2008 update Electric bikes have moved on!
We now recommend the Kalkhoff range of bikes in this category

eZee Torq electric bike long-term test report

It’s slightly surreal doing moped speeds on something that looks, sounds and feels just like a bicycle. But that's the Ezee Torq all over - despite being the fastest e-bike you can buy, it doesn't look like one.

If you look hard, there is a motor in the front wheel, but there's no massive battery (as in the Powabyke) or sensible chain guard and step-through frame (Giant Lafree). lt's quiet too, the motor gives just a subtle whine when working hard. It doesn't give away it's electric credentials too easily, which is why it's so much fun to ride.

I've been using A to B's Ezee Torq test bike for the past two months, and though I haven't covered a huge distance in that time (just over 300 miles), it's been out and about regularly, on everything from short shopping trips to a 40-mile round trip that I would usually make by motorcycle.

The best thing about the Torq of course, is its sheer speed. People have an odd reaction to this, once they know that our prototype Torq will exceed the legal e-bike maximum by a whole 7mph (production bikes are, apparently, restricted [but can be derestricted for use on private roads and tracks]). 'How do you get away with it?' is the usual response. That is the perfect time to point out that the market is also awash with cars and motorcycles capable of twice the 70mph legal limit, and which are freely promoted in the mainstream media. In any case, although that 22mph top speed is what grabs the headlines, the real point of the Torq is its strong hill climbing, and ability to maintain 20mph+ on the flat, giving it great long distance stamina.

Take the 14½ miles between my front door and the office. A nice ride on a conventional bicycle, say 90 minutes. On our Giant Lafree, we'd expect to take just over an hour, with a five-minute stop. The Ezee does it in 49 minutes, without stopping. That really brings home how the extra margin of performance pushes the range of cycling well into car territory.

Here's another example. I had to make a business trip 14 miles away. The obvious choice was train, with a five-mile cycle ride, but the Ezee actually worked out quicker. On another occasion, I covered 37 miles between the office, car dealers and various errands, though the bike did get a 30-minute top-up en route. But the point is that I wouldn't have contemplated a day like that on my pedal cycle, and getting the motorbike out would have seemed like overkill. The Torq really does extend the range of electric bikes. And fortunately, at 24kg, the Torq isn't too much of an effort to pedal home manually. And there is more mileage on tap, if you can resist using all that power.

So there it is. The world's fastest electric bike is also a useful day-to-day machine, and it's certainly extended my range before I get the motorbike out.

The revolution continues!

Full report published in A to B 54

Order securely online or call 0844 800 5979 Torq electric bike £1295 out of stock