It came in just a few pieces (seat, handlebars, front wheel, pedals), all of which I’ve already assembled and adjusted in my analog bikes. I still wrangled two friends for assistance, which proved helpful since it is somewhat unwieldy to wrestle the heavy frame in place with everything aligned.
Unlike the other bike in this line, the Ranger S ($1,099), you don’t need the HeyBike app to use the Ranger Pro. The app lets you change the bike settings, update firmware, and track rides, but it’s not necessary to activate the bike. It charged to 100 percent in just three hours out of the box and has since taken around seven hours to fully charge in an AC outlet after running down the battery, which is on par with my full-size Radster Road.
Photograph: Maggie Slepian
I tested this bike during a chaotic spring here in Montana, which means muddy bike lanes, drizzle, sleet, and a lot of puddles. Unlike my full-size ebike, the Ranger Pro has a fully enclosed battery and has an IP65 waterproof rating (which means it can withstand direct hits from pouring water but isn’t submersible). I was never stressed riding it to town for errands in the rain.
Along with step-through access and cargo-carrying, this bike’s main accessibility feature is its foldable design, which reduces it to half its size. The two main break points are at the base of the handlebars and the center-base of the frame. Pull the latches to disengage, then hinge the frame and handlebars, and the bike can be tucked in the corner of a garage or fit in the back seat of a car. It weighs 65 pounds and is an unwieldy load to carry, but the storage convenience is stellar.
I was somewhat nervous riding 20 miles per hour in traffic, knowing that two latches were the only barriers between the bike in one piece and the frame literally folded in half, but everything stayed secure. I’ve zipped this bike through some of the ugliest potholes Montana has to offer, and nothing has shaken loose or opened.
Top-Notch Handling
Photograph: Maggie Slepian
The bike has a whopping 440-pound load limit (you’ll have to buy the baskets ($89) and panniers ($59) separately), but I had good luck strapping down my gym bag, yoga mat, and grocery hauler on the rear rack. I’m accustomed to full-size bikes with taller frames, so I wasn’t sure how a folding cargo ebike would handle, but it did better than my full-size upright ebike.
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