Giant Electric Bike and HOTEBIKE Mountain Ebike Rreview

Giant Electric Bike Rreview

Summary
A hardtail cross country gravel oriented ebike with possibilities for not only light trail riding and off-roading, but as a commuter setup because it offers mounting points for lots of accessories, high quality at a value price point
Comes with hybrid tires, suspension fork, rear rack bosses, fender bosses, kickstand provisions, bottle cage bosses, and even extra threaded eyelets on the seat stays for a cafe lock
Uses a Yamaha PW series motor with pedal torque and pedal cadence sensing response, very quiet, efficient and reliable, has a nice 9 speed Shimano Deore setup with hydraulic disc brakes, larger 180mm front rotor provides great stopping power
No shift detection, no battery integrated lights, minimal display is easy to use and hides the electric aspect of the bike, but may not be for everyone

Introduction
MAKE:Giant
MODEL:Explore E+ 4 GTS
PRICE:$2,500
BODY POSITION:Forward
SUGGESTED USE:Urban, Trail
ELECTRIC BIKE CLASS:Pedal Assist (Class 1)
Learn more about Ebike classes
WARRANTY:2 Year Comprehensive, Lifetime Frame
AVAILABILITY:United States
MODEL YEAR:2020

TOTAL WEIGHT:49 lbs (22.22 kg)
BATTERY WEIGHT:7.7 lbs (3.49 kg)
MOTOR WEIGHT:7.43 lbs (3.37 kg)
FRAME MATERIAL:ALUXX SL-Grade Aluminum
FRAME SIZES:17.1 in (43.43 cm)19.1 in (48.51 cm)21.1 in (53.59 cm)23 in (58.42 cm)
GEOMETRY MEASUREMENTS:19″ Seat Tube, 22″ Reach, 29.5″ Stand Over Height, 33.75″ Minimum Saddle Height, 28.25″ Width, 72.5″ Length

FRAME TYPES:High-Step
FRAME COLORS:Satin Black with Blue Accents
FRAME FORK DETAILS:RST Volant T Coil Suspension, 60mm Travel, Preload Adjust, Boost 100mm Hub Spacing, 9mm Axle with Quick Release Skewer
FRAME REAR DETAILS:135mm Hub Spacing, 9mm Axle with Quick Release Skewer
ATTACHMENT POINTS:Bottle Cage Bosses, Fender Bosses, Rear Rack Bosses
GEARING DETAILS:9 Speed 1×9 Shimano Deore Derailleur, Shimano CS-HG200 11-36 Tooth Cassette
SHIFTER DETAILS:Shimano Altus SL-M2000 Triggers on Right (One-Way High, Three-Shift Low)
CRANKS:Custom Forged Aluminum Alloy, 170mm Length, Square Tapered Bottom Bracket Interface, 42 Tooth Chainring with Alloy Guard
PEDALS:Wellgo K79 Aluminum Alloy Platform, Cage Style
HEADSET:Sealed Cartridge Bearing, Integrated, Tapered 1-1/8″ to 1-1/2″
STEM:Giant Contact, 70mm Length, 3° Rise, One 10mm Spacer, Three 5mm Spacers, 31.8mm Clamp Diameter
HANDLEBAR:Giant Connect XC Riser, Low-Rise, Aluminum Alloy, 710mm Width
BRAKE DETAILS:Tektro HD-M275 Hydraulic Disc with 180mm Front Rotor and 160mm Back Rotor, Dual-Piston Calipers, Two-Finger Levers with Adjustable Reach
GRIPS:Giant, Ergonomic, Rubber, Locking, Black

SADDLE:Selle Royal Vivo GTS
SEAT POST:Forged Aluminum Alloy, 2-bolt Micro Adjustable Clamp
SEAT POST LENGTH:375 mm
SEAT POST DIAMETER:30.9 mm
RIMS:Giant eX 2, ETRTO 622×19, Aluminum Alloy, Double Wall, Tubeless Ready, 28 Hole Front, 32 Hole Rear, Reinforcement Eyelets in Rear
SPOKES:Stainless Steel, 15 Gauge, Black with Nipples
TIRE BRAND:Giant Crosscut Gravel 2, 45×622 700x45c
WHEEL SIZES:28 in (71.12cm)
TIRE DETAILS:50 to 70 PSI, 3.4 to 4.8 BAR, Tubeless Ready
TUBE DETAILS:Presta Valves
ACCESSORIES:Clear Sticker Slap Guard on Right Chainstay
OTHER:Locking Removable Downtube-Mounted Battery Pack, SRAM GX Eagle PowerLock Chain, Maximum 100 RPM Motor Support, 1.9lb 3 Amp Charger with Dongle Adapter

Electronic Details
MOTOR BRAND:Giant SyncDrive Sport, Powered by Yamaha PWseries ST
MOTOR TYPE:Mid-Mounted Geared Motor
Learn more about Ebike motors
MOTOR NOMINAL OUTPUT:250 watts
MOTOR PEAK OUTPUT:500 watts
MOTOR TORQUE:80 Newton meters
BATTERY BRAND:Giant EnergyPak 400
BATTERY VOLTAGE:36 volts
BATTERY AMP HOURS:11.3 ah
BATTERY WATT HOURS:406.8 wh
BATTERY CHEMISTRY:Lithium-ion
CHARGE TIME:3 hours
ESTIMATED MIN RANGE:25 miles (40 km)
ESTIMATED MAX RANGE:55 miles (89 km)
DISPLAY TYPE:Giant RideControl One, Fixed, Adjustable Angle, White LED Console, Buttons: Up, Down, Power, Lights (NA on This Model), Walk Mode
READOUTS:Battery Charge Level (5 Dots), Lights Indicator, Pedal Assist Level (5 Dots)
DISPLAY ACCESSORIES:Optional Bluetooth App (RideControl), Readouts: Battery Percentage, Motor Tuning, Map, Ride Statistics, Trip Planning, Goal Planning
DRIVE MODE:Advanced Pedal Assist (Triple-Sensor: Rear Wheel Speed, Pedal Cadence and Pedal Torque, Eco 80%, Normal 180%, Sport 300%, Power 350%)
TOP SPEED:20 mph (32 kph)

My goal is to be transparent and unbiased, this video and written review are not meant to be an endorsement of Giant and HOTEBIKE products.

Brand new for 2020 is the Giant Explore E+ 4 GTS, an all purpose mountain ebike with a list of possibilities that can be matched only by the syllables in its name. I say possibilities because this could feel at home during light trail riding or even in the street as a commuter because it comes with rear rack bosses, fender bosses, kickstand provisions, and even extra threaded eyelets in the back for a cafe lock. The bike comes in 4 frame sizes and each is pretty lightweight for an ebike… for example, the medium size frame we are testing today came in at just 49lbs. To round off that all purpose feel, it has these 700c x 45 studded tires, so kind of a good balance between efficiency and capability. I did notice a quick release in both the front and the rear, this is awesome for not just maintenance or flat tire repair, but also if you need to take the wheel off to move it around in a trunk or truck, really cool. A bit of comfort here too, like the 60mm of travel RST fork with preload adjust. I also see these large sized locking ergonomic grips which are Giant branded. A lot of really high quality parts over all, and I love that everything matches and is well balanced weight wise. Another great feature of this bike is that it doesn’t scream “Hey, look at me! I am an electric bike!”. Mostly because of the sleek frame integrated battery and the very minimalist display that you might miss if you even blink for a moment. Other features include bottle cage bosses for adding accessories of your own and a clear sticker slap guard.

Driving the bike is a Yamaha PW series motor that has been rebranded by Giant as SyncDrive Sport. This is a 250 watt mid-drive motor with 80nm of torque that measures both pedal torque and pedal cadence. It uses square spindles and while it may not be as high performance as some of the other motors in the Yamaha lineup, it is still very quiet, efficient, and best of all, reliable. It is ever-so-slightly heavier and offers 350% pedal support vs the pro version which has 360% support. Mechanically, it has a really nice 9 speed Shimano Deore setup with 11-36 tooth cassette and a 42 tooth chain ring in the front with an aluminum alloy guard. Stopping the bike is a nice set of hydraulic disc brakes. These are Tektro brakes and you get a 180mm disc brake rotor in the front combined with a 160mm rotor disc brake in the rear. Don’t let the staggered setup fool you, this is pretty common, even in some high end mountain bikes. The reason for this is that the front wheel takes most of the brunt force of breaking due to weight dynamics, so having a larger rotor in the front is a good thing.

Powering the bike is a 36v 11.3ah battery. Not the largest capacity I have seen, but for a mid-drive without a throttle, it gets the job done with no real problems. I love that it tips out from the side when removing, that way you don’t bump or scratch the frame as easily as some other battery setups. It is secured via lock and key and even has an LED charge level indicator. The battery weighs about 7.7lbs, so not too bad, and the charger itself weighs about 2lbs. I noticed that charging while on the bike is done near the crank arm, so do be careful not to snag that cable by rotating the pedals when parked. I love that they included a 3amp charger, typically, I see 2amp chargers on bikes like this, so the 3amp should get you out of the house a bit faster than the slower 2amp. To really care for this and other lithium-ion packs, I have heard that storing in a cool dry location vs. extreme heat or cold will extend the life and try to keep it about 50% full when not using for long periods so you won’t stress the cells. Try not to let it run down to zero, because that’s really hard on the cell chemistry.

Controlling the bike is super simple and straight forward. That is because the bike is using a minimalist display that really only tells you 1 of 3 things. It is an intuitive rubberized pad with 5 series of dots on the right and on the left. The 5 dots on the right indicate battery charge level, while the 5 dots on the left indicate what mode of assist you are in. Oh, there is also a middle light that indicates if your lights are on (however, this bike doesn’t have any) if applicable. The display can be swiveled, but it lacks USB device charging and also is not removable. However, it does have a walk mode, and even an integrated smartphone app. The app syncs up nicely, and you could even mount your phone on the handlebar to use it as a more detailed display. They have things like route planning and even settings to optimize the drive system. Normally, I would be a little harder on such a basic display, but I really think its good they hid the electric aspects and you can still get extra functionality through a smartphone app, pretty slick.

The Giant Explore E  4 GTS is a great all around “do anything” kind of bike. I also think the high quality components (Yamaha mid-drive, Shimano Deore derailleur, etc) are an awesome deal for a $2,500 bike. But no bike is without tradeoffs. In the case of the Giant here, I would have to say not having shift detection is kind of a missed opportunity. Granted, that is more of a Bosch motor thing, but it works good on applications like this. There are no battery integrated lights in either the front and rear, something that the minimal display reminded me of now and then. And that display itself, may not be for everyone. It lacks some detailed information and cannot be removed. However, the smartphone app pairing may be able to give you some of the extra features you crave. All in all, the bike seems great and I love that you get a 2 year warranty and dealer support. After all, Giant is one of the big 3 (Trek, Giant, and Specialized), so you know you are getting quality product. I want to thank Fullerton Bicycles for letting me check it out and I look forward to you guys sharing your experiences with it.

As always, I welcome questions and feedback in the comment section below. Whether you own the bike, have taken a test ride, or are brand new to the space, my goal is to provide an objective and honest resource. You can also join the Giant ebike forums and share your own photos, videos, and review updates to help others! Have fun out there, and ride safe 🙂

Pros:
A great all around “do anything” all purpose mountain ebike with possibilities for not only light trail riding and off-roading, but as a commuter setup as well
Can double as a commuter because it comes with rear rack bosses, fender bosses, kickstand provisions, bottle cage bosses, and even extra threaded eyelets in the back for a cafe lock
Uses a heavier Yamaha motor and front suspension, but it still a lightweight bike, for example, the medium size frame we are testing today came in at just 49lbs
To facilitate that all purpose feel, it has these 700c x 45 studded tires, so kind of a good balance between efficiency and capability
I did notice a quick release in both the front and the rear, this is awesome for not just maintenance or flat tire repair, but also if you need to take the wheel off to move it around in a trunk or truck, really cool
Good comfort from the 60mm of travel RST fork with preload adjust, also these large sized Giant branded locking ergonomic grips
Another great feature of this bike is that it doesn’t scream “Hey, look at me! I am an electric bike!”, due to the sleek frame integrated battery and the very minimalist display that you might miss if you even blink for a moment
Uses a Yamaha PW series motor that has been rebranded by Giant as SyncDrive Sport, 250 watts with 80nm of torque that measures both pedal torque and pedal cadence, very quiet, efficient, and best of all, reliable
Comes with a nice 9 speed Shimano Deore setup with hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotor in the front combined with a 160mm rotor in the rear
36v 11.3ah battery tips out from the side for easy loading/unloading, has an LED charge level indicator, and is secured via lock and key, comes with a 3amp charger which is faster than the 2amp you see often
Minimalist display is very straight forward and easy to use, can be paired with a smartphone to do things like plan a route or even settings to optimize the drive system
High quality components backed by some of the best names in the business (Giant, Yamaha, Shimano), a 2 year warranty, dealer network, and is a great value at $2,500

Cons:
I noticed that charging while on the bike is done near the crank arm, so do be careful not to snag that cable by rotating the pedals when parked and charging, something to be aware of
I would have to say not having shift detection is kind of something I miss here, granted, that is more of a Bosch motor thing, but it works good on applications like this
There are no battery integrated lights in either the front and rear, something that the minimal display reminded me of now and then
The minimal display may not be for everyone, it lacks some detailed information and cannot be removed, however, the smartphone app pairing may be able to give you some of the extra features you crave
Minor gripe here, and you see it a lot with high brand name bikes like this, but there is no kickstand included, just kickstand provisions, so make sure to source on if that is something you want on your bike

HOTEBIKE Mountain Ebike Rreview

48V 500W E mountain bike 26″ electric powered bicycle with Hidden Battery A6AH26 for sale

Three riding modes
Each mode brings you different speeds and feelings

Component Diagram of the Handlebar
Multifunctional LCD Display

SHIMANO 21 Speed Gear with Derailleur
Shimano 21 speed gear increases hill-climbing power, further range variation, and greater terrain adatability.
Front and rear mechanical 160 disc brakes provides more reliable all-weather stopping power, which keep you safe from any emergency. 

Independently Designed 6061 Aluminum Alloy Frame
Classic aluminum alloy mountain bike frame, own mold, independent development, patent design.
Suspension Aluminium Alloy Front Fork

48V 13AH Hidden Quick Release Battery
electric folding bike
Waterproof lithium battery
LG battery cells
Removable, lockable
Easy to charge it separately
Long distance
Long life
48V 500W Rear Hub Brushless Motor

High-Quality Durable Kenda Tires
Durable Crankset

Aluminum alloy crank and pedals

Headlight
Comes with a 5V 1A USB mobile phone charging port on the LED headlight for a convenient phone charging on the ride.

Product Size