The first, and only, time I rode an electric bike was while on vacation in Geneva, where the hotel I was staying at offered them for guests to try. So I did and loved being able to to zip up the hilly cobblestone streets of Old Town without breaking a sweat. I remember thinking, I gotta get me one of these e-bikes for cruising around Vancouver!

Fast forward to summer 2023 when after a bit of online research I found Magnum, a Salt Lake City company that designs, engineers and builds their bikes from the ground up using carefully-sourced mechanical and electronic components.

The Magnum website offers a quiz that I took to find the right bike for me. After entering details like my height, preferred riding posture, and how I would be using the bike (ie.e to run errands, to haul cargo, to ride on dirt roads, etc), I got an email with three e-bikes to consider. I went for the Metro X and a few weeks later, the box was delivered to my doorstep in Vancouver. Because my husband is handy with, well, all sort of DIY stuff, I chose to assemble it at home. But you can also choose professional in-store assembly.

Assembly

As it turns out, assembling the bike was not quite as easy as putting together a piece of Ikea furniture — you know, the stuff that comes with stick figures and descriptions like click, click, click to know when something is properly connected. We did have to watch, and re-watch, the YouTube video in which a Magnum staffer puts together a bike, step by step, in about 15 minutes. There was quite a bit of rewinding and playing again specific parts, like how to connect the brake pads, etc. All in all, it took us about an hour to put it together, which is not so bad - at least, I don’t think it is.

The Look

The Metro X has a sleek and modern design. I chose the white with champagne accents color scheme. But it also comes in black, blue, and various other color combinations. The step-through frame is made of aluminum alloy, which makes it lightweight, durable and easy to get in and out of. I was particularly interested in that feature because I figured my kids, when they get a little bigger, might want to take it out for a spin and stepping through to sit is easier. Some optional features that I might look into getting later include a front carrier rack and a bottle cage. It does come with a kickstand, a rear rack, and a bell, which are useful accessories for commuting.

Design & Features

The bike has a 7-speed Shimano drivetrain, which offers a smooth and responsive shifting. The gears are easy to change with the twist grip shifter on the right handlebar. The bike has a single chainring, which reduces the maintenance and noise. The bike can handle different terrains and inclines, with a range of gears from 14 to 28 teeth. The brakes are easy to adjust and maintain, and they work well in wet conditions, and by conditions I mean the endless rainy days that Vancouver is known for. I rode it after a particularly heavy summer storm and felt safe and steady on the bike going down some hilly streets.

The Metro X is designed for a relaxed and upright riding position. It sounded good on paper, but after riding it for a full day, I found that my shoulders and lower back were a bit sore. But perhaps that’s because I’m used to riding my hybrid bike in a more active stance.

Battery & Power

This beast of a bike can go about 50 miles (80 Km) in a single charge. It’s a 48V, 500W power system that offers both pedal assist and throttle. I took it out on three separate occasions for rides of one to three hours each time and still had plenty of battery power left. It was only after a particularly uphill ride where I used the highest assist level, plus the throttle, that the battery started to drain. But charging it from empty only takes about 7 hours.

Speed

Smooth and agile, the Metro X performs well on the road, as well as on gravel and dirt trails, thanks to its Innova 26x2.4 tires, which offer a good balance of speed and comfort. It takes a little getting used to the power of this beast, which responds very quickly when the level assist is turned up higher than Eco mode. Just by putting a bit of pressure on the pedal, I found that the bike took up speed swiftly and I had to quickly pull back the foot pressure to slow down.

The Metro X can reach a top speed of about 28 mph with pedal assist and 20 mph with throttle, which is fast enough for most city rides. On a sunny Monday morning, I took the bike out at rush hour to meet a friend for coffee in Gastown and found that the Metro X handles well in traffic, with a responsive steering and a stable balance. It turns and brakes quickly, too.

Display

Full disclosure: I’m not big on reading manuals. And didn’t even glance at it before taking out the Metro X for the first time. Or the fifth time. I’m a big believer that things should be fairly self explanatory and, unfortunately, the display screen is not that. At 8x7 cm, the backlit monochrome LCD screen is big enough to read easily. At a glance, I could see the battery level, the assist level, the speed and output. What was not so evident was that the bike offered things like a walk mode or how to turn on the integrated front and rear lights. I had to look that up in the manual to figure it out.

Pros & Cons

On the plus side, it’s got a sturdy, durable frame, powerful brakes and responsive gears, puncture-resistant tires, and a lot of power. Useful accessories such as lights, bell

On the other hand, at $2,099 it’s not exactly cheap. And, unless you are located in a city where Magnum has distributors or dealers who can professionally assemble it up for you, you will have to set it up on your own. This might be a deal-breaker if you’re not a DIY kind of person.

One issue with the Metro X is the weight of it, which at 62 Lbs (28Kg), is quite a load to maneuver if you’re on the shorter and smaller size. At 5’9 and 145 Lbs, I’m neither short nor small but still found it challenging when I had to lift the Metro X, such as for getting on and off sidewalks.

Still, the pros of this sleek bike outweigh the cons, and I would recommend it to someone in the market for a powerful electric bike that can handle roads as well as some recreational trails, the kind Vancouver has lots of.