It’s about the size of a small water bottle and easy to stick in your bag when the family goes on a ride. It can help your kids ride even longer, extending that family Sunday ride even further than 15 miles (25 km). Now before I start getting disgruntled comments, let me kent mountain bike start by saying this isn’t a small motorcycle – it’s a pedal-assist e-bike. The Kent Torpedo is the first electric bicycle that I know of designed specifically for children. And it’s so much fun (even for me as a full-fledged adult) that it surely won’t be the last one.
When I moved to Kennesaw, Georgia, to be near my CrossFit gym, I noticed several well-known MTB trails in the area. No longer a teenager, I purchased a custom-made name-brand MTB from a local bike shop and rode the forks off it—literally. The motor is supplied by an adorable little 24V 5.2Ah battery with just 125 Wh of capacity. In low power mode, the battery is sufficient for 15 miles (25 km) of range.
Mid-drive motors, unlike hub motors, actually power the bike through the standard gears on a bicycle. Of course if the battery ever runs out, the e-bike simply turns back into a standard pedal bike powered by a morning bowl of Wheaties. There’s even a six-speed transmission that makes the bike extra pedal-friendly even without any electric assist.
The rest of Kent’s mid-drive e-bike fits more in line with the other budget models in its class. A 36V and 10.5 Ah battery claims a range of 20 miles (32 km) from its 378 Wh of capacity. Simple front and rear suspension offer a bit of spring without costing an arm and a leg.
Popping a tube wouldn’t be so bad, except I had to walk the bike the remainder of the trail. Not wanting to give up my precious gym kent electric bike time, I bought two electric pedal-assist bikes. I chose the Kent Electric Mountain Bike 27.5” from Walmart for a couple of reasons.