The IZIP Town Express or “Twn:exp” is designed to provide a comfortable ride to a wide range of users (tall, short, light and heavy) and hold up well despite neglect or less than perfect conditions. Essentially, it’s the IZIP fleet bike and rental offering. While many of the other IZIP ebikes could also be great for rentals (the Zuma and Path+ come to mind as being comfortable, easy to use and available in multiple sizes), the beauty of the Twn:exp is that it only needs to come in one frame size because the seat and stem are so adjustable. Its small 20″ wheels keep weight low to the ground and make mounting a cinch when combined with the step-thru frame. The slimed tires will self seal if punctured, the cast aluminum rims don’t ever need to be trued and the battery and motor are completely enclosed and cut off from the elements. Nice!
The motor in use here is a high torque 400 watt direct drive (gearless) design that’s built right into the rear wheel. Being gearless, it has fewer parts that can wear out over time and considering its location, the motor should last and last. It’s also relatively quiet and very smooth thanks to the multi-sensor design that makes pedal assist less jerky than some older generation IZIP electric bikes. The high torque design means there’s more magnets inside the motor and adds a bit of extra weight. Since the wheels on this bike are a bit smaller you also benefit from improved mechanical advantage with the hub motor design.
The battery on this bike uses high quality Lithium-ion cells in a 48 volt 10.4 amp hour configuration. It’s one of the strongest and largest packs I’ve tested and it’s completely hidden inside the rear rack. It’s easy to forget this thing is an electric bike at all given the hidden drive components. The battery is removable for charging or storing off the bike (in extreme weather conditions for example) and has a key and latch just under the rear rack as shown below. The rack itself is functional but less rugged than a metal design with rails. There are two bungee straps for securing papers or other basic items.
In 2007 I worked at Google in Mountain View, CA and we had some regular fleet bicycles and a Segway to use between campuses. It made the atmosphere fun and healthy. I loved the custom colors and designs of the bikes they had there but you had to take a class to ride the Segway so it got less use. The Twn:exp would fit in an environment like this perfectly and it’s skinnable so companies or organizations can add a touch of fun or branding. The fenders, chain guard, LED lights and bell would all come in handy and make the bikes accessible despite varied weather or time of day (those after-dinner meetings). I could see myself strapping some papers or supplies to the rear rack but I’d probably carry my laptop in a backpack just to be safe ;)
The LCD multi function computer console is easy to read in daylight and backlit for morning or night time use. It lists your speed, battery capacity and estimated range for each level of assist. The break-out button panel on the left handle bar makes interacting with the bike quite easy, even when riding. You can switch from pedal assist to throttle mode, activate the lights or set up cruise. I’m glad this bike offers throttle only mode because some riders (especially those with high heels or extra cargo being balanced by one hand) may not want to pedal.
All things considered, this is a very cool electric bike! While it’s the heaviest current-gen IZIP bike I’ve tried, it’s also the heaviest duty. Virtually anyone could hop on this thing, figure out how to use the computer relatively quickly and enjoy a short ride. For shops or maintenance departments the wheel design is a true blessing and given the long history of Currie Tech / IZIP which is now owned by the Accell Group out of Europe, you can rest assured that you’ll get support, replacement parts and warranty coverage for years to come.
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Ronald Boykin
10 years agoNice offering for short people like me but kind of expensive. It seems that Currietech makes electric bikes mostly for tall people! I’m 5’4″ and this bike would fit me much better than the Trails or Vibe line. The seat has go all the down to the frame post in order for me to put my feet flat on the ground on trails or vibe bikes and I’m not comfortable! Most Currietech bikes are for people who are 5’7″ and taller.
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