In the past few months or even years, personal travel has become a hot topic, especially when the typical car and public transportation travel has become impractical or even unhealthy. Of course, electric scooters have become a fashion, but this is not the only way to travel. For those who prefer to rely mainly on their own bodies, electric bicycles provide a compromise. TurboAnt may be known for its all-electric vehicles, but it has also begun to get involved in electric bicycles, so we worked hard to study whether its new Thunder T1 "fat" bike can go further, as usual puns.
When seeing TurboAnt Thunder T1 for the first time, the first thing that may come to mind is that it is a large bicycle. This is not actually a blow to it, because its size is purposeful. Where compactness and portability are prioritized for some electric bicycles, Thunder T1 uses its size and weight for performance and flexibility. This is a bike that you can ride on almost any terrain without having to bear the brunt of your hips and hands.
The most eye-catching part of this bike will be the tires that give it its unflattering nickname, four 26×4 Kenda "fat" tires. Of course, size is not just a bragging right, it is responsible for giving the bike all-terrain capabilities. It is also used in conjunction with the RST hydraulic front suspension and the soft handlebars and seats of the bicycle to provide a comfortable riding experience even on muddy roads. We found that this is the same as advertised, the rugged terrain does not match its suspension system.
Part of Thunder T1 72.8 pounds is its 48V, 14Ah battery. Thankfully, it is detachable in case you want to take the bike with you, which is a feature that distinguishes it from the twin TurboAnt Nebula N1. This means you can charge the battery separately or have a spare battery to minimize downtime. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to measure the true life of the battery, because we will talk about a rather bad mistake later. Range and performance
TurboAnt Thunder T1 has two main functions that affect the overall performance of the electric bike. In addition to the five levels of pedal assistance, this determines how much work the 750W brushless motor will do to supplement your own feet, and therefore, how much battery it will consume. When you step on the slower pedal, the motor will try to compensate to maintain the highest speed at that level, making you feel like you are sliding or even hovering when the motor starts to start.
Another aspect of the electric bicycle is the speed itself, which is controlled by a 7-speed Shimano Acera derailleur, which also helps to shorten the work of uphill trekking. Switching between speeds is a pleasant and smooth experience, without the usual bumps you would expect when changing gears.
Unfortunately, using your own monitor to measure the speed of the bicycle proved to be futile. It gives very different and inaccurate numbers, and we cannot rely on it completely. Using other methods produced a range of 12 to 19 mph, from the lowest pedal assist setting to the highest. Battery and safety
Batteries are also an area where TurboAnt's own instruments cannot provide accurate readings. The battery meter goes from losing one column in 10 minutes to staying on the last column for 20 minutes. Of course, this issue is even more critical, because you never know if you will suddenly run out of power in a remote place.
If you step on the accelerator of the Thunder T1 and make you feel like you are driving an electric scooter, you can also drain the battery faster in case you get tired of pedaling. Fortunately, TurboAnt makes accidents more difficult by installing a throttle lock on the handlebar. This is a small supplement that will greatly help improve the safety of bicycles. Final thoughts
Although the electric scooter market has been flooded with models of different brands, no matter how big or small, TurboAnt still has a lot of room in the field of electric bicycles to win a place for itself. The smooth and comfortable performance, all-terrain capability, and battery flexibility of the Thunder T1 have made it top the list of fat bikes, and its extra consideration on the throttle lock will definitely benefit it. Unfortunately, its faulty speedometer and even the faulty battery meter questioned its quality assurance tests on key aspects of some battery-powered products.
The TurboAnt Thunder T1 electric fat tire bike usually sells for $1,699, but at this time of the year, you can usually buy things at discounted prices. Before November 30th, you can buy any TurboAnt electric bike for a low price of $300. On the other hand, if you are following one of the company’s electric scooters, TurboAnt’s Black Friday promotion will reduce the price of electric scooters by $100 from November 25th to 30th.