Sondors smart step ltd electric bike review

• The Smart Step is the first step-thru Ebike from SONDORS that is both approachable and easier to transport due to the unique foldable frame, covered by a one-year comprehensive warranty, and at a great price point of only $1199
• Great ride comfort for a value-priced bike thanks to the coil suspension fork, plus-sized tires, and the upright-relaxed riding position, control systems are simple and intuitive, the grayscale LCD screen is highly visible even in direct sunlight
• A rear-mounted geared hub motor from Bafang provides reliable power at 350 watts and is activated by either a cadence sensor or variable thumb throttle, the Shimano Tourney is a reliable derailleur and shifts smoothly with the RevoShift 7 grip shifter, good stopping power from Tektro Aries mechanical disk brakes
• No accessories are included which means an extra cost if there are any accessories that you need, CST tires do not include puncture protection or reflective sidewalls, only available in one frame size which means it won't be a good fit for tall riders

To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This in-depth review was sponsored by SONDORS. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased with you, this video and writeup are not meant to be an endorsement of SONDORS products. I welcome your corrections, additions, and feedback in the comments below and the SONDORS electric bike forums.

Observations:

• SONDORS is a well-known name in the Ebike space, mostly due to the first SONDORS Ebike which was crowdfunded and received an enormous amount of publicity due to the amount raised and the bold claims made of producing an Ebike that would only cost $500. To the surprise of many SONDORS was successful in producing and shipping that first model, and in the years since they have transitioned to a more typical company structure with many different models available and a proper support team.
• The SONDORS owner community tends to express a lot more excitement and pride of ownership than most, and one of the big interests of this community is modifying and upgrading their bikes. One of the ways SONDORS is able to keep prices so low is that their bikes don’t include any accessories, and while you can add these on for an extra cost when buying from SONDORS, many owners prefer to add on the exact accessories they want from a third party or to make their own DIY solution. If this sounds interesting, you can find lots of online communities to get inspiration and help from other owners!

Pros:

• Amazing price point at just $1199 (plus shipping which is cheaper than most at only $97 for many North America locations) and three frame color options, covered by a one-year comprehensive warranty which is a nice upgrade for the SONDORS brand, where in the past they were criticized for only offering 30-day warranties
• I’m a big fan of this step-thru frame, not only is it approachable with the low standover height… but it folds! There is a sturdy fold junction in the downtube that allows the bike to fold in half. You can’t fold down the handlebars and this is not as compact as a true folding bike… but it still makes a huge difference if you ever need to toss the Smart Step in your trunk or backseat, or to minimize the footprint when storing indoors
• Elaborating on the approachability, I would say that the Smart Step really shines for average-to-small sized riders, the low standover height makes mounting and dismounting easy, and this is the lightest of the SONDORS models at 55.6 pounds, fairly average for a step-thru electric bike
• The ride experience is comfortable thanks to the upright relaxed seating position, the suspension fork is a basic coil setup with 80mm of travel but it still makes a noticeable upgrade for ride comfort, you also get the gel saddle adding some more cushion
• The ergonomic rubber grips also help out in terms of ride comfort, and the mid-rise handlebars elevate them enough that it’s easy to achieve a comfortable upright-relaxed seating position even with the saddle raised to the maximum height
• The CST tires are plus-sized which means a high volume of air and a low attack angle, both of which help to smooth out bumps in the road and make for a more comfortable ride. These tires have a good traction-oriented tread pattern with thick knobs, they will work well for a variety of terrain and did well for me on hard-packed sand (not recommended for soft sand or snow)
• The Tourney derailleur with a from Shimano is a reliable basic setup and I appreciate that SONDORS included a steel derailleur guard which also protects the motor cable connection point, the RevoShift grip shifter is intuitive to use for shifting up and down the seven available gears, and there is also an alloy bash guard to protect the chainring from errant pantlegs
• Good stopping power from the mechanical disc brakes, these are Tektro Aries and include dual-piston calipers and 160mm rotors, along with large four-finger levers which provide a good mechanical advantage for easier actuation. These also feature motor inhibitors which cut power to the motor immediately on actuation, a great safety feature
• The control system is simple and easy to use with a fairly large grayscale LCD display that is incredibly visible, easy to see even in bright direct sunlight
• Sleek and stylish appearance thanks to the internal routing of cables through the frame and sturdy cable wraps for the front control cabling
• Large online communities of SONDORS owners make it easy to connect with other riders to share stories and find advice
• The included charger is 3amps and will charge the battery faster than the typical 2amp Ebike charger, it still only weighs 1.4 pounds and can be easily transported in a backpack, and it also includes a built-in fan to prevent overheating
• The charge port is positioned high on the frame and out of reach of the crank arms helping to minimize the risk of damage while charging, and the battery allows for charging while removed from the frame
• The cadence sensor is high-resolution with 12 magnets and SONDORS really did a great job tuning the response time, it kicks in almost immediately, this is compared against most other cadence sensors that will have a noticeable delay of 1-2 revolutions on the cranks before they kick in
• The chain is stainless steel making it more durable and rust-resistant – great if you’re riding on the beach!
• The battery is 36 volt and 10.4 amp-hour which is an average capacity, the big win here is that it’s using high-quality 3500 series cells from LG

Cons:

• Only one size is available and not a great fit for especially tall or large riders, for reference I am 6ft 3in and while it was still a fairly comfortable ride, I was not able to get close to full leg extensions and wouldn’t want to pedal the Smart Step for a long period of time
• While there are a few dealers out there that carry SONDORS they are primarily sold direct to consumer, which means you will need to finish assembly of the bike after it ships to you, this can be difficult to do unless you have the proper tools and are comfortable following instructions to do so… which is why many people will rather take it to their local bike shop and pay to have it assembled. This can also make getting support more difficult as you will have to contact the support staff online and repairs may require you to pack and ship your bike, fortunately SONDORS has greatly expanded their warranty coverage and support staff which should help to mitigate this
• No accessories are included which means you will need to pay extra for lights, fenders, racks, and anything else that you want to add, but considering the incredibly low price point for this electric bike it makes sense, and you save money in the long run by only adding the accessories you need (and getting the exact ones you want as opposed to whatever generic ones might have been included)
• The CST tires do not have reflective striping on the sidewalls which means less visibility, they also lack puncture protection, I recommend adding either sealant or protective liners to help prevent flat tires as those are more difficult to change on hub-motor-equipped Ebikes due to the extra weight and wiring for the motor
• The suspension fork is basic and not adjustable for preload, but it does make a welcome difference and it is adjusted well for average weight riders
• The cadence sensor is not sealed which leaves it vulnerable to getting bumped which can cause damage or knock magnets out, fortunately, this is a pretty rare occurrence especially with more relaxed riding like the Smart Step is built for
• Mechanical brakes do have some downsides when compared to hydraulic, they require more frequent maintenance in the form of tightening as they loosen over time, however they are easier to service than hydraulic brakes which can get messy. They also require more grip strength to actuate, this is somewhat mitigated on the Smart Step thanks to the mechanical advantage provided by the large four-finger levers
• The kickstand is center-mounted which can cause “pedal lock”, which happens when you move the bike backward while the kickstand is down and cause the crank arms to become locked up against the kickstand
• The Tourney derailleur is reliable but it is also the most basic offering from Shimano, and the cassette gearing range is 14-28 teeth which is pretty limited, I do think is a good fit for the Smart Step that caters to more casual city and neighborhood riding
• Neither the display nor the battery have any USB ports for charging other devices, which certainly isn’t a requirement, but they can be nice to have especially if you like to mount your phone on the handlebars and use it for music or navigation while riding
• A minor concern here but the display is non-removable, which means it could get bumped and damaged by other cyclists at a bike rack, or if left outside in harsh weather. Fortunately, these displays tend to be very durable, and you should avoid leaving your Ebike outside in harsh weather as a general rule

Useful Resources:

• SONDORS Official Website