?
Gary
4 years agoHey, good review. I have the 500 watt model and I think you would be much happier reviewing that one :)
ReplyCourt
4 years agoThanks for the tip, Gary! Yeah, it’s nice to have that extra power, especially with hub motors. How much more did that one cost you? What is your overall impression of the bike so far, as a true owner?
ReplyMurray Steele
4 years agoWOW. Great entry level bike for $600. I bought two at that price. After 6 months, I just had an issue with one bike where the battery shorted. Ancheer warranty service was great. I sent pics and a short video clip and they are sending parts. Should arrive in 2 weeks.
ReplyCourt
4 years agoThat’s great to hear, Murray! Thanks for the update. I hope your battery solution arrives soon and you can enjoy riding again :)
ReplyBob H
4 years agoMurray, I bought an Ancheer and am having all kinds of trouble with it. The motor cuts off after 10 minutes of use. I can re-plug the battery connection and get another 30 seconds, then gone again. Progressively less each time. Ancheer will not return my correspondence, so, if it is acceptable to ask, how did you get a hold of them?
Thanks,
Bob
ReplyMurray Steele
4 years agoI lost my reply to you so this might be a double post. Someone got it (LOL) check your spam folder for replies from Ancheer. Mine were all going in my junk folder and I was getting annoyed. When I finally realized, they couldn’t be nicer. I was dealing with someone at Ancheer whose email is stuffpeace gmail.
BOB H
4 years agoThanks Murray! No, I was checking all folders and I was getting ignored from the seller and from Ancheer. But I have sent a request to the e-mail address you supplied and we will see what happens.
BTW, new to e-bikes and new to this forum but like it very much! I am realizing the Ancheer is not the right fit for me and am considering a Rad Mini. I weigh 210 and the Ancheer does not seem to be powerful enough for the blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, even on a paved road.
To be continued…
ReplyMurray Steele
4 years agoI’m the wrong side of 200 LB too but I ride on old Minnesota railway lines that have been repurposed as paved Bike/Walk trails. Nice and flat. I’m happy with the power, in fact I rarely use the 3 setting. Who was the seller? I used Walmart and took their three year extended warranty. If anything turns to shit I can fall back on their awesome customer service. Repair/Replace/Refund for 3 years. I figured that was pretty good to have on a Chinese e-bike.
BOB H
4 years agoA Z seller on Amazon was the seller. We got it in late January and the weather was not conducive to a longer test run until a few weeks ago, wherein I realized it was cutting out on me. The higher speeds have also failed to work- if it is going faster in that setting it isn’t noticeable to me. Frankly, I didn’t know Ancheer bikes could be bought at Wal-Mart.
Since it is past 30 days, Amazon will absolutely not help. The good news is that I got a response from the e-mail sent asking for my sales order # so, thanks to your help (which I REALLY appreciate) I may be getting somewhere with Ancheer. That being said, I am not a bike mechanic. Yeah, I could probably replace the battery if the wiring harnesses are included and attached, but motor replacement and possibly controller replacement might be over my reach. Not having an affiliated bike repair outlet could become an issue if it comes to that.
Since the e-mail response came at like 2 AM I am presuming it is from someone in China so the 12 hour time lag will take a few days to get worked out. Hoping they won’t ask me to take a video of it cutting out on me. It would be a little hard to video and drive and I am not set up for a stationary camera video. Again, Murray, I cannot thank you enough. I felt I was stuck with a lemon and now I have hope!
ReplyMurray Steele
4 years agoIf it’s the controller it’s easy. 4x screws will take off the controller box cover then ease the black controller box out the left side of the bike. It’s just several plastic connectors. I did them one at a time. Tuck it all back in and be careful attaching the screws again so you don’t pinch any wires. No need to re-route any wires through the bike. I did it with a friend. Piece of cake. There are youtube videos for changing the motor but sounds like it’s just not getting power (controller).
Bob H
4 years agoThanks. That was a brief sojourn. Whoever is answering those e-mails says since I didn’t get the bike from Wal-Mart then they can’t help me. So, I am back to submitting requests through the Ancheer site which, of course, they ignore.
Does anyone have a contact for Ancheer the company?
Beginning to think this is a total loss. I couldn’t even think of selling it to someone with the way it is not working now.
ReplyMurray Steele
4 years agostuffpeace@gmail.com is Ancheer. They were great for me. Very prompt responses. I just got the replacement battery today. It took 6 weeks from China. and new controller and speed limiter were received a few weeks ago. All under Warranty.
ReplyMurray Steele
4 years agoWell it had to happen. I ran over a thumbtack, rear wheel. Tread was low so I bought a new tire and tube. Taking the rear wheel off a hub drive bike is a real pain in the ass, I left the electric cable attached and had to settle with easing the tire and tube through a gap between the one side of the axle and the frame. Had to remove Derailleur guard, Kickstand, and disc brake assembly. Tried to slide the loosened wheel out but as it needs to travel forward to drop down it hit the controller box. My next bike will have a pedal crank motor for that reason alone. The easy part was taking the tire off and new one on. And of course I managed to jam the chain between the gears front and back. LOL. Patched the old tube for a spare. Should be good for the summer :)
ReplyCourt
4 years agoHi Murray! Yeah, I’ve experienced those same steps and felt the frustration (and greasy hands). Most hub motor driven ebikes now have a quick disconnect in the power cable, which makes it a lot easier to completely remove the wheel to change tubes and tires. A bike stand and the proper wrenches also help, but that takes space and money. Shops seem to be very expensive for service and the wait time can become quite long, so it’s a good skill to know how to do some of this yourself. Anyways, I’m glad you figured it out and I hope the bike is indeed good for the summer ;)
ReplyRod
2 years agoHi. Can anyone tell me what the maximum size tyre can be fitted to my Ancheer electric bike, at the moment it has 26 x 1.95 tyres on it.
ReplyCourt
2 years agoHi Rod! This is not official advice, but I’ve taken a look at the images and see that there is decent clearance at the fork, seat stays, and chain stays with the 1.95″ wide tires. I suspect that the frame could handle up to 2.25″ wide, which is a pretty common size. It might even be able to go larger, but that could depend on how large the tread is vs. smoother tires. I hope this guess helps to guide you ;)
ReplyHerb Meyerson
2 years agoI have 3 Ancheer 27.5 bikes. Good bikes for the money BUT!!! ONE OF THE BATTERIES WON’T HOLD A CHARGE ANY LONGER. CUSTOMER SERVICE WILL NOT HELP IN PURCHASING A NEW BATTERY (10.4AH, 36V), they say the batteries are out of stock for over a year! CALLED, EMAIL NO HELP. THIS IS THEIR LAST REPLY ” Sorry, we are not the manufacturer of ancheer, we are just a distributor of ancheer”.
ReplyCourt
2 years agoHmm, sorry to hear about that Herb! Have you looked into a battery repacking service provider such as FTH Power? Look them up, maybe they can help renew your pack, and even make it higher capacity! Some of the more affordable ebike companies just aren’t setup with support and stocking parts for older models.
Reply