When people ask me to recommend an eBike the answer is usually the obvious: Cannondale Treadwell Neo or however much Propella you can afford. This week’s release of the Ariel Rider Kepler fat tire bike has me wondering if maybe that’s not a better move for a lot of people.
There are approximately 9 million companies that make eBikes, with prices ranging from the curiously cheap to the understandably expensive. it makes choosing a bike difficult.
Bikes, like cars, are also context specific. Where do you live? Why are you riding? Are you carrying anything? A single-speed Propella is probably not your best move if you want to deliver Uber Eats in San Francisco.
Ariel Rider is not a brand that I’d usually recommend to most people as their rugged aesthetic and all-wheel setup make them more off-road runabout toys than commuter solution. They look cool and definitely have a Cyberpunk Steve McQueen vibe, but the contexts for that are somewhat limited.
The Kepler, on the other hand, I think could work for most people. Available with a high- or low-step frame, the fat-tired Kepler gets the large 52V 20ah lithium-ion battery shared with other bikes in the portfolio and offers up to 75 miles per charge.
The single motor maxes out at 1800 watts and can exceed 32 mph where that’s even legal to do so. Keeping with the Arial Rider vibe this is a fat tire bike, so if you’re purely a concrete commuter then maybe this isn’t the most efficient choice.
I personally like to have the option of riding on rougher terrain and with five pedal assist levels it should be easy to dial-in the amount of workout you want when commuting.
If you get one I highly recommend the pink-on-grey. For $1,799 (currently on sale) it’s a lot of bike.
