Name: Virtue Cycles Gondoliere+ Review
Item: Virtue Cycles Gondoliere+
Author: Court Rye

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Virtue Cycles Gondoliere+ Review

Virtue Cycles Gondoliere Plus Electric Bike Review

Virtue Cycles Gondoliere Plus 250 Watt Internally Geared Hub Motor

Virtue Cycles Gondoliere Plus Reinforced Battery Rack With Pannier Blockers

Virtue Cycles Gondoliere Plus Ergonomic Grips Swept Back Bar Bell And Shifter

Virtue Cycles Gondoliere Plus Fixed Lcd Display Panel

Virtue Cycles Gondoliere Plus Wooden Box Seat And Two Belts For Kids

Virtue Cycles Gondoliere Plus Wellgo B087 Platform Pedals

Virtue Cycles Gondoliere Plus Seven Speed Shimano Acera Drivetrain

Virtue Cycles Gondoliere Plus Lithium Ion Battery Pack Removable

Virtue Cycles Gondoliere Plus 12 Magnet Pedelec Sensor

Virtue Cycles Gondoliere Plus 25 4 Mm Seat Post

Virtue Cycles Gondoliere Plus Heavy Duty Custom Kickstand

Virtue Cycles Gondoliere Plus 26 Inch Rear Wheel

Virtue Cycles Gondoliere Plus 20 Inch Front Wheel

A bucket style cargo bike with electric assist to help move supplies or children, includes two seatbelts and a little bench, more sporty handling than their three-wheel School Bus model but less stable
Extra wide custom kickstand provides great stability for loading, upright seating position and short reach to bars makes it easy to see down into the bucket while riding
Simple battery design is easy to get to and the pack is removable to charge separately or store inside, the rack it mounts to uses standard tubing and works with panniers or a trunk bag
Beautiful paint-matched fenders and chain guard, only available in one color and size, uses a basic roller brake in the rear wheel that isn't as powerful as I'd like considering the weight of the bike

Make:

Virtue Cycles

Model:

Gondoliere+

Price:

$1,800

Body Position:

Upright Relaxed

Suggested Use:

Cargo, Neighborhood

Electric Bike Class:

Pedal Assist (Class 1)

Learn more about Ebike classes

Warranty:

1 Year Comprehensive

Availability:

United States

Model Year:

20152016

Total Weight:

88 lbs (39.91 kg)

Battery Weight:

5.3 lbs (2.4 kg)

Frame Material:

Chromoly Steel

Frame Sizes:

20 in (50.8 cm)

Geometry Measurements:

Bike Dimensions: 20" Seat Tube, 20" Reach, 13" Stand Over Height, 93" Length, 25" Width, 45" Height, Box Dimensions: 27" Length, 25" Width, 20" Height

Frame Types:

Cargo, Step-Thru

Frame Colors:

Atlantis Green

Frame Fork Details:

Rigid Steel

Attachment Points:

Rear Rack Bosses

Gearing Details:

7 Speed 1x7 Shimano Acera RD-M360

Shifter Details:

Shimano SL-TX-7R Thumb Shifter

Cranks:

Prowheel with KMC Chain

Pedals:

Wellgo B087 Alloy Platform

Handlebar:

Swept Back

Brake Details:

Promax Linear Pull on Front, Shimano BR-IM31-R Roller Brake on Rear, Promax BL-46 Levers

Grips:

Ergonomic, Stitched Faux Leather

Saddle:

Comfort, Faux Leather

Seat Post:

Promax, Steel

Seat Post Length:

300 mm

Seat Post Diameter:

25.4 mm

Rims:

Double Wall, Aluminum Alloy

Spokes:

13 Gauge Stainless Steel

Tire Brand:

Kenda K-Rad K905, 20" x 1.95" Front, 26" x 1.95 Rear

Wheel Sizes:

20 in (50.8cm)26 in (66.04cm)

Tube Details:

Schrader Valve

Accessories:

Paint Matched Steel Fenders, Paint Matched Steel Chain Guard, Custom Spring Loaded Double Leg Kickstand, Bolt-On Rear Rack with Pannier Blockers, Large Bell

Other:

Front Box Load Capacity 66 lbs (30kg), 1.35 Amp Charger

Motor Type:

Front-Mounted Geared Hub

Learn more about Ebike motors

Motor Nominal Output:

250 watts

Battery Voltage:

36 volts

Battery Amp Hours:

8.8 ah

Battery Watt Hours:

316.8 wh

Battery Chemistry:

Lithium-ion

Charge Time:

5 hours

Estimated Min Range:

15 miles (24 km)

Estimated Max Range:

25 miles (40 km)

Display Type:

Fixed Monochrome LCD

Readouts:

Charge Level (4 Bars), Speed, Assist Level (6 Levels), Odometer

Drive Mode:

Cadence Sensing Pedal Assist (12 Magnet Pedelec)

Top Speed:

18 mph (29 kph)

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Make or Model

Model Year

Body Position

Suggested Use

Frame Type

Drive Mode

Availability

Price Range

$0 (0 €)$18,000 (16,920 €)

Total Weight

0 lbs (0 kg)227 lbs (103 kg)

Top Speed

0 mph (0.0 km/hr)50 mph (80.5 km/hr)

Battery Watt Hrs

0 watt3,456 watt

Frame Size

0 in (0.00 cm)432 in (1,097.28 cm)

Motor Power

0 Newton meters250 Nm

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The Gondoliere+ is one of the sportier electric-assist cargo bikes from Virtue Cycles, a company that offers unique family friendly products at surprisingly low price points. The excitement around the more affordable price faded for me a bit when I got close up and realize that the battery, motor, shifter, brakes and other accessories were more generic or low-end. The ride quality is still good and the aesthetic is very impressive with the solid wood box, brown faux-leather grips and saddle and silver accents throughout. The Atlantis Green frame color was a great choice, I’d feel proud riding it around as a guy vs. a pastel peach or yellow that I’ve seen on some of the small cruisers geared more towards women from brands like Pedego and Electra.

The value of this bike is that it lets you keep an eye on your precious cargo, be it groceries, pets or kids. You can look down from the relatively upright seating position and even communicate all without having to twist back as you do with most trailers and child seats. The wooden bin has a little bench seat and two seat belts designed to keep kids seated and comfortable. It would be a blast taking your kid along with their friend to the beach or park :D

The downsides of this design, other than a few basic components, are the size and weight… The tires and tubes aren’t especially tough and getting a flat tire would be no fun as there’s no quick release and you’ll have to deal with the motor cable on the front wheel. I love the oversized super-stable kickstand and was impressed with how easily it was to activate. You can step down on one of the little pegs and roll the bike backwards to have it pop up into position. The metal fenders and chain guard add utility keeping you and the cargo bin dry and with seven gears (and a super large climbing gear) the bike was easier to move than I was expecting.

I mentioned “sporty” handling earlier in the review and was referring to the two-wheel design of the Gondolier vs. the three wheel School Bus also made by Virtue Cycles. While it takes a bit more balance getting up to speed, turning is a lot easier on the Gondoliere as you can lean side to side. Note that the clearance of this bike isn’t great, the small 20” front wheel brings the tubing close to the ground and two steering rods extend even lower. I realize this isn’t a bike you’d probably take off road but even going over curbs or tall speed bumps could be a little precarious.

Activating the bike is a two step process with an on/off switch on the battery and another on/off button on the display. I like that the battery is easily removable and protected well inside the rear rack (which also doubles as a cargo spot, keeping sensitive gear out of the way of animals or kids feet and curious fingers). The display panel is very basic and I wasn’t able to switch from KPH to MPH, you get six levels of assist and at the highest level the bike felt very zippy. This was a surprise because a 250 watt motor is at the low-end of power in the US where legally you can get up to 750. What made it work so well is the smaller wheel it’s mounted in, and I love that the weight of the hub motor is up front and sort of pulling you along vs. in the back. I feel that it improves stability and of course the weight balances out the battery in the rear. All things considered it performed very well and even activated quickly, at first I was bummed that there was no throttle because having to pedal with a full load or up a hill with this thing could be daunting. you still do have to get it started on your own and hopefully you’ve switched down to a low gear before you stopped! But it doesn’t take long for the motor to activate and when it does you’re golden.

The Virtue Cycles Gondoliere Plus isn’t a perfect electric bike but fur under $2k it’s very affordable compared with the competition like the Urban Arrow Family for ~$4,500. It’s a bike I’d feel less worried about scratching or getting wet and messy because I could literally buy a second one if there were issues. The trade off is possibly more repairs, a less responsive motor system and disappointing brakes. Given the weight and size of this thing the band brake in the rear is massively underwhelming. Thank goodness the front linear pull brake works well. This is the one area I’d really like to see updated.

Pros:

I love the beautiful color of the frame, matching saddle and grips and the silver accents on the pedals, chain guard and rear rack… it’s a beautiful bike
Surprisingly affordable at $1,800 MSRP compared to many of the other more custom electric bikes I’ve covered, you can get the Gondoliere without electric for just $1,200
Plenty of storage space inside the wooden cargo bin (which has seatbelts for two small children) and the traditional rear rack which could support a trunk bag or panniers like this grocery-bag style one – they shouldn’t rub on the wheel thanks to side blocker bars
The kickstand offers great stability for loading the bike and is surprisingly easy to use, you step down on it and back the bike up as shown in the video
Solid seven speed drivetrain with Shimano Acera component group (two steps up from their most basic hardware), the extra gears are great for climbing and there’s even an extra-large sprocket to make help with heavy loads
At 25″ wide this bike can pass through most standard sized doors making it easier to store inside out of the elements
Comfort saddle with rubber bumpers, ergonomic grips and a swept-back handlebar provide good comfort along with 1.95″ wide tires
Whether you’re transporting kids or pets in the cargo bin you can see them the whole time without having to turn around and worry about a seat or trailer, it offers peace of mind and lets you communicate more easily as well

Cons:

Currently only available in one color and frame size, the step-thru tubing makes it easy to mount and stabilize for smaller people and the swept-back bars also improve fit so it works out alright
Some of the hardware used on this bike is more generic including the rear roller brake which doesn’t offer a lot of stopping power, the basic tires and tubes which might not offer as much durability or flat protection and the battery pack, motor and display panel which are more basic
Changing a flat tire on this bike could be difficult… there are no quick release systems, the tubes are different sizes (which means more fix-it gear to carry around) and the bike itself is heavy
No throttle mode here, you have to pedal in order to activate the motor and because it’s activated through a cadence sensor you actually have to pedal about one full rotation before it starts and that can be heavy and difficult when the bike is loaded or on a hill
Considering there’s no throttle here I would like the option to have an internally geared hub or continuously variable transmission vs. a standard cassette and derailleur, this would enable shifting at standstill and easier starts
The steering rods hang down a bit and may collide with curbs or other obstacles in part due to the length of the bike and smaller front wheel
Activating the electric systems is a two step process (a switch on the battery and a button on the display) which takes a bit of extra effort and time and could create confusion if you hadn’t ridden for a while, I noticed that the display only shows Kilometers vs. Miles and wasn’t able to switch it

Resources:

Official Site: http://www.virtuecycles.com/products/2015-virtue-gondoliere
More Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/6dCNzst5xqW3DBAY8

January 29, 2024 (10 months ago)

Virtue Cycles Pedalist Review

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Thane

8 years ago

Looks cool! Did you get a chance to test ride their velomobile Pedalist? Really interested to hear how that rides, and how it may compare to the ELF velomobile.

Court Rye

Yes! I did and it was pretty sweet (especially for the price). Did miss the cool solar panels on the ELF thought… I should have that review processed and posted shortly :)

Awesome, thanks! :)

Jay

Would love to get a front loading bike like this one and then say good buy to my car. I’d like a throttle or a very responsive assist on a bike like this one though. Can’t find any information on whether they offer a rain cover. That for me is a must for a bike like this. With weather protection, I can easily drop off kids to school everyday and not have to rely on my car.

Hi Jay! I’m not sure on the cover but have seen other (more expensive) electric cargo bikes that do… will be posting more reviews soon, you could reach out to Virtue Cycles in the mean time and ask? I’d love to hear what they say :)

Thank you! I asked them about it. They have one but at the moment they are sold out. They expect to have it back in stock in the spring. Can’t find any pictures of it though.

Awesome! It’s great to get a reply, nice to know that they do offer this accessory… If you decide to go for it, reach out again someday and I can help post pictures in the forums or you can do it here. So far their section is empty so it would be nice to see and hear from a real owner :)

Sure. I was actually able to test ride one today. It is definitely a low-end bike but the one I rode had 2,000 miles on it and was holding up. The owner had replaced the rear rim, tire, and the derailleur with higher quality parts including a Shimano Alfine internal hub. I was able to get used to the handling pretty quickly. Motor was zippy though it comes on a bit abruptly. I was able to take it up on small hills around the shop and it did fine. I might end up getting it if I can find a rain cover for it.

DC

To switch from KPH to MPH, hold down Up and Down for 5 seconds. More settings can be found at this page. Not the same bike, but the controller commands seem to be the same.

Awesome, thanks for the tip and link DC!