Espin Sport Review: A new commuter contender?

Commuter ebikes are probably one of the most common categories of ebikes these days. That said, in our Espin Sport review, this bike makes a solid entry with its components, integrated battery, and all-around incredible value.

Let’s take a look at the various aspects of this bike. You’ll also find our full video review below.

Espin Sport

Espin Sport: The electronics

The Espin Sport is powered by a 500-watt rear-drive hub motor, pretty standard in a Class 2 ebike. The motor peaks out at 800-watts with 55 nm of torque, plenty powerful enough to get you around with ease. It will even power you up some steep hills at a decent speed as we demonstrated in our video review.

The 13.6 amp, 48-volt Samsung battery provides a 30-50-mile range. The color display is a nice surprise though it can be difficult to read during the brightest parts of the day. The bike offers five levels of assist using a 12 magnet sealed cadence sensor. One of the coolest aspects of this budget-priced ebike is that the battery is built so that it is largely tucked into the frame. It’s a little less obvious that it’s an ebike. The Espin Sport has a left-hand thumb throttle which offers a more gentle touch than other thumb throttles we have tested. This is especially nice if you plan to use the throttle regularly.

The components

The Sport is a powerful commuter with the build of a mountain bike, including a front shock with 100mm of travel. Hydraulic disc brakes (a great upgrade compared to others in its class) with a 180-mm rotor are a nice touch. The chainring is 8-speed 13-32T, a little more than some which offer six or seven. In our testing, the gear ratios offered plenty of range at the top and low end.

What you won’t find on the Espin Sport is name brand components and that’s probably why they are able to offer this ebike at such an incredible price. Instead of Shimano components found on many budget-priced ebikes you’ll find a brand called S-Ride on the derailleur and shifter. In our testing, they performed well and we actually preferred the S-Ride trigger shifter over the entry-level Shimano thumb shifters.

Our review model Espin Sport came with nice 27.5-inch WTB tires (although you might get a different one because of the current bike parts shortage) with a 1.95-inch width, a nice compromise between the sturdy 26-inch wheels that were once the standard of mountain bikes and the newer 29-inch tires with better rolling resistance but higher center of gravity. The bike weighs 55 pounds and its rack happens to have that exact carrying capacity. Check out the full component list on the Espin website.

The frame

Espin Sport black
Espin Sport in Black
Espin Sport Rack
The Espin Sport offers an optional front rack.

Espin purchasers only have one frame size to choose from, which should fit riders from 5’6″ to 6’4″. Shorter riders might want to check out our post on the best commuter ebikes for other options. The frame comes with fenders and a rear rack, with mounts for a front rack too. The front rack is available for $65 to maximize the cargo capacity. Some but not all cables are integrated into the frame. The Espin Sport is offered in two different colors: black and cobalt blue. The cobalt blue is our favorite, which is a mix of blue and purple. It is one of the more unique colors we’ve seen offered on affordable ebikes. You’ll also find integrated front and rear lights which isn’t necessarily a given in this price range.

One oddity with the Sport: The bottle cage bosses. Because the battery mounts on the top part of the downtube, the bottle cage bosses are on the bottom of the downtube. Not an ideal location for a water bottle, but a great spot to put a mounting folding lock. Check out our full ebike accessories list for alternative mounts for bottle cages.

How does the Espin Sport ride?

The bike delivers a great level of power and it’s easy to fly down a city street at nearly traffic speeds using just the throttle — full-power pedal assist will help you exceed them. The top speed is 20 miles per hour as the Espin Sport is a Class 2 ebike. The construction is solid, the bike handles well and in my review, doing a little curb hopping was no problem.

The Espin Sport is a solid electric bike and an excellent commuting machine. At $1,329 it’s in the affordable range, if not a little more expensive than some of the entry-level commuters. But the extra cost adds some nice features like the hydraulic disc brakes, included fenders and a rear rack. If you’re in the market for a fully outfitted commuter then the Espin is worth a closer look.

Interested in purchasing an Espin electric bike? Using our promo code will get you $50 off your purchase.

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