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    Review: Zoomo Sport eBike

    Zoomo is a Sydney-based company that builds eBikes for the Australian, UK and US markets. The latest eBike from them is the Zoomo Sport, an exciting new product that prioritises utility and serviceability.

    The bike offers a unique design and is available for both outright purchase and on a very affordable subscription model. This should really help the adoption of electric bikes, with a far lower cost of entry for those interested in electric mobility, but not willing to take a gamble on a big upfront price.

    Like some electric cars, the bike features a built-in sim card for connectivity. This connection is used to ensure your bike is safe, providing the security of GPS tracking data, in the event your bike is ever stolen.

    When it comes to features, there’s a long list and a lot to like. As far as performance, the Zoomo Sport is incredibly capable with a top speed of 25km/hr and a very healthy range of up to 80km.

    As it stands, Australia’s transport sector produces 100 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year, which accounts for 19% of Australia’s entire emissions rate. Consumers recognise the need for cleaner alternatives, and the rise of e-bikes seeks to reduce this impact, spurred by a predicted 50% growth in sales this year alone.

    The design of the Zoomo Sport is fairly unique with a step-through design that maintains a section of the straight crossbar, as a gesture to let males know this is for both genders. The idea here is that this bike will commonly be used as a bike by couriers, the Uber Eats and Deliveroos of the world, which makes it ideal for someone repeatedly getting on and off the bike.

    The rear of the bike features a rear rack, capable of carrying up to 40kg, which is close to double most others. What’s great about this section of the bike is that it opens the door to a slew of accessories. Everything from baby seats to baskets, the integration into the bike’s frame makes it incredibly capable, speaking to the utility focus of the bike.

    If you are a delivery rider, chances are you’ll want your phone handy to help route you to the right location. Zoomo includes a phone mount on the bike with a great twist knob that makes getting your phone in and out of the cradle, super simple. Having a phone mount on an eBike is great, but Zoomo goes the next step further and allows you to charge your phone from the bike’s battery. Relatively to the size and energy in the battery the draw from your phone is unlikely to have a significant impact on range.

    When you look at the front of the bike, you’ll find an array of cables running down the front of the bike. These connect the display, the headlight, gear selection and brakes. When I first saw the bike I thought these look messy and was confused by why they weren’t resolved better, either ran through the internal tubing of the frame, or at least cable tied to the chassis. After inquiring, I was informed that this was done on purpose, to enable fast and easy serviceability, again an example of the priorities applied in the design of this bike.

    The tyres are from Kendra Kwick Drumlin (K1216) which are E-50 rated, meaning they’re capable of up to 50km/hr. The wheels provide great traction and while riding and cornering at speed, provide great confidence to the rider. The 26X2.20 rubber is actually a run-flat tyre, so in the event you ride over a nail, you should still be able to get home. 

    You can also ride the Zoomo Sport in all weather conditions, with the wheel arches extending further down than normal, to really avoid any splashback when riding in the wet.

    When it comes to riding, you’ll turn on the bike by following the steps below.

    1. Hold the power button on the battery for three seconds, until the light turns blue or green
    2. Turn on the controller by long-pressing the button underneath (see next page) – the display
      should then light up with a 30-second timer
    3. Use the orange FOB provided to unlock your bike by tapping it on the RFID reader next to the
      display

    The range of any bike is a combination of the capacity of the battery, the efficiency of the electric motor and the total weight of the bike + rider + payload. The Zoomo Sport is capable of up to 80km on a single charge. If you’re a casual user, its likely you’ll be able to charge once or twice a week. Even if you’ve got commercial ambitions for the bike, you’ll be unlikely to ride for 8 hours a day.

    When you do need a charge, you’ll plug in the provided charger to the side of the battery and in 4 hours, you’ll be good for another 80km of riding.

    The bike is powered by a 250w motor on the rear wheel, which features 80Nm of torque. What this means for you as a rider is that acceleration is swift at low speeds, making it easy to get you off the line fast, great if you’re among traffic in metro environments. If you’re tackling hills the bike also works exceptionally well, making that task a breeze.

    The removable battery comes in two sizes, 468Wh which offers 60km of range, and the larger 628Wh which provides the top 80km range. Given the minor cost difference between the two, I’d be surprised if most don’t go for the larger option.

    As you ride the Zoomo Sport, you’ll find the learning curve is fairly quick, with a simple recipe of matching the gear selection (9 available) for the rate of speed you need, combined with the level of assistance you need. There are 5 levels of assistance, with the top being almost too fast at slow speed, thankfully adjusting it is easy as pressing the up/down control on the left handle.

    The Zoomo Sport eBike offers a long list of great features that should help you decide between this bike and others on the market. There are some really unique features on offer here and depending on your needs for an eBike, this may indeed best suit your needs.

    Large payload

    One of the most functional features is the integrated rear rack that provides a massive carrying capacity of up to 40kg. This is as much as double the industry standard, which should attract those working in the commercial delivery industry. If you’re considering the bike for personal use, you can be assured that strapping on a backpack will be no problem.

    The bike comes with a removable strap which helps secure your load to the rear rack and after using it for a few trips, it actually works really well. This uses a clip system that could easily see alternative covers like nets or even weatherproof covers. The top plate is easily removed with 4 screws and that will undoubtedly unlock a slew of 3rd party accessories. I could definitely see a closed case that houses laptops, or space for a jacket. Other alternatives like a shopping basket would be helpful for stowing groceries and a baby seat attachment is obvious.

    Security built-in

    The bike features integrated smart security technology which Zoomo has included to prevent theft and makes the Sport virtually unstealable. There’s an integrated motor lock, RFID key activation, and GPS tracking. This means to unlock the bike, you’d have to have your security token stolen, which if worn around your neck, seems unlikely. As more bikes get out to the market and the word spreads, criminals will understand that stealing the bike is useless as they will be unable to ride it and therefore sell it without the RFID key. In the event it is stolen, a GPS location is able to be tracked thanks to an embedded sim card which we’re told works across mobile networks and is included in the price.

    Brakes

    Imagine you speeding through the city and a car opens its door into the bike lane. You need to stop immediately and as you grab both handles to engage the brakes, you’ll find the dual hydraulic disc brakes provide amazing stopping power, no matter the weather or the terrain.

    Premium build

    The bike feels premium, with a matte black finish (also available in white), all the framework is connected by very tight, uniform welds. When you ride the Zoomo Sport, the frame feels strong and capable, and everything from the seat to the aluminium front suspension, puncture-resistant are all robust for use years into the future.

    5 levels of Pedal Assist

    When you’re riding, you’ll have a choice of 9 gears and 5-level pedal assist. While that sounds like a complex combination, it really does feel pretty natural after just a few minutes of riding. Once you’ve moved up and down the power assist modes, sped up, slowed down, or shifted through the gears, there’s something in your brain that clicks and it makes sense. I found that I could leave pedal assist largely alone during a ride, just shift down gears prior to slowing down, and then the electric motor will really assist me to accelerate out of a corner or intersection.

    OTA Updates

    As good as this bike is today, it will get better over time. I’m used to this concept from my Tesla Model 3, but to have the same opportunity with your eBike, really helps to give me confidence the bike will be ready for the challenges of tomorrow. With a connected bike, there are lots of options to add new features and while Zoomo offer GPS tracking and Zoomo Recovery today, they are committing to offer crash detection, remote locking and many more features in the future.

    During an interview with Mina Nada, the Zoomo CEO, I was able to confirm a mobile app is on the way.

    Jason Cartwright
    Jason Cartwrighthttps://techau.com.au/author/jason/
    Creator of techAU, Jason has spent the dozen+ years covering technology in Australia and around the world. Bringing a background in multimedia and passion for technology to the job, Cartwright delivers detailed product reviews, event coverage and industry news on a daily basis. Disclaimer: Tesla Shareholder from 20/01/2021

    2 COMMENTS

    1. great story…I have had a Fortis Ebike for 2 yrs…will upgrade soon…

      One thing is missing on all bikes as a safety feature…break light and rear indicators should be standard… you can but after market, but paying a premium price for a ebike they should be standard.

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