mtn weekly
Vanpowers UrbanGlide-Pro Electric Bike Review
Finally, a peppy e-bike that can handle bumps and takes battery safety seriously! Vanpower’s new UrbanGlide-Pro is a sleek step-through e-bike that reflects the company’s commitment to “clean, green mobility and sustainable e-bike development solutions.” We’d love to see the safety and comfort features on the UrbanGlide-Pro rolled out across all e-bikes. Read our comprehensive review below to see how this model stacks up against the fierce competition among step-through e-bikes.
Finally, a peppy e-bike that can handle bumps and takes battery safety seriously! Vanpower’s new UrbanGlide-Pro is a sleek step-through e-bike that reflects the company’s commitment to “clean, green mobility and sustainable e-bike development solutions.” We’d love to see the safety and comfort features on the UrbanGlide-Pro rolled out across all e-bikes. Read our comprehensive review below to see how this model stacks up against the fierce competition among step-through e-bikes.
About Vanpowers
Founded in 2021 by a group of creative and conscientious cycling enthusiasts, Vanpowers already has 5 models in the wild ranging from commuters to mountain to travel-oriented designs. Their primary R&D staff members have an average of 10 years of industry experience, with some having as many as 22 years of experience. The company realized early on the importance of speedy delivery and has built a reliable supply chain with local warehouses in the US, the UK, and Europe. Delivery usually takes 3 to 7 business days.
UbranGlide Series Models
The Vanpowers UrbanGlide series comes in three levels Standard, Pro, and Ultra (which we tested). The prices range from $1,299 for the Standard to $1,899 for the Pro to $2,499 for the Ultra. The increases in cost are associated with more accommodating frame sizes, a change from speed sensors to torque sensors, a slightly longer battery range, larger rear cassettes, a change from mechanical to hydraulic brakes, and adding suspension to the seat post. The table below uses data from the Vanpowers website and shows the exact differences:
| Standard | Pro | Ultra | |
| Cost | $1,299 | $1,899 | $2,499 |
| Color | Remy Green/Lava Red/Zircon Gray | Remy Green/Lava Red/Zircon Gray | Gunmetal Blue/Lava Red |
| Frame Size | S | S/L | S/L |
| Weight | 68.34 lbs | 70.55 lbs | 70.55 lbs |
| Motor | 500W High-Speed Brushless Hub Motor | 500W High-Speed Brushless Hub Motor | Bafang® M600 48V/500W Mid Drive Motor |
| Sensor | Speed Sensor | Torque Sensor | Torque Sensor |
| Range | 60-65 miles | 65 – 70 miles | 65 – 70 miles |
| Mode | Pedal-Assist/Throttle | Pedal-Assist/Throttle | Pedal-Assist/Throttle |
| Rear Derailleur | Shimano TZ-500 7-Speed | Microshift® RD-M26L 8-Speed | Microshift® RD-M26L 9-Speed |
| Brake | Mechanical Disc Brake, 180mm Rotors | Hydraulic Disc Brake, 180mm Rotors | Tektro® HD-E350 Hydraulic Disc Brake, 180mm Rotors |
| Stem | Zoom®Stem, 90mm | Zoom® Adjustable Stem, 90mm, 0-90 degree | Zoom® Adjustable Stem, 90mm, 0-90 degree |
| Seat Post | Zoom®Seat Post, 30.9mm, 350mm | Zoom® Suspension Seat Post, 30mm Travel, with Quick Release Clamp | Zoom® Suspension Seat Post, 30mm Travel, with Quick Release Clamp |
The Vanpowers UrbanGlide-Pro E-Bike comes in two sizes, small which accommodates riders 5’1” to 5’9” and large which accommodates riders 5’7” to 6’3”. Ordering one is further simplified by the up to 6-year warranty, free shipping, and hassle-free payment plans offered by financing partner Klarna.
While the site lists 14 hours a day 7 days a week customer phone support, we called and got an error message. We also realized that the “live chat” is just for intake. Nobody is there to chat you back in real time.
Frame
The Vanpowers E-Bike step-through frame makes hopping on and off for errands effortless. The frame can carry 260 pounds and the rear rack can carry a whopping 55 pounds. The quick-release seat post makes it easy to share the bike with friends as well as do on-the-fly changes.
The bike is well suited to handle the vibrations from cracked city streets or grassy lawns given the seat post’s 30mm of suspension and the fork’s 80mm of suspension.
The well-done cable management keeps the frame looking classy. One opportunity we found to improve the riding experience is raising the pedals or shorting the crank arms as we had multiple pedal strikes occur whilst pedaling through turns.
Sorry, no prices available at this time.
Motor and Battery
The battery is seamlessly incorporated into the downtube. The battery comes with a “Battery Wake-Up” button that wakes the battery up from its sleep state. If it’s not used for a while, the battery goes into sleep state where it will not supply power to the e-bike. We’d love to see other bike manufacturer’s consider this additional safety feature.
With the 500W High-Sped Brushless Hub, the Vanpowers UrbanGlide-Pro E-Bike can reach a top speed of 20 mph and the torque sensor, which measures your effort, and does a great job helping you get up to speed quickly. There are 5 pedal assist levels (1 being the least assist and 5 being the most assist) and a throttle lever on the left side. There is also a neutral mode for when folks want to pedal entirely on their own without any assist.
When testing the bike with pedal assist off to simulate a dead battery, we identified an opportunity to smooth out the pedaling experience in the next generation of the bike.
Circling back to the things the UrbanGlide-Pro does right, the 48V removable battery’s position in the downtube adds to the bike’s overall stability and low center of gravity. The low center of gravity makes the bike a joy to wiggle around corners. When pedaling, the battery provides roughly 60 miles of range. The battery charges using a standard wall outlet.
Components
The components seem to be good quality. The bike has a single-speed front cassette and a seven to nine-speed rear cassette depending on the model. Brakes come in either mechanical or hydraulic depending on the model. The brakes were surprisingly capable given the bike weighs 70 pounds. The bikes heft makes loading it into a car a two person activity.
The bike tech doesn’t stop at the battery and motor. The rear kickstand makes parking the bike a breeze. The flashing brake lights are super helpful. A simple yet elegant large LCD screen is located in the middle of the handlebars, shows speed, odometer, and battery level. A USB charging port is located at the bottom of the display.
Overall Impression
The Vanpowers UrbanGlide-Pro ($1,899) is a great option for folks who are keen on battery safety and ride comfort. The sleek design and peppy assist make it a classy fun commuter bike.