I've got a really nice bike out in the garage, but I have to admit that I don't ride it as much as I should.
My knees aren't as young as they used to be.
I live near a popular biking area, and I've noticed a jump in the number of electric bikes on the roads. I've always been curious about them, so when Heybike offered to let me review their newest e-bike, the Mars 2.0, I was happy to check it out.
Specs
The Mars 2.0 is a fat-tired e-bike that folds in half for easier storage and transporting.
The bike has a 750-watt/1200-watt peak motor in the rear hub that can propel you down the trail at up to 28 mph.
The bike has a Shimano seven-speed gear system and five pedal assist modes with a maximum range of 45 miles on a charge.
The removable and rechargeable battery has a capacity of 600 watt-hours (12.5Ah, 48V) and it is rated for 600 cycles before it dips below 80 percent battery capacity. The battery takes about six hours to fully charge.
The battery also has a USB port so you can use it to charge your phone or other gadgets.
The Mars 2.0 includes a nice rear rack with a 120-pound capacity. The rack allows for the mounting of bags, baskets or passenger seats.
The overall weight limit of the bike is 330 pounds, which includes the rider(s) and any cargo.
The bike has 20-inch tires that are four inches wide, and they are knobby for better traction on trails, but they're also good for pavement.
The front and rear disc brakes are mechanical. I wish they were hydraulic.
There are front and rear LED lights and the rear light flashes when you apply the brakes.
The Heybike Mars 2.0 retails for $1,499, but it has frequently been on sale at heybike.com. It comes in orange, blue, black or gray.
Sizing
The Mars 2.0 is designed for riders from 5-feet 3-inches to 6-feet one-inch. The seat height adjusts from 29 inches to 34.3 inches, and the seat flips up so you can remove the battery.
The bike weighs 75 pounds with the battery. The bike's frame has a handle near the center to make it easier to lift.
App and computer
There is a handlebar-mounted computer that can connect to a free app on your smartphone. The app is used to set some speed parameters, including how fast the bike can go at each level of pedal assist.
With the Mars 2.0, when you set a level of pedal assist, the bike accelerates to the set speed pretty quickly. When I unboxed the bike and took it for a ride, level 1 pedal assist was set for 8 miles per hour. When I began pedaling, the bike's motor engaged and I was quickly going 8 mph, which took me by surprise.
Once I connected my phone to the bike, I saw where I could assign my own speed choices to each level of pedal assist, which worked out nicely. The bike was initially set for pedal assist modes 1-5, but I found the app allows you to set the pedal assist modes to 0-5, which means you can start out with zero pedal assist, which might work out better for novice e-bike riders like me.
Out of the box, the bike is limited to 20 mph, but the max speed can be increased to 28 mph in the app. This is handy because some areas have limits on how fast e-bikes can travel.
Speaking of speed, there is a throttle lever near the right hand grip, so while you can pedal as the bike's motor runs, you don't have to pedal at all to get the maximum speed.
Easy to assemble
The Mars 2.0 came in a pretty big box, because most of the bike is pre-assembled.
I had to attach the front tire, fenders, rear rack, pedals and seat post. I also had to install the lights.
Working slowly, the assembly took about an hour. The entire drivetrain, with the motor, gear system and chain came ready to go from the factory.
The seat post and front forks have shock absorbers, so the ride is not too harsh.
All the tools you need to assemble the Mars 2.0 are included.
Easy to fold
It takes less than 30 seconds to unclamp the frame hinge, fold up the pedals and fold down the handlebar to get the bike ready to fold in half for easy storage. The bike sits upright when folded, leaning on a small built-in bracket. I've even seen some Mars 2.0 customers online who have purchased a large plastic bin to hold their folded-up bike in the back of their SUV.
Unfolding the bike for a ride takes just a few seconds as well.
On the road
Getting on the bike wasn't hard, but I did have to take my time and adjust the seat and handlebars to my height. Since the seat has a spring in the post, I had to keep adjusting it up so I could comfortably pedal. Once I got the sitting position dialed in, working through the gears and pedal assist levels was easy enough. My left thumb worked the pedal assist levels and horn, while I let the right thumb adjust the gears and throttle.
At higher speeds, pedaling was merely ceremonial, as my pedaling could not keep up with the speed of the motor and I was just along for the ride.
The Mars 2.0 is incredibly easy to ride and the motor had more than enough power to accelerate quickly to whatever speed I liked.
The fact you can go so quickly and silently was interesting. I found myself using the throttle to start up from a stop, instead of just pedaling. It seemed to make the starts smoother.
My only gripe is with the brakes. With a bike of this weight and at higher speeds, I wish the brakes were hydraulic instead of manual. When I'm going more than 25 mph on a bike, I want all the help I can get if I need to stop quickly.
If I lived closer to my office, I'd be tempted to ride the Mars 2.0 to work. As it stands, I can see it as a substitute for my car when making a quick trip to the shopping center a few miles away.
Jim Rossman is a tech columnist for Tribune News Service. He may be reached at jrossmantechadvisergmail.com.
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