![]() So to wrap this review up in a sentence, I’d say the Velotric Nomad 1 is a great budget offering that can get you out on a safe, fun adventure (or a normal boring cruise to the coffee shop) without breaking the bank.Finding the right set of ATV tires and ATV wheels for your four wheeler might seem like a chore, but not when you buy from Chaparral Motorsports. Bigger names will charge you more for less bike, and they don’t even come with the safety certification of the Nomad 1. But at under $1,500 for a great performing e-bike, I’d say this is more than fair. You’ll find much higher quality with bike shop bikes like a Trek, Specialized, or other several thousand dollar e-bikes. This isn’t a high-end electric bike, don’t make any mistake. Most people have to settle on a single model, and so to have a bike that feels good in the bike lane yet can still handle a fun trail ride is a major advantage, and that’s exactly what the Nomad 1 seems to offer. Most people aren’t like me with a storage room full of e-bikes. Mounts for a front rack seen on either side of the head tube imply that you could almost turn this thing into a cargo bike if you needed to.īut to me, I still think the Velotric Nomad 1 finds it true home in the overlap between commuter and adventure bike. One more addition that I would have loved to see would be a rear rack included as standard equipment, but you can always add that $69 component yourself if you need the storage. That’s an attractive price for a UL-listed fat tire e-bike with 1,200W of power and a set of nice features like front suspension, grippy hydraulic disc brakes, 8-speed Shimano transmission, full fender set, LED lighting, and a large nearly 700 Wh battery. Torque sensors are just so much nicer, and I miss them when they aren’t there.īut the lack of a torque sensor surely helped Velotric bring the Nomad 1 in at a reasonable price, which is currently the sale price of $1,499. So I’ll ding the Nomad 1 there, as I have to for any cadence sensor-based pedal assist e-bike. It’s especially important to remember to downshift before stops when you only have a cadence sensor, as getting rolling in high gear with fat tires while you wait for the electric assist to kick in is a real doozy. It seems to work fine, minus the telltale lag when you try to get rolling. Without a torque sensor, the Nomad 1 has to rely on a more basic cadence sensor for pedal assist. But when in Rome, I can make do.ĭespite enjoying throttle riding a bit too much, I always try to get in some good pedal assist testing as well. The left side thumb throttle setup has never been my favorite, as I’m more of a half-twist right side throttle man myself. The 750W rear hub motor is happy to dish out that power all day, and the siren’s call of that thumb throttle is like music to my ears. These are well supported fenders that do their job without flopping around.Īs usual, I’m guilty of using too much throttle when I get off-road, as it is hard to resist treating the Nomad 1 like a dirt bike and throttling over little hops and bumps. And they aren’t cheap dinky fenders either, like many fat tire e-bikes unfortunately use. But since the Velotric is one of those world-colliding e-bikes designed for the tarmac and the turf, the fenders are a nice touch. I also really like the included fenders for keeping all that sand, dirt, and mulch off of my back and the front of my jeans, which isn’t always a given in off-road e-bikes. But they certainly get the job done, as I experience on a combination of sand and dirt, as well as some fun excursions on mulched nature trails. There’s nothing terribly special about the tires, they’re commonly available CST BFT 26 x 4.0 fat tires. With 1,200W of peak power and a set of fat tires, this e-bike is built to take it to the dirt just as well as it can handle commuting on the streets. Combined with front and rear LED lighting, that’s another key factor in safety and visibility.īut beyond mere appearances, let’s talk shop. That not only provides extra peace of mind for owners, but also is an increasingly important consideration as more areas consider bans on e-bike sales for non UL-certified models.Īnd like I mentioned above, while there are many other attractive color options, the bright yellow paint job makes the bike harder to ignore by drivers. The Velotric Nomad 1 has UL certification for both the bike itself and the battery. ![]() Extras: Backlit LCD display with speedometer, tripmeter/odometer, battery gauge, PAS level indicator, left side thumb throttle, included front and rear fenders, optional rear rack, integrated headlight and tail lights, kickstandįirst of all, let’s talk safety.Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes, 180 mm rotors.Battery: 48V 14.4Ah (691 Wh) frame-integrated, removable.Top speed: 20 mph (32 km/h) on throttle and pedal assist.Motor: 750 W continuous-rated rear geared hub motor (1,200W peak).
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