The Velotric Discover 1 ended up being a solid Class 2 e-bike that blurred the lines between casual cruiser and big-city commuter. During the Velotric Discover 1 review we were all very interested in seeing if its performance matched its looks.
Where the Discover 1 excelled the most was in its battery life, while it’s definitely not the fastest or most powerful bike we have tested it was hard to ignore how long it held onto a charge. A 50 plus-mile range test result is really solid for a bike with this size motor and battery combination, but Velotric’s lofty claim of an 80-mile range somewhat overshadows that result. Velotric is sort of shooting themselves in the foot here because the Discover 1 has a great battery range that still falls short of their claim.
Riders who don’t want the worry of their e-bike battery dying quickly will most likely find a lot of value and trust in the Discover 1’s 48V, 14.4Ah internally integrated battery. On the topic of the battery, Velotric did a wonderful job integrating it into the frame, it’s visually very sleek and easy to remove and put back into the frame.
Velotric’s Discover 1 felt a tad underpowered relative to its motor specs on paper. Its 500W rear hub motor did just fine maintaining high speeds on flat ground however it did seem to struggle a bit on the steeper hill climbs. This is where the Shimano 7-speed drivetrain really came in handy — I always had a gear I was able to spin, meaning I never had to forcefully crank on the pedals to keep the bike moving.
The price point of the Discover 1 is definitely one I’d consider very fair for what you’re receiving. However, I wouldn’t mind them adding some higher end components even if that makes the cost a little higher. Take the suspension fork for example, it seems a little lower tier than the rest of the bike, I think a higher end suspension fork would add a lot of value and performance to this bike even if it cost a little more.
If you are looking for a bike that can be a casual cruiser, or your form of transportation to and from work then the Velotric Discover 1 isn’t a bad choice at all, as you really get what you pay for. It’s a smooth riding, comfortable bike and we are hoping to see an even more refined version in the near future. Velotric is on the right track with the Discover 1.
As we mentioned before, while Velotric got their start on Indiegogo, you can now purchase a Discover 1 directly from the Velotric website at the button above.
‘Happy Riding, make sure to let us know if you have any questions down in our comments section or if you think we left anything out in this review of the Velotric Discover 1.
