To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This review was sponsored by Enzo eBikes. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased, this video and written review are not meant to be an endorsement of Enzo eBikes products.
This is a review for the 2019 Enzo Electric Folding Bike. This bike is similar to last years model with a few upgrades and changes. For this reason, you may see some parallel information if you read the review from 2018, but I will make not of the changes and upgrades as we go along (mostly new colors and upgraded brakes). 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. To me, this bike is positioned somewhere between affordability and quality, and I love that you can even choose your drivetrain. The stock model is priced at $1,850 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 20mph with a comfortable cadence, but they aren’t as clean, durable, or quiet as the optional Gates Carbon belt drive for $150 more. That drivetrain supports a comfortable cadence around 15mph in my experience, but can still reach and maintain 20mph 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 up 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. 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. 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.
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 have been upgraded from Zoom brand brakes to a set of Tektro 160mm rotor dual piston hydraulic brakes. The even 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. I love that it has a 12 magnet cadence sensor that should respond more quickly… but it’s still not as good as a torque or advanced sensor or brake levers with inhibitors built in. 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 36v 10.4ah. 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 $1.8k 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.
At the end of the day, the Classic Enzo Ebike has built on the things it did right initially. I love the new color options and the drivetrain customization options as well. I have been in contact with Vincent 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. 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.
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 Enzo eBike forums and share your own photos, videos, and review updates to help others! Have fun out there, and ride safe :)
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 $150 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
- The comfort of this folding ebike is pretty good because of the slightly fatter tires, ergonomic grips, and comfort saddle
- Over the past 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 Tektro 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 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 5lbs and make it easier on my arms and back
- 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 10mph 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
- 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 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
- 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 to secure it and reduce rattling on the go, like if you put it into the trunk of your car or SUV
Resources:
Roy DeRonda
3 years agoHow do I get a new battery for ENZOebike.
ReplyCourt
3 years agoHi Roy! My guess is that you could contact them directly and try to order a replacement. Here’s their official website. Alternatively, if you want to pack the original casing with nicer cells or if they aren’t selling the same batteries that you have anymore, you could ask a company called FTH Power that does repacking to see if they can help. I visited their headquarters once and created a video and overview of their services here :)
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