Himo C30S Max Electric Road Bike [Tech Specs and Overview]

If you prefer riding a drop handlebar bike, it’s very difficult to find an e-bike with drop handlebars below the €2000 threshold. The Himo C30S Max is a road-focused electric bike, featuring a sporty riding position with drop handlebars. In this article, I’m going to be taking a closer look a the specification to see if it’s a viable alternative to the current crop of expensive e-road bikes.

Summary

I’m a big fan of the Himo brand of e-bikes. I currently own a Himo ZB20 folding e-bike and have tested other models in their range. The C30S Max follows the same theme as their other bikes, with a nice and understated metallic grey paint finish, internal cable routing and mechanical disc brakes.

Key Features:

• 250w rear hub motor
• 25km/h speed (EU and UK legal)
• 360Wh battery (Samsung cells)
• Torque-sensing pedal assist
• Shimano Sora 18-speed gearing

Electric components

The Himo C30S Max differs from earlier models, in that it conforms to EN15194 pedelec regulations, making it road legal to use in both the EU and UK.

Power is provided by a small 250w rear hub motor and 360Wh removable battery.  The battery uses quality Samsung cells, which should ensure longevity.

Torque-sensing pedal assist:  One thing that sets the C30S apart from other models is the torque-sensing pedal assist – this measures rider pedalling force (through the pedal cranks) and provides smooth and intuitive assist. This kind of assistance helps with overall motor efficiency and will ensure optimum battery range.

Colour display: Another feature of the C30S is the very neat-looking colour display. It has the same functionality as your typical black-and-white display but is much more visually pleasing.

Bike components

As you’d expect with an e-road bike,  the Himo C30S features drop handlebars with Shimano shifters. There’s a total of 18 gears with a compact 46/34 chainset up front with a 9-speed 11-28 cassette. Gears are controlled by Shimano Sora STi shifters and derailleurs. Sora is at the lower level of Shimano’s road groupset, but is of excellent quality nonetheless and should provide flawless and accurate shifting.

The brakes are cable disc brakes (unspecified) – if they’re anything like the brakes on my ZB20, then they should work just fine.

Aluminium road wheels with Quando hubs are shod in tarmac-friendly Kenda 700x32c tyres, which should roll fast on the road while offering a decent level of comfort.

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Full Specification

General	Brand: HIMO Type: Electric Moped Bike Model: C30S MAX Colour: Grey/Silver
Specification	Wheel Size: 28 inch Motor Rated Power: 250W Battery: 10Ah Li-ion battery Charge Time: 5 hours Maximum Speed: 25km/h Maximum Load: 100kg Input Voltage: AC180V-240V/2A  DC110V-240V/2A Brake Mode: Front/rear disc brake Transmission: Shimano 18 speed Rim: Aluminium alloy spoke wheel
Weight & Size	Bike weight (with battery): 18.6kg Product size: 153x 58 x 112cm / 60.24 x 22.83 x 44.09inches Package size: 91 x 38 x 71cm / 35.83 x 14.96 x 27.95inches
Package Contents	1 x Bike 1 x Tool 1 x Charger (EU) 1 x English Manual

Who is the Himo C30S Max aimed at?

I can see the Himo C30S appealing to riders wanting an e-road bike, but can’t stretch to much over €2000. The best electric road bikes are notoriously expensive with even entry-level models coming in over this price.

Most e-road bikes use the lightweight X35 ebikemotion system and have carbon fibre forks and finishing kit – this tends to keep the weight very low (usually under 13kg). The Himo has alloy forks and a heavier motor and battery – as a consequence it weighs substantially more at 18.6kg. This may be a deal breaker for some potential owners.

Having said that, the motor should more than compensate for the extra weight and the C30S should make a fast fun commuter e-bike.

Conclusion

At its current price, the Himo C30S Max is a viable option for riders looking for an affordable electric road bike. The main compromise that may put some potential buyers off is the weight.  E-Road bikes are traditionally very lightweight and the Himo C30S comes in at nearly 20kg. I can’t see this being too much of a problem for riding on fairly flat or undulating terrain, but you’d definitely notice the extra weight on long, draggy climbs (even with the assist).

It’s good to see the inclusion of torque-sensing pedal assist and a neatly integrated battery pack. The overall package looks very appealing at this price and I’m sure the Himo will be very popular.

Cheap e-road bikes are few and far between. And, unless you convert a road bike you already own to electric, then there are hardly any options below the €2000 price mark.

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