I now have officially 3 e-bikes! So here are my thoughts on what I got and where you can get a few for yourself!
Carver Route E.410 E-bike
The Carver Route E.410 is my main e-bike. This is a pedal-assist style e-bike. It’s been a workhorse bike for me and it’s my go-to bike for riding to work. It does have some updates which includes an upgraded gel seat and an ergonomic handlebar.
The bike is pedal-assist and the motor is inside the frame where the pedals connect into the bike. It’s a Bosch motor and has 4 levels of assist – Eco, Touring, Sport, and Turbo! It’s an unusual feeling when compared to a regular bike. This bike is assist so the motor actually makes the feeling of pedaling easier and almost feels like friction is reduced. It really helps with hill when it’s in turbo mode! You can really keep the speed up compared to someone on a regular bike!
I bought this bike used for approximately $1,000 on Facebook marketplace. It is a few years old. The bike is currently €2,199 during a sale but normally €2,799. This is a German-made bike and I really like the construction. It’s survived at least one moderate accident while I’ve owned it and it’s still trucking! I like German products and this bike continues to show up!
Hanevear RX20 MAX-Pro 2WD E-bike
The Hanevear RX20 Max-Pro is my main backroad e-bike. This bike was a Euro-spec bike and the American version is called the Hanevear H100. My guess is they are identical except for some stickers, decals, and the charging cord plug shape.
This bike is truly a beast of a big wheel bike! It seems more like dirt bike than e-bike! It’s 2WD and really likes to take off when all wheels are moving. You can ride in back wheel drive but the responsiveness, top-speed, and acceleration are reduced. But when you’re back in the forest and you have a wide open trail, it’s a lot of fun for exploring the muddy trails after a rain!
Here’s some of the issues with this bike. It’s from China. The phone numbers for support is a Chinese phone number. The email is pretty simple but is a Hanevear domain so at least “Linda” seems to be loosely associated with the company. It did ship from a warehouse in Poland and made it to Germany in a few days. All good there!
The bike is a bit unusual to say the least. The brake handles are switched i.e. back wheel on the right and front wheel on the left is what I’m accustomed to and all my other bikes are like…but this bike is the opposite – back wheel is left, front wheel is right. The key has to be in the battery for it to be on so the key is just sticking out the bottom…weird.
The menus in the computer are also weird. The official manual it came with is scant on data and what each numbered menu means. I found another menu on the website and used that. But even that one doesn’t fully explain what each menu change does. I’ve had to just test out different settings and see what happens. I’ve had to test different menu options, PAS settings, and throttle or pedal pushes to see when the motor engages.
My Carver Route E.410 is my preferred for everyday use.