Cortina E-Lett review: Too much hype, too little bike

Cowboy, VanMoof, Tenways and now additionally Cortina every deal with the fashionable, hip client. At the very least, that’s what the Dutch subsidiary model of bicycle provider Kruitbosch needs to strive with its E-Lett. It’s definitely not stunning – Cortina is thought for its hipper, student-oriented bicycles. The E-Lett builds on that and brings such a contemporary and sturdy design to an electrical bicycle.

When it comes to design, the E-Lett has options of bicycles Cowboy, VanMoof in Tenways. The body is a easy complete with tightly completed seams. It is usually instantly noticeable that the battery is just not detachable, that the motor has been included within the rear wheel and that the suspension within the entrance fork is lacking. This makes the E-Lett a great bike for metropolis site visitors. We discovered for you in our e-bike check cycles whether or not we additionally suppose it’s appropriate for this.

Electrical scholar bike

Wanting on the design, it reminds us of a cross between a VanMoof and a Cortina faculty bike. We actually just like the clear strains and neat end of the E-Lett. This additionally applies to the lighting that’s included within the body at each the entrance and rear. It saves you a damaged or bent lamp when you park the E-Lett in a public bicycle shed. Far more costly e-bikes have lights mounted on the handlebars. If a bicycle ever falls towards it, it’s best to stroll straight to the bicycle store to have a brand new one mounted. With the E-Lett you do not have to fret about that as a lot.

Moreover, the mantra ‘what is just not executed can’t be damaged’ additionally applies. For instance, the e-bike doesn’t have a display screen to learn particulars equivalent to pace and distance traveled. Suspension within the entrance fork? No, you will not discover these right here both (and might due to this fact not be damaged). What additionally takes sustainability to the next stage is the belt drive of the E-Lett. The Gates carbon belt requires no upkeep – good for many who want to maintain their bike operating as little as potential.

Arms as suspension

We’re all accustomed to the idea of an everyday, primary metropolis bike (with out suspension). Cortina has now additionally utilized this idea to the E-Lett. Meaning: no suspension and no gears. After having traveled a number of hundred kilometers with the E-Lett, we aren’t an enormous fan of it ourselves. Definitely the dearth of fine suspension has performed tips on us (and our arms). All of the blows which can be usually processed by the suspension are actually for the account of your arms. At common speeds for a metropolis bike, that isn’t such a problem in our opinion. When you add in e-bike speeds, that is a special story.

The dearth of any gears can also be an actual headache once you drive down hills: you need to maintain your legs nonetheless otherwise you pedal into infinity. Now you will not encounter (many) hills that shortly in a metropolis, however when you drive between cities or villages (or in nature), you’ll be able to now not keep away from them. It’s good to take into consideration that this should primarily be an electrical metropolis bike.

In that respect, the bike does provide a pleasant sitting place (extra upright) and the saddle can also be sufficiently snug for brief rides. A experience of an hour is definitely only a bit too lengthy: we all the time obtained issues with our seat. Do you need to cycle for a very long time inside the metropolis? Or do you cycle lots over cobblestones? Then you’ll want to focus on whether or not you’ll be able to have a suspension seat put up put in for further consolation.

Driving expertise

Are you a sports activities particular person? Then higher look elsewhere. This bike is particularly not geared toward that. Even if you wish to break a pace report on the street, Cortina’s E-Lett is just not the place to be. Backside line, we see the bicycle primarily as a no-nonsense technique of transport. The body feels stiff, even at excessive speeds and provides sufficient confidence to achieve these excessive speeds as nicely.

As a result of there isn’t a suspension within the entrance fork, the bike usually ‘bounces’ over bumps within the street floor, which in flip makes our confidence sink. The bicycle loses grip on the street floor at such moments. For inner-city site visitors, we have particularly observed that the brakes do not work as hoped – even after we hit the brakes full for an emergency brake, it takes longer than ordinary for an e-bike to come back to a cease. Though the bike has disc brakes, we felt extra prefer it had curler brakes (cheaper brakes usually discovered on metropolis bikes). Additionally they make fairly a little bit of noise with the slightest and slightest braking motion; a lot noise that even the individuals biking in entrance of us appeared behind them to see what was occurring.

Rear Wheel vs. mid-engine

Just like the Cowboys and VanMoofs of this world, the Cortina E-Lett comprises a motor on the rear wheel. Particularly on the place the place you usually discover the gear hub. Particularly, it considerations a Promovec mannequin with 45 Nm torque. We regularly encounter such motors on cheaper e-bikes. We aren’t followers instantly. The drawback of such engines is that they reply a lot much less shortly to the ‘demand’ for further energy than mid-engines. When you begin pedaling at a site visitors mild, you need to wait a couple of seconds earlier than the system truly provides that energy. All of it feels much less seamless than the mid-engined bikes we examined earlier.

As well as, the drive provides much less energy; with 45Nm of torque, there’s only a little bit of pulling energy lacking to cycle easily towards heavy winds. Even when you cycle up hills, the help supplied is just not nice, if solely as a result of it takes some time for that help to be activated. On Tenways fashions you’ve gotten entry to an identical energy, however nonetheless… There it feels smoother and extra refined.

The dearth of an influence sensor additionally ensures that your ‘demand’ for energy, for instance on climbs, is just not observed by the motor till later. As soon as observed, the bike additionally sends all its energy at you without delay (relying on what number of rotations you make). Mixed with one gear, there’s a good probability that you’ll make loads of rotations and due to this fact additionally expertise that well-known rocket feeling on the e-bike.

Autonomy and ‘no display screen’

In keeping with Cortina, that rocket propulsion will take you someplace between 30 and 90 kilometers away. An autonomy that’s enough for a metropolis bike, however not rather more than that. Fortuitously, you’ll be able to safely put a line by means of these 30 kilometers. We simply achieved a spread of 70 kilometers (within the highest setting). Within the second or third place we even exceeded these 90 kilometers. You must do your greatest in that place to faucet increased speeds. Fortuitously, your muscle energy is rewarded with further autonomy in these modes.

The one downside: you’ll be able to hardly see how a lot battery juice is left within the tank. There is no such thing as a display screen on the steering wheel. You solely get a panel with 5 bars from which you’ll be able to learn through which help place it’s and the way full your battery is (20 % per bar). Cortina due to this fact encourages you to attach your phone to the bicycle to learn such data. We’re not likely followers of it. And we aren’t significantly enthusiastic in regards to the display screen itself: in daylight, the coloured stripes are barely seen.

Closing verdict

Now comes the difficult level: the Cortina E-Lett prices 2,499 euros. For that cash you may as well purchase a Dice Touring Hybrid 500, for instance, which has a extra highly effective (mid) engine, extra luxurious display screen, suspension fork and gears. With such a motorbike you may as well exit within the metropolis and journey exterior the town can also be easy.

Do not get us incorrect: the E-Lett is a pleasant, sturdy e-bike. Until you instantly just like the design and might tolerate the negatives, we expect it is a good suggestion to discover different fashions round this worth level. Cortina adopted VanMoof or Cowboy, however forgot that these manufacturers promote many instances much less electrical bicycles than established names.