An electric fat bike designed for comfortable cruising with large oversized handlebars, a suspension seat post and smoother tires
Basic drivetrain with seven speeds, throttle on demand and five levels of pedal assist, full length metal fenders and a sturdy rack
One of the heaviest ebikes I've tested at ~75 lbs due to the large frame and tires, less responsive six-magnet pedelec design, no bottle bosses added to the downtube or seat tube
Proportionately sized 500 watt motor and 48 volt 13 amp hour battery pack should offer decent climbing and range
The All-Track E100 has been updated and renamed as the E-Lux Tahoe starting in 2016. For the full review on that model and all of the improvements (including bottle cage bosses!) visit the written review here that also has a video.
E-Lux is a relatively new electric bike company based in Southern California near Huntington Beach. Their first model, the E100 All-Trac Electric Cruiser, is a fat tire design that’s unlike any I’ve really seen before… It offers a longer relaxed frame, full length metallic fenders and smoother tires that coast efficiently and don’t make as much noise. While it’s currently only available in one size (a longer 20″ frame and high-step design) there are several color options including yellow, orange, white and gloss or matte black with colored rims. It’s an eye catching bike but also fairly functional thanks to a seven speed drivetrain, carry rack and larger motor and battery systems. Considering the ~75 pound curb weight on this thing, it’s great that they upgraded the power and chose to include both pedal assist (for extended range) and throttle (to help you get moving or aid in climbing). I felt good riding this ebike because it came with excellent instructions, offers a solid 3 year frame and 1 year battery warranty and customer support was very responsive when I had questions. There’s definitely room for improvement here and there (key has to be left in when riding, no bottle cages) but considering it’s the first model from a new company I was impressed. Apparently, the guys who started Elux are industry veterans with experience designing bikes for some other brands in the area years ago. Availability was fairly limited at the time of this review (a hand full of dealers on the West Coast) but it’s great that they’re focusing and taking their time to get it right.
Driving this electric fat bike cruiser is a solid 500 watt internally geared hub motor from 8Fun. It looks kind of small and narrow when mounted in the wider fatbike rim but it performs well and has enough space on the right side for the seven speed cassette. Actually, there’s probably more than enough room here and it might be possible to add a larger gear cluster in the future if you’re a tinkerer. The included seven speed Shimano Tourney drivetrain is at the lower end of the market in terms of quality but it helps to reduce the overall price here and is fine for around-town riding. The shifter up front is also basic but easy to read and use because it has large levers. There’s a bit more noise generated by this motor due to its higher power (peak output of 750 watts) but it accelerates smoothly and freewheels without any drag or resistance. Acceleration and power are important but stopping is nothing to take lightly (especially with this much weight) and a decent pair of Tektro Novella 180 mm disc brakes perform well. The levers are upgraded and feel solid, they even include a little rubber strip on the front for comfort and reduced slip. Anytime you activate the brakes the motor is immediately shutoff for safety. I wasn’t able to weigh the motor myself but E-Lux said it’s ~9 lbs which sounds about right, this adds to the rack and fender weight in the rear and I noticed that the battery is also mounted towards the back of the bike so this is a bit rear-heavy.
The battery is mounted low behind the seat tube and even though it’s closer to the rear, it’s much better than a rack design in terms of balance and protection. This style of pack is often called a Silver Fish and it’s completely removable which reduces weight during transport (by about nine pounds) and makes charging easier if you’re parked in a public space with no outlets nearby. There’s an LED charge level indicator on the top and a swivel handle that makes it easy to carry around and take off. Note that in order to get the pack off, it’s easiest to take the seat off as well. The quick release collar helps when doing this but I have seen some other seat clamp designs on the EZ Pedaler ebikes with a neat swivel feature. They might have skipped that with the E-Lux here because there’s a seat post suspension and sometimes those require a narrower mounting point. In any case… removing the battery takes a bit of extra effort and you can lose track of how high the seat was, I recommend using a pencil or marker to put a guide on your frame. The battery size is great at 48 volts and 13 amp hours because it helps to offset the weight of the bike and should get you 20+ miles even in throttle-only mode.
Operating the Elux All-Trac Electric Cruiser is fairly simple. Once the battery is charged and mounted you’ll need to twist the key all the way to the right to switch it on. At this position, the key does not come out of the pack and that’s one of my complaints. While riding (especially if you have a keychain attached) there can be more jingling or snagging from the key but in my tests it stayed mostly out of the way. The next step is to press the top “on/off” button on the display console. The LCD is monochrome but fairly large and easy to read, it also includes backlighting for use in low lighting conditions. From here, you can navigate readouts with the Set button (odometer, trip distance, top speed, timer) or use the + and – keys to adjust pedal assist. The lowest setting is 0 and that’s basically throttle mode, you can pedal without the bike assisting at all and then press the trigger near the right grip for smooth acceleration. As you arrow up from one through five using that plus button, pedal assist will start to kick in with increasing power and speed potential. The controller reads your crank arm movement but not how hard you’re pushing and I like this design because it means you don’t have to overexert yourself when riding (easy to do on a larger, heavier bike like this). What’s even cooler is that in pedal assist mode you can still use the throttle! I tend to ride like this: set assist to level 3, start the bike with the thumb throttle and then begin pedaling gently once up to speed while releasing the throttle. In summary, the cockpit and control systems on this ebike resemble Motive, Pedego and other leading cruiser brands. One trade off here is the more basic cadence sensor which only uses six magnets instead of 12 like some newer products. It’s not a huge deal and probably saves some more money but worth highlighting since many brands are starting to upgrade.
I was impressed with the All-Trac because it’s relatively affordable, lush with utilitarian features but also cool looking. Those fenders are color matched, super sleek and close to the tire and sturdily connected to the frame. Fat tire bikes are fun and relatively comfortable due to the larger size, they can work on softer terrain like sand or snow and with the larger motor offered here you truly could take it off road in some of those environments. Yes, it’s heavy and somewhat unwieldy due to the lack of quick release on the wheels but if you take the battery off it becomes lighter and the open triangle design means you can hang it from many car racks. All of the important bits felt solid and the swept back cruiser bar let me relax and get comfortable on the large saddle. Again, for ~$2k I feel like you get a lot with the suspension seat post and custom rack. You could toss a pair of rechargeable LED lights on this thing and basically be ready for anything. If you like the fat bike style, fit the frame and don’t mind the extra weight I think this would be a great choice. I’m excited to see how E-Lux refines the bike in the future or extends their lineup but am glad that they didn’t rush in with a bunch of models all at once. I feel like they’re trying to get it right and that’s awesome.
Pros:
Comfortable padded saddle, puffy stitched grips, extended cruiser bar (so you don’t have to lean far forward and get a stiff back/neck) and suspension seat post
Lots of fun color combinations (black, white, yellow, orange etc.) let you customize the bike, I like that they offer gloss and flat black
The fat tires offer a bit of cushion when cruising over bumps and cracks, the tires they chose have a solid rubber line down the center for smoother (and quieter) travel on sidewalks and streets
Oversized shifter is a bit basic but works well if you’re wearing gloves and is very simple to use, seven speeds is good for neighborhood and urban cruising
Matching steel fenders look beautiful and feel sturdy (and quiet) when riding, I also appreciate the chain guard because it will keep pants clean when pedaling
Good weight distribution helps to improve handling, the battery blends in behind the seat tube and should be well protected if the bike tips
Battery can be charged on or off the frame, the charger is relatively small and light weight ~1.5 lbs so it would be easy to take along for quick fill ups
Decent warranty and support, the company was launched by industry veterans in Southern California and is available at several dealerships there
Cons:
Fairly heavy compared to most electric bikes I’ve tested and a touch heavier than most cruisers due to the larger frame, rims and fat tires, no quick release on the wheels to reduce size or weight
Less responsive pedelec design with a six magnet disc vs. newer 12 magnet options, throttle override and brake inhibitors help
I love the rack and fenders but there aren’t any bottle cage bosses here, seems like there was room on the downtube or seat tube as the bike only comes in one size for now and the triangle space is large, these would be useful for attaching a lock, mini pump or water bottle but at least you could always get a saddle bag with a bottle holster for the back
The key has to be left in the battery when switched to on in order to activate the bike, it’s easier to snag or forget as a result and if you have a keychain attached it can rattle or scratch the frame
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Hi Court, just got back from another great ride on the Tahoe. I’m weighing in around 300lbs and with a lot of hills and 0 pedal assist I got 23.5 miles! BMS 46.3 and one bar left on the battery indicator. I had the setting at normal. In the eco mode, the bike/I could not go up any steep hills. Also, the throttle is nonexistent in eco on a hill. It just doesn’t kick in. I’ve put a bottle cage on the handlebars, and I like it there because I don’t have to bend to get at it. This Tahoe is a 2015 with the 2016 motor as an upgrade. I’m 73 and this is the most fun I’ve had riding in many, many years. The bike is extremely comfortable and the upright position is perfect for me.
Great update Michael! I’ve seen some awesome bar-mount cup holders like this out on the road and they do indeed seem handy. On a cruiser style ebike with longer bars the drink stays out of the way but is also easy to reach when you get thirsty ;) is yours like this or does it have a base?
I don’t think they do so far Michael, you might want to reach out to E-Lux directly, I can’t really speak for them or what they’re willing to do in terms of international distribution. I’ve linked their official site at the bottom of the review here :)
Michael Trazoff
9 years agoHi Court, just got back from another great ride on the Tahoe. I’m weighing in around 300lbs and with a lot of hills and 0 pedal assist I got 23.5 miles! BMS 46.3 and one bar left on the battery indicator. I had the setting at normal. In the eco mode, the bike/I could not go up any steep hills. Also, the throttle is nonexistent in eco on a hill. It just doesn’t kick in. I’ve put a bottle cage on the handlebars, and I like it there because I don’t have to bend to get at it. This Tahoe is a 2015 with the 2016 motor as an upgrade. I’m 73 and this is the most fun I’ve had riding in many, many years. The bike is extremely comfortable and the upright position is perfect for me.
ReplyCourt Rye
9 years agoGreat update Michael! I’ve seen some awesome bar-mount cup holders like this out on the road and they do indeed seem handy. On a cruiser style ebike with longer bars the drink stays out of the way but is also easy to reach when you get thirsty ;) is yours like this or does it have a base?
ReplyMichael O'Connell
8 years agoDo you have any distributors in Australian ?
ReplyCourt Rye
8 years agoI don’t think they do so far Michael, you might want to reach out to E-Lux directly, I can’t really speak for them or what they’re willing to do in terms of international distribution. I’ve linked their official site at the bottom of the review here :)
ReplyMichael O'Connell
8 years agoWe would like to know if you have any distributors in Australia.
Reply