Then one day, a fellow mountain biker asked if I wanted to ride his bike around the parking lot. After a few seconds of strenuous pedaling, the bike suddenly took off with explosive force. It was an e-bike, an electric pedal-assist MTB with a motor that engages when an internal sensor encounters a hill. One day while riding a local trail, I took a wrong turn and found myself on a black diamond trail with some huge drop-offs. My front suspension forks took the brunt of the punishment and consequently locked up.
In the case of Kent’s mid-drive electric bike, seen above, it’s not clear exactly which 250W motor is used. Nicer (i.e., more expensive) e-bikes tend to use fancier mid-drive motors like those made by Brose, Bosch, Yamaha, and other major German or Japanese manufacturers. Mid-drive motors, on the other hand, are more costly to produce due to their more complicated design. That complication also makes them a bit more touchy, at least for new riders that aren’t used to shifting a bike.
(Luckily, my local bike co-op was able to hook me up with the needed parts!) But that was really the only major problem with assembly. Speaking of steps, the step-thru frame comes in only one size but should fit most riders five feet and taller. We wisely dismounted on kent electric bike the steepest uphills and also walked one suicidal downhill. Other than my one crash in a deep washout, we survived the worst trail in the area and had a blast. Second, at $500 and with free shipping, these bikes are about half the price of every other similar brand.
I wish the bike came standard with thru-axles or quick-release skewers for the wheels. If I ever got a flat on the road, it’s going to be that much more difficult to change the tire. Kent currently offers kent mountain bike three electric models for adults, plus one for kids. Alongside the 27-inch Kent Electric and Kent Step-Through Electric, the Cruiser is more of a unisex offering and is available exclusively from Walmart.
With a fun e-bike like this, kids that may have never expressed an interest in cycling could be hopping onto the saddle and discover the joy of life on two-wheels. And at just $498, it’s easier for parents to afford than a typical adult e-bike. We ask that you return your bike to the same place it was purchased. Because its battery is mounted underneath its rear rack, SixThreeZero Around the Block e-cruiser has more of that classic beach cruiser look. The bike comes about 75% pre-assembled, and I only needed to attach the front wheel and fender, handlebars and saddle. Things started off on the wrong foot when I realized some of the seat post assembly pieces were missing.
We never wore helmets, of course, because we were teenagers—and teenagers are invincible. With a front suspension fork that isn’t much to write home about but still works just fine, the bike is somewhat sporty. We built a classic front yard ramp and had fun seeing who could get the most air. Having not ridden Kent’s new e-bike (yet, but hopefully that changes), it’s hard for me to judge it too hard on the spec sheet alone. If you are looking for a product from this brand, you are at the right place! Our Marketplace includes comparison pricing from all sorts of trusted manufacturers.
But no, the thing is overbuilt for its ratings, just like Kent’s lawyers surely insisted that it should be. The V-brakes similarly aren’t incredibly high quality, but then again, they work just fine. This is a $498 kids e-bike after all – not a $17,000 S-Works for lycra-clad dads. If there are any issues with your bike, return it for a full refund or receive a replacement bike for free. I contacted Kent’s customer service about a different issue and an actual human being answered the phone after just a couple of rings. I’m confident if a customer had an issue, they’d quickly try to resolve it.