Engwe isn’t really a name associated with sharp carbon bikes. When we say the brand, we think more of over-motorized, heavy fatbikes, but with a Mad Max face and an affordable Price, like the Engine 3.0 Boost already tested here. The N1 Pro is different and plays the card of a “light” and dynamic switcher. It is the “Pro” version of the “Air” model already tested on the site. Still in carbon, it is now equipped with a pedal motor, a screen with GPS display and other elements which justify (or not, we’ll see that) a price of 2199 euros.
A carbon frame, one size fits all, minimal transmission and a crank motor. All packaged in a design that would be at home in Cyberpunk. Casually, it’s quite rare on the market and unique at this price. The promise is therefore great, especially as the sum crosses the psychological threshold of €2000. So the wait is all the more.
Acheter and another n1 pros
This N1 Pro wants to put the cyclist at the heart of the activity. Where a huge majority of urban e-bikes simply stick a rear motor which transforms the bike into a pedal scooter, the N1 Pro offers an experience where the machine does not replace the legs, but accompanies them. The user must pedal, sweat a little, feel the rebounds and vibrations on more demanding geometry. However, the assistance remains there to carry you on “off days”, to get through a climb or to get out of a risky situation.
Context of the essay
This test extends over five full months, in real conditions. It was my daily bike. I rode in the dry, in summer, in the rain, in the middle of winter, uphill, on a bicycle, in the evening, in pure muscular use and with maximum assistance. He covered routes consisting of both traffic lanes and cycle paths, including my test route, which included a steep climb spanning several kilometers, which forced the engine to exceed the maximum time allowed for peak power. And after these months of putting 95 kg on the saddle, I was able to check the durability.
Features
The Engwe approach is very Chinese: a technical sheet that focuses on the specs, a lot of marketing arguments, and details that need to be verified in the field. The N1 Pro nevertheless ticks several rare boxes at this price.
It takes:
- a closed carbon frame with original geometry
- a 250W Ananda crank motor associated with a torque sensor coupled with a frequency sensor
- a torque announced at 80 Nm
- 700×42 wheels shod with gravel-type tires
- integrated lighting with low beam and high beam, as well as colored LEDs on the handlebars
- 160 mm hydraulic disc braking with double-piston calipers
- a Shimano Tourney 7-speed transmission in 12–28 combined with a 32-tooth chainring
- a 360 Wh 36 V battery for 2.4 kg with a recharge from 0 to 100% in 2h15
- GPS guidance displayed on the bike screen
- a GPS tracker for anti-theft
- a rear wheel locking system to prevent theft
The bike actually weighs 19.4 kg without mudguards.
A tedious assembly
As usual with this manufacturer, you will need to add a little elbow grease. Engwe delivers a “nearly” ready bike, but in reality, you have to reposition the wiring a little, refit the brakes, adjust the transmission and grease a chain devoid of any lubricant. Nothing dramatic, but you have to like tinkering.
I had to completely redo the transmission adjustment, adjust the brakes a little, readjust the circlip on the stem and grease the chain. At worst, a workshop will do it for you for an hour or two of labor.
Design and finish
The N1 Pro doesn’t try to please everyone. It looks like an object escaped from a prototype of Horizon Zero Dawn or Halo: a carbon frame which mimics an arc painted a military green. It’s daring, when competition like Fiido has focused on a more consensual style with its Air. Moreover, the names “Pro” and “Air” ring a bell.
And yet, the whole thing works. The bike has an astonishing physical presence. Those who don’t like it will say that it is aggressive and those who like it will see it as a real visual signature. One size fits all, on the other hand, is a risky bet. I’m 1m80 tall and I can’t fully extend my leg. The seat post is too short and five centimeters are missing for the position to be really correct. It can be replaced by a longer rod, but it will protrude from the frame (and no, you will not be able to saw it, precisely to ensure balance on the stress applied to the frame).
The handlebars are straight and wide. Engwe has integrated a truly functional headlight, with low beam and high beam that can be operated from the “On/Off” button. Still on the hanger, surrounding the headlight, colored LEDs can change animation via the application, a questionable wink but accepted in a nocturnal urban context. The mudguards cover generously, but the stiffness of the carbon makes them vibrate very hard, too hard. I preferred to remove them. But at least they come as standard.
Even more interesting, the bike has an autonomous rear light with solar panel and gyroscope. No need to think about it: as soon as the bike moves, it lights up. No cable, no button, no app. It’s the anti-connected object, and paradoxically one of the smartest ideas in cycling. Unfortunately, the mudguards make noise, even when properly attached.
A comprehensive app, GPS tracking on the handlebars and a bike that’s difficult to steal
For security, Engwe has pulled out all the stops. The bike can be geolocated even with the battery removed. If you move it, it rings (it can be deactivated) and an alert is sent to your smartphone.
It can lock, unlock via smartphone proximity (using UWB), record journeys and activate a rear hub lock called Smartlock. Once locked, the N1 Pro no longer rolls, even when pushed.
The alarm goes off when you shake it. This function almost resembles urban anxiety, but it is reassuring in cities where a bicycle placed alone on a hoop rarely returns intact.
Conduct
The true value of the N1 Pro cannot be seen in a PDF sheet. It appears from the first pedal revolutions. The Ananda engine does not cheat. It does not transform the bike into a silent moped. That said, even though the torque announced at 80 Nm is not there (I have the impression that it is 50-60 Nm), on flat ground, it only takes a few turns of the wheels to reach 25 km/h.
Where the bike scores points is in its overall behavior. The pedal motor provides a natural sensation impossible to find with a rear motor, with very responsive torque and cadence sensors working in concert. The reminders go by. The departures are dynamic without being violent, including with the wrong gear at a red light. We really pedal, but we don’t suffer. Cycling encourages you to increase your cadence.
In town, it’s a treat. The carbon makes the chassis extremely lively. The N1 Pro changes direction on purpose, as if the front wheel were plugged directly into your torso. Safety is affected, with a shorter reaction time. Cyclists accustomed to soft aluminum frames immediately feel the difference: here, every watt placed in the crankset is transmitted without loss.
Assistance caps at 25 km/h, as required by law. But the bike naturally invites you to exceed this speed. But the transmission poses a problem. The 32 tooth chainring associated with the 12–28 cassette gives perfect development for leisurely cycling, but catastrophic as soon as you want to push further. After 34 km/h, the pedaling turns almost empty. It’s a shame, because the frame could withstand much sportier use with an 11–42 cassette.
The tire section, Chao Yang 700×42, plays it safe. Good grip, decent silence, healthy behavior on both dry and wet roads (I didn’t really believe it given the structure). Nothing extraordinary, but no unpleasant surprises.
The disc braking is hydraulic. The unmarked calipers appear to be rebranded Shimano (MT200 equivalent). They bite hard and are progressive. It took three meters to go from 25 km/h to 0.
Over the weeks I had the impression that the N1 Pro was an electric bike designed for those who don’t like electric bikes. It is a bike for cyclists, to which a motor has been integrated as secondary assistance. And in use, it’s very satisfying.
Autonomy: a small-humped camel
The 360 Wh battery is not a dream on paper. In real life, she defies the statistics. Because the engine motivates you to provide some of the energy. Because the frame is light for an e-bike. Because the bike can roll without assistance without its weight being affected. Because the tires, without being thin, are less than half the width of fatbikes and offer little rolling resistance.
In max assistance mode (level 5), with a 95 kg cyclist and a hilly urban route, the N1 Pro can cover 38 to 40 real kilometers at 7°C outside. In milder conditions and when running at levels 2 and 3, it easily exceeds 50 km. In mixed use, you often find yourself riding half the journey without assistance because the bike is well suited to it and it is (but this is a personal opinion) “fun”.
Added to this is very fast charging. The 8A charger combined with a 365 Wh battery gives 70% capacity recovered in one hour, and full charge in two. For a commuter, this is a rare luxury. We arrive at the office, we plug in, we leave recharged. No need to schedule overnight charges or lug around an extra battery.
Finally, crucial detail: the battery can be removed. No need to carry the bike to the living room to recharge. You take the battery, slip it into a bag, recharge at the office or at home. Casually, this is not the case everywhere, especially for carbon frames. Trek, Desiknio and even Orbea do not offer it.
Acheter and another n1 pros
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