etropolis Premium Exclusive Unisex

Old-school design with a modern power-assisted twist

It shocked me – no pun intended – that I fell for this old-school bike as quickly as I did. The etropolis Premium Exclusive is a nod back to the days gone by, when a leisurely afternoon ride out would include flat caps, a picnic in Tupperware containers and tartan flask of tea, partaken while sitting under an old oak in a farmer’s field, the summer sun beating down.

But enough of nostalgia; this bike is a well-rounded and a cleverly crafted modern classic, giving the rider a very comfortable position from which to survey the road ahead. It benefits from the modern safety of cable disk brakes and the comfort of front suspension and a suspension seat post.

Weighing-in at 25kg, Miss Daisy (an affectionate name given to this machine by the whole team when out on our first group ride) is no featherweight, but well-balanced and surprisingly easy to get on with. This is largely down to the 28-inch wheels, Shimano gear set, step through frame and easy to use e-bike interface and display.

Power is supplied by a 36V 11Ah Sony battery, hidden in plain sight under the rear luggage frame linked to a mid-mounted 250W crank-drive motor that feeds the power assist in so smoothly that if it wasn’t for the digital display, you would be hard pushed to notice the fact that you were riding an e-bike.

The power delivery is great: When I tackled a short but steep hill it astonished me how much the motor assisted me, turning what would have normally been a challenge into nothing more than a slight inconvenience. This shows the battery and motor are more than a match for all that this bike is designed for.

To passers-by, you will appear a kin to Mary Poppins at Sir Chris Hoy speeds (well maybe I’m being a little ambitious with the speed). To comply with the regulations for road legal e-bikes that you can ride without a licence, the etropolis Premium Exclusive’s motor assist is restricted to 15.5mph, which is more than adequate for what this bike is defined for.

As a commuter in a town or a city, the seating position and rapid-adjustable handlebars are perfect, and as a weekend leisure-ride it handles a country lane jaunt with ease. With an easy to read King-meter LCD display, you will not be short of the info you need, and with built-in lights activated with a single press of a button, you will be pleasantly surprised. I know I was.

SPEC

FRAME
Alloy 6061

GEARS
Shimano 7-speed

MOTOR
8FUN 250W Central, crank mounted

SUSPENSION
RST SS-M6 at the front and seat post

BRAKES
Xindie DB650 disc brakes front and rear

BATTERY
Rear mounted Sony Lithium-ion 36V 11AH

CLAIMED RANGE
Up to 43 miles

WEIGHT
25kg

TYRES
28in, CST C-1313 anti-puncture

CONTACT:
www.motogb.co.uk

Words: Jonathan Schofield
Images: Sue Waters Photography