Kent’s Electric Cruiser has plenty of limitations, but it’s doubtful the people buying this bike will care too much. This is a purely recreational bike for parents to keep up with their sugar-fueled kids on neighborhood rides or for couples getting a little exercise on their local kent mountain bike rail trails. If that’s what you’re looking for, the Kent Electric Cruiser will make both you and your wallet happy. The Shimano drivetrain shifted flawlessly between its eight speeds, and the mechanical disc brakes on the front and rear worked capably in dry conditions.
Things started off on the wrong foot when I realized some of the seat post assembly pieces were missing. (Luckily, my local bike co-op was able to hook me up with the needed parts!) But that was really the only major problem with assembly. Kent currently offers three electric models for adults, plus one for kids. Alongside the 27-inch Kent Electric and Kent Step-Through Electric, the Cruiser is more of a unisex offering and is available exclusively from Walmart. I chose the Kent 27.5” from Walmart for a couple of reasons.
While the Electric Cruiser was lighter than most e-bikes I’ve tested over the years, I would still hate to have to haul it upstairs or lift it onto a car rack. The model number can be found on the lower portion of the seat tube just above the crank on a black and silver decal.
However, here in the UK (where legally you need to be over 14 to ride one) a number of firms have been selling them for a while now – including major names like Scott, Cube and Moustache. For our third eMTB trip, I chose a 16-mile gravel forest service road. The first half was mainly uphill and the bikes performed magnificently. The last 7 miles turned into an obscure, unmaintained dirt/gravel downhill road covered in sticks, pinecones, sharp rocks, and other precarious tire-popping rubbish.
Even while pedaling and in the highest level of assist, the bike barely had enough torque to push me up the hill. At one point, I smelled burning plastic when it hit me that the smell came from the motor, which was burning hot from overuse. We are situated just south of Hawkhurst on the Kent / East Sussex Border. We are in The Bodiam Business Park, which is Rural Industrial Estate, with traffic free private roads allowing the peaceful, safe testing of electric bikes. If you have seen one on the street there, it was probably supplied by E-Bikes Direct. We know from experience our bikes are built to tackle the terrain of the Kent countryside & cities, both on and off road, with ease.
Within the zone, there are a few no-riding zones, however, those areas are either parking lots or places with high traffic. Students and community members around Kent’s campus will have a new way to get around starting kent electric bike March 7. “On an item that’s going to be $2,500 or $4,000, the non-e-bike components are only a few hundred dollars at most. If we have to pay an additional tariff on that, it’s not a big deal,” he said.