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Enzo Ebikes is an electric bike company based in Miami, Florida that focuses primarily on designing and producing folding products. They have built a reputation around high customer service and ebikes that can stand up to wet marine environments better than average (due to battery and motor design along with stainless steel hardware and sealed connectors). Whether you’re a boater, someone with a private plane, or a city dweller with limited trunk space… this product should resist wear and fit more easily into compact spaces, to come along on day trips and adventures. Once scenario I hear about frequently is urban dwellers who want a bike that won’t take up space at home and that could be picked up and stowed in a taxi or ride share if the weather turns bad, and this product would work well in that type of situation. Compared to the original Enzo that I reviewed back in 2015, the updated Enzo Folding model hasn’t changed much. The price hasn’t gone up but you do get a higher capacity battery pack and some special upgrade options, which is great. To me, this bike is positioned somewhere between affordability and quality, but the unique upgrade options really set it apart. The stock model is priced at $1,700 and comes with a standard seven speed cassette and entry-level derailleur. The gears allow you to climb a bit easier or reach and maintain the maximum assisted speed of 20 mph with a comfortable cadence, but they aren’t as clean, durable, or quiet as the optional Gates Carbon belt drive for $300 more. That drivetrain supports a comfortable cadence around ~15 mph in my experience, but can still reach and maintain 20 mph if you pedal fast or rely completely on the trigger throttle.
As a Class 2 ebike, the Enzo offers both pedal assist and throttle on demand to accommodate a range of ride styles. I personally enjoy using the throttle to start from standstill, because I have sensitive knees, and then switch to pedal assist using level two to maximize range and get a gentle workout-stretch. The throttle is a bit funky at first, being positioned on the left portion of the handlebar in an upside-down configuration (where you push forward vs. down); I believe this was done to make room for the trigger shifters and bell on the right and that you could relocate the throttle if you get the single-speed belt drive option because there is more space. To summarize, the throttle delivers smooth even power if you actuate it evenly and I was okay with it being on the left after a bit of riding, I also felt that it stayed out of the way and wouldn’t get bumped as easily as some other designs. Yes, the throttle is active and set at full power for all five assist levels, so be careful when turning the bike on, mounting it, and folding it… I recommend using the minus button on the display to bring assist down to level zero, where the throttle is disengaged, or turning it completely off before any sort of handling, just to be safe. Some electric bikes limit how you ride, the Classic Enzo Folding model goes above and beyond with hardware and assist options and I think most people will miss or ignore some of them. For example, you can pay extra for an upgraded motor (350 watts to 500 watts), get a second larger battery pack, add a suspension fork and seat post suspension, and choose from nine colors! Within the display panel, you get to choose from five levels of assist and three power levels which are accessed by holding the Set menu to enter the settings. Yes, that’s what you get when a company only offers two different products, many choices around how to configure and use them. Ultimately, how you configure the bike could come down to your budget and desire to optimize weight, power, and range based on how you ride and what sort of body you have or cargo you intend to transport. Use the eco power setting in conjunction with the first three levels of assist, the stock seven speed cassette, and the upgraded battery option to optimize range, for example. I tested the the standard battery with the standard motor but got to experience the belt drive during this ride test and weighed the bike at ~50 lbs, which is fairly average considering that it comes with fenders, a rear rack, and lights.
As mentioned earlier, there are two motor options for this e-bike and I probably would not pay an additional $500 for the upgraded 500 watt myself because I enjoy pedaling and only weigh ~135 lbs. The standard 350 watt motor is already an upgrade from the 2015/2016 model which had a 250 watt internally geared hub and all of these motors benefit from the smaller 20″ wheel diameter, which provides a mechanical advantage compared with larger wheel sizes. Note that the hydraulic disc brakes also benefit from the smaller wheels and work beautifully here. These brakes are an incredibly important and useful upgrade in my opinion and I was super impressed that they did not force a price increase. The older Enzo model and the cheaper Enzo Lite used mechanical disc brakes which suffer from cable stretch, friction, do not have adjustable-reach levers, and are generally less powerful. When you combine the increased motor power with increased braking, you end up with a bike that just performs better all around. And that’s great, because Enzo does not have motor inhibitors on their hydraulic brake levers. This means that you could end up fighting the motor at times where a quick stop is necessary. As a relevant aside, I was told that although the demo bike had an 8 magnet cadence sensor to start and stop the motor, newer builds will have a 12 magnet cadence sensor that should respond even more quickly… but it’s still not as good as a torque or advanced sensor or brake levers with inhibitors built in. So, this is my one big gripe and downgrade from the 2015/2016 product which did have brake lever inhibitors. It’s simply more expensive to have hydraulic disc brake levers with this technology built-in and perhaps Enzo thought that it was not necessary given the new hydraulic disc brake upgrade. Overall, the motor seemed well protected and fairly quiet during my review rides. I like that it’s hidden inside the wheel design and that the power cable is protected by a derailleur guard on the 7-speed model and angled forward vs. protruding from the end of the axle on the belt drive model.
Powering the bike is an internally mounted Lithium-ion battery pack rated at 36 volts 10.4 amp hours. That’s about 15% up from the 8.8 amp hour pack on some of the older bikes but Enzo lets you go even bigger with a 12.5 amp hour upgrade… Did I say upgrade? What I meant was, you can pay extra to get an additional battery pack that is slightly larger. Is $500 worth a 20% upgrade in range? Maybe for some people but not for me personally. I was very pleased with the stock performance and already-fast 3 Amp battery charger. But there too, Enzo lets you pay more for an even faster charging experience. If I owned a yacht, a private plane, maybe a fancy SUV and was in a hurry, these accessories probably wouldn’t seem that expensive and I might go for them. I think the biggest point here is that you have a choice. While so many other electric bike brands give you one flavor and that’s it, Enzo is offering lots of options and I LOVE that. Note that you get a little toolkit with the bike when it’s new along with a water resistant cover that doubles as a bag. This is the perfect accessory to keep you fancy car, boat, or plan clean and keep the bike out of sight. Some subways and busses only allow you to bring mobile transportation devices onboard if you cover them so this was a smart play by Enzo and part of what makes the $1.7k price tag feel like a good deal to me. I love that the battery also hides inside the frame, seems well protected, and can be charged there or when removed if you want to reduce the weight of the bike or maybe store the frame in an extremely hot or cold environment (which is hard on batteries). I do have some gripes about the battery and those include a key which has to remain in when riding and a second key slot at the bottom to unlock and remove the pack. I wish this thing had just one key slot and that the key did not have to be left in because that introduces the possibility of snags or jingling keys on a keychain.
Activating the bike is pretty easy once you’ve charged the pack and inserted and twisted the key to on. The display has its own little power button, a Set button to cycle through readouts, and a + and – key to add or subtract power. You can tap the power button again, once the bike is on, to activate or de-activate the headlight, but the rear light is completely independent. This is another gripe for me, who wants to remember four steps to turn a bike on and get all of the lights going? Especially when the rear light is way at the back and might require you to get off and walk around or lean and stretch backwards. It also presents the opportunity for the rear light to be left on accidentally and run the battery down. Still, many folding e-bikes have both lights not wired-in or have no lights at all. One thing I really appreciate about the display is how large and easy to read it is. You cannot remove the display, but you can angle it down or up to reduce glare, and you can plug in and charge from the USB Type A slot at the bottom, and this could be used for your phone (which could fit into the included phone mount) or a mobile speaker, GPS unit, or additional lights. The display is reasonably easy to reach while holding the left grip and allows for plenty of adjustments by holding Set to enter into the settings menu. This is where you choose from Eco, Normal, and Power for power delivery which will determine how quickly the bike uses power and how the ride feels… in addition to the 1-5 levels of assist on the standard menu. Remember in the first paragraph when I said that this bike had options that people might miss or not care about? This was what I was thinking about because they’re a bit buried.
At the end of the day, the Classic Enzo Ebike has built on the things it did right initially, added a nicer battery, motor, and brakes, and provides a whole slew of options to fit your ride style. I have been in contact with Vincent, who is shown in the video review, for several years at this point and he seems very responsive and energetic. Yeah, I’m a reviewer so of course he is nice to me, but customers seem generally satisfied as well. It’s great to have a source for new batteries or parts if something goes wrong. Apparently, the company is expanding their dealers from Florida to California and that’s an added bonus. Right now, they sell a lot of bikes direct, but if you can find this locally and have it built up and fitted for you and still pay what I consider to be a moderate price, that’s fantastic. Overall, it’s nice that the bike blends in (in terms of the motor and battery placement) but comes in so many fun colors, so you can get one for you and a friend. It’s nice that it lets you ride how you want (assist or throttle) and that special attention is being paid to little things like connectors and screws to make the bike hold up in real world environments. Big thanks to Enzo Ebike for partnering with me on this review, I had a great time seeing the Classic model next to the Enzo Lite which will be reviewed on its own in the future.
Pros:
- ENZO has been around producing electric bikes since 2013 and offers one of the better warranties that I have seen from an “online only” company, you get two years comprehensive and phone support
- What really differentiates the Enzo folding electric bikes, in my mind, is that they utilize more rust resistant water sealed parts than some of the other affordable folding bikes, the founder lives in Florida and sells them to many boat owners and has really emphasized that they hold up better than most in wet conditions (though I have not been able to test and confirm this myself)
- Because the battery pack and motor are encased in the frame and whee casing, this ends up being a very stealthy electric bike, it basically just looks like a regular folding bike and the sensitive bits are well protected from physical bumps when folding and transporting
- You can upgrade to the Gates Carbon belt drive system for $300 which will probably last longer than a traditional metal chain, be a lot cleaner, and make less noise… it may also stay on track better since there’s only one cog in the front and one in the rear vs. a cassette and derailleur, the Gates CDX belt has a centerline track so it really stays on well
- With reflective tires, an integrated headlight, a stand-alone rear light, and nine colors to choose from (including fluorescent yellow with glow in the dark properties) this bike can really stand out and keep you safe in low-lighting conditions
- Lots of fun extras including a small tool kit, water resistant carry-cover, touch up paint, a smartphone holder, USB charging port on the display panel, a steel derailleur guard and frame support strut at the bottom bracket, and a flick bell to signal other riders
- I like the overall folding design of this bike with safety locks on the handlebar post and main tube, one big plus is that the handlebar post can raise in height along with the seat post to fit taller riders more comfortably
- Over the past couple of years, since my last review, the battery capacity has gone up about 15% but the price has remained the same, if you want to fully maximize range Enzo Ebikes also sells a 12.5 amp hour battery but you have to buy it in addition to the bike vs. an incremental upgrade and it costs $500
- The comfort of this folding ebike is pretty good because of the slightly fatter tires, ergonomic grips, and comfort saddle but Enzo also offers a seat post suspension upgrade and headshock upgrade so you can create a more full-suspension feel if you have a sensitive back and neck
- Over the past five years of reviewing electric bikes, I have really come to appreciate hydraulic disc brakes because they help you manage the increased weight and speed of these products, and you get nicer Shimano hydraulic brakes with the Enzo here, they have adjustable-reach levers that can be brought in a bit for riders with small hands or those who are wearing gloves and might not be able to reach as far
- The rear rack seems better than average, notice how the fender is low and close to the wheel but the rack rises much higher? This is to allow for larger side-hanging panniers that won’t hit the ground or get in the way of the derailleur as much, the rack supports up to 55 lbs, has bungee clip loops on the side, a spring latch on top, and a fairly large light screwed onto the back
- The frame has a handle built into the top tube and there’s another handle on the back of the saddle so folding and transporting the bike is easier, I usually take the battery and seat post + saddle off of my ebikes when transporting by car rack or lifting a lot just to take off ~5 lbs and make it easier on my arms and back
- Even though the stock battery on this electric bike is more standard sized at ~374 watt hours, I love that Enzo provides a faster 3 Amp charger so you don’t have to spend as much time waiting! It’s especially useful if you upgrade tot the high capacity 12.5 amp hour battery, for those who are in a really big hurry… Enzo also sells an even faster charger for $149
- I really like that you can override pedal assist with full power from the throttle at any time, I found that the second level of assist was quiet and smooth but reached ~10 mph and that I could use the throttle to zip up to speed easily from time to time in order to pass or climb more easily
Cons:
- There are definitely lighter folding e-bikes available, but they might not have fenders, a rear rack, lights, the integrated battery design, or cast rims like the Enzo model… these probably add a few pounds, and expect another half pound or so if you upgrade to the 500 watt motor
- I like the kickstand model they chose because it has a larger end-cap that won’t sink into soft terrain and the length is adjustable, however, the stand is positioned at the middle of the bike frame and can get in the way of the left crank arm if you don’t stow it before moving the bike backwards
- The power cable leading back to the hub motor is a bit exposed where it enters the axle on the right side of the rear dropout, when you fold and lay this bike down (or if it tips over) the cable could be vulnerable so just keep an eye on it (this is not unlike most hub motor powered electric bicycles)… I like that if you go with a traditional cassette and derailleur the derailleur guard also protects this cable a bit
- The rear light runs on AA batteries and will have to be turned on and off manually vs. the front light that is powered by the main rechargeable e-bike battery pack… it’s just less convenient to mess with the rear and might be easier to forget and leave on, which could drain it overnight
- Most electric bikes have a key system to lock the battery to the bike, but this key also acts as an on/off ignition switch and you have to leave it in the bike when riding! The negative here is that if you have a keychain attached to the key it could rattle around and even get snagged by your left foot which passes near the key slot, at least the key has a folding head to keep it out of the way, but if you don’t keep it on your keychain then the key could get lost more easily… I just wish you could remove the key when riding like most newer electric bikes and that there wasn’t a separate key slot to unlock and remove the battery (which is at the bottom of the downtube) make sure to pull the key out before sliding the batter out or it could bend the key
- Cadence sensors aren’t as smooth or responsive as multi-sensors or torque sensors but at least Enzo Ebike is looking to upgrade from an 8-magnet design to a 12-magnet design soon, for those who don’t wish to push when pedaling, the cadence sensor + throttle combination is actually very satisfying to ride and easy on your knees and hips
- The display is not easily removable which could expose it to more sun, rain, and scratching at the bike rack or even when folded, but at least it swivels to reduce glare and is fairly large and easy to read
- Considering that this motor controller listens for cadence and not torque (or an advanced combination of many signals) it’s too bad that the brake levers don’t have motor inhibitors as a safety override, given the stronger hydraulic disc brakes however, I think you can still overpower the motor in an emergency
- Both wheels are bolted on vs. quick release which means you might have to bring a tool to perform maintenance on the go but they won’t be tampered with as easily, note that the throttle is on the left side of the handlebar to make room for shifters on the right and the trigger pushes forward vs. down which is a bit different
- Some folding electric bikes have rubber straps or magnetic clasps built in but the Enzo Ebike does not, I would suggest bringing your own adjustable bungee straps like this to secure it and reduce rattling on the go, like if you put it into the trunk of your car or SUV
Resources:
Roger Blake
7 years agoUnable to get to your video
ReplyCourt Rye
7 years agoThanks Roger, maybe try again? We did an update to the site today and it could have caused a caching issue. Please let me know if refreshing does not fix it for you :)
ReplyTom
7 years agoCan you explain the Gates single-speed belt drive option?
Replycourt
7 years agoSure, the Gates drive tends to be quieter, cleaner, and more durable than a chain. The single gear limitation means that starting from standstill can be difficult, and maintaining a higher top speed can also take a bit of extra effort. What else would you like to know?
ReplyMr Tom C Newell
7 years agoCourt, what I am looking for is simplicity in shifting and I would like to stay away from the derailleur system entirely. What do you recommend that would help me to climb the hills but not have the derailleur gear changing complexity?? Also, I am looking for a folding ebike that is light in weight with 20″ wheels, if there is such a thing!! I will have to lift it up at least 4′ vertically to put it in the RV. I need a seat post that will allow full extension of my legs. I am 6′ tall and weigh 170#. I appreciate the thoroughness of your reviews and all your hard work to keep us informed. Keep it up for we who struggle with all the tech stuff associated with the ebike appreciate your help. Tom
Replycourt
7 years agoHi Tom! Perhaps the GoCycle GS would be a good fit for you? My Dad test rode it and he’s 6’2″ tall. It uses an internally geared hub that stays clean and can shift at standstill as well as the clean belt drive, like the Enzo here. The only thing is that it costs a bit more. Here’s my full review of the bike, hope it helps! You can also ask around in the EBR Forums.
ReplyPaul
6 years agoHi Court. Would you still recommend this folding bike vs Blix Vika + ?
ReplyCourt
6 years agoHi Paul, I really like the hidden battery and cast rims on the Enzo, but the Vika+ looks beautiful too, and it’s sold through dealers. It’s difficult to recommend one vs. another without fully knowing the situation. They are both great products :)
ReplyPaul
6 years agoI am about the same height and weight as you and I do value quality parts and longevity. In that case what would be your choice?
Henry Kranz
6 years agoLove this bike for urban riding. Fast, secure, superb stopping ability. Thanks to EBR, I chose the right folding bike!
ReplyCourt
6 years agoAwesome! I’m glad it’s working out well for you Henry. Thanks for the quick comment ;)
Replychris lawrence
6 years agoIn comparing this bike to the Gocycle GS – and aware of the price difference, was interested in what you thought was the biggest qualitative difference between the two. I see the GS as having a sleeker form factor and lighter weight, but otherwise being equal in utility, comfort and day-day reliability. What do you think?
ReplyCourt
6 years agoHi Chris, I think the throttle here is more engaging. The Enzo is zippier but not as refined or clean. It’s very close because of the belt drive setup here but I feel that the Gocycle has integrated parts and is just sleeker. Weight, as you mentioned, is also a factor… along with the appearance and maybe how compact they fold :)
Reply