Priority E-Coast Review: High-Maintenance Ebike

Overly technical out of doors sports activities are a bit embarrassing. For instance, I like biking, however I don’t need to misrepresent my curiosity or talents—I’ve no want to hobble round espresso retailers in clip-in sneakers and full-body stretch jerseys. That makes me the proper buyer for Priority Bicycles, an organization that goals to make high-quality however not-so-technical, affordably priced bikes. (I additionally know I’m the proper buyer as a result of, disclosure, I personal a Priority gravel bike myself.)

Like all of its bikes, Priority’s electrical seashore cruiser has a retro enchantment. It has some premium elements, like a low-maintenance Gates carbon belt drive with a strong rear hub motor, on a clear aluminum stand-up body. This is interesting, particularly because it comes with a wallet-friendly price ticket (for an ebike). Sadly, Priority might have overshot the mark with the E-Coast. You’re simply not going to search out many cruisers with Gates belt drives at this value. But ought to you?

Figure It Out

The first signal I had that every one may not be nicely was when the bike arrived. Priority is a direct-to-consumer firm, which signifies that while you order a motorcycle, it’s going to arrive boxed at your home. The firm does advocate having it assembled by an expert; it engaged an organization to assemble it for me. (Here are the directions, in case you don’t need to spend an extra $200 and might assemble it your self.)

However, as soon as I obtained the bike, it did require troubleshooting. The entrance brake wanted adjusting, and the included proprietary entrance fender strikes every time I flip the entrance wheel, irrespective of what number of occasions I tighten the screw holding it on. Several weeks after receiving the bike, I nonetheless have to regulate the entrance brake or fender sometimes. It’s the type of low-level annoyance the place you don’t need to trouble going to a store.

Still, on one of many first lovely spring days of the yr, I fortunately threw on a jean jacket and hopped on the E-Coast to cruise across the park—sadly, it was buzzing nastily. I grouchily got here dwelling and stuck it, however it’s nonetheless a downer while you simply need to run out the door within the solar.

My tester got here in an especially fairly mint-green step-through body. You’re meant to journey it whereas sitting straight up. Priority states that the minimal inseam on the step-through is 26 inches, which occurs to be my precise inseam. I might journey the bike fairly simply whereas pedaling, however I do have to face on my tiptoes to face on the bottom when I’m at a cease.

That’s not an issue with a Trek Electra cruiser bike, which has a proprietary flat-foot geometry—the best way the seat and pedals are positioned on an Electra body, you get full extension whereas pedaling and nonetheless can place your ft flat on the bottom. I didn’t discover this to be uncomfortable on the E-Coast, however it’s a consideration while you’re pedaling round a 56-pound bike.

It has 26-inch wheels which are enormously huge, and a proprietary 500-watt rear hub motor, with a 576-watt-hour removable battery that’s positioned beneath the rear rack. This is a variety of weight to position on the again half of the bike, though I didn’t actually discover it until I used to be lifting the bike up onto a rack or up the steps. It’s price noting that neither the motor nor the battery has at present been UL licensed, which is the protection normal for ebike electrical techniques. However, Priority does say that it is on the horizon, in time to be compliant with New York’s new legislation.

Not a Commuter

One of the E-Coast’s closest direct-to-consumer opponents might be the Ride1Up Cafe Cruiser, a motorcycle with which it has rather a lot in frequent. Like the Cafe Cruiser, the E-Coast has a pleasant kickstand. It has a rear rack, even if you cannot carry passengers on it. And it’s a single-speed, which is definitely OK. As I discover with ebikes that don’t have a classy pc, it’s usually not well worth the bother of calibrating the proper help degree with the suitable degree of torque to really feel pure whereas pedaling. Just use the throttle and be completed (it additionally has a throttle).