Pedego was one of the earliest companies to see the promise of ebikes and to build them at scale. It sales model was based around developing retail stores hosting both sales and rental options for customers. It was a great option, as it let prospective buyers see Pedego’s various ebikes in person, rent a bike for a day, and even pick it up in person.
📌 The Core Development
When ebikes moved into the mass market, Pedego was slow to adapt, and as a result, its $4,000 ebikes felt expensive and uncompetitive . Its retail stores were compelling and it felt like the company had a solid foothold in the market, so we were excited when Pedego reached out about the more affordable $2,195 Pedego Element 2.
Disclaimer: Pedego provided the Element 2 to the author for the purposes of this review.
🔍 Background & Sector Context
We were excited to put the model through its paces to see how the company had improved its bikes for the masses and to see if they had cut any corners to achieve the lower pricing that they’re now able to offer. Assembly for the Pedego Element 2 was straightforward. It needed pedals, the handlebars to be mounted to the stem, and a few other odds and ends. But all told, it was very easy and straightforward to get it from the box to being street ready.
Hitting the streets, we found the low-step frame to be extremely comfortable, with an attractive colorway in its satin finish paint. Ours came in a sand color that’s extremely attractive and looks modern with the black accents on the bike.
📊 Industry & Real-World Impact
The Element 2 has an integrated rack to which Pedego fitted a set of panniers for us that make it just the ultimate cargo bike right out of the box. We loaded this up with some groceries on a neighborhood run to pick up some food for dinner and found it to be more than capable of both getting down the hill loaded up with groceries and, obviously back to the house.
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🔮 Strategic Outlook & What Lies Ahead
Taking it on a run down to the beach, the Pedego is a breeze and feels very confident, especially with its oversized knobby tires. Their larger volume gives it a bit of extra cushion and complements the front suspension fork, making for a very comfortable and confident ride whether you’re on the road or on a short bit of dirt.
On that note, don’t let the knobby tires and suspension fork fool you into thinking this is an all-terrain machine. While it can handle the occasional stint on the dirt, it was never designed to excel in off-road adventures.
