To see how much fun the Kent Torpedo e-bike is, check out my video review below! Then keep reading for my complete thoughts and testing (yes, I rode it too!). The history of Kent begins kent bayside cruiser in the early 1900s, when American immigrant Abraham Kamler started refurbishing bicycles in New York City. In 1909, Kamler established his own bicycle store on the Lower East Side.
Its 24V 5.2Ah battery is adorably small yet provides up to 15 miles (25 km) of range if the kid keeps it in low power mode. The item is exaggerated for its rankings, exactly as Kent’s lawyers undoubtedly insisted. It works well as an electric bike because it provides enough help to boost confidence through an electric push, to assure kids that they can tackle anything. Its finest application is that it helps to get kids away from screens and back to the outdoors, thus witnessing more children growing up on the streets like in the past. Although you can connect the throttle to your current controller, it’s conceivable that in order for it to function, you will need to be pedaling.
An LED battery meter is mounted on the handlebars that also houses the power mode selector. In the case of Kent’s mid-drive electric bike, seen above, it’s not clear exactly which 250W motor is used. Nicer (i.e., more expensive) e-bikes tend to use fancier mid-drive motors like those made by Brose, Bosch, Yamaha, and other major German or Japanese manufacturers. While the battery seems to last kent road bike for a while on low power mode, high mode drains it quicker. I asked Kent Bicycles about the possibility of buying spare batteries to swap in and make for a longer ride, and they’re looking into offering them on their website. With a fun e-bike like this, kids that may have never expressed an interest in cycling could be hopping onto the saddle and discover the joy of life on two-wheels.
Shimano Tourney TX800 8-speed derailleur and shifters are paired with a no-name crank and mechanical disc brakes. Front and rear fenders and a rear rack come standard on the Electric Cruiser, which was a bit of a surprise, given its relatively low price. Most of the people buying this bike will love the wide, padded saddle and upright ride position, but adjusting the saddle angle was next to impossible. 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.
Major bicycle manufacturer Kent is announcing today its first electric bicycle designed specifically for children. The Kent Torpedo packs an e-bike system onto a 20″ kids bike, charging up the ride with more distance and speed. The bike is built on a steel frame and sports 20″ wheels. My 7-year-old nephew struggles to touch the ground while my nearly 9-year-old nephew fits on the bike easily. The fact that younger kids can’t fit on it is probably a good thing.
The bike comes about 75% pre-assembled, and I only needed to attach the front wheel and fender, handlebars and saddle. Things started off on the wrong foot when I realized some of the seat post assembly pieces were missing. (Luckily, my local bike co-op was able to hook me up with the needed parts!) But that was really the only major problem with assembly.