June 10, 2020 - The iGO Discovery Bonaventure is one of those e-bikes that once it hits your garage it quickly becomes your go-to ride. This e-bike is an all-purpose bicycle for any trip around town, as well as being a perfect commuter.
The Bonaventure features a Ergofit, one-size-fits-all, e-bike and it only took a few minutes to adjust things for the right fit. In my case, I simply had to adjust the stem which can be configured to a wide range of lengths and heights with the help of a quick release on its side. The stem quickly pivoted into my desired position and easily locked securely back into place. The seat height can be adjusted with a quick release on the seat collar and again was adjusted very easily. In a matter of minutes the bike was set up in a comfortable position for me and ready to ride.
The Bonaventure has some cool features that make it more enjoyable to use. An on-demand thumb throttle helps to get it to start moving, for instance out of the garage. Like most e-bikes this ride comes with some heft, in this case 55lbs, so this feature comes in handy. Keep this mind if you’re loading into a car or onto a rack. The weight doesn’t pose any problems when riding, and I found that you need to be at power level 2 out of 5 for a neutral ride feeling.
The bike has a smooth and natural feel to the power-assist and when starting from a stop it takes off smoothly with your first pedal strokes as you soon get up to a good cruising speed. The speed depends on which power level the bike is set to. At Power Level 1 the bike will reach 12 km/hr before the power assist stops and as you move up, each level will have its top speed until you reach Power Level 5 of assistance where the bike can reach 32km/hr.
Powering the Bonaventure is a 500-Watt iGO Drive geared rear hub motor that blends with the wheel giving the bike a clean look. The lithium ion cell 672 WH battery is nicely integrated into the downtube and provides a range of 90km. We found that with average riding levels that it could last over 125 km on a single charge with some range still remaining. For safety the battery can be securely locked in place with a key.
iGO uses a very nice colour screened controller on the bike where you can see battery life, Watt output and speed. You can also choose the power level on the controller.
The iGO Drive Connect app allows you to choose on of three pre-set ride profiles including Economy, Standard and Sport mode. The different modes provide a different feel to the ride and the speed of acceleration. In Sport mode the bike accelerates from 0-32km per hour in five seconds while pedalling which is very quick acceleration. The app also allows you attain speeds up to 45km/h where it legally acceptable.
The Bonaventure also comes equipped with great standard essentials for commuter/city trips including a rear rack, fenders, lights, a bell and a kickstand. I haven’t had a bike with a kickstand in many years but quickly appreciated it as parking was a breeze without having to looking for a prop to lean it up against.
The Suntour NEX RS suspension fork offers 63mm of travel as well as a lock-out feature which makes the ride smoother and much more comfortable. For me, the travel was a must to allow you to lift the front end over cracks in the pavement more easily given the bike’s weight.
The Shimano Altus 8-speed drive train preformed flawlessly and the Tektro hydraulic disc brakes were responsive and able handle stopping in all conditions.
iGO offers a bar code located on the seat stays that can be scanned to provide technical assistance. The idea is that when you scan the bar code with your smart phone, it takes you to their website. Currently there’s a FAQ page which offers minimal assistance but more sections and content are coming, iGO confirmed, including “how to” videos along with hints, tips and more.
The Discovery Bonaventure is a fun and reliable commuter/city bike that could easily replace a car for around town use or pulling the kids behind in a bike trailer. At $2,599 it could quickly become your preferred choice to hit any path, bike lane, or road for a quick jaunt or an adventure of a lifetime.
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