Those same tires, however, keep rolling resistance to a minimum, and the bike just flows along the trail beautifully. вЂњWe had one ride on a really windy day, and having the motor made that ride just as fun as the other days we just had to bump the power an extra mode higher.вЂќ As long as your seatpost height will allow for it, adding a suspension seatpost will certainly make your rides more comfortable. The fork provides a little travel, enough to take out some of the bumps in the road, but with the narrow, high-pressure Kenda Kwick Bitumen tires, any bump greater than a gum wrapper is passed right up to your backside. The Tektro brake levers have a reach adjustment to make them easier to actuate with different hand sizes. The upright riding position, nice sweep on the handlebars, ergonomic grips and overall geometry of the bike make it very comfortable on everything from short commutes or long rides. You can even do it after youвЂ™ve started pedaling, though itвЂ™s better to start it up than pedal. All the buttons to turn on and control the Bosch system are on the display, so firing it up is easy. This is a good all-around commuter or touring bike for someone that wants a bike thatвЂ™s well-made and dependable with power to tame hills and windy conditions and that wonвЂ™t break the bank.Д¬limbing aboard is easy in the step-through frame. The small 7-speed Shimano Altus drivetrain turns out to be plenty of gear range for even most hills. The included charger is a slower 2A version, but with the 400-Wh battery, it should still fully charge in three to four hours and can be charged on or off the bike.

The Purion display is an all-in-one unit that shows speed, battery level and assist mode (i.e., Off, Eco, Tour, Sport and Turbo). While this was an industry-standard capacity a few years ago, now itвЂ™s offered as a lower-cost solution to keep the cost of the overall bike lower and still offer the reliability of a Bosch system. The battery on this bike is a 400-Wh Bosch PowerPack. It has 40В N/m of torque and can add support of up to 250 percent of

It has a plastic gear wheel internally to help cut motor noise and a torque sensor that tells it how much support to offer you when pedaling (it actually takes over 1000 measurements per second, including torque input, cadence and wheel speed). ItвЂ™s the lower end for Bosch, but still provides plenty of oomph to get you going. The E3 Path+ uses a Bosch Active Line motor. The handlebars have a nice sweep and ergonomic grips, providing an upright riding position. The Izip Ergo Comfort saddle is generously sized and well-padded for those who want comfort while riding. It also has a kickstand mounted right by the left rear dropout, which is our favorite mounting spot because it stays out of the way when riding. There are bosses for a rear rack, and it comes with plastic fenders that are good for keeping you clean. The SR Suntour NEX fork offers 63mm of travel, enough to take the edge off of small bumps. The drivetrain has a 38T front sprocket, and the rear cassette is a Shimano HG200 7-speed with 12-32T and a display at the shifter to show you what gear youвЂ™re in at a glance. The small fits people 5-foot-3 to 5-foot-5, medium fits 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-7, and large fits 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-10 (so taller riders need not apply).ДЇor a value-oriented bike, the Path+ has some solid components, all name-brand stuff, like the Shimano Altus drivetrain, Alex rims, KMC e-bike-specific chain and Tektro brakes. Both come with a SR Suntour NEX fork that offers a modicum of travel to smooth out bumps in the road. In the diamond-shaped version, the battery is mounted on the downtube, and in the low-step version, itвЂ™s smartly mounted to the front of the seat tube to allow better clearance for stepping through. The Path+ is available in both diamond-shaped or a low step-through model. Izip is their brand devoted to reliability and value.ДЄlthough the Izip E3 Path+ has been around for over six years now, it definitely has evolved with the times by being updated in appearance and geometry and has gone from using a Bafang rear-hub drive to a Shimano Steps mid-drive motor to its current configuration using a Bosch Active Line mid-drive. Izip is part of Alta Cycles, a group that also offers brands including Diamondback, Raleigh, Redline, Haibike and Ghost for the North American market. IZIP E3 PATH+ COMMUTER BIKE Photo: Pat Carrigan

Izip e3 path