Eleglide M1 Plus Review

Conclusion

There are many e-bikes around this price range but this one is extremely affordable at just £699.99 with great components and quality. 

This e-bike would make a fantastic commuter bike and some leisurely riding at the weekends, the design does make you question it being an e-bike as it looks similar to a road bike but with slightly chunkier wheels. The riding position is more forward-facing than upright so you may find the position slightly uncomfortable if you were doing anything off-road.

As a whole this bike has everything you will need for a good price; the gearing, battery and motor are all quality components providing suitable functions to the e-bike, the brakes provide good stopping power and are suitable for most daily riders.

Specification

Motor, Battery & Range

The motor is a standard brushless geared hub, it makes the ride very smooth but you can hear a small motor noise whilst riding which seems to be normal with the type of motor used. With the motor there is a slight delay with the assistance from the pedal assist sensor, it measures cadence and this can be adjusted via the display. If you find you are attempting a few hills on your commute or on your leisurely rides at the weekend the motor can cope well with small climbs.

The M1 plus comes with a 36V 12.5Ah (450Wh) battery on the downtube of the bike, which is a lot more compared to the M1. As with all e-bike batteries it is a good idea to think about the ride you are going on, if there are any tough terrains, hills and also consider the weight of the rider as the range will differ for each subject. 

The longevity of the battery may be slightly less than higher priced bikes as it is an unbranded 18650 cell battery whereas other bikes may have Samsung or LG Cells. 

Quality & Build

With the bike being affordable again the gears are unbranded but it comes with 21-speed, a triple crankset on the front of the bike which has 24/34/42 teeth chainrings with a 14-28t 7-speed freewheel at the rear. This allows for hill climbs but limits the speed on fast, flat roads. The Shimano trigger shifters are really nice to use, they provide a stable gear change and with a little manoeuvring it is possible to get it to shift as well as you need.

Mechanical disc brakes come with the M1, they work extremely well giving consistent stopping power although they are not as powerful as hydraulics they still provide a good ride and give you confidence to be able to stop when needed. 

You have front suspension forks on a basic coil-sprung shock with hydraulic lock out, with the value of the bike it is best to go steady if you are looking at riding on tougher terrains as it may not be able to handle the tricky ground.

The wheels provided are standard 27.5” wheels with the CST AllTerrain tires mounted onto the sleek satin black design with decals, this makes the bike look more of a standard mountain bike still making it look less of an e-bike, these tires do not have a good enough tread on them to tackle muddy trails so it would be ideal to replace these with a deeper tread pattern if that is what you are wanting to use them for. 

Special Features

LCD Display: This is quite commonly found on affordable e-bikes and this gives the ability to navigate, see your speed, how much battery range is left and also the power/assist mode that you are currently using. It also has the buttons for the integrated headlight on so that you can turn it off/on whenever you need and with ease as it is on the left handlebar.

LED light on the battery to show how much charge is left.