you are so lucky to live in US because we don't get such a variety and quality fat ebikes in Europe. Basically, we can buy only Engwe brand sadly and they don't have step thru bikes.
I'm so glad I waited one more day to order a Heybike Ranger. It's a very cool bike but you showed me the 750, 16, brakes, turn signals, cruise control, color display and they gave me the fat seat and front rack for free. Used your link too. Also ordered your phone mount but not sure I used your link when all was said and done. Sorry. Excited to get this. Thanks for a great review. Changed my mind on what to buy. Thanks so much! See you on the bike paths in Fort Collins Colorado. =)
Bought 2 myself a few days ago, same reasons, but switched from Lectric XP Long Range day I was going to order it watching this video. Ours are for our RV travels and looks a bit better for my wife to step over being in 60s plus I can set her throttle low till she gets used to it. Chat me up if you like.
Hey Bike was on my list along with lectric xp 3.0 long range or premium. Premium is for minimum height of 5' 2", and I'm 1 inch shorter. I assume that it is the suspension post that adds an 1" to any bike. Anyway, a new contender is on the podium after this review. Did you receive yours, yet? If so, has the snow melted enough to ride? Hope to here from you.
@@brentginastravelingadventures Lectric XP Long Range or Premium was almost ordered yesterday for my birthday yesterday (62) and then I'd heard a few comments regarding issues and held off. Now I have a new contender after this review. I'm 5' 1"...at least I was. lol This step thru looks easier to mount then the lectric. We hope to do some traveling, hence folding bikes. Please let me know how you and especially your wife like these bikes. Thank you!! *Lisa*
@L A Hawk I ended up with a Vitilan U7 step through. Best ebike for the size and $ I did receive it and it's amazing. I did purchase a Cloud 9 cruiser seat and a Suntour SP12 sestpost for it. Cushy soft ride now. Love it
Hi @Jeremiash, are you planning to review the new Ride1Up portola? I am having hard time to decide among vitilan u7, lectric xp3, and the ride1up portola. Thanks!
@@JJamahJamerson It's been very good. I had some issues at the beginning , but their customer support (China) was responsive and solved the problems without hassle. The bike is solid, has a lot of features that other bikes don't in it's class.
I only need the bike to ride on rail trails and neighborhood roads. I’m torn between this and the Lectric. The look of the step thru on this one appeals to me more than the Lectric. As I age😜 this step thru seems nicer. Great review.
Lectric has step through bikes. I think they do step through ones for each model now. I do like this a tad better than the Lectric though. The thing I do like more about Lectric though is that they're based in the US(Cali I think), so customer service and getting replacements parts etc should be much easier I'd imagine. Like most of the ebikes under 4k and above, the parts pretty much come from the same companies. But if you do buy from a company who if from the US/Canada and assembles those Chinese made ebike parts you know at least if you contact them you'll get somewhere in the end. GL with your purchase. It's a lot of money so it's great you're doing research. I'd suggest just doing a internet search of reviews(not from their own website or a paid ad site)and see what people are saying. Many times you'll find these bikes being sold by the companies on Amazon and you can see reviews of ppl you know are verified buyers. Check out all the negative and see if many of them say the same thing. That can tell you a lot. Many of the ones that are good have good like say for eg half off to change their bad review. So I look at bad and the middle of the road reviews for a good idea of the company.
Did you purchase a folding e bike, yet? If so, which did you select. I'm in research phase myself and was looking at the lectic 3.0 long range. I agree that I prefer the look of the step thru on this model as it seems to be lower and have a wider opening. I turned 62 yesterday, but have some joint issues and want to anticipate needing easier access. LOL I'm 5' 1" so seat height from ground and distance from seat to handlebars is a concern. Love to hear where you are at in the e bike selection process. (BTW we got a steal on a Tern Vektron from REI that was going to be for me, but my husband kept it as it was not a step through. Also, no throttle and I have RA and a knee that some days may require more throttle and less pedaling) *Lisa*
@@lahawk7410 I purchased an electric recumbent trike and absolutely love it. Way over what I thought I would spend for a bike but I’m so happy with my choice.
I like the look and what seems like a larger "opening" myself. I turned 62 this week and I have RA and knees and hips can be an issue so I'm thinking down the line not just present day.
ordered mine and upon inspection it has a 23 amp controller and when I messaged them they offered to send me a free lock and the 25 amp controller. I'm almost 300lbs so I need all the power I can get. Great bike and gets me to 25mph on flat ground throttle only
@@The2Ramseys I'm going to be swapping mine this weekend since I just got it. I will be testing 0-20 and 0-25. It will be interesting to see the difference. I'm 310lbs myself
Hello Jeremiah, after watching some of your great Vitilan U7 videos, I finally decided to order the bike. The bike arrives this coming Monday. On this video you touch on the pedal assist and gearing but me being a novice on the subject I was left wanting more detailed information on just that topic. I would love to see a video only addressing this subject obviously dedicated to those getting an ebike for the first time. I believe on one of your videos you touch on expanding the pedal assist up to pedal assist 9. You gave your personal % settings of 1-9. If you could please reply with those personal settings. I live in Florida which is mainly flatland. Or if you could please direct me to the video that shows those settings. Thank you, and as a subscriber, I will continue watching all the great videos you publish regarding the U7.
@@lahawk7410 I love it so far. It has been pretty cold here in Ohio so we haven't ridden it much (60Miles on odometer). Wife got a Lectric XP 3.0 and we enjoy riding when we can. When summer comes, we wont get off them! We live in a very hilly subdivision with constant 6-7% grades and it has plenty of power. I recommend it for sure.
@@The2Ramseys Thank you, Ron. Cold and snowy here in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Snowing as I type with a possible foot coming. I ran into a neighbor today who said to absolutely get a mid drive motor not rear or front hub. But then I read on YT that you ride them differently and must be mindful of the gears so as not to cause damage. Makes my head spin! (Our daughter and SIL are OH residents.)
@@rickflair4428 It's on their webpage right now... "M100" discount after signing up with your email. Not many bikes in this price range can spank a T42
I always notice folks out riding with their knees really bent. I think especially the older folks want the security of feet touching the ground, but it something that I always notice. I'm 5'1 and will probably have mine low until I'm completely comfortable....just have to decide which brand/model I'm going with. I think Jeremiah probably wants to easily touch the ground using that selfie stick and filming. lol
Thanks for your videos. This gave me almost all the info I needed. Hill climb power. Stability and brakes. I have looked at every folding bike out there and this seems to be the best bang for your buck. 16Ag battery, spoke wheels, and hydraulic brakes. This is the bike for my wife and myself. Have you done a range test on this yet?
@@JeremiahMcintosh Yes we finally got 2 of them today. Just as good as you said they were. Plenty of power on the hills and the brakes work great. We got the stock seats and the vittilan air seats. Not a big fan of either. I knew I would be happy with these bikes but I wasn’t sure how the wife would like them. But she is super exited. We only put 8 miles on them today and have to go out of town for a while with a family emergency so they will sit a while. Thanks again for your review. Especially all the hill climb reviews. That seems to be the best judge of the power of these things. E-bikes are new to us. I didn’t have a problem learning how to use them. Took my wife a bit to learn the pedal assist. Hardest thing for her was being in pas 3/4 and slowing down on a sharp turn or even a u turn and she would start pedaling mid way through the turn and the pas would kick in and power her up to 15-20mph when she wanted to do 8mph. I gave her 2 options. When she slows way down drop the pas down to 2 and/or don’t pedal in the turn and if you need a bit more speed just grab a little bit of throttle. The cruise control got her one time. I warned her if she held the throttle for more than 8 seconds it would go into cruise control and it was just like her car all she had to do was hit the brakes and it would go off. She was climbing a steep hill that had a cul-de-sac at the top. She had held the throttle on the hill and the cruise was on when she let off and I watched her rail around the cul-de-sac and up into an empty driveway just as she remembered and I was yelling out “brakes!” She won’t do that again. I think I can shut that feature off. Thanks again. We are going to love these bikes.
I just watched this video today and great information. I have a bad left hip and can no longer reach my left foot because my hip can't flex any more. I've been researching e-bikes so I can ride along with my wife who just bought herself a peddle bike. We don't have a lot of hills in our little town and the Vitilan U7 seems like a great option for me.
@@davidb.turknett4447 Thank you for the reply. Did you get a different model, or simply have not yet made a purchase? I've been told not to get a rear hub, mid drive only. Then I hear they are ridden differently so as not to cause damage....makes your head spin when trying to take it all in and decide what is best. I cannot afford 4 bikes like some of these folks...don't have the room anyway. lol Thanks and have a wonderful weekend.
Hey Jeremiah, if you're open to suggestions, I would love to see a video of you adding a second motor onto one of your ebikes and evaluating the increase in speed and hill climbing power. After seeing videos of the Ariel Grizzly dual motor, all wheel drive sounds like it would be a blast. We have a Vitilan U7 coming so I would love to see it on that bike in particular, but really any bike would do :)
Hey Jeremy that was a really good video but I wish you would have got into the control panel on it a little bit like how to adjust the pedal assistance stuff like that you know these bikes don't come with very good directions and it would have been nice to be able to see how you could adjust that for like say power level 12 or 3 or 4 however you wanted it
@@tenncutt I got the XP 3.0 and the Vitilan V3 for my dad, tell me what you planning to do with the bike and I will tell you which one is better. Type of terrain, speed, pedal assist mode, range, etc
It depends on a few different things but for the most part personally I like the Vitilan better because of the hydraulic brakes, bigger battery and stronger motor. I do like that the Lectric is a little more compact when folded.
@@JeremiahMcintosh I'm wondering how the xp3.0 long range compares? I appreciate your review as I decide on what bike to purchase. I'm 5' 1" and was thinking about the 3.0 premium but that states for minimum rider height of 5' 2". I think suspect the suspension seat post adds an inch on any bike.
Hi Jerimiah. Great Videos! DO you think its worth spending an extra 200 bucks on rear suspension? I plan on just doing light XC. It seems like the rear suspensions at this price point might not even be that helpful?
This is the company's mission statement: In such a fast-paced era of life,our products combine the love of technology and cycling with the concept of a healthy, fast and convenient commute. Let people ride freely in their spare time, shuttle through the beautiful nature, swim on the free coast, and enjoy the spectacular scenery of vast and blue sky, creating a life be full of endless possibilities for people. Idk, they seem sketch even if the bike is cheap.
There is a culture and language gap since this is an international company. If you can get past that - What they mean is get outside and enjoy the beauty of nature!
@@EuropaWill I suspect that they are mentioning the poor English and concerned that it is cheaply made from China or such. That is a concern with many of the ebikes out there, but other suggest good customer service and that is important. The days of selecting, trying and buying from brick and mortar stores in our home towns has disappeared!
@@lahawk7410 Almost all lower priced e-bikes (including Lectric) use the same parts mostly made in China. The differences are minimal. It depends on what you want and of course customer service is important.
Jerimiah, your review is one of, if not the best, that I've seen from reviewers. I'm getting resigned to needing a choice between speed and power. As I'm older and heavier than when I rode my Schwinn all over as a kid, this sounds like a bike to put at the top of the list of contenders. November in Wisconsin is horrible time to be shopping for a bike but then maybe not. I'm seeing some good discounts out there for "black Friday". I've ridden my motorycles all winter long for decades and have an electric vest and gloves. I've thought that a 13.8 volt port on the bikes would be a great feature for this. One thing that I've not seen is a windshield or leg farings as an option. I know I'm sounding rather out there but I have two motorcycles where they make a huge difference in the winter. One being my Goldwing where it actually diverts some engine radiator heat up to vents that make a few degrees difference within the still air envelope. But I digress. #1 feature of your review was hillclimb speed and top speed comparison of this compared to other bikes you've tested. thanks.
Totally agree with your points. For me, torque and hill climbing is ultimately much more important in my very hilly area vs top speed for perfectly level surfaces and this bike seems to have a decently torquey 750w motor. I'd rather the bike hit an extra 4mph going up hills, even if it means giving up 4mph in top speed on a level road. I'm also curious why we aren't seeing aftermarket fairings including handguards with integrated turning signals and windsheilds and leg fairings. It would really help them sell more products during the winter months for all of us northerners.
I also sent a message to them to give you an extra bump for changing my mind on what to buy. Hope it helps. Feel free to use anything I've posted for your channel or website. Thanks again.
I was checking out Black Friday deals (in Central WI) but never got one for myself. Looked at a Tern Vektron at REI that someone returned with under 200 miles and after it sat on the floor awhile they reduced it to where my husband couldn't refuse! It is not a step thru, so I chose to continue looking for myself. The Vektron was PA only and I've got a knee that some days is not going to allow full on pedaling so I prefer a throttle. Where did your research lead you?
Hey Jeremy I've got that bike in the i7 Pro it would be nice to know how to be able to adjust the pedal assist power-wise for each level I know how to get in there to take it from five or six or nine pedal-assist but I don't know how to adjust the power for each level and no one will do a review on this control panel and I don't know why
@@JeremiahMcintosh While I have you on here, I'm sure you can answer this question. On my U7 under P2 the voltage is set to 48 but I also see 52, do I need to change that or leave it at 48?
I give all your reviews a thumbs up to support your channel, even tho the bike doesnt appeal to me. You have done a BUNCH of fat tire bike reviews of late. How about doing some city ebike reviews, one in particular, the Mokwheel Mesa City. Any chance they send you that bike for review? Your reviews are very detailed, not much out there on the Mesa City.
Thank You for the support and the suggestion. Did you see my last video of the Euphree, it was a city style bike? I do have the Mockwheel Scoria to review but not the Mesa. Sorry
do you think that the bafang motor (which more or less has the same outward specs) is better than the one that the U7 comes with? are the tires advertised as puncture resistant? I do want tires with that dense plastic shield between the tire carcass and the tube if I can get it.
I not really sure but I haven’t had any problems with the U7 motor. I don’t think they have the puncture resistant liner you are talking about but you could always add one.
How would you rate this against the Lectric XP Step-Thru 3.0? I am a 54 Year old Disabled Vet with a bad Knee and back along with Asthma (COVID lungs). I am looking for a good step through so I can start moving a bit more.
It depends. They’re both great bikes but this one will have a little more power and more adjustability for each PAS Level in the display. The 3.0 will have a lower minimum seat height but if you add a suspension seat post to it you will lose a little bit of that.
Thanks for the exhaustive review Jeremiah, I wanted to let you know it helped me finally decide on this bike over my other candidates, and after watching countless review videos. I placed the order for this bike end of November, and I did use your provided coupon code. Still waiting for it to arrive 3 weeks later. I'm curious if the rear gearset is a freewheel or a cassette? Also curious if the display was set to 25amps from the factory or less (since the top speed seemed slower than expected for a 25amp controller fully unlocked). Can the display show realtime watts used by the motor? Manufacturers need to add a cruise control button or toggle on the twist throttle housing that allows the user to thumb press it to manually enter it. Automatic cruise control is a bad idea all around. Hopefully the display can be firmware updated in the future to support this, and the throttle swapped out with one that allows for manually entering cruise control.
It is a freewheel and I agree that the cruise control should be programmable. Everything was set to max in the settings when I tested it. Did your bike shop yet? Was it in stock when you placed your order?
@@JeremiahMcintosh It was "In-Stock" on their website when I placed the order end of November, it finally shipped a few days ago from CA via Fedex which was frustrating to wait that long for something supposedly in stock as they completely missed their initial delivery estimates. Even more frustrating was receiving an email from Vitilan that the price dropped by $200 after I placed the order and before it shipped and when I emailed them about it, they wouldn't honor the lower price with your discount code saying they removed all coupons when they lowered the price! It should arrive in a few days. Thanks for the info on the rear gears being a Freewheel. I'm considering swapping it out, but if 25mph is really the top speed of the bike, it may not really need much more pedal bite for top end, but it might benefit from a 32t or 34t for climbing the steepest hills. Do you think a 32t or 34t would physically interfere with the deraileur's operation? Is that why they don't include larger climbing gears than 28t? Speaking of which, i'm looking forward to seeing your Hill Climb part 2, and hope you include the U7 in it.
Glad it finally shipped. The reason I asked is because they sold out fairly quickly after I published The video. They did disable my coupon after lowering the price. First they changed the amount then they disabled it which to be honest is a little frustrating for me because I have to keep updating my description and thumbnail which makes more work for me lol. For the freewheel most companies use this one because I think it’s the cheapest and most standard freewheell you can get and in my opinion they all need to start using an 11 tooth Freewheel. Let me know what you think and how it goes after you get it. I am working on a second hill test video but it is going to be on a different paved hill showing different speeds of probably over 20 differen Ebikes.
Excellent video thank you for this great review. I do have a question regarding the GPS program that you use on your phone. If you could please share the information. I was sold on the heybike ranger, but I see now this might be a better bike. My only disappointment that you brought out, was regarding bikes display being so bloody dim. It does not even show.
The app I use is just called speedometer. Also if you do decide on this bike please consider using my link in this video when you order to help support the channel. If you go directly to their website through google then decide to use my link I will not receive the commission so please use the link before googling their website. If not that’s okay but just thought I’d mention it if you decide to help because they have been giving me a hard time about some commissions. If you have any other questions feel free to ask. Thanks.
@@JeremiahMcintosh thank you so much for your quick response. I went to the Google store, and found 10 different programs with the name speedometer. Can you please be more specific, or post the Link. I use an Android device. Thank you my friend.
Depends on your personal preferences and what you’re looking for in a bike. You can watch both videos and compare for yourself to see which one would be better for you.
Hey Jack I just measured it and with the suspension post the minimum seat height is 34 inches. If you purchased a non-suspension post you could probably get it down to about 31 inches but then it would be a little less comfortable riding.
How tall is your wife? I'm 5' 1" so seat height is of importance to me, as well. I saw somewhere how to measure for bike inseam and my bike inseam is 29".
@L A Hawk Hi, we got my wife a new bike ( Vtuvia V-Fs20 ) and she loves it. Alot lighter and easier to maneuver compared to the Espin. Her set height is 31 1/2 . She is 5' 2"
@@jacknobles5094 Thank you, Jack. I will have to look one up. I appreciate the prompt reply. Life is not geared for us petite gals. lol I see gals under 5 and they would have even less options so I guess I shouldn't whine.
I have the Vitilan V3 and it does 31-32 on flat no wind on a full charge and it has a 18a controller. I dont understand why this one being a 25a controller it wont do class 3 speeds?
Could be programmed differently. Also did you check The speed with GPS or go by the displayed speed. Lots of times the displayed speed is not always accurate.
I wonder if the computer has a hidden setting for setting your controller amps just like it does for battery voltage, and maybe out of the factory the controller amp setting is set to less than 25amps? Can someone check this for me?
Like a previous person said, your discount code did not work. Has it expired and do you think it would be worth a call to the company to get it reactivated??
I just made a video changing the freewheel on the Hovsco that explains it pretty well. Also changed it and made a video on the Lectric a few years back.
For the chest mounted GoPro I use these amzn.to/3HkEvVn On the Hand held ones I use this Rode wireless Go ii kit like this one amzn.to/3kRdcKB Disclaimer These are affiliate links and I will receive a commission if you use them. Hope it helps!
I like the hydraulic brakes, mag wheels, and uphill speed over the Lectric. I don't like the screen, free wheel, and throttle limits compared to the Lectric. How would you compare this to the Lectric?
I actually like the screen because it’s color and the ability to have a USB charge port under it. I agree with you on the Freewheel which is a pretty easy upgrade for around $35 if you do it yourself and it would be nice to have full throttle throughout all pas levels but I am loving the power of it! For the current price with my coupon I think it’s gonna be a hard deal to beat considering all that it comes with.
@@JeremiahMcintosh The screen looked good in the dark, but seemed very hard to see in sun light. In the video we could see your phone screen, but the bike screen was almost black.
It’s a little easier to see than what the video showed but yes my phone was a lot easier to see. Honestly I hardly ever look at the screen when I’m riding anyway lol
Jeremiah, great review thanks...I am all ready to purchase the UR, my only concern is the gernarc 750 w motor quality compared to the Vi7 name brand motor. Your opinion would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
From my initial testing there were no problems at all but I haven’t tested it long-term and don’t have a lot of miles on it so can’t say for sure. One thing I could say is between all the bikes I’ve tested and the many different brands of motors I’ve never had a problem with any of them yet. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help about that
@JeremiahMcintosh Finally getting back to you with some initial impressions on my Vitilan U7 now that I have around 50 miles on it. The box arrived with no damage, and the bike is very well packaged and almost entirely assembled so that was great. I had a bit of rocky start since I had a few issues out of the box (rear derailleur wasn't setup properly, rear brake wasn't working, and the 25a controller installed in my bike was buggy and non-programmable), so quite a disappointing first impression but after working with Vitilan support via email and sending multiple videos back and forth with them after the past few weeks, all of my issues are getting resolved to my satisfaction. Vitilan's after sale support is excellent. Though for a direct to retail consumer product, they should spend a bit more time getting the bike setup properly at the factory so customers have a smoother out of box experience and less need for that after sale support. They should also get their online order page working better, as I had multiple problems getting my order placed using a credit card and eventually had to use paypal. Perhaps my out of box experience is not typical and most customers have a great out of box experience, but I felt it important to share it. That said, once the bike is setup properly the U7 really is an impressive ebike with a great spec and Vitilan as a company is standing by their product. After a full charge, I was able to get 27mph GPS verified on the original controller but as the battery depletes, the top speed lowers progressively by about 2mph each battery bar to about a max of 20mph when the battery indicator is blinking almost dead, so voltage sag is noticeable. Not sure how that compares with other similarly spec'd ebikes. I say "original controller" because the replacement controller which looks exactly the same and has the same product number, is now spec'd at a slightly lower 23amps, and I haven't yet had warm enough weather here to do a top speed test with it after a full charge but I hope to soon and I will update you on top speed then. Prior to deciding on an ebike model, I had concerns about hill climbing since I live in a really hilly area and had no experience with other ebikes, but the U7 is a hill climbing beast if you pedal along with it. I live in a complex with a really steep hill in it, and the bike runs right up that hill at 10+mph with some moderate pedaling effort. That hill climbing performance really exceeded expectations and validated this bike had the right amount of power for my area. The ride quality is very comfortable with the tires set to 20psi and with the promotional seat that has an adjustable air bladder in it. On loose gravel, the bike feels really stable and light with those fat tires. For range I was able to get 38 miles on a fully charged battery before the battery icon started flashing on varied terrain (over a few days). For that range test I was mostly riding at around 10-13mph using PAS getting to know the bike while pedaling moderately for ~90% of the time. I'll do another test with the new controller to compare it. For negatives, I really wish the automatic cruise control could be disabled. It comes on when I wish it wouldn't. It should only come on when you manually long press the + button IMO. The hand grips spin too easily and any ebike in this price class should display better information about battery voltage and real-time watts being used while riding but this display/controller doesn't offer that information. Overall, once setup properly its a very good performing ebike backed by solid post sale customer support and it has a good look to it.
Update: I went on a 30.5 mile GPS verified ride today testing the bike using the new 23a controller and a fully charged battery. I attempted throttle only top speed on a few occasions during the ride and it was down 2mph vs the original 25a controller with a GPS verified max throttle only at 25 mph vs the previous 27 mph. I rode almost the entire ride in PAS 2 while pedalling the entire time and averaged 12.4 mph for the 30.5 mile trip and only used up two battery bars. I weigh around 180lbs. 2.5 hours on the seat and burned 1735 calories according to my fitness watch and I believe it!.
Hey Jeremiah, Just wanted to mention the front lights on the U7 are very good, and better than I expected them to be. I did some short night riding last night around my complex and not only does the front headlight illuminate a decent amount of the road & oncoming signs if aimed properly (making sure not to blind oncoming traffic and pointing mostly at the ground), oncoming cars definitely see me and adjust their trajectory accordingly. The headlights aren't nearly as powerful as a motorcycle's would be but at bicycle speeds it certainly gets the job done. I think Vitilan was smart to use the mini dual projector style lamp option that is included in the U7. I'd be curious to hear which ebikes stand out in your experience as having the best included lighting for night time use.
I ended up buying two bikes for our upcoming RV trip! Thanks so much, your video help seal the deal on this brand. Besides the RV channel you can see by clicking my name, I have a bigger channel on gardening. I'm mentioned because I've been using the old MS Movie Maker as my video editing and have just bought a gopro 10 and I need improved, but easy editing capability now with the higher resolution. A lot of info to get to my question: What video editing software do you use? Thanks again.
Awesome! I actually use my IPad Pro with an app called LumaFusion to edit all my videos. Here is a video I made about it 4years ago and the app is way better now. th-cam.com/video/Ti9Sdoc6zDk/w-d-xo.html
@@JeremiahMcintosh I’m not receiving them. Purchase a vitilan based on your recommendation. One I replaced the seat post I like much better than my radrunner plus , which was a little to bulky for me. I’m going to purchase an e-trike for my wife in the next few weeks and will rely on your reviews.
Maybe you don’t have the notifications turned on or are not subscribed anymore? I’ve only reviewed one etrike but make sure you check out that review and thanks for sticking around I appreciate you!
Honestly, just watch both of my videos to see which one is better for you however, the I7 I reviewed was not the pro version. It was the model before that so can’t exactly comment on the I7pro model.
Man that would probably be a tough decision but I would probably go with the U7 at the current price because of the larger battery, free front rack and it goes up hills faster than the T 42.
What did you end up with? I see the batteries are actually the same. The t42 is $1049 and u7 is $1199 so there is a decent price difference. But you do get mag wheels and turn signals
Initial impression was nice bike. HOWEVER, my seat post fell backward, front facing upward, a couple of days and locked up. I emailed and called trying to explain what happened to several persons who could not understand English. Their solution was for me to purchase an after market replacement which would not fold and would force me to remove the seat post every time I charged the battery if I wanted to charge while not attached to the bike.Finally, someone realized that it wasn’t that I was just dissatisfied with my seat post but it was defective. They then offered to send me a 25 mm seat post to replace the 27.2 mm post that came with the bike. While waiting for a replacement, someone apparently, partially understood me, and sent me a seat post that appeared different than mine, had no markings as I was able to force my original the seat post open and it seems to be somewhat ok, I don’t trust it though. Also after getting to ride a couple of miles I don’t like the way the bike hesitates, the noise or anything about the bike. I sold my radrunner to get a folding bike because of the hassle of using a bike rack. I decided to return the entire bike today 8/22/23 then I read the return policy., $300 shipping to return and reads like they will use any excuse to reject a return! If they refuse to refund after you send it, what happens? You can’t talk to them. My vitilan has no scratches but I don’t dare send it back. Before you buy, call the help desk . They understand almost no or no English! There is no comparison in quality to my old radrunner. I wish I had purchased the rad expand step thru!
Sorry to hear your unhappy with the bike. Unfortunately most companies do usually charge for return shipping because shipping is usually free to you when ordering. Some companies charge a restocking fee also. So the replacement seatpost was different and didn’t work? What noise didn’t you like about the bike? Where was it coming from?
I tested a lectra 2.0 (second hand) and the owner had put a road tires on it and the knobbies came with it. I can imagine that just riding around town on bike trails with black top road tread would be preferable. My only bike is a Trek from the 80's (low end mountain bike with zero suspension, etc) and eventually the knobby tires had to be replaced. The bike shop suggested a tire that had knobby tread on the outer edges and smooth inside...worked great in town even with all the sand on our roads. I hate to spend a ton of money after market making changes to seat post, seat, tires, etc especially on a bike that I buy before I try. I already tend to be indecisive. lol
@@lahawk7410 I own four e-bikes two by Fucare a 26" No name bike and a 3.0 Lectric. It really is a very good bike my wife likes it a lot. We do all city riding and it rides pretty good. Once you put the baskets on it or any other folding bike they no longer fold small. But it is a quality bike with US tech support which is a very important feature.
@@TheJHMAN1 I am aware that the racks/baskets prevent folding. It would be nice if there was a way for them to be a quick release (butterfly bolt or such). When we travel I would wear a backpack or whatever. So your wife is on the lectric 3.0? How tall is she? I've always had a boys bike (as a kid I wouldn't be caught dead on a girls) but at 62, I want the ease of a step thru and while I know ones legs should not be bent when pedaling and feet shouldn't really touch the ground when seated, I may want that option when first getting comfortable with the bike. I was looking at the 3.0 premium for mid drive motor and hydraulic brakes but then it is taller due to the suspension seat post. Thank you for responding, I truly appreciate it. I need to be a TH-camr and have bike companies send me bikes to test. LOL
@@lahawk7410 we are 62 also, my wife is 5.2 and I am 6.2 . I tried her bike and liked it. It's lighter than my Fucare which has a longer wheel base. Free bikes would be nice, seems like new ones every month.
I've done much shopping and comparison and concluded this was the best bang for the buck. I tried to put my order in via PayPal but something didn't work. Does anyone know if they have a US office or is this transaction going to China? My plan B is the Lectric 3.0.
I’m not sure but There was another guy reach out to me a while back and said he had a problem ordering with his credit card but was eventually able to order with PayPal so I’m not sure.
Would you still recommend this bike? Looks like it’s $1199 right now. I just tested your code and I don’t think it reduced the price. I will still use your link and code though if you think it’s good value still!
4 inch fat tires typically handle semi hard, packed sand really well but if it’s really loose, you may have some difficulty still. The frame is aluminum but I would definitely be cautious of salt spray because it will make the chain, derailer, and potentially some other steel parts rust.
all chinese bikes are still lacking in the ergonomics department. The handlebar should be better designed with an angle towards the rider and it should be adjustable not only in height but in depth too. Dutch bikes are an example of great ergonomics.
I have the Vitilan V3. I agree about the handlebars. I considered converting to a BMX bar, but instead, I took about two inches off the length from the bottom of the vertical post with a hacksaw. It doesn't alter the folding, but probably voids the warranty. It's a much more comfortable position that way, and I don't care about a warranty from people so far away. It's very fast (30+) and fun. I only wish I could disable the cruise control if I want it totally off, but it can't be done.
I agree I think they should give you an option to be able to enable or disable cruise control. I see a lot of bikes nowadays with the automatic cruise and many times there’s a setting in the display where you can disable or enable it but it never works because of the way they have it programmed. Maybe it will be updated in the future?
@@JeremiahMcintosh was easy to change the handlebar? Because you have all controls on it. You have to dismount the throttle, the screen, the brakes, the shifter....Would be good to see step by step video of how you changed it.
I didn’t change the handlebars on this bike, but I did a video a while back on a different one. Maybe that will help. th-cam.com/video/aJ0ZN5Knj3I/w-d-xo.html
@@JeremiahMcintosh UPDATE On previous comment. Although advertised that pas level ratios can be adjusted, and it's even in the manual on how to. We were advised by customer service that the current controller that ships with the u7 cannot be adjusted. So once you adjust a pas level the whole thing reverts to full power. A factory reset brought all levels back to normal which are way to fast anyways... It's pedal assist, not pedal and it will do it for you. Anyhow factory settings are set as they are . They are planning on a new control for future generations
I bought the 20ah battery bike U7 and the battery only lasts 20 miles on the flat no hills. vitilan only has excuses no real help. I wouldn't buy anything from them.
My reviews are always honest and I have very high integrity. You can see that by the negative things I mention is some of my videos when I find them. Also I was not paid for this review.
Thank you @jeremiahmcintosh for your reviews. I just purchase the U7 with your coupon code I will most likely want to change the seat that you have in the link below or a banana seat. love the look of banana seat and wonder if anyone tried this on their e-bike? I know FIIDO mod use banana seat but they do not have pedals...so wondering? Anyways thank you so much!
you are so lucky to live in US because we don't get such a variety and quality fat ebikes in Europe. Basically, we can buy only Engwe brand sadly and they don't have step thru bikes.
Yeah this is what I think too. So much choice.We in the UK have nothing and even if there was it would be expensive to buy.
Your videos are always fair and great. Keep up the great work.
I'm so glad I waited one more day to order a Heybike Ranger. It's a very cool bike but you showed me the 750, 16, brakes, turn signals, cruise control, color display and they gave me the fat seat and front rack for free. Used your link too. Also ordered your phone mount but not sure I used your link when all was said and done. Sorry. Excited to get this. Thanks for a great review. Changed my mind on what to buy. Thanks so much! See you on the bike paths in Fort Collins Colorado. =)
Hey Pete happy to have helped. Thanks for using my link, I really appreciate the support! Enjoy 🚵♀️
Bought 2 myself a few days ago, same reasons, but switched from Lectric XP Long Range day I was going to order it watching this video. Ours are for our RV travels and looks a bit better for my wife to step over being in 60s plus I can set her throttle low till she gets used to it. Chat me up if you like.
Hey Bike was on my list along with lectric xp 3.0 long range or premium. Premium is for minimum height of 5' 2", and I'm 1 inch shorter. I assume that it is the suspension post that adds an 1" to any bike. Anyway, a new contender is on the podium after this review. Did you receive yours, yet? If so, has the snow melted enough to ride? Hope to here from you.
@@brentginastravelingadventures Lectric XP Long Range or Premium was almost ordered yesterday for my birthday yesterday (62) and then I'd heard a few comments regarding issues and held off. Now I have a new contender after this review. I'm 5' 1"...at least I was. lol This step thru looks easier to mount then the lectric. We hope to do some traveling, hence folding bikes. Please let me know how you and especially your wife like these bikes. Thank you!! *Lisa*
@L A Hawk I ended up with a Vitilan U7 step through. Best ebike for the size and $ I did receive it and it's amazing. I did purchase a Cloud 9 cruiser seat and a Suntour SP12 sestpost for it. Cushy soft ride now. Love it
Hi @Jeremiash, are you planning to review the new Ride1Up portola? I am having hard time to decide among vitilan u7, lectric xp3, and the ride1up portola. Thanks!
Nice review. I was already pretty much sold on this bike and your review convinced me. I ordered a few accessories using your links.
Thanks Timothy! I appreciate that!
If you bought this bike how is it treating you?
@@JJamahJamerson It's been very good. I had some issues at the beginning , but their customer support (China) was responsive and solved the problems without hassle. The bike is solid, has a lot of features that other bikes don't in it's class.
I only need the bike to ride on rail trails and neighborhood roads. I’m torn between this and the Lectric. The look of the step thru on this one appeals to me more than the Lectric. As I age😜 this step thru seems nicer. Great review.
Thanks Karen!
Lectric has step through bikes. I think they do step through ones for each model now. I do like this a tad better than the Lectric though. The thing I do like more about Lectric though is that they're based in the US(Cali I think), so customer service and getting replacements parts etc should be much easier I'd imagine. Like most of the ebikes under 4k and above, the parts pretty much come from the same companies. But if you do buy from a company who if from the US/Canada and assembles those Chinese made ebike parts you know at least if you contact them you'll get somewhere in the end. GL with your purchase. It's a lot of money so it's great you're doing research. I'd suggest just doing a internet search of reviews(not from their own website or a paid ad site)and see what people are saying. Many times you'll find these bikes being sold by the companies on Amazon and you can see reviews of ppl you know are verified buyers. Check out all the negative and see if many of them say the same thing. That can tell you a lot. Many of the ones that are good have good like say for eg half off to change their bad review. So I look at bad and the middle of the road reviews for a good idea of the company.
Did you purchase a folding e bike, yet? If so, which did you select. I'm in research phase myself and was looking at the lectic 3.0 long range. I agree that I prefer the look of the step thru on this model as it seems to be lower and have a wider opening. I turned 62 yesterday, but have some joint issues and want to anticipate needing easier access. LOL I'm 5' 1" so seat height from ground and distance from seat to handlebars is a concern. Love to hear where you are at in the e bike selection process. (BTW we got a steal on a Tern Vektron from REI that was going to be for me, but my husband kept it as it was not a step through. Also, no throttle and I have RA and a knee that some days may require more throttle and less pedaling) *Lisa*
@@lahawk7410 I purchased an electric recumbent trike and absolutely love it. Way over what I thought I would spend for a bike but I’m so happy with my choice.
I like the look and what seems like a larger "opening" myself. I turned 62 this week and I have RA and knees and hips can be an issue so I'm thinking down the line not just present day.
ordered mine and upon inspection it has a 23 amp controller and when I messaged them they offered to send me a free lock and the 25 amp controller. I'm almost 300lbs so I need all the power I can get. Great bike and gets me to 25mph on flat ground throttle only
Where is the controller located if I wanted to check?
@@The2Ramseys located under the battery behind a metal plate.
Thank you!
Yup. 23a controller. Did you notice a difference in power? I’m about 300lbs as well. Wondering if I should reach out as well.
@@The2Ramseys I'm going to be swapping mine this weekend since I just got it. I will be testing 0-20 and 0-25. It will be interesting to see the difference. I'm 310lbs myself
Hello Jeremiah, after watching some of your great Vitilan U7 videos, I finally decided to order the bike. The bike arrives this coming Monday. On this video you touch on the pedal assist and gearing but me being a novice on the subject I was left wanting more detailed information on just that topic. I would love to see a video only addressing this subject obviously dedicated to those getting an ebike for the first time. I believe on one of your videos you touch on expanding the pedal assist up to pedal assist 9. You gave your personal % settings of 1-9. If you could please reply with those personal settings. I live in Florida which is mainly flatland. Or if you could please direct me to the video that shows those settings. Thank you, and as a subscriber, I will continue watching all the great videos you publish regarding the U7.
How is the bike going for you?
Just ordered one today thanks to your video. All of your reviews are the best.
Took my first 10 mile ride today. I love it so far. Just replaced the seat.
Great to hear Ron! Thanks for the update!
How is it working out for you?
@@lahawk7410 I love it so far. It has been pretty cold here in Ohio so we haven't ridden it much (60Miles on odometer). Wife got a Lectric XP 3.0 and we enjoy riding when we can. When summer comes, we wont get off them! We live in a very hilly subdivision with constant 6-7% grades and it has plenty of power. I recommend it for sure.
@@The2Ramseys Thank you, Ron. Cold and snowy here in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Snowing as I type with a possible foot coming. I ran into a neighbor today who said to absolutely get a mid drive motor not rear or front hub. But then I read on YT that you ride them differently and must be mindful of the gears so as not to cause damage. Makes my head spin! (Our daughter and SIL are OH residents.)
By far best Stepthru Folder deal at $1099 incl. 750/1200W, 85nm, 48V16AH, 25A controller, 3A chgr, mags, fenders, rack,
How do you get it down to $1099?
@@rickflair4428 It's on their webpage right now... "M100" discount after signing up with your email. Not many bikes in this price range can spank a T42
I have been debating between this exact bike and the t42. Need to make a decision soon!
@@rickflair4428 What did you finally get?
Why not raise the seat so you can get full leg stride and see how much better it feels when riding. Please do a video on that!
I always notice folks out riding with their knees really bent. I think especially the older folks want the security of feet touching the ground, but it something that I always notice. I'm 5'1 and will probably have mine low until I'm completely comfortable....just have to decide which brand/model I'm going with. I think Jeremiah probably wants to easily touch the ground using that selfie stick and filming. lol
Thanks!
@agmaui thank you so much for your support and generosity I greatly appreciate the super thanks!
Thanks for your videos. This gave me almost all the info I needed. Hill climb power. Stability and brakes. I have looked at every folding bike out there and this seems to be the best bang for your buck. 16Ag battery, spoke wheels, and hydraulic brakes.
This is the bike for my wife and myself.
Have you done a range test on this yet?
No I haven’t and probably won’t be able to until spring. Sorry
I used your link and your code did nothing. Maybe because the bikes are on sale right now.
Yes I believe that is the case but it’s actually a better deal now with the current sale. Did you order one?
My comments include range testing results in case you are still interested.
@@JeremiahMcintosh
Yes we finally got 2 of them today. Just as good as you said they were. Plenty of power on the hills and the brakes work great. We got the stock seats and the vittilan air seats. Not a big fan of either.
I knew I would be happy with these bikes but I wasn’t sure how the wife would like them. But she is super exited. We only put 8 miles on them today and have to go out of town for a while with a family emergency so they will sit a while.
Thanks again for your review. Especially all the hill climb reviews. That seems to be the best judge of the power of these things.
E-bikes are new to us. I didn’t have a problem learning how to use them. Took my wife a bit to learn the pedal assist. Hardest thing for her was being in pas 3/4 and slowing down on a sharp turn or even a u turn and she would start pedaling mid way through the turn and the pas would kick in and power her up to 15-20mph when she wanted to do 8mph. I gave her 2 options. When she slows way down drop the pas down to 2 and/or don’t pedal in the turn and if you need a bit more speed just grab a little bit of throttle. The cruise control got her one time. I warned her if she held the throttle for more than 8 seconds it would go into cruise control and it was just like her car all she had to do was hit the brakes and it would go off. She was climbing a steep hill that had a cul-de-sac at the top. She had held the throttle on the hill and the cruise was on when she let off and I watched her rail around the cul-de-sac and up into an empty driveway just as she remembered and I was yelling out “brakes!” She won’t do that again. I think I can shut that feature off.
Thanks again. We are going to love these bikes.
Super heloful, well filmed and spoken, thanks for sharing.
Thank you Brandon, glad you found it helpful!
I just watched this video today and great information. I have a bad left hip and can no longer reach my left foot because my hip can't flex any more. I've been researching e-bikes so I can ride along with my wife who just bought herself a peddle bike. We don't have a lot of hills in our little town and the Vitilan U7 seems like a great option for me.
David, did you purchase this bike? If so, how is it working out for you?
@@lahawk7410 No I have not.
@@davidb.turknett4447 Thank you for the reply. Did you get a different model, or simply have not yet made a purchase? I've been told not to get a rear hub, mid drive only. Then I hear they are ridden differently so as not to cause damage....makes your head spin when trying to take it all in and decide what is best. I cannot afford 4 bikes like some of these folks...don't have the room anyway. lol Thanks and have a wonderful weekend.
@@lahawk7410 I have not made a purchase. An ebike is on the back burner for now.
Can’t you change the settings to make it faster?
Hey Jeremiah, if you're open to suggestions, I would love to see a video of you adding a second motor onto one of your ebikes and evaluating the increase in speed and hill climbing power. After seeing videos of the Ariel Grizzly dual motor, all wheel drive sounds like it would be a blast. We have a Vitilan U7 coming so I would love to see it on that bike in particular, but really any bike would do :)
Good video on the cruse control can you go to the setting and disable it
Looking to buy in the spring of 23, this is at the top of my folding list. I may go cargo bike, just not sure yet.
Hey Jeremy that was a really good video but I wish you would have got into the control panel on it a little bit like how to adjust the pedal assistance stuff like that you know these bikes don't come with very good directions and it would have been nice to be able to see how you could adjust that for like say power level 12 or 3 or 4 however you wanted it
Thank you for the suggestion.
Nice work! If you can have only one folding ebike, is it going to be this or the XP 3.0?
Good question , wish he would answer
@@tenncutt I got the XP 3.0 and the Vitilan V3 for my dad, tell me what you planning to do with the bike and I will tell you which one is better. Type of terrain, speed, pedal assist mode, range, etc
It depends on a few different things but for the most part personally I like the Vitilan better because of the hydraulic brakes, bigger battery and stronger motor. I do like that the Lectric is a little more compact when folded.
@Jeremiah Mcintosh I would have bought this one instead, but i guess i didn't see enough of your videos. I like the look a lot better, too.
@@JeremiahMcintosh I'm wondering how the xp3.0 long range compares? I appreciate your review as I decide on what bike to purchase. I'm 5' 1" and was thinking about the 3.0 premium but that states for minimum rider height of 5' 2". I think suspect the suspension seat post adds an inch on any bike.
Hi Jerimiah. Great Videos! DO you think its worth spending an extra 200 bucks on rear suspension? I plan on just doing light XC. It seems like the rear suspensions at this price point might not even be that helpful?
Wow nice. I think better than Letric 3.0 for the money..
Thanks for another good video. For the price I think this is a pretty good bike.
This is the company's mission statement:
In such a fast-paced era of life,our products combine the love of technology and cycling with the concept of a healthy, fast and convenient commute. Let people ride freely in their spare time, shuttle through the beautiful nature, swim on the free coast, and enjoy the spectacular scenery of vast and blue sky, creating a life be full of endless possibilities for people.
Idk, they seem sketch even if the bike is cheap.
There is a culture and language gap since this is an international company. If you can get past that - What they mean is get outside and enjoy the beauty of nature!
@@EuropaWill I suspect that they are mentioning the poor English and concerned that it is cheaply made from China or such. That is a concern with many of the ebikes out there, but other suggest good customer service and that is important. The days of selecting, trying and buying from brick and mortar stores in our home towns has disappeared!
@@lahawk7410 Almost all lower priced e-bikes (including Lectric) use the same parts mostly made in China. The differences are minimal. It depends on what you want and of course customer service is important.
Thanks Jeremiah, awsome looking bike great review 👍
Thank You!
great review jeremiah enjoyed watching it well done.
Thank You Colin!
I’m trying to find mirrors to fit my u7. Does anyone know the diameter of the handlebars?
Jerimiah, your review is one of, if not the best, that I've seen from reviewers. I'm getting resigned to needing a choice between speed and power. As I'm older and heavier than when I rode my Schwinn all over as a kid, this sounds like a bike to put at the top of the list of contenders. November in Wisconsin is horrible time to be shopping for a bike but then maybe not. I'm seeing some good discounts out there for "black Friday". I've ridden my motorycles all winter long for decades and have an electric vest and gloves. I've thought that a 13.8 volt port on the bikes would be a great feature for this. One thing that I've not seen is a windshield or leg farings as an option. I know I'm sounding rather out there but I have two motorcycles where they make a huge difference in the winter. One being my Goldwing where it actually diverts some engine radiator heat up to vents that make a few degrees difference within the still air envelope. But I digress. #1 feature of your review was hillclimb speed and top speed comparison of this compared to other bikes you've tested. thanks.
Thank You Steve! Sounds like you love to ride! I appreciate your feedback 👍
Totally agree with your points. For me, torque and hill climbing is ultimately much more important in my very hilly area vs top speed for perfectly level surfaces and this bike seems to have a decently torquey 750w motor. I'd rather the bike hit an extra 4mph going up hills, even if it means giving up 4mph in top speed on a level road. I'm also curious why we aren't seeing aftermarket fairings including handguards with integrated turning signals and windsheilds and leg fairings. It would really help them sell more products during the winter months for all of us northerners.
I also sent a message to them to give you an extra bump for changing my mind on what to buy. Hope it helps. Feel free to use anything I've posted for your channel or website. Thanks again.
I was checking out Black Friday deals (in Central WI) but never got one for myself. Looked at a Tern Vektron at REI that someone returned with under 200 miles and after it sat on the floor awhile they reduced it to where my husband couldn't refuse! It is not a step thru, so I chose to continue looking for myself. The Vektron was PA only and I've got a knee that some days is not going to allow full on pedaling so I prefer a throttle. Where did your research lead you?
Hey Jeremy I've got that bike in the i7 Pro it would be nice to know how to be able to adjust the pedal assist power-wise for each level I know how to get in there to take it from five or six or nine pedal-assist but I don't know how to adjust the power for each level and no one will do a review on this control panel and I don't know why
Hey Don is it the same display that is on this bike?
I think so
Received mine 4 days ago but the weather is bad, so it has to sit in the living room, and I have to watch videos. lol
I feel ya. Around 10° here so no riding for me currently either 🥶
@@JeremiahMcintosh While I have you on here, I'm sure you can answer this question. On my U7 under P2 the voltage is set to 48 but I also see 52, do I need to change that or leave it at 48?
Leave it at 48 that’s the nominal voltage of the battery.
I give all your reviews a thumbs up to support your channel, even tho the bike doesnt appeal to me. You have done a BUNCH of fat tire bike reviews of late. How about doing some city ebike reviews, one in particular, the Mokwheel Mesa City. Any chance they send you that bike for review? Your reviews are very detailed, not much out there on the Mesa City.
Thank You for the support and the suggestion. Did you see my last video of the Euphree, it was a city style bike?
I do have the Mockwheel Scoria to review but not the Mesa. Sorry
@@JeremiahMcintosh Heading over to your channel to watch that as well.
do you think that the bafang motor (which more or less has the same outward specs) is better than the one that the U7 comes with? are the tires advertised as puncture resistant? I do want tires with that dense plastic shield between the tire carcass and the tube if I can get it.
I not really sure but I haven’t had any problems with the U7 motor. I don’t think they have the puncture resistant liner you are talking about but you could always add one.
How would you rate this against the Lectric XP Step-Thru 3.0? I am a 54 Year old Disabled Vet with a bad Knee and back along with Asthma (COVID lungs). I am looking for a good step through so I can start moving a bit more.
It depends. They’re both great bikes but this one will have a little more power and more adjustability for each PAS Level in the display.
The 3.0 will have a lower minimum seat height but if you add a suspension seat post to it you will lose a little bit of that.
Is it possible to change the freewheel out in these things ?
I haven’t changed it yet on mine but I have been thinking about it. I don’t see why not.
Would you recommend this or the gforce t42??? So difficult
will 2 of these bikes fit in my rogue suv??
Would I be able just to "fold" they handle bars down to fit between two cars in the garage?
Yes you can fold just the handlebars down.
Anyone have a way to add a passenger seat/footpegs on this?
Vitilan U7 vs Heybike Ranger? I'm leaning towards the Vitilan U7.
I'm open to any suggestions...help! 🙂
I like the U7 better because it’s faster and more powerful.
Thanks. I'll get one for myself and a Fabulous Mini X-Step for my wife. She wants an ebike with less torque.
Thanks for the exhaustive review Jeremiah, I wanted to let you know it helped me finally decide on this bike over my other candidates, and after watching countless review videos. I placed the order for this bike end of November, and I did use your provided coupon code. Still waiting for it to arrive 3 weeks later. I'm curious if the rear gearset is a freewheel or a cassette? Also curious if the display was set to 25amps from the factory or less (since the top speed seemed slower than expected for a 25amp controller fully unlocked). Can the display show realtime watts used by the motor? Manufacturers need to add a cruise control button or toggle on the twist throttle housing that allows the user to thumb press it to manually enter it. Automatic cruise control is a bad idea all around. Hopefully the display can be firmware updated in the future to support this, and the throttle swapped out with one that allows for manually entering cruise control.
It is a freewheel and I agree that the cruise control should be programmable. Everything was set to max in the settings when I tested it.
Did your bike shop yet? Was it in stock when you placed your order?
@@JeremiahMcintosh It was "In-Stock" on their website when I placed the order end of November, it finally shipped a few days ago from CA via Fedex which was frustrating to wait that long for something supposedly in stock as they completely missed their initial delivery estimates. Even more frustrating was receiving an email from Vitilan that the price dropped by $200 after I placed the order and before it shipped and when I emailed them about it, they wouldn't honor the lower price with your discount code saying they removed all coupons when they lowered the price! It should arrive in a few days. Thanks for the info on the rear gears being a Freewheel. I'm considering swapping it out, but if 25mph is really the top speed of the bike, it may not really need much more pedal bite for top end, but it might benefit from a 32t or 34t for climbing the steepest hills. Do you think a 32t or 34t would physically interfere with the deraileur's operation? Is that why they don't include larger climbing gears than 28t? Speaking of which, i'm looking forward to seeing your Hill Climb part 2, and hope you include the U7 in it.
Glad it finally shipped. The reason I asked is because they sold out fairly quickly after I published The video. They did disable my coupon after lowering the price. First they changed the amount then they disabled it which to be honest is a little frustrating for me because I have to keep updating my description and thumbnail which makes more work for me lol.
For the freewheel most companies use this one because I think it’s the cheapest and most standard freewheell you can get and in my opinion they all need to start using an 11 tooth Freewheel.
Let me know what you think and how it goes after you get it.
I am working on a second hill test video but it is going to be on a different paved hill showing different speeds of probably over 20 differen Ebikes.
Excellent video thank you for this great review. I do have a question regarding the GPS program that you use on your phone. If you could please share the information.
I was sold on the heybike ranger, but I see now this might be a better bike. My only disappointment that you brought out, was regarding bikes display being so bloody dim. It does not even show.
The app I use is just called speedometer.
Also if you do decide on this bike please consider using my link in this video when you order to help support the channel. If you go directly to their website through google then decide to use my link I will not receive the commission so please use the link before googling their website.
If not that’s okay but just thought I’d mention it if you decide to help because they have been giving me a hard time about some commissions.
If you have any other questions feel free to ask. Thanks.
@@JeremiahMcintosh thank you so much for your quick response. I went to the Google store, and found 10 different programs with the name speedometer. Can you please be more specific, or post the Link. I use an Android device. Thank you my friend.
How is it compared to the new Lectric 3.0? Witch is better?
Depends on your personal preferences and what you’re looking for in a bike. You can watch both videos and compare for yourself to see which one would be better for you.
@@JeremiahMcintosh my main thing is durability, I don’t really go off-roading as I live in NY.
Could you please measure the lowest seat hight position. We bought a step through for my wife and it's to tall 33 inches. Thanks
Hey Jack I just measured it and with the suspension post the minimum seat height is 34 inches. If you purchased a non-suspension post you could probably get it down to about 31 inches but then it would be a little less comfortable riding.
How tall is your wife? I'm 5' 1" so seat height is of importance to me, as well. I saw somewhere how to measure for bike inseam and my bike inseam is 29".
@L A Hawk Hi, we got my wife a new bike ( Vtuvia V-Fs20 ) and she loves it. Alot lighter and easier to maneuver compared to the Espin. Her set height is 31 1/2 . She is 5' 2"
@@jacknobles5094 Thank you, Jack. I will have to look one up. I appreciate the prompt reply. Life is not geared for us petite gals. lol I see gals under 5 and they would have even less options so I guess I shouldn't whine.
Nice bike! Great review! I like the hydraulic brakes and turn signals!!
25 Amp controller and it won't go over 25mph?
26 mph which isn’t too far from the 28 mph of a class 3 e-bike but the power makes up for it when hitting hills.
I have the Vitilan V3 and it does 31-32 on flat no wind on a full charge and it has a 18a controller. I dont understand why this one being a 25a controller it wont do class 3 speeds?
Could be programmed differently. Also did you check The speed with GPS or go by the displayed speed. Lots of times the displayed speed is not always accurate.
I wonder if the computer has a hidden setting for setting your controller amps just like it does for battery voltage, and maybe out of the factory the controller amp setting is set to less than 25amps? Can someone check this for me?
Looks like most of these are limited from the factory and can be changed in the settings to get more top speed
Like a previous person said, your discount code did not work. Has it expired and do you think it would be worth a call to the company to get it reactivated??
Thanks for letting me know. I believe it is not working because the bikes are currently on sale so it won’t work with the sale price.
Morning, Where can I get the gear set you are talking about, and is it worth the change? Thanks and keep those videos coming
Yes...
Like to know about gear teething
I just made a video changing the freewheel on the Hovsco that explains it pretty well. Also changed it and made a video on the Lectric a few years back.
Thanks for posting interested ebike I may have missed it but how much does it cost that's a b
Love the review. How are you keeping the wind noise out of your gopro? What's your camera sound setup?
For the chest mounted GoPro I use these amzn.to/3HkEvVn
On the Hand held ones I use this Rode wireless Go ii kit like this one amzn.to/3kRdcKB
Disclaimer These are affiliate links and I will receive a commission if you use them.
Hope it helps!
@@JeremiahMcintosh Thank you so much!
I like the hydraulic brakes, mag wheels, and uphill speed over the Lectric. I don't like the screen, free wheel, and throttle limits compared to the Lectric. How would you compare this to the Lectric?
I actually like the screen because it’s color and the ability to have a USB charge port under it. I agree with you on the Freewheel which is a pretty easy upgrade for around $35 if you do it yourself and it would be nice to have full throttle throughout all pas levels but I am loving the power of it! For the current price with my coupon I think it’s gonna be a hard deal to beat considering all that it comes with.
@@JeremiahMcintosh The screen looked good in the dark, but seemed very hard to see in sun light. In the video we could see your phone screen, but the bike screen was almost black.
It’s a little easier to see than what the video showed but yes my phone was a lot easier to see. Honestly I hardly ever look at the screen when I’m riding anyway lol
Jeremiah, great review thanks...I am all ready to purchase the UR, my only concern is the gernarc 750 w motor quality compared to the Vi7 name brand motor. Your opinion would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
From my initial testing there were no problems at all but I haven’t tested it long-term and don’t have a lot of miles on it so can’t say for sure. One thing I could say is between all the bikes I’ve tested and the many different brands of motors I’ve never had a problem with any of them yet. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help about that
Thank You
@JeremiahMcintosh Finally getting back to you with some initial impressions on my Vitilan U7 now that I have around 50 miles on it. The box arrived with no damage, and the bike is very well packaged and almost entirely assembled so that was great. I had a bit of rocky start since I had a few issues out of the box (rear derailleur wasn't setup properly, rear brake wasn't working, and the 25a controller installed in my bike was buggy and non-programmable), so quite a disappointing first impression but after working with Vitilan support via email and sending multiple videos back and forth with them after the past few weeks, all of my issues are getting resolved to my satisfaction. Vitilan's after sale support is excellent. Though for a direct to retail consumer product, they should spend a bit more time getting the bike setup properly at the factory so customers have a smoother out of box experience and less need for that after sale support. They should also get their online order page working better, as I had multiple problems getting my order placed using a credit card and eventually had to use paypal. Perhaps my out of box experience is not typical and most customers have a great out of box experience, but I felt it important to share it.
That said, once the bike is setup properly the U7 really is an impressive ebike with a great spec and Vitilan as a company is standing by their product. After a full charge, I was able to get 27mph GPS verified on the original controller but as the battery depletes, the top speed lowers progressively by about 2mph each battery bar to about a max of 20mph when the battery indicator is blinking almost dead, so voltage sag is noticeable. Not sure how that compares with other similarly spec'd ebikes. I say "original controller" because the replacement controller which looks exactly the same and has the same product number, is now spec'd at a slightly lower 23amps, and I haven't yet had warm enough weather here to do a top speed test with it after a full charge but I hope to soon and I will update you on top speed then.
Prior to deciding on an ebike model, I had concerns about hill climbing since I live in a really hilly area and had no experience with other ebikes, but the U7 is a hill climbing beast if you pedal along with it. I live in a complex with a really steep hill in it, and the bike runs right up that hill at 10+mph with some moderate pedaling effort. That hill climbing performance really exceeded expectations and validated this bike had the right amount of power for my area. The ride quality is very comfortable with the tires set to 20psi and with the promotional seat that has an adjustable air bladder in it. On loose gravel, the bike feels really stable and light with those fat tires. For range I was able to get 38 miles on a fully charged battery before the battery icon started flashing on varied terrain (over a few days). For that range test I was mostly riding at around 10-13mph using PAS getting to know the bike while pedaling moderately for ~90% of the time. I'll do another test with the new controller to compare it.
For negatives, I really wish the automatic cruise control could be disabled. It comes on when I wish it wouldn't. It should only come on when you manually long press the + button IMO. The hand grips spin too easily and any ebike in this price class should display better information about battery voltage and real-time watts being used while riding but this display/controller doesn't offer that information. Overall, once setup properly its a very good performing ebike backed by solid post sale customer support and it has a good look to it.
Great to hear your feedback and thank you for sharing your experience with all of us!
Update: I went on a 30.5 mile GPS verified ride today testing the bike using the new 23a controller and a fully charged battery. I attempted throttle only top speed on a few occasions during the ride and it was down 2mph vs the original 25a controller with a GPS verified max throttle only at 25 mph vs the previous 27 mph. I rode almost the entire ride in PAS 2 while pedalling the entire time and averaged 12.4 mph for the 30.5 mile trip and only used up two battery bars. I weigh around 180lbs. 2.5 hours on the seat and burned 1735 calories according to my fitness watch and I believe it!.
Thanks for the update. I’m sure others will find it helpful.
Hey Jeremiah, Just wanted to mention the front lights on the U7 are very good, and better than I expected them to be. I did some short night riding last night around my complex and not only does the front headlight illuminate a decent amount of the road & oncoming signs if aimed properly (making sure not to blind oncoming traffic and pointing mostly at the ground), oncoming cars definitely see me and adjust their trajectory accordingly. The headlights aren't nearly as powerful as a motorcycle's would be but at bicycle speeds it certainly gets the job done. I think Vitilan was smart to use the mini dual projector style lamp option that is included in the U7. I'd be curious to hear which ebikes stand out in your experience as having the best included lighting for night time use.
I ended up buying two bikes for our upcoming RV trip! Thanks so much, your video help seal the deal on this brand. Besides the RV channel you can see by clicking my name, I have a bigger channel on gardening. I'm mentioned because I've been using the old MS Movie Maker as my video editing and have just bought a gopro 10 and I need improved, but easy editing capability now with the higher resolution. A lot of info to get to my question: What video editing software do you use? Thanks again.
Awesome! I actually use my IPad Pro with an app called LumaFusion to edit all my videos. Here is a video I made about it 4years ago and the app is way better now. th-cam.com/video/Ti9Sdoc6zDk/w-d-xo.html
Great job
What happened, are you no longer reviewing?
I’m not sure what you mean? I post new content weekly.
@@JeremiahMcintosh I’m not receiving them. Purchase a vitilan based on your recommendation. One I replaced the seat post I like much better than my radrunner plus , which was a little to bulky for me. I’m going to purchase an e-trike for my wife in the next few weeks and will rely on your reviews.
Maybe you don’t have the notifications turned on or are not subscribed anymore? I’ve only reviewed one etrike but make sure you check out that review and thanks for sticking around I appreciate you!
Would you say this is better than getting the i7 pro?
Depends on what you want they are both nice bikes.
@@JeremiahMcintosh looking for speed to commute to work . Not really planning on taking them out on off road terrains. Just on roads/ sidewalks.
Honestly, just watch both of my videos to see which one is better for you however, the I7 I reviewed was not the pro version. It was the model before that so can’t exactly comment on the I7pro model.
Do the shengmilo mx03
Hey Jeremiah, great review as always. If you had to choose one the U7 or the G-Force t42 do you have a preference?
Man that would probably be a tough decision but I would probably go with the U7 at the current price because of the larger battery, free front rack and it goes up hills faster than the T 42.
@@JeremiahMcintosh Thanks Jeremiah, I appreciate it!
Which did u go for and how is it
What did you end up with? I see the batteries are actually the same. The t42 is $1049 and u7 is $1199 so there is a decent price difference. But you do get mag wheels and turn signals
Initial impression was nice bike. HOWEVER, my seat post fell backward, front facing upward, a couple of days and locked up. I emailed and called trying to explain what happened to several persons who could not understand English. Their solution was for me to purchase an after market replacement which would not fold and would force me to remove the seat post every time I charged the battery if I wanted to charge while not attached to the bike.Finally, someone realized that it wasn’t that I was just dissatisfied with my seat post but it was defective. They then offered to send me a 25 mm seat post to replace the 27.2 mm post that came with the bike. While waiting for a replacement, someone apparently, partially understood me, and sent me a seat post that appeared different than mine, had no markings as I was able to force my original the seat post open and it seems to be somewhat ok, I don’t trust it though. Also after getting to ride a couple of miles I don’t like the way the bike hesitates, the noise or anything about the bike. I sold my radrunner to get a folding bike because of the hassle of using a bike rack. I decided to return the entire bike today 8/22/23 then I read the return policy., $300 shipping to return and reads like they will use any excuse to reject a return! If they refuse to refund after you send it, what happens? You can’t talk to them. My vitilan has no scratches but I don’t dare send it back. Before you buy, call the help desk . They understand almost no or no English! There is no comparison in quality to my old radrunner. I wish I had purchased the rad expand step thru!
Sorry to hear your unhappy with the bike. Unfortunately most companies do usually charge for return shipping because shipping is usually free to you when ordering. Some companies charge a restocking fee also.
So the replacement seatpost was different and didn’t work?
What noise didn’t you like about the bike? Where was it coming from?
What App do you use to show MPH on your phone?
It’s called speedometer with the #69 on it
Good video. Terrible road noise.
I wish more makers would go to no spoke wheels, and tires with road tread not knobby on every thing. How about tire style as a choice or an accessory.
I tested a lectra 2.0 (second hand) and the owner had put a road tires on it and the knobbies came with it. I can imagine that just riding around town on bike trails with black top road tread would be preferable. My only bike is a Trek from the 80's (low end mountain bike with zero suspension, etc) and eventually the knobby tires had to be replaced. The bike shop suggested a tire that had knobby tread on the outer edges and smooth inside...worked great in town even with all the sand on our roads. I hate to spend a ton of money after market making changes to seat post, seat, tires, etc especially on a bike that I buy before I try. I already tend to be indecisive. lol
@@lahawk7410 I own four e-bikes two by Fucare a 26" No name bike and a 3.0 Lectric. It really is a very good bike my wife likes it a lot. We do all city riding and it rides pretty good. Once you put the baskets on it or any other folding bike they no longer fold small. But it is a quality bike with US tech support which is a very important feature.
@@TheJHMAN1 I am aware that the racks/baskets prevent folding. It would be nice if there was a way for them to be a quick release (butterfly bolt or such). When we travel I would wear a backpack or whatever. So your wife is on the lectric 3.0? How tall is she? I've always had a boys bike (as a kid I wouldn't be caught dead on a girls) but at 62, I want the ease of a step thru and while I know ones legs should not be bent when pedaling and feet shouldn't really touch the ground when seated, I may want that option when first getting comfortable with the bike. I was looking at the 3.0 premium for mid drive motor and hydraulic brakes but then it is taller due to the suspension seat post. Thank you for responding, I truly appreciate it. I need to be a TH-camr and have bike companies send me bikes to test. LOL
@@lahawk7410 we are 62 also, my wife is 5.2 and I am 6.2 . I tried her bike and liked it. It's lighter than my Fucare which has a longer wheel base. Free bikes would be nice, seems like new ones every month.
Deseo conocer su hermoso producto en español gracias
I've done much shopping and comparison and concluded this was the best bang for the buck. I tried to put my order in via PayPal but something didn't work. Does anyone know if they have a US office or is this transaction going to China? My plan B is the Lectric 3.0.
I’m not sure but There was another guy reach out to me a while back and said he had a problem ordering with his credit card but was eventually able to order with PayPal so I’m not sure.
Would you still recommend this bike? Looks like it’s $1199 right now. I just tested your code and I don’t think it reduced the price. I will still use your link and code though if you think it’s good value still!
Yes I believe it is still a good deal. Thank you for wanting to use my link help support the channel! It is greatly appreciated!
Nope.1299 with code32ah battery. 48volt 750 watt. Bang that 😮
Would it work on various types of beach sand? Can it handle salt spray?
4 inch fat tires typically handle semi hard, packed sand really well but if it’s really loose, you may have some difficulty still.
The frame is aluminum but I would definitely be cautious of salt spray because it will make the chain, derailer, and potentially some other steel parts rust.
Anyone purchase this e-bike? Thoughts?
all chinese bikes are still lacking in the ergonomics department. The handlebar should be better designed with an angle towards the rider and it should be adjustable not only in height but in depth too. Dutch bikes are an example of great ergonomics.
Simple fix if needed with an upgraded set of mustache style handlebars like I did on the Lectric XP.
I have the Vitilan V3. I agree about the handlebars. I considered converting to a BMX bar, but instead, I took about two inches off the length from the bottom of the vertical post with a hacksaw. It doesn't alter the folding, but probably voids the warranty. It's a much more comfortable position that way, and I don't care about a warranty from people so far away. It's very fast (30+) and fun. I only wish I could disable the cruise control if I want it totally off, but it can't be done.
I agree I think they should give you an option to be able to enable or disable cruise control. I see a lot of bikes nowadays with the automatic cruise and many times there’s a setting in the display where you can disable or enable it but it never works because of the way they have it programmed.
Maybe it will be updated in the future?
@@JeremiahMcintosh was easy to change the handlebar? Because you have all controls on it. You have to dismount the throttle, the screen, the brakes, the shifter....Would be good to see step by step video of how you changed it.
I didn’t change the handlebars on this bike, but I did a video a while back on a different one. Maybe that will help. th-cam.com/video/aJ0ZN5Knj3I/w-d-xo.html
Bike sucks, dad bought one and out of the box pas 1 bast's you to full power 25+mph. You"adjust" pas 1 to 10%.... Still hits friggin top speed
You can’t change or fix this? Did you contact support?
@@rickflair4428 tried everything, setting up a return.
That’s strange. Definitely something wrong with it if you can’t adjust the speed of the pas levels.
@@JeremiahMcintosh UPDATE On previous comment. Although advertised that pas level ratios can be adjusted, and it's even in the manual on how to. We were advised by customer service that the current controller that ships with the u7 cannot be adjusted. So once you adjust a pas level the whole thing reverts to full power. A factory reset brought all levels back to normal which are way to fast anyways... It's pedal assist, not pedal and it will do it for you. Anyhow factory settings are set as they are . They are planning on a new control for future generations
Warning if you attempt to adjust the levels as directed in the manual it goes out of wack
I bought the 20ah battery bike U7 and the battery only lasts 20 miles on the flat no hills. vitilan only has excuses no real help. I wouldn't buy anything from them.
How can you give an honest review when you are getting paid to review a bike?
My reviews are always honest and I have very high integrity. You can see that by the negative things I mention is some of my videos when I find them. Also I was not paid for this review.
Thank you @jeremiahmcintosh for your reviews. I just purchase the U7 with your coupon code I will most likely want to change the seat that you have in the link below or a banana seat. love the look of banana seat and wonder if anyone tried this on their e-bike? I know FIIDO mod use banana seat but they do not have pedals...so wondering? Anyways thank you so much!
Thank you for your support!
Just wondering did you use the link in the description of my video to order?
@@JeremiahMcintosh Hi , I am in Canada so It got redirected for my country and the code worked 😊