The E-siest Ride

A few years ago, I was diagnosed with a hormonal imbalance condition. Though very manageable years later, there are still some things that make me feel diferent from everyone else. Like the fact that my head overheats (literally, you could fry an egg on top of my head) while other people around me don’t have a single drop of sweat on their faces. Or the fact that I actually do sweat more than the average human being; my sweat level while running a 5K is tantamount to others who run a full 42K marathon. So you can imagine that when these things happen (not too often, but once in a while), it can be quite frustrating for a triathlete like myself.

So when Exion Cycles serendipitously reached out to me for an opportunity to test ride and write about their BESV JR1 road e-bike, I seized it like a dog pouncing on his favorite toy.

Author’s note: Currently (or at least from what I know and have seen), there are only a sprinkling of e-road bike options in the Philippines. Aside from the BESV JR1, there’s the Himo C30S, and very rarely, options from Specialized or Giant.

You may wonder at this point: an e-bike? Isn’t that a cop out?

We can agree to disagree all we want until we’re blue in the face about whether or not e-bikes are legit bikes. But personally, I’m for any kind of bike that allows people to enjoy freedom on two wheels; besides, if the e-rider isn’t joining a race or a cycling event like the Audax, why not, right? E-bikes have been proven to be beneficial in more ways than one, and they really do help burn lots of calories, contrary to some naysayers’ opinion. But I digress.

Going back to the story: Exion Cycles sent the BESV JR1 demo bike to my place, on loan for several days. As a backgrounder, BESV is a Taiwanese brand, and many cyclists know of and have high regard for the quality of Taiwanese bike brands; Merida and Giant being two of those.

I immediately charged the JR1’s battery (I wasn’t able to take a photo of it, but one has to remove the battery from its house within the bike frame, then charge it for around 4 hours) and pumped its 700 x 25c tires for my planned ride over the EDSA Day holiday.

The next morning, I took it for a spin around the metro to test the following: ease of use (particularly, being able to click up and down for motor assist options), feel (in terms of comfort, speed, weight), and longevity (if I were to simulate heavy use of the motor assist option).

BESV JR1 E-Road Bike

Off the bat, I felt that it would be a breeze to adjust to. The bike itself isn’t heavy, considering it houses a battery inside it. For the most part, one can ride it without hitting any of the motor assist options on flat roads or with slight elevation, and the descents are quite enjoyable (I was going over 45kph, which isn’t bad for Metro Manila standards).

With 700 x 25c tires and souped up with a Shimano 105 groupset

To activate the motor assist options, there are Dynamic Switches on the handlebars near the shifter: the left lowers it back to normal riding mode, and the right one helps you go up the different motor assist options: Eco, Smart, and Power.

With a 250W rear motor and a Torque Sensor

While activating the Dynamic Switches, I noticed that there was no abrupt change in movement or motion. Pedaling felt seamless and fluid, even with a bit of help courtesy of the bike’s motor; in the case of other e-bikes, you will instantly feel a slight jerk or throttle, which can be a bit disarming.

Before delivering the unit to my place, Exion Cycles graciously asked me if I had particular pedal preferences. Since I’ve been used to the Shimano SPD system for years now, they placed these compatible RockBros pedals for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed my first ride (worth about 45 kilometers), and couldn’t wait to take it out of town the following day.

An easy maiden voyage with the BESV JR1

The next day, I was due to meet my triathlon teammates in Clark, Pampanga, for a social ride; the first time our team would meet once again, since the pandemic began.

The author (fourth from right) and her triathlon team

Going around Clark was absolutely no problem, even on what used to be intimidating stretches for me, like the (in)famous “Pader”, and two loops headed to and from the Clark SCTEX tollbooth. I was able to conserve my energy and avoid my usual overheating tendencies much better, and only activate the motor assistance as the day grew warmer.

The JR1 meets one of the many bridges of Clark, Pampanga

As a result, I can genuinely say I had one of the best Clark training/social rides in my life. Not only did I have a great time with my friends and teammates, but I was able to manage my condition well enough that I didn’t overheat, sweat too profusely, and/or become dehydrated in the process.

The bike might look a bit small here, but that’s because I purposely lowered the saddle height, just to get used to the bike and pedals

I would recommend this bike for the following reasons:

• you have a medical condition, which would otherwise become a handicap for cycling
• you’re of a certain age bracket and you’d like to get back to cycling
• you have the means to purchase one (in general, e-bikes are placed at a different price point); the JR1 model is priced at PhP 155,000 while its gravel bike counterpart is priced at PhP 175,000.

Thank you, Exion Cycles, for this opportunity (accessories in the photo, such as the saddle bag with water bottle holder, water bottle, cyclocomputer mount, and Garmin Edge, are all mine; the rest are c/o Exion Cycles).

JR1 specs from the website

Needless to say, the JR1 has been one of the e-siest rides I’ve ever had — and it’s not only because of its motor assist function, but really, because of its overall ride feel and experience.

Now, how to make sure this bike stays with me forever. 🤔

For inquiries related to the BESV range of bikes, contact the following:

• Exion Cycles: https://www.facebook.com/exioncycles/
• BESV Philippines: https://www.facebook.com/besvph