ebikechoices is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Learn more
Hot on the heels of the Pure Flux One, the major British high street e-bike retailer has now released an affordable city bike. The Pure Free City is a budget electric hybrid bike available from Pure Electric. In this preview article, I will take a closer look at the specifications and hopefully get hold of one in the near future for a full review.
Summary
There are plenty of cheap hybrid electric bikes available, but not many of these are likely to have the nationwide after sales support of a company like Pure Electric. The Pure Free City is a rigid-frame, hybrid e-bike aimed squarely at the budget end of the commuter market. The nearest competitor I can think of is Halfords with their Carrera Impel hybrid, which is in a similar price bracket.
At a glance, the Pure Free City looks okay. There’s nothing that stands out about this particular e-bike – it looks nice, uses tried and tested technology and is reasonably priced. It’s quite a basic bike which isn’t a bad thing – all the serviceable parts like brakes, chain, tyres etc. will be cheap and easy to maintain.
Now available from Pure Electric Spain
Electric components
As you would expect at this price range, there’s nothing particularly special about the choice of electric components used. The Shengyi motor is widely used on budget e-bikes and has a proven track record for reliability. There’s a modest 36v 8.7Ah (313Wh) rack battery, which should give a realistic range of between 20-30 miles.
Bikes components
Looking at the specification of the Pure Free City, there’s nothing out of the ordinary. Most of the components like the Shimano drivetrain are typical on bargain basement bicycles and e-bikes.
Gearing is 7-speed Shimano, with a gripshift and Tourney rear derailleur. There’s a 40t front chainring with 14-28 rear freewheel – this is quite low gearing and means that at 20mph, pedalling cadence will be at 90rpm. At the maximum assisted speed of 15.5mph, pedalling cadence will be around 70rpm.
Braking is provided by Promax v-brakes – these should be more than adequate for day to day riding, although they won’t work as well as discs in the wet weather.
The Pure Free City Electric hybrid has a host of accessories, that you would expect to see on a city bike – lights, kickstand, mudguards and pannier rack.
To add to its all-round appeal, there’s some CST 700x38c tyres which will be suitable for all weathers and even unpaved surfaces like some cycle paths and forest trails.
Who is the Pure Electric Hybrid aimed at?
I would say the Pure Electric Hybrid is aimed at people looking for a budget commuter e-bike from a recognised brand. Pure Electric are still quite a new company, but have quickly built up a good reputation and nationwide presence.
The specification of the Pure Free City is very basic, but functional – it has everything the average commuter would expect from a city e-bike. In true hybrid-fashion it has a ‘go anywhere’ design with chunky tyres, steel fork and low-step frame. I’ve included the Pure Free City on my list of best electric bikes for commuting in 2023.
Specification
- Crankset: 40T Chainring, 170mm Aluminium cranks
- Cassette: 7-speed Shimano freewheel TY300, 14-28T
- Chain: KMC 7 speed
- Shifters: Shimano Revoshift SL-TX50, 7-speed
- Frame Material: Aluminium Alloy 6061-T6 heat treated
- Weight: 21 kg
- Motor Power: 250 W
- Motor Model: Pure DGW07 by Shengyi
- Torque Output: 40 Nm
- Battery Model: BAK 2900Mah cells
- Battery Capacity 36v 8.7Ah / 313Wh
- Charger: 2A
- Battery Recharging Time: 6 Hours
- Tyres CST 38mm
- Front Hub: Aluminium, cup and cone with QR axle
- Rear Hub: Pure DGW07 by Shengyi
- Rims: 700c Alloy Double Wall 36 Hole
- Seatpost: 350mm, 25.4mm OD
- Saddle: Selle Royal Freeway Comfort
- Fork: Steel, 1 1/8″ threaded steerer, tapered blade with guard eyelets
- Stem: Die Casting Alloy Adjustable quill stem, Rise: -10 degrees to +50 degrees
- Front Light Type: Satellite C1, 40 Lux LED, StVZO approved beam pattern
- Rear Light Type: Rear LED integrated into battery
- Reflectors: Yes
- Bell: Yes
- Mudguards: Front & rear
- Kick Stand: Yes
- Pedals: Wellgo C157 with Kraton rubber top
Conclusion
This latest offering from Pure Electric doesn’t bring anything new to the table, but I’m sure it will be a huge success. Cheap electric hybrid bikes are in abundance and readily available from places like eBay and Amazon, but Pure Electric have a nationwide network or shops and that counts for a lot. Factor in the 2-year warranty on electric components and 3-year warranty on frame and fork, the Pure Free City starts to make a lot of sense.
If I was in the market for a cheap hybrid e-bike, I would seriously consider the the Pure Free City. With its traditional step-through design and proven hub motor technology, there’s really not a lot that can go wrong. The battery is a bit on the small side for an e-bike of this price, but you do get peace of mind when it comes to after sales support – something not always available from the hordes of e-bikes available from the big e-commerce platforms.
Visit Pure Electric for more information
Now available from Pure Electric Spain
Thanks for reading. If you have purchased one of these, please feel free to leave a review in the comments section below.
