Hi, Habr! Without a doubt, many of you have already opened the season (and someone did not close it), and this is commendable. We also ride, and at the same time we are renewing our blog, which last year did detailed reviews of electric bicycles.

Did you know that there is such a profession as a constructor assembler LEGO? No, this is not about giant installations: if you are too lazy to collect a purchased set, then a specially trained person will come and collect everything for a certain amount of money. But this is something anomalous - in the same place, just the whole thrill is to collect yourself ?! The same with the electric bike :) The main hero of this review will be the youngest (and most affordable) model of the Mantis series - the
Twitter e-bike
Mantis-E0 , which we will have to collect in advance.
In our
store, you can buy an e-bike both assembled (assembly is free) and disassembled - in case you want to dig out on weekends.
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Unboxing
The bike comes in a box
from under a 50-inch TV made of thick cardboard, fastened with metal brackets:

On the side is a marking sticker on which you can understand what is inside. In short, we are in for a black-red model (there is also a black-yellow and black-gray version) with a 17-inch frame (there is 15.5 "), produced in March 2018.

Inside, all components are neatly packed, each of the “sensitive” parts is wrapped with foam material and covered with a tie.


If you decide to buy a bike in a disassembled state, the first acquaintance will look like this:
All covered with screeds, absolutely allThat is, the “designer” is not so difficult - you don’t have to mess around with the chain, brakes and other asterisks.

The rear wheel is already installed, and the front is by itself. The aluminum hub (Retrospec, two-bearing) is protected by a shipping cap, on which the wheel can lie and even spin cheerfully.

There are hydraulic (in oil) Shimano Altus M315 disc brakes on the front and rear (the letter “M” in the title hints at MTB-purpose). Perforated discs (approximately 2 mm thick) are installed from the factory:


Tires are universal and well-proven KENDA-1187 (26 "Ă— 1.95"). The tread pattern is not very angry - it is perfect for driving around the city, but outside of the asphalt paths they will be comfortable.

And the wheel, by and large, is ready for installation:

Assembly
Well, let's get started. Before starting open the remaining several boxes. In the largest box was what we need in the next 20 minutes:

- Light reflectors front and rear
- Front wheel hub eccentric
- Seatpost
- Instruments
- Footboard
- Saddle
Tools - a set of L-shaped hexagons and a standard bicycle key (familiar to many more from childhood).
Obviously, a bicycle standing on a fork is not the most stable design, so the first thing to do is to install the front wheel. We take the eccentric and twirl it, gently hitting the wheel brake disk in the brake caliper.
The regulator at the top of the right fork tube traditionally serves to block the suspension.Tighten as it should, otherwise it will be a fiasco. Stretching the mount is worth it even in the case of buying a collected bike, and it is better to check (or at least arrange periodic preventive maintenance) before each departure - there is nothing good in the wheel that fell off on the go (and this is possible).

Now the bike is not so scary to move around the room, but for greater stability it is necessary to install a footrest so that it can stand without leaning on the wall. The leg consists of two parts (with elastic bands inside), which are tightened together with cogs; The base is made of rubber. There is an adjustment in length: so that the bike can be put vertically or tilted - as you like:

The leg will have to be mounted on the left rear wheel feather - there are no other suitable places for the Mantis-E0, the wire from the engine interferes. But from the pleasant things: protective caps for screws and a reflective sticker :)

Now that the bike is firmly on its feet and legs, it's time to take the wheel. It is in a semi-assembled state, hanging on the "wires" - it remains to be fixed on the removal. It is easy to do this (according to the estimated risks on the steering wheel): we align in the middle, check at a convenient angle whether the speed switches will be. If everything is ok, then tighten (again, stronger) hexagon.

Along the way, you can fix the on-board computer: for the Mantis-E0, its role is performed by the Bafang S830 - an excellent solution, with a very convenient and informative display (it has already been seen in the
Mantis-E1 review).

Another box, the smallest one, is marked: CNC, Titanium Axle, Ball bearing, 9/16 ". As you can guess, inside the pedal:

We have already met such pedals in the
Twitter carbon bike review TW-E9L . Compact, lightweight, good grip with the sole of the sneakers (the spikes are not very sharp - if you accidentally touch your lower leg, you will most likely do without bloodshed). When installing them, you need not to forget that they have a versatile thread :)

We have already seen this saddle - quite simple, but generally comfortable, even at long distances.

But what turned out to be inconvenient was the installation of the saddle on the seatpost. This is probably the most inconvenient and dirty procedure in the entire assembly process.

At the end of the pin is installed dvuhboltovy clip, which represents two metal pads. The task is to clamp metal runners between them. It can be solved, but you have to pokolovatsya with hexagons, smeared with oil (which are abundantly lubricated clamp bolts).


In the post was not inserted a photo with boxes that were inside the box. But in general, there was another one, a little more - inside it was a battery (with keys for de / mounting on the frame) and a charger for it.

This is a lithium-ion battery from LG (with a capacity of 360 Wh), it is put on the frame along the guide:

Inside the battery there is a controller, and outside there is an indicator (4 LEDs + a check button), as well as a rubber plug, behind which there is a charging connector, a USB hole for gadgets and a button in (s) for turning it on:

The charging adapter was also the same, with active cooling in the form of a cooler (inside). Full recharging takes 3 to 5 hours.

Finish line. Install the remaining trivia from the kit, namely the light reflectors. So, do not laugh - yes, the headlight in the front and the flashlight in the back would be cooler, but they are not at hand, so at least the reflectors. It's not dusty, and on the road you will become more visible to other road users.

There are two final touches left. The first:

And, the most important, the second:

Done!
Appearance. Close-up
Above, we talked about the few parts that need to be fixed "for yourself" in order to then sit down and go. While behind the scenes were many other important components, which can not be mentioned (this time very briefly).
The most important thing in the bike is the frame. In Twitter Mantis-E0 it is the same as in Twitter Mantis-E1 - from aluminum alloy (6061 - aluminum-magnesium-silicon alloy, used very much where - including in the bicycle and automotive industry) with seamless welding. Although not everywhere - in the area of ​​the carriage the seams are very visible. The junction points look neat, all the beauty without sacrificing reliability.

Once again, I would like to note the irresistible craving of the manufacturer for placing the company name on the bike. It seems that they simply can not control this process: the inscriptions, on sensations, there are 50 pieces (there are about 8 of them on the steering wheel alone) - so that everyone knows that this is Twitter. But all this was noticed when processing photos - while driving, you simply do not pay attention to it. On the bottom of the frame are three large inscriptions: red at the bottom and rainbow relief on the sides:

But the coloring as a whole does not look embarrassing.
Leather grips are familiar from the Mantis-E1 and TW-E9L models - very comfortable and practical. Unlike rubber, which will be on e-bike from the following review. On the left is the front brake knob and speed selector (Shimano Altus), on the right there is a rear brake knob and another shifter. There is no one more petal on the steering wheel, as the scooter mode is not provided in this model.

In the front cassette there are 3 stars, in the back 9 - in total, the bike has 27 speeds, that is, any mode can choose the appropriate mode.

Rods, too, from the brand Retrospec - like pedals, saddle, seatpost and steering wheel.

Chain YBN-9S (9 speeds) with lock:

And most importantly, the heart of e-bike is a motor. Here its role is played by a motor-wheel, or rather, a brushless electric motor with a reducer, with a capacity of 350 W (maximum torque - 60 N * m).

Cable Management:


Go
Before you go, you need to put the bike on charge. Almost immediately on the adapter the green LED lights up - it means that everything is charged. We press the red button on the battery and turn on the on-board computer - everything turns on, 100%, nothing sparkles :)
Not a bit, not beautiful, mileage is not twistedOn the computer screen displays:
- Current speed
- Help level (on the screen above - 5 - maximum; 0 - off)
- The total mileage and distance of the current trip
- Error indication
- Battery charge
Information is easily and quickly read from the screen, visible even in the bright sun (if anything, there is a backlight).
When assisting mode is off, we have a good bike with 27 speeds. But it is necessary to press a button and now ... no, there is no scooter mode here - you cannot take it and go, you have to pedal) And this is not a drawback, but a feature of the model. Pedaling in general is very useful :) So - it is worth pressing a button, how to turn the pedals in the load becomes easier. Sensors detect pedal speed and command the engine to help you maintain the speed you need. Or to go uphill on the heaviest stars, which are usually problematic to call on.
There are five levels of help in total: from the minimum (1) to the maximum (5), but even on the five will have to actively work with the feet. When reaching a speed of 35 km / h, the assistant turns off - to surprise the car at the Moscow Ring Road will not work :)
Before the start on the odometer was 0.6 km (600 meters), the battery was charged up to 100%. After 10 km of run in the city in the mode of maximum assistance, 92% of the charge remained. This hardly means that the battery lasts for 100 kilometers, but in any case, the charge does not melt before our eyes. By the way, the manufacturer claims up to 90 km in support mode - this is an excellent figure, although there are many factors that can change it in both directions: the wearer's weight, weather conditions, wind, tire pressure and others.
The front shock absorber (times) is blocked a little tight, but the ride is rather soft - you can ride over bumps and sidewalks without much discomfort. Grips are very comfortable. The same with the pedals.
During operation, the electric motor emits a not very loud hum. There is not enough headlights to ride in the dark - it is strange that the manufacturer does not include such a simple, necessary and inexpensive accessory at the same time.
It is also desirable to buy wings.
We still ride a bike to try to understand the real power reserve - as long as an extremely mixed mode is obtained (different people, with and without support, from the hill and uphill), but the resulting figures are similar to what the manufacturer claims and this is very cool.
Color: black-red / black-yellow / black-gray
Frame size: 15.5 ″ or 17.0 ″
Frame: aluminum alloy (6061)
Bicycle weight: 18.2 kg
Wheel size: 26 "
Tires: KENDA-1187, 26 "Ă— 1.95"
Rims: aluminum alloy, double, caps
Spokes: SHUNJIU, ruggedized
Bushings: RS, aluminum alloy, 2-bearing, for disc brakes
Steering wheel: aluminum alloy with a matte finish
Steering column: aluminum alloy, CNC 44 mm
Fork: Spring, with manual locking
Brakes: Shimano Altus, hydraulic disc
Gear Levers: Shimano Altus (27 Speed)
Front gear shift: Shimano Altus
Rear gear selector: Shimano Alivio
Carriage: KENLI, square holes, bearing BB68
Cassette: SUGEK-9S, 11-34T
Chain: YBN-9S
Cranks: aluminum alloy, square hole, 22-32-44T
Pedals: aluminum alloy, Retrospec CNC, with bearings
Saddle: light and comfortable, for mountain bikes
Handles: leather with retaining ring
Motor: rear wheel motor (brushless DC motor with reduced noise), 36 V, 350 W
Maximum torque: 60 N * m
Operating modes: 2 modes (help mode and pedal mode)
Help Modes: 5 levels
Mileage on a single charge: up to 90 km (in help mode)
Maximum speed of the help mode: up to 35 km / h
Maximum user weight: 120 kg
Battery: LG-18650, Lithium Ion, 36 V, 10 Ah
Full charge time: 3-5 hours
Number of recharge cycles: 800-1000 times
Optional: USB port for charging gadgets
Cost:Twitter Mantis-E0 is available with two frame sizes: regardless of the frame size (15.5 or 17 as in the review) and color (besides black-red there is black-yellow and black-gray) the cost is the same:
$ 69,990 (free shipping).
Bicycle can be purchased in the assembled state (assembly is free), and it is possible in the condition described in this article.
The end
As you can see, there is nothing difficult in the assembly. More precisely, there is nothing difficult in assembling a kit from Twitter - if you want to build a custom project from scratch, then you will have to run around with a file on a rake (there are a lot of videos about it on YouTube).
As for the Mantis-E0 itself ... looking at the technical specifications, we can safely say that the device will suit all those who are just going to join the electric transport. Looking at the price tag, one can say that everything is fine with the price / quality ratio as well. Yes, there is no scooter mode for walking, but the bike was not created to lie down and rest on it. And in order to pedal - and for this there is a completely cool mode of assistance - it will easily increase the distance that you can travel at a time.