A review of the Engwe EP-2 Pro e-bike

I’ll start with this: I rode the Engwe EP-2 Pro e-bike through a rainstorm, and it was awesome.

To be clear, e-bikes are not intended for downpours, and Engwe doesn’t advise riding in serious precipitation. Nor would I have done so, except that the weather forecast understated just how grisly the weather would be. I had to get home, and the Engwe EP-2 Pro was what I’d taken to work.

The bike flew. Down side-streets, over potholes and speed bumps, the Engwe easily sustained 30-kph speeds through the urban maze of Providence. I slammed through puddles, splashing water into the air. The Engwe’s headlight pierced the gathering dark, illuminating streaks of rain. At each intersection, my gloved hands squeezed the handlebar levers, and the mechanical disc brakes smoothly seized. I was soaked, but I was happy, and the bike carried me all the way home.

But even if it hadn’t, even if I’d decided to leave the Engwe at work, I still had options. This bike is tough and fast, an impressive entry in the all-terrain e-bike market. The front suspension and fat tires can handle just about any road or trail. But the best part of the Engwe is that it folds. You don’t need a hefty bike rack to haul it around, especially in an emergency. Dead battery? Flat tire? Stolen saddle? You can still get home with your ride.

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The Engwe EP-2 Pro  is part of a growing fleet of collapsible e-bike options. Perhaps the most famous American manufacturer is Lectric, whose XP design is extremely similar to the Engwe. This model looks like a traditional folding bike, with its rigid lines and straight, shortened handlebars.

But unlike many e-bikes, the Engwe conceals the battery inside the frame. You need a key to split the body in half, which adds extra security to your removable power source. You need the same key to activate the bike, much like a motorcycle. This internal storage gives the Engwe a sleek, minimalist aesthetic. The black paint-job and Tesla-like logo appear tough and confident on the road.

The Engwe can also reach surprising speeds; in theory, the pedal-assist can accelerate to 45 kmh. The Engwe is so fast that sales have allegedly been banned in several European countries. The bike has 20-inch wheels and a squat frame, so it doesn’t look like a machine that could sustain such velocity — and indeed, new riders should probably take it slow until they’ve acclimated to the powerful motor.

The hinge mechanism is classic, so the Engwe can be folded in half in a matter of seconds. The collapsed bike isn’t small, but you can readily store it in a closet, trunk, or corner of an apartment. As a folding-bike enthusiast, I have to say, this is the Engwe’s most desirable feature.

Finally, the Engwe is often described as a “mountain bike,” and you can ride it over rocks and roots without much concern. The rims have a rigid frame instead of spokes, so nothing short of a collision with a semi-truck should damage them. The EP-Pro doesn’t have the same wheel diameter or center of gravity as a true mountain bike, so avoid technical descents, but you should be able to take on most reasonable singletrack.

Wish List

When I first tried to assemble the Engwe EP-2 Pro, and the hours crept by in my driveway, there were several tense moments when I doubted the thing would work at all. The printed directions were hard to follow, as they were presumably translated from Chinese — although I should add that they weren’t the most confusing directions I’ve ever wrestled with.

The bike is also bigger than I expected. The design is so reminiscent of manual folding bikes, which tend to be little and nimble, that the Engwe looks sort of like a standard Dahon after growth hormone injections. The EP-2 is a full 33 kg, which is a typical weight for an e-bike but certainly no lighter. The folding mechanism is easy and secure, but you’ll need some significant upper body strength to lift the bike into the trunk of an SUV.

The biggest surprise was a flat rear tire. Of the dozens of bikes I’ve assembled, the Engwe was the first I’d ever unpackaged with a punctured innertube. I’m not sure how such a puncture was possible, as the tire seemed free of holes. My hope is that this was a fluke, but affixing a patch did burn a lot of time. I’m happy to report that said patch has held ever since.

After I charged the battery, I pressed the console button — and nothing happened. I pressed it again and again. I futzed around with the bike, wondering whether I’d accidentally severed a power cord or somehow shorted out the circuits. When I finally found the solution, I laughed aloud: The key, which juts out of the top tube’s belly, has to be turned to the exact middle. The key won’t fall out, but you need the key to remain there in order for the electricity to flow.

The Engwe website promises “50+” miles (80 km) of riding on a single charge. I’m average weight for a middle-aged man, and I tend to use a “level four” pedal-assist (out of five); given those factors, along with mild hills, I find it hard to imagine the Engwe pushing past 50 km. A lighter rider, flatter terrain, and lower level of assist will all increase that mileage, but 80 km seemed like a fanciful distance.

Then the final surprise: The bike was slow. I pedaled around the neighborhood at 20 kmp, but each time I tried to go faster, the motor would mysteriously tap out. The bike had been programmed to limit my speed, probably as a precaution against early accidents. No problem, I could just reprogram it. But how? I read and reread the instructions, jamming buttons for nearly 45 minutes, before resigning myself to YouTube. Within seconds, an influencer had explained how to access the right menu. Enormous thanks to DavidBrandNew, without whom I would probably still be riding an ebike only slightly faster than I ride my traditional hybrid.

Ideal User

Despite some hiccups, I am very pleased with the Engwe EP-2 Pro. Many critics have been pleasantly surprised by its build quality and velocity on the road; this is not that cheap knockoff that many feared it would be. Ebikes are cumbersome vehicles by nature, and battery life is a pressing concern; at this point, I would hesitate to buy a model that couldn’t fold.

Many will use the Engwe as a commuter bike or errand-runner, which is great. The rear rack is equipped to carry heavy loads; I took a trip to the grocery store on the Engwe and loaded my panniers to the brim, and on the return I didn’t feel in the least encumbered. But the fat tires really open up the geographic possibilities. As long as you keep an eye on your electrical charge, you could potentially take the Engwe bikepacking.

For a bike in this price point, the Engwe EP-2 Pro is durable, comfortable, and multifaceted. And if you absolutely have to ride through one, the Engwe can probably handle a rainstorm.

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