Macwheel 26-inch Electric Bike Review

Macwheel makes a range of electric bikes and scooters, and the 26-inch Electric Bike is one of their newest models. We picked one up to see how it compares to our selection of affordable e-bikes. In the end, it proved to have the longest distance range of all the models tested. Read on to find out more about this reasonably priced model.

Performance Comparison

Ride

The Macwheel has a classic cruiser bike style with a comfortable ride quality to match. It earned an 8 out of 10, performing on par with the likes of the Ancheer Blue Spark and the Nakto. It rolls nice and smooth on 26-inch wheels and is stable at speed with predictable, steady handling. It has a large range of seat and handlebar height adjustments to suit various user heights. Useful features like fenders, a headlight, and a rear cargo rack also help to enhance the user experience.

The Macwheel has a rigid aluminum frame with a step-thru design that makes it easy to get on and off the bike. The seat height can be adjusted from 32.5" to 39.5", making it suitable for most adult riders between roughly 5' and 6'2" tall. Our six-foot-tall tester with abnormally long legs had no problem adjusting the seat to the appropriate height. Likewise, you can raise and lower the handlebar a few inches to dial it in to your preferences. The seated position is casual and upright; it feels a lot like a beach cruiser. It has a moderately large padded seat, which we found relatively comfortable, even during our hour and a half-long range test.

The Macwheel rolls on 26-inch wheels with larger volume 1.75" wide tires. These wheels roll nice and smooth, and the larger volume of the tires helps to dampen the ride a bit and take the edge off bumps and cracks in the road. This bike handles how you might expect, and while it isn't exactly sporty, it responds well to rider input, feels smooth through corners, and is plenty stable at higher speeds. It has a relatively short wheelbase and turning radius, but it feels good making turns of all sizes and at various speeds. We found the V-brakes to be powerful enough to control speed, and the 6-speed drivetrain worked fine during testing.

Range

It may not be the fastest or most powerful electric bike we tested, but it impressed us with its distance range. In fact, the Macwheel outperformed all of the other bikes in our standardized pure electric/throttle-only range test. The larger 360 Wh battery certainly helped it go the distance.

The Macwheel comes with a 360 Wh (36V 10Ah) lithium battery which is among the largest of all the models we tested. In theory, the more battery storage capacity you have, the longer it should last and the farther you can ride your bike. We found this to be the case, and we rode this bike for 21.25 miles with just over 1,000 vertical feet of elevation gain/loss at an average speed of 13.8 mph using just the throttle. This number is just shy of Macwheel's claimed throttle-only range of 22-25 miles, and we feel you could easily achieve that on flatter terrain without the rolling hills of our test course. This bike's range could likely be doubled while using pedal assist and putting some effort into pedaling. Other bikes were able to hold a higher average speed, but we feel the 13.8 mph average of the Macwheel is pretty good considering its top measured throttle speed of 15.5 mph. So, it may not be the fastest, but it can go the farthest on a single charge. It is worth mentioning that when the battery got very low, the bike entered a battery-saving mode of sorts and was moving quite slowly for the last 3/4 of a mile or so.

Power

The Macwheel is a Class 2 electric bike with a throttle and five levels of pedal assistance. It earned a 7 out of 10 for this metric. It has a 250W rear hub motor, and we measured its top speed right around 15.5 mph using either the throttle or pedal assist. It can't quite match the torque, acceleration, or maximum speed of our top-rated models in this metric. Still, it delivers power smoothly and consistently with only moderate motor noise levels. Like all of the other bikes we tested, brake sensors shut off the power delivery when the brakes are applied.

While riding on flat terrain, the throttle of the Macwheel had no difficulty getting up to its top measured speed of 15.5 mph. Unlike all of the other bikes we tested, this bike's throttle power corresponded to the pedal-assist setting and was incrementally stronger the higher the setting. This feature is unique, and one that we think could be useful for riders who may want to adjust how powerful their throttle feels. That said, even in its highest setting, it doesn't have the torque or acceleration of some of the more powerful competition. This lack of power was also noticeable during our range testing, as it seemed to bog down and not hold speed quite as well while going uphill. The throttle isn't necessarily intended to whisk you up hills, but some other bikes we tested do a better job of it. You can also turn off the throttle entirely by pressing the button underneath the twist grip. This bike also has a walk mode that propels the bike forward while walking, which is engaged by pressing and holding the - button.

The Macwheel has five pedal assist output settings that provide a broad range of support for your pedaling efforts, and it has no problem getting up to its top speed of 15.5 mph. You can go faster than that, of course, but that's up to you as the motor stops delivering power once it reaches its top speed. Zero is off, and the bike provides no assistance, and shifting up through the settings from 1 to 5 provides increasing support from the rear hub motor. This bike has a magnetic cadence sensor, and regardless of how much effort or torque the rider puts into the pedals, it gives the same output while the cranks turn. Power is delivered after about a quarter-turn of the cranks, and it feels smooth and consistent, even when shifting between output levels. The bike can feel a little jumpy when pedaling in an easy gear in the strongest output setting, but that is common among all the bikes we tested.

User Interface

We were underwhelmed by the Macwheel's display and controls, and it earned a 7 out of 10, which is average for this metric. While they have decent ergonomics and are perfectly functional, they are quite basic, and the LED display is difficult to read in bright light conditions. Charging is relatively standard, and you can charge the removable battery on or off the bike.

The battery sits behind the seat tube and has a switch that needs to be turned to the "on" position before using. The handlebar-mounted controls/display is a single unit located next to the left grip. There are three buttons on the left side of the unit closest to the grip. The center button is marked with an M, and it turns the bike's power on and off. The + and - buttons are used to shift up or down through the bike's output settings. These buttons have relatively good ergonomics and are easy to reach with the thumb. On the right side of the handlebar is a twist throttle integrated into the right-hand grip. A simple twist engages the throttle and propels you forward. The throttle can also be turned on or off by pressing the button underneath it.

The display is quite rudimentary, but it shows output setting and remaining battery life with simple blue LEDs. The output setting is displayed as a number, 0-5, in the upper right corner. The battery charge is represented by 5 bars near the bottom of the display. Each one turns off progressively as the battery is depleted. While this system works, it only shows you the bare minimum of information, and the blue lights can be quite challenging to see in bright sunlight.

The battery has a small charging port on one side with a small rubber cover to keep dust and moisture out. You can charge the battery on the bike or remove it by unlocking and sliding it out of the cradle. We like this feature for security purposes and for those who can't charge their battery where their bike is stored. Macwheel claims a charging time of five hours for a fully depleted battery.

Assembly

While it is generally straightforward, the assembly of the Macwheel is a little more involved than most of the other bikes we tested, and it earned a 7 out of 10. Like most bikes, it arrived mostly assembled, with only a few steps remaining to complete the process. It comes with detailed written instructions with photographs and all necessary tools.

The Macwheel arrives in a large bike box that weighs roughly 60 lbs. This box is relatively large, and we think it's a good idea to have someone help you if you need to move it. Removing the bike from the box can also be awkward, and it is nice to have an extra person for this step. Our test bike arrived in good condition, and it was well packaged and protected from shipping damage. After removing the protective packing materials, the remaining assembly took approximately 45 minutes. The majority of the steps are pretty simple and don't require bike mechanic skills to complete. Still, if you are unsure, we suggest having it assembled by a professional bike mechanic. The remaining steps include installing the handlebar, seat and seat post, front fender and headlight, rear rack, and pedals. We also found that we needed to adjust the cable tension of the front and rear V-brakes. Otherwise, all we needed to do was plug it in and charge it to be ride-ready.

Should You Buy the Macwheel 26-inch Electric Bike?

The Macwheel 26-inch is a cruiser-style electric bike with a retro style. It's not the fastest or most powerful, but it impressed us with its best-in-test distance range. This comfortable bike promotes a laid-back riding style as it supports your pedaling efforts up to its top speed of 15.5 mph with pedal assist or the throttle. Additional features like fenders, a cargo rack, and a headlight add to its user-friendliness and versatility for commuting or running errands around town. While it is not the cheapest, we feel the Macwheel is a relatively good value. If you're looking for a commuter or around-town e-bike to save money on gas or to get out and have fun, we feel this is a great option to consider.

What Other Budget Electric Bikes Should You Consider?

The Macwheel is a comfortable and easy-to-ride model, but it is not the zippiest e-bike. If you are looking for something to get you from point A to point B without losing any time, the Ancheer Blue Spark has the fastest top speed in our tests, as well as a range that is almost as good as the Macwheel. However, you lose some convenience features like a step-through design and included cargo rack, but it may be worth the tradeoff depending on your needs.