FREY Bike, based in Jinhua, China, has just released its first hub motor electric bike, adding the less expensive FREY Runner to its model line-up. FREY has long been a premium producer of electric mountain bikes that has prioritized powerful mid-drive motors, and its move towards hub motors signifies the brand opening its doors to more utilitarian and price conscious clientele.
The brand's prices have generally been in the $3,000 to $5,000 area for many of FREY's popular electric mountain bikes due to its emphasis on high-end design. However, the starting price of the new FREY Runner, which uses a hub motor drivetrain, is only $2,580. That may seem like a hefty price tag compared to the many inexpensivecurrently available, but FREY has always equipped their e-bikes with better-quality parts that can survive more rigorous riding.
The FREY Runner is offered with either 29-inch or 27.5-inch wheels, and each wheel size is available in M, L, and XL frame sizes. Even though the bike has a hub motor for a more straightforward powertrain, it nevertheless has many of the same higher-quality parts as the other FREY e-bikes. That entails a massive 48V 21Ah battery with a 1,008 Wh capacity, four-piston Tektro HD hydraulic disc brakes, Maxxis tires, Shimano Alivio 9-speed drivetrain, and a RockShox Recon fork.
The pedal assist system pairs each motor with a torque sensor to provide responsive and natural-feeling performance. The FREY Runner includes a rear rack and is intended for bikepacking and touring. It is also capable of carrying loads up to 150 kilograms , thus it can transport both heavy quantities of gear and larger riders. Depending on the motor chosen, the bike itself weights between 27.2 and 29.5 kilograms .