An affordable city style electric bike with step-thru frame and smaller 24" wheels that keep the frame low and easy to mount
Offers a complete set of mid-level accessories including full length fenders, chain guard, a rear carry rack with spring latch, LED lights and an LCD display panel
Heavier front end due to motor, fenders and basic suspension fork, rear band brake offers limited performance
Only three pedal speeds but the internally geared hub is clean and durable, key must be left in while riding and may jingle or snag
The T350 is a mid-sized city cruiser from EZ Pedaler, a company that’s focused on building affordable and simple ebikes at a reasonable price. With its smaller 24 inch wheel size and upright seating position it’s a great fit for small and mid size riders who are looking for step-thru designs. It’s convenient to mount and stand over but the smaller wheels also provide mechanical advantage for the geared hub motor which makes it feel zippy and strong, even climbing moderate hills. In terms of ergonomics, you get an adjustable stem, basic suspension fork and soft hybrid tires (with reflective sidewalls for safety). The weight distribution with the motor in the front wheel and removable battery behind the seat tube creates a more natural balanced feel than some competing products with rear-rack mounted batteries. It’s a classic low step city style e-bike with a streamlined generic appearance. I really like the new wiring harness which routes cables partially through the frame and uses color matching where they plug in (this helps when performing maintenance if you have to unplug them). The bike features a Shimano Nexus 3 speed gearing built into the rear hub which is durable, clean and simple compared with most cassettes and derailleurs. There’s added tubing just above the bottom bracket to reduce frame flex and increase strength. It’s a pretty complete package with the added accessories and one that builds on what EZ Pedaler has been doing well for years without changing the formula too much.
The T350 is driven by an 8Fun 350 watt geared front hub motor. In my experience (because the wheels are smaller) this motor feels almost as powerful as the 500 watt motor in its larger brother, the 26 inch T500 ebike. With the unsprung, or unsupported weight of a motor in the front wheel the suspension forks work harder to support the rest of the bike. This would be a major issue if we were talking about an off-road ebike or a performance model but given the neighborhood “around town” use here I don’t think it’s a big deal. Do note that if you’re accelerating forward the suspension fork may lockup due to horizontal “pulling” friction forces and not travel vertically as efficiently. As mentioned earlier, the increased wheel weight also impacts how quickly the suspension can respond due to increased mass. There is a slight hum from the internal gearing in the motor but nothing too distracting, 8Fun is a trusted and widely used brand and should hold up well with regular use. The power system on this 2015 electric bike is more responsive in pedal assist mode than prior versions due to an upgraded 12 magnet cadence sensor. It engages and disengages the motor more quickly and smoothly than the older six sensor units. In addition, there’s now 5 levels of pedal assist to select from instead of just three and EZ Pedaler has kept the ability to add a boost using the throttle (at any time!) along with the pedal assist modes. This throttle override feature is one of my favorite aspects of all EZ Pedaler e-bikes).
Packed in a Silverfish style aluminum case is the 36 volt 10 amp hour Lithium Ion battery pack that powers the T350. It slides in behind the seat and locks safely in place with a keyed ignition. One downside to this key is that you cannot remove it while operating the bike and that can feel annoying if it jingles or get snagged on pants or other clothing. To reach the battery you flip up the soft Velo seat with a lever hidden underneath the saddle. This is handy because it reduces the time and effort it might otherwise take to use the quick release seat tube clamp. At 7 pounds, the battery is a little heavier than others using the newer, higher energy dense lithium cells; however, this is probably a trade-off necessary to keep the price of this bike reasonable. With the smaller, lighter weight motor, the 25 to 35 mile range of the T350 is similar to that of the T500. It was really interesting to test several EZ Pedaler bikes back to back and realize that performance didn’t jump up much on the more powerful 500 watt motor. The company is now launching a T500 Turbo model with higher Amp draw that does feel zippier but they don’t have anything like that for the smaller T350 or X350 folding model yet.
Rounding out the upgrades in the T350 is a new, easy to read digital LCD console that is packed with more information and swivels to block surface glare. I like the more accurate 6 bar battery gauge and found that the buttons are easy to reach while steering. To start the bike just press the power button once. From here you can navigate through battery voltage and amperage, odometer, trip meter and a timer using the set key. Those are nice bits of information to have and something that wasn’t available with earlier builds. In addition to the readouts on this display you also get drive system control and the S+ and S- buttons increase or decrease your pedal assist from level 1 to level 5 with level 0 being throttle only. The e-bike starts at level one assist when first powered up but you can always arrow up or override this level using the throttle. The headlight is conveniently controlled with the CUR button on the console; however, the tail light is still a manual toggle and runs with separate replaceable batteries. It’s easy to forget to power off the rear light when you finish riding which means you might have dead batteries on your next ride. Keep an eye out to avoid that!
The T350 with its convenient adjustable stem and swept back handlebars, three color choices and smaller wheels is a simple yet practical choice for a leisurely ride to the park or a quick trip for groceries. Thanks to its heavy duty rack (that uses standard size tubing and supports up to 55 pounds of gear or grub) you’ll be ready for all kinds of adventures. Since this is a removable rack rather than integrated with the frame, there are a few more screws to keep snug but I like that it features pannier blockers to keep your bags from making contact with the tire/spokes of the rear wheel. Unfortunately, there isn’t any place to mount a water bottle cage on this ebike so you’ll have to be creative with bags or get a CamelBak. The 3 speed Shimano Nexus gear system is ideal for the rider who really doesn’t want to fool with lots of gears or have to do regular tuneups, the chain is kept tight because there are only one front and one rear cog. This gearing system actually lets you shift at standstill which is perfect for use at stop signs or traffic lights. The double kickstand does keep this e-bike more stable (especially when loading the rack) but hangs down a bit and could tag curbs or other road obstacles. Overall, this is a inexpensive and comfortable riding electric bike with definite improvements over the older T350 from 2013/2014 including the new 12 magnet cadence sensor, LCD display, cleaner wiring and durable mid grade components.
Pros:
Comfortable ride with soft ergo seat, adjustable stem and upright position
Feature rich LCD console with 6 bar battery gauge and digital readout of odometer, trip odometer, battery voltage and amperage and clock timer
The bike is closer to the ground with smaller 24″ wheels making this a better choice for petite riders
The smaller wheel size creates a mechanical advantage for the motor, you actually get increased power for climbing and starting
Good weight distribution, the battery is low and center and you get a front hub motor balancing out the rear hub gears
There’s a convenient flip-up lever located under the saddle which makes removing the battery (sliding it up from behind the seat post) much easier
Lots of accessories come with this bike including a sturdy rear rack, front and rear lights and full fenders, also reflective sidewalls for improved visual footprint and safety
Cons:
Rear band brake has less braking power and stops more slowly than V-brake in the front
Rear tail light uses a manual switch and replaceable batteries rather than integrated like the front light
Rattling from the battery pack and rear rack on uneven surfaces (may be due to loose battery seat in video review)
No quick release for either the front or the rear wheels, you have to bring along tools or work with a shop for service
Front wheel does not steer as quickly due to the increased weight of hub motor, it performs well enough for basic applications and does balance out the rear wheel
Kickstand hangs low even when kicked up which might create situations where it contacts with curbs or road obstacles
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