"Among the most blistering performances we've seen"

Superficially similar to early bikes, the new 7-speed has lower, flatter handlebars, more rugged electronics, improved lights and stand, and a rack bungee!

Refinements: "Apart from the new hub gears, the changes are minor, but useful nonetheless. The centre stand is smaller and lighter, and plastic mudguards save a bit more weight and clear up a few rattles. In both our previous tests we criticised the dynamo lights, but the new machine has a better front lamp and a Sanyo bottle dynamo, which seem to do the business. Elsewhere, the bike has mud flaps front and rear and a better Cateye speedometer.

"Like its predecessor, the new Ezee comes with a cheap but effective track pump, plus a range of fittings (including the kind that pumps up footballs, but no Presta adaptor) and a substantial cable lock - nice touches.

"The power control is on the left handlebar and the 3- or 7-speed changer on the right, according to model. Dead easy."

Gears: "Until now, the Sprint came with three gears of 46", 62" and 85", ratios that would be a bit high on a non-assisted bike, but are more or less ideal on a powered one. The new gears span the range 39" to 96" in much closer steps. We've usually got some sort of grumble with gear ratios, but in this case, they're absolutely spot on.

"Hill climbing depends on your weight and how much energy you put in, but we found that 1st gear helped the bike vault up hills of around 17% ( I:6), 4th saw it safely up gradients of 12% (1:8), and 7th topped out at 20-something miles per hour, enabling you to spin down the other side too.

"If you tow a trailer and/or live in Cornwall or bits of Cumbria, you might benefit from a larger rear sprocket and lower gears, but for everyone else, it's perfect."

Performance: "At 15.9 mph on our hilly test route in challenging country it counts amongst the most blistering performances we've seen. Range is 27 miles - more or less identical to the figure we achieved in August 2004, allowing for some gusty headwinds. The Sprint weighs only 29.4kg, making it altogether more manageable and rideable than the Powabyke. Charging is quick and efficient; the little fan-cooled charger achieving a 90% charge in 31/2 hours." [2007 Sprint is lighter and has longer range thanks to Lithium ion battery as standard]]

"The Kenda tyres are tough and relatively puncture-free. We've only had to mend two punctures in two years on our own Sprint, and neither required tyre removal."

Conclusion

"We're not quite ready for pensions, and we're not unfit, but living without a car, in a very car-biased world, we find plenty of uses for our Ezee Sprint. A powerful, long-range electric-assist bike makes light work of towing a trailer full of shopping, or venturing out on the cross-country haul to granny's house. For this sort of work, the 7-speed Sprint is one of the best options around - a fantastic hill-leveller and practical child carrier.

"There's a surprising amount of rubbish around at this price, of which the less said the better. The only real competition comes from the Giant Lafree, which is more expensive (£1,099 in 4 speed).

"We're impressed that Ezee appears to have taken on board most of our original criticisms and refined the bike with some care, whilst keeping enough oomph for those who want it."

Specification

Weight Bicycle 23.8kg Battery 5.6kg Total 29.4kg (651b) . Gears Nexus 7-spd hub. Ratios 39" - 96". Batteries NiMH. Capacity 324Wh.[Lithium ion 370Wh] Max range 27 miles [30 miles]. Full charge 3.5 hours. Fuel consumption battery only 12 Wh/mile battery & charger 17 Wh/mile.

Ezee Sprint Review from A to B issue 48, June 2005

Order securely online or call 0844 800 5979
Sprint electric bike £995