I’m typically one of the first out of my friends and family to try new products. I’ve seen e-bikes parked outside at the bike rack of my gym before but no one I knew personally has one. That’s why when I saw the new K1 from KBO advertised on Facebook for a pretty good price (more on that in my review) I decided to get one. My KBO K1 arrived not long after I ordered it on March 2 of this year.
I was a little worried that shipping would take a long time because it seems to be a newly launched bike, but it arrived within the time window advertised on the website so no complaints here!
I’ll cover my experience unboxing and putting the bike together, my very first electric bike, and some of the things I like and dislike about the bike. All in all, this has been a pretty fun and easy experience, so I wanted to write about it for others.
Unboxing and Assembling
I ordered a K1 folding ebike in Midnight Black and I also added a bigger bike seat and phone holder from KBO since the bike was on sale, I figured why not get some extra bells and whistles with it.
The bike arrived from UPS in good condition and in a large box. There was a few smaller boxes inside the main box with parts like the pedals and charger. I was able to do all the assembly by myself, even though the instructions recommended two people. It was packed in there pretty good, but after about 10 minutes I had it all laid out and ready to put together. The instructions for setting up the folding pin and latch was the only thing that was even remotely challenging, but even then, it was still easy enough (by the way, I love this quick release clamp and folding feature.). After that, I added the pedals and the handlebar and it was done.
My First Ride
It was raining outside the day I got the bike, so I let it charge overnight and took it out the day after I put it together. I didn’t really know what to expect, but it was a total blast to ride. My daughter thinks it’s funny that I can ride so fast without really pedaling that hard. I have to say, it probably does look a little strange because you can’t even see a battery so it’s hard to tell if it’s an electric bike or not. THIS IS MY FAVORITE PART! It kind of looks just like a regular cruising bike, but then I can hit the throttle and it absolutely takes off. (Some people may not like the power it has, because it can be surprising, but I’d just recommend to stay in a low mode like 1 or 2 at all times.) I’ve only had it for a few weeks, but ever since my first ride, I love it.
The Good and the Bad
The best part about this bike (for me at least) is the look of it. I was debating between this one and the KBO Flip, and I chose this one because the battery is hidden inside the frame. It gives it this polished and uniform look which I like a lot. And in all black frames and wheels, I don’t draw too much attention to myself.
Another great feature is the bigger tires. They are wider than I’m used to on a bike and I feel like it gives me a lot of stability and cushion when I go over curbs and cracks in the road. The tires also have fenders over them to help with rain or mud splashing up when it’s wet outside. It’s still spring here in Ohio, so this is a big plus!
One downside I’ve noticed is the battery doesn’t last as long as I’d like, mainly because I almost always keep it on the highest pedal-assist mode and I don’t pedal that much. When I am pedaling, the battery lasts a lot longer. I rode it to the gym which is about 5 miles there and 5 miles back and don’t think I pedaled once. The battery was about 60% after so I’m guessing I could get about 25 miles on a single charge if I wasn’t pedaling. To be fair, it’s not a problem because the longest I’m ever going to ride is probably 10-20 miles in a single day, and I can just charge it up overnight and be ready to use it the very next morning.
Overall, I’m really pleased with my KBO K1. I’m excited to go for rides with my girls this spring. I’ll update my review in the future if anything changes. Thanks for reading!!
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