The Gocycle GS Is A Foldable E-Bike Designed for Everyday Riders
The brand, founded in 2002, created a versatile and affordable folding e-bike, perfectly designed for those seeking peaceful urban transportation, a lightweight ride, and a convenient storage (folding) solution.
Standout features are seen in its super-modern design, setting it way far from the competition, like the Swagtron EB7 Plus.
I love that the company has not compromised quality; it has interesting features, offering equal performance.
Some important aspects to keep in mind are:
What I like
✅ Innovative ergonomic design for short and tall riders (140 to 180 cm).
✅ Extremely lightweight with only 22lb (10kg).
✅ Customized accessories, including the rear rack and lights that can be plugged and unplugged when not needed.
✅ Comes with an innovative Smartphone app that promotes safety, seeing as your bike can be deactivated if stolen.
✅ Convenient Pitstopwheels for easy removal and installation (when folding).
✅ Frame material uses magnesium, which improves the frame strength.
Things I would love to change
– No in-built controller display. You will have to use your smartphone to access its metrics. Also, what if you lose it?
– The App could be hard to control while moving, so you must set it once or keep stopping to change settings – bummer.
– No USB charging ports on the bike for your smartphone. When using the app, you need to charge your phone, or it might go off.
– The battery fully charges after 7 hours (if completely drained). Nevertheless, the battery life is good with 1000 charge cycles.
– The tire grip could be questionable in wet conditions, but there is an all-weather version as well.
Pedal Assist and Throttle Modes
For the rider’s convenience, it has been fitted with pedal assist (PAS) and throttle modes. Classified as a class 1 e-bike, it reaches a maximum assisted speed of 20 mph (32 km/h). Beyond this, pedaling without assistance allows for higher speeds (which would be fast already). The throttle (activated using an on/off button) engages at a minimum of 4 mph (6 km/h), adhering to global regulations – a crucial consideration.
I recommend reading: Electric Bike Laws: Europe, US and Au.
When the throttle is activated, you do not have to pedal and can opt to cruise along as if you were riding a motorcycle. This, of course, would be potentially questionable by some countries and not be legal.
Front-drive Motor & Lithium Battery
Aptly described as a futuristic e-bike, its design is such that all parts are integrated, and you can barely see the motor and battery.
This bike has a powerful 500w front-drive geared motor mounted on the front wheel. Honestly, the power output is relatively high for a lightweight model.
In some countries in the EU, this model comes with a 250w motor, therefore, to be in line with the local e-bike regulations.
In terms of the torque, the motor is rated to 15Nm force, which is below the standard (40Nm to 60Nm for medium-range torque motors). As a result, there is a slight possibility that the GS could struggle climbing hills.
To power the whole system, the company installed a 13.5 Ah 22v lithium-ion battery. Combining these two parameters, I can see you can have a 300wh. Considering how small the battery capacity is, you can achieve a range between 30 to 60 km – this is with PAS only.
One good thing about the battery is that it uses a management system (BMS), which will protect it from overcharging or losing power when dropping below the recommended 25%.
Manuverability
The wide handlebars are specifically designed for this version. The hydro-formed configuration gave room for internal cable routing that provided it with a clean look and avoided cable snagging.
Besides, the handlebars look sophisticated and feel great.
Regarding the tires, they are thicker than other regular bikes (2.1″). This has shown reduced friction, improving the battery energy and motor power.
Innovative Parts & Design
Gocycle hasn’t run out of ideas to make e-bikes convenient, fun, and classy.
This model is undoubtedly an ingenious creation that will make riding exciting and turn heads as you ride it.
It has been carefully designed with the sophistication that has become widely associated with the brand.
Pitstopwheel
I was very impressed with the design of the Pitstopwheel that GoCycle created.
Both wheels have a quick-detach feature that separates them from the frame, meaning you can even reduce the bike’s weight further and make it more portable.
The wheels are side-mounted to promote convenience and let you enjoy this remarkable feature. To be honest, I felt that the wheels would detach at any moment, but really, the engineering work done on the wheels is outstanding.
Ergonomic design
The brand is synonymous with e-bikes that are adaptable to the needs of most riders. Just like other of their versions, the seat post and frames have an ergonomic design.
Besides, the height and reach adjustable handlebars allow for flexibility in fitting the bike to a most comfortable level for the rider. I honestly liked how easily I reached the handlebar, which I think resulted from the seat adjustment easiness.
ShocLock
Another innovative feature is the cable lock to keep it safe on the streets whenever you need to dash into the grocery store or coffee shop. Of course, it is not 100% guaranteed that any person with bad intentions may be capable of breaking this security system.
The suspension
I was asking myself, why should a suspension be installed at the back and not at the front fork? The idea behind this concept was clear for the manufacturer, and it was to have a deflated front tire. I was amazed by this idea, as having a thicker front tire, with slightly less pressure, would provide higher shock absorption.
This, of course, is contrary to the rear tire specifications as it will have more pressure created by the motor so as not to compromise its performance.
The App and Features
Another trademark innovation from the brand is the GocycleConnect App, which you must install on the phone to monitor its operation and performance while riding.
The app, usable on Android and iOS, will display your speed, battery level, power settings, and other excellent data, such as the calories burned.
It does not come with a built-in display; without the app, there is no way to access this information.
One great advantage of the app is it can be used to deactivate it in case of theft. However, I think this is a significant limitation as relying entirely on a smartphone is not the ideal situation.
Additional Accessories to Improve the Ride
This model has a lot of accessories that can be fitted at any time. A mudguard, lights, and rear luggage rack are all accessories that make the already great bike even greater.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with accessories, so you may need to buy them separately.
Great e-bike designs do not come any better than what the brand has done with them (probably the improved versions, which we will review later).
Every part has been created impeccably, including the foldable pedals. The frame and wheels are made of aluminum, contributing to the bike’s lightweight at a mere 15 kg.
Remember that it has been designed to hold a maximum of 100 kg, so do not overload it.
Should You Buy It?
The brand has invested in futuristic foldable e-bikes that give riders fun times as they commute daily.
They do not just stop designing but go further to ensure they are environmentally friendly.
It carries all these qualities and features, making it one of the unrivaled yet affordable e-bikes.
The primary flip side is that it doesn’t have a controller incorporated, as you have to sync and use your smartphone to access the cycle metrics and performance.
The foldability of this model is impressive as, for the first time, this is the smallest I’ve seen so far.
If you are looking for something more powerful that can get you going off-road, we recommend the Radmini Step-Thru fat tire version.
The Gocycle GS has been designed with the everyday rider in mind. It is a good option for commuting and running errands; however, remember how far you can ride with the characteristics and elements used to create this foldable e-cycle.
Images courtesy of Gocycle.
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