The Puckipuppy Beagle ST 26×4 fat tire e-bike, the second iteration from Puckipuppy, offers an affordable and feature-rich option for e-bike enthusiasts. This review delves into its design, performance, and overall user experience.
Design and Pricing: The Beagle ST boasts a sleek matte black finish (also available in white or pearl) and features a convenient step-through design, with a step-over version also available. Priced affordably at $1199, it aims to provide value for money.
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Accessories and Practicality: The bike comes with a range of accessories, including mirrors, a phone mount, a lock, a pump, a bike cover, and a cup mount. Weighing 76 lbs, it’s designed to accommodate riders from 5’4″ to 6’6″ and has a substantial payload capacity of 400 lbs, with a standover height of approximately 20 inches.
Power and Performance: Under the hood, the Beagle ST is equipped with a 750-watt motor (peaking at 960 watts) and a 48-volt 15 amp-hour battery. This setup promises a claimed range of 40 to 60 miles, though a more realistic expectation is around 40 miles. The bike can achieve speeds of up to 28 mph in PS5 mode.
Components and Features: For gearing, it features a 42-tooth chainring, a Shimano Turney derailleur, and a 14 to 28-tooth seven-speed cassette. A right-sided twist throttle and a cadence sensor system provide assist. Stopping power comes from 26×4 knobby tires, 180mm rotors, and Logan hydraulic disc brakes.
The front suspension offers 110mm of travel, and for visibility, it includes a bright dual headlight and a rear brake light. The handlebars are well-equipped with locking grips, thumb throttle, brake levers, a shifter, a control pad, and a horn. However, the display shows battery level as a bar (0-6) rather than a percentage, which some users might find less precise.
Ride Experience: The reviewer, a 6-foot tall individual, found the bike to be comfortable and well-suited for taller riders. It performed admirably across various terrains, including off-road trails and hills, maintaining stability even at higher speeds.
Pros and Cons: Dislikes noted include: the imprecise battery indicator on the display, the wide seat, its classification as Class 2 despite functioning as Class 3, the necessity to install rack bolts, the absence of an adjustable stem, and the perceived cheap quality of some included accessories (phone mount, mirrors).
On the positive side, the reviewer praised: the overall aesthetics and feel, its attractive price point and good value, noticeable quality improvements over previous Puckipuppy models, a smooth ride quality, refined fit and finish, excellent cable management, a good paint job, the inclusion of bosses for a bottle cage, its sleek blacked-out appearance, effective brakes, accurate advertised speed, and a bright headlight.
Overall, the Puckipuppy Beagle ST 26×4 fat tire e-bike appears to be a strong contender in the affordable e-bike market, offering a solid blend of features and performance for its price.