Vanpowers UrbanGlide Standard

• Vanpowers UrbanGlide Standard is one of three versions of the UrbanGlide e-bike.
• The other versions are the Pro and the Ultra.
• The video will focus on the Standard version.

“it’s called the urban Glide and there are three different versions of it they have the standard which I have here and they have the pro and the ultra now we’ll end up talking a little bit about those further on in the review but today we’re going to go over the one that I have which is the standard so let’s get into it “

Features and Specifications

• The UrbanGlide Standard is a Class 2 e-bike that can reach speeds of up to 20 miles per hour.
• It has a thumb throttle and five levels of pedal assist.
• The bike weighs 68 pounds and has a maximum payload capacity of 330 pounds.
• The UrbanGlide Standard is available in three colors: green, lava red, and Zircon Gray.

“This is a Class 2 e-bike which means it’ll take you up to 20 miles an hour it’ll do it via the thumb throttle or your five levels of pedal assist this bike weighs 68 pounds it has a maximum payload capacity of 330 pounds the urban Glide comes in three colors green lava red and Zircon Gray”

Size and Price

• The UrbanGlide Standard is available in one size, but the average rider height is unknown.
• The price of the Standard version is also unknown, but it can be found in the description of the video.

“the urban glide standard only comes in one size and now unfortunately I don’t know what the average Rider height is from this because I got this bike before that information has come out I also don’t know how much this bike costs so you’ll be able to find that information out in the description that I leave down below”

Battery and Motor

• The UrbanGlide Standard is equipped with a 48-volt 14.4 amp 690 watt-hour battery.
• The battery has a color-matching cover and can be charged using a 54-volt 3 amp charger.
• The motor is a brushless 48-volt 500-watt motor with 50 Newton meters of torque.

“this version of the urban Glide has a Cadence Sensor and they say it’ll do between 60 to 65 miles on a single charge the motor is a 48 volt 500 watt now I don’t actually know the peak power of this motor but it is brushless and it does have 50 newton meters of torque”

Transmission and Brakes

• The UrbanGlide Standard has a Shimano 7-speed transmission with Shimano Tourney derailleur and thumb shifter.
• The braking system features z-star mechanical brakes with 100 180 millimeter rotors on the front and rear.

“this Urban Glide has a Shimano 7-speed transmission it has the Shimano Tourney derailleur and the standard 7-speed Shimano thumb shifter for stopping power you have the z-star mechanical brake system along with 100 180-millimeter rotors on the front and rear”

Suspension and Tires

• The UrbanGlide Standard is equipped with a zoom front suspension fork with 80 millimeters of play, adjustable recoil, and lockout.
• The bike has 27.5-inch rims and 2.2-inch wide puncture-resistant tires with a good tread.

“it has a zoom front suspension Fork it has 80 millimeters of play you can adjust the recoil on it and you can lock it in and out these tires well these are 27 and a half-inch rims the tires are 2.2 inches wide they are puncture-resistant and they have a pretty nice tread on it which I feel is going to be pretty quiet on the road”

Additional Features

• The UrbanGlide Standard comes with metal fenders, a rear rack with a 55-pound capacity, and adjustable stem for improved comfort.
• The bike also has a comfortable seat and a sleek battery cover.

“some of the other features include metal fenders and I like these because they’re kind of like squared off on the sides so I think that looks pretty good on this bike you also have this rear rack here which came with the bike it came installed and it carries up to 55 pounds you have your metal pedals and one of the things that I really like that people put on these bikes now is an adjustable stem so this helps you definitely make the bike more comfortable in getting it in the position that you want this seat looks like it’s gonna be pretty comfortable”

Display and Controls

• The UrbanGlide Standard has an LCD display that shows speed, total miles, average speed, max miles per hour, ride time, and calories burned.
• The bike has a power button, plus and minus buttons for adjusting pedal assist levels, a thumb shifter, front brake lever, and thumb throttle.

“when you first come to the bike you’re going to want to hit the power button and you’re going to hold on to that for three seconds but if it doesn’t start up that means you need to go down and hit the power button that is down here by the battery on the outside once you touch that then you can come back up push this start button and boom it fires right up before we go into the display let’s talk about the grips these are a rubber type soft like a medium soft material they don’t they’re not single or double locking in any way shape or form you have your front brake right here and you have your thumb throttle”

Battery Management App

• Vanpowers has a mobile app called Ultra Glide that can be used to track activity, connect to the bike via Bluetooth, and access various features and settings.
• The app is available for both Android and Apple devices.

“let’s talk about van power’s Ultra Glide app from here just go ahead and whether it be Android or Apple you can download this is what it looks like that’s your vampires app and when you click on it after you download it you’re going to have to set up an account I already have an account set up because I used it before in the review but as you can see once you do that you have to connect it to the bike and I’m going to show you how to do that here’s your display you’re going to hold your plus and minus button down until this comes up and then you’re gonna go down to Bluetooth connection once you do that you’re gonna hit the power button one time and you’re going to scan it and it will ask you to add a bike and then when you want to add it you’re going to scan it and then it’s going to connect as you can see this knows that

App and Account Features

• The app provides information about the bike and allows you to access your account and request online customer service.
• The speaker mentions that they have gone through all the bike’s specifications and are ready to take it out on the road.

“You’ll have to reconnect it all over again and start over… so it tells you everything you need… now that we’ve gone through all of the specs on the bikes… we are ready to take it out on the road.”

Zero Power Test

• The speaker discusses testing how easy the bike is to ride without any power.
• They mention shifting gears and trying to ride with just the bike and no pedal assist or battery.
• The speaker finds that cruising comfortably at around 12 miles per hour is possible without any battery or pedal assist.

“Let me kick down some gears here and see how easy it is with just you and the bike… You can cruise comfortably at like 12 miles an hour without any battery or pedal assist action going on.”

Pedal Assist Speed Test

• The speaker plans to test how fast the bike can go using pedal assist in different levels.
• They mention that the bike is a class two e-bike and the highest speed it can reach is 20 miles per hour.
• The speaker is curious to see if pedal assist affects the speed when using only the throttle.

“We’re gonna do the 0 to 20 pedal assist now… we’re gonna see if pedal assist actually affects how fast you go by just using the throttle.”

Pedal Assist Levels

• The speaker starts testing the bike’s speed in each pedal assist level by pedaling instead of using the throttle.
• They mention the gear and pedal assist level they are using for each test.
• The speaker describes the speed they are able to reach in each pedal assist level.

“We’re in pedal assist level one… comfortably 15 miles an hour… pedal assist level two… comfortably 18 miles an hour… pedal assist level three… right between 19 and 20 miles an hour… pedal assist level four… up to 20 miles an hour… pedal assist level five… 19 and 20 miles an hour.”

Ghost Pedaling

• The speaker wonders if they will have to ghost pedal at pedal assist level five.
• They test the bike’s speed at pedal assist level five and find that they can reach 19 and 20 miles per hour without ghost pedaling.
• The speaker concludes that there is no need for pedal assist level five if they can reach the same speed at level three.

“Well surprisingly we have no ghosting at pedal assist level five… I don’t really see much of a need for pedal assist level five… when we put it into pedal assist level five, we’re gonna end up ghost pedaling… but with this bike being a class two, I mean I’m just at the edge of ghost pedaling.”

Bike Sizing

• The speaker mentions that the bike is only available in one size, which is small.
• Despite being labeled as small, the speaker, who is 5’9″, feels that the bike does not feel small to them and is comfortable.
• They discuss the adjustable stem and seat post, which allow for customization based on the rider’s height.
• The speaker appreciates that these adjustments are included with the bike, as they are typically separate purchases.

“Vanpowers only has the UrbanGlide Standard in one size… with me being 5’9″, I do not feel like this bike is small… this is the lowest you can have your seat post… you can bring that down towards you or away and lower it… I like the fact that when companies include that with the bike… normally that’s something you have to purchase separately.”

Bike Accessories

• The speaker mentions using a Rock Bros trunk bag, which has extendable panniers.
• They discuss the convenience of having hooks on the bag for attaching panniers.
• The speaker notes that all their equipment fits inside the bag, eliminating the need for panniers.

“I’m using this Rock Bros trunk bag… it has extendable panniers if I needed them… does this have hooks for the panniers?… that looks like you can hook it down there at the very bottom… all my equipment fits inside this thing.”

Speed Tests with Throttle and Pedal Assist

• The speaker conducts speed tests using throttle only and pedal assist to reach 20 miles per hour.
• They find that using pedal assist is quicker than using the throttle to reach the desired speed.
• The speaker checks the speedometer readings and confirms the accuracy of the bike’s display.

“It’s a lot quicker using pedal assist than it is using the throttle… As you can see, it’s pretty accurate… we’re holding a solid 19 miles an hour.”

Brake Test

• The speaker prepares to test the bike’s braking abilities by reaching 20 miles per hour using pedal assist level five and then braking.
• They mention that the back brakes might need some adjustment.
• The speaker measures the stopping distance and finds that it takes around 24 and a half feet to come to a stop.
• They mention that with some fine-tuning, the bike could potentially stop even quicker.

“We are here to do the brake test… we’re going to hit the brakes and see how it does… the back brakes could use a little adjustment… we are right at about 24 and a half feet… I do feel that, with a little bit of adjustment, this bike would stop quicker.”

Hill Climbing

• The speaker gets ready to test the bike’s ability to climb hills and sets the pedal assist to level five.
• They mention using the throttle only for the test.
• The speaker finds that the bike has no problem climbing hills and performs well.

“This thing has no problem at all moving up this hill… it has no problem with its hill climbing abilities.”

Testing with Additional Equipment

• The speaker mentions attaching a Cycle Torch Shark 500 light to the bike for additional lighting and to test its battery life.

“Since we were doing this distance test along with the rest of the review, I’ve gone ahead and thrown this Cycle Torch Shark 500 light on here… I also want to see how long it lasts.”

Riding experience and bike features

• The bike is quiet and provides a smooth ride.
• The motor, tires, and overall design make it suitable for urban commuting.
• Riding at pedal assist level 2 or higher makes it feel like “ghost pedaling.”
• Pedal assist level 1 allows for cruising at 16-20 miles per hour.

“This bike is quiet and smooth… You cannot hear the motor… The thing is super smooth… That’s why they call it the urban Glide… Pedal assist level 2 and you feel like you’re a ghost pedaling the bike… Pedal assist one you can cruise at 16 miles an hour or you can pedal a little bit harder and put you at 20 miles an hour”

Bike versions and sensors

• The bike demonstrated is the Vanpowers UrbanGlide Standard.
• Higher models, like the Pro and Ultra, have torque sensors, hydraulic brakes, and suspension seat posts.
• The Cadence Sensor in the Standard model seems to work like a torque sensor.

“I know the Ultra and the Pro have things like hydraulic brakes, suspension seat posts… If this Cadence Sensor is working like this, these bikes are going to be super nice especially the ultra and the pro… It’s kind of acting like a torque sensor”

Display and battery management

• The display is clear and easy to read, even in bright sunlight.
• The display provides accurate information about battery level and percentage.
• Battery management is effective, allowing for a longer ride with pedal assist level 1.

“This monitor, this display right here, I like it I like it a lot… I can see it very clear in the bright sunlight… The level on the battery but the percentage of battery power we have left… Battery management is doing awesome… Keeping it in pedal assist level one seems more comfortable for me”

Riding experience and mileage

• The bike feels high-end and has a comfortable riding experience.
• Even at higher speeds, the bike does not try to limit or hold the rider back.
• Strava and the bike’s display provide mixed results in terms of tracking distance and battery power.
• With careful management of pedal assist levels, the bike can maintain a good pace and battery life.

“This bike has a rich feeling about it… it didn’t try to hold me back… Strava agrees on the mileage not so much on the battery power… This bike is doing really well…putting it in in four or five, you really feel like you’re just doing the ghost pedaling”

Battery Performance and Display

• The bike assisted up to 15 miles per hour.
• The battery did not pulsate when it got low.
• The display did not show the watts being put out by the battery, but it did show the battery percentage and icon, which gave the rider confidence about the actual battery level.
• Throttle ability was lost when the battery level dropped to three percent.
• This is impressive, as many bikes cut off throttle support at higher battery levels.
• The display showed that the battery had been at one percent for quite a while before losing all assistance and power.
• The display stayed on with one percent battery level until the end of the ride.
• The battery still had one percent life after a 44.16-mile ride, but it no longer assisted.

“I was pretty impressed with that as many bikes will cut off throttle support when the battery level is six percent or even higher.”

Mileage Tracking and App Connectivity

• The rider used Strava to track the mileage, and it showed a total of 44.16 miles.
• The Velotrek app stopped working after being connected to the bike for 17 miles.
• This may have happened during the first mileage test as well.
• The display resets the trip when stopped.

“The Velo truck app quit working after 17 miles of being connected to the bike, but I think that could happen when I did my first mileage test.”

Overall Bike Performance and Comfort

• The bike felt solid and worked great.
• After 30 miles, the rider started to feel the seat.
• The grips on the handlebars moved a little, but it wasn’t a significant issue.
• The rider removed a trunk bag from the back, but it can be purchased separately.
• The seven-speed transmission worked well with pedal assist levels one and two.

“I mean it’s solid, it’s silent, it’s solid, it works great.”