Takeaway: The Co-op Cycles Generation e1.1 is an excellent bike with an insufficient gear range for almost all types of riding. It is a contradiction between means and ends.
- High-quality styling and finish
- Reliable brand-name components
- Backed by nationwide REI support
- Inadequate gear range for flat terrain
- Gearing for heavy loads and long hills
Price: $1,500
Weight: 54 lbs.
Co-op Cycles Co-op Cycles Generation e1.1 Electric Bike
Co-op Cycles Co-op Cycles Generation e1.1 Electric Bike
The recently rebranded Co-op Cycles (by REI) renews its focus on quality name-brand components and solid construction at a reasonable price. Though Co-op offers bikes to fill many niches, it specializes in family and kids bikes. The new Generation e1.1 (or Gen e, for short) is an entry-level, utility e-bike priced low enough to compete with direct-to-consumer brands such as Rad Power.
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Where Rad Power offers a dizzying array of utility e-bikes in the $1,300 to $2,000 range (with various suspension, rack, gearing, and battery placement offerings), Co-op introduced its line with just two, the e1.1 and the e1.2. The latter comes with a rigid fork, integrated front cargo rack, and a slightly larger battery, while the former has front suspension. One would think that by limiting their offerings, Co-op Cycles would produce a more refined product. And in most areas, this is true.
Built Solid
The aluminum frame may not be light, but it feels stiff and reliable. The Shimano Altus drivetrain is tried-and-true and shifts smoothly, and the Tektro hydraulic brakes inspire safety and confidence with their short stopping distance. The Gen e1.1 even includes a suspension fork from SR Suntour. The only parts of the bike manufactured solely for REI are the frame, wheels, seatpost, and saddle.
Picking up this bike, I was optimistic. It has all the right components (on paper), the quality pedigree and the service guarantee of REI, and it fills a clear need. My first impressions were very good. The matte-finish paint job (available in blue, yellow, black, and off-white) is slick as hell. The rear rack is sturdy and welded to the frame, coated in the same contemporary finish as the rest of the bike. It feels high quality. At 54lbs, it even weighs less than the comparable offering from Rad Power.
Low Gearing Holds it Back
For utility bikes, riders expect a low gear range to support acceleration under load. Six of the seven gears on this bike fall in the very low-to-low range. Meaning, that unless you’re riding with additional weight or a small child, this bike only has one usable gear. And that gear does most of the heavy lifting until roughly 12 mph, where it taps out and leaves your legs spinning with no resistance.
The gearing (42T chainring in the front and a 13-34T freewheel in the back) combined with the 20-inch wheels doesn’t rise high enough to match a comfortable cadence above 12 mph. When reached for comment, REI’s spokesperson stated that the bike is geared for cargo load and suggested adding weight. In the hills of Washington state, where REI is based, the gearing might make sense, but in the gentle terrain of NYC, this bike feels insufficient.
No amount of quality component choices can make up for actively unpleasant ride quality. And the heartbreak is that the components that need adjustment are some of the least expensive and easiest to acquire. Increasing the chainring size in the front by six teeth and/or replacing the rear cluster with an 11-34T range (to match the Rad Power Radrunner Plus) would fix this issue, improving the top speed at a standard pedaling cadence by as much as 45%. It confounds me how such a simple and apparent problem could slip through Co-op Cycles ride testing. If this were changed on all Gen e1.1 models moving forward, this bike would beat the equivalent Rad Power offering by a few hundred dollars with added nationwide support. But as-is, the bike feels like it was released prematurely.
Where pedaling is optional on the Radrunner thanks to the throttle, the Gen e1.1 follows the pedal assist model in which the motor only activates when the rider is turning the crank. With the press of a button on the handlebar, the display unit turns on the system, the motor engages, and the bike surges with power on each pedal stroke. Very quickly I found myself out-gearing the bike on the flat roads around Lower Manhattan. Crossing the bridge to Brooklyn was easy, but I continued to be plagued by the bike’s low gearing. I fiddled with the power modes on the display unit, cycling through five levels, trying to find one that would leave enough resistance for my legs. The level I settled on was OFF, the only way to ride slowly enough to keep from out-gearing without cargo.
Eventually, I reached the grocery, excited to put this bike to the test with a heavier load. My review model came with a pannier which I loaded full of the necessities and a cheeky soft cheese or two. Surely with a full pannier, the ride experience would change. Accelerating from a stop took a little longer and riding uphill, under an additional 30lb load, felt more natural. However, even with the added weight of a small toddler on the rear wheel, Gen e's lack of gearing plagued me. Fully loaded, the bike builds up speed smoothly until a steep dropoff around 12mph well before the motor tops out, leaving my legs spinning like a paper pinwheel. Going downhill is a foregone conclusion: don’t bother with the pedals at all.
Thinking that perhaps my grocery load was insufficient, I decided to try again with as much weight as I could pack into the pannier. My laptop, a U-Lock, a chain lock, full Nalgene, and a change of clothes were enough to unbalance the bike and make the kickstand obsolete. Yet instead of fixing the gearing issue, the only noticeable difference was that my pannier kept detaching on one side and swinging wildly when crossing speed bumps.
Hopeful for Improvement
The Co-op Cycles Generation e1.1 is an excellent bike with a significant but not irreparable flaw. A different chainring and guard, easy to obtain and inexpensive for an entry-level drivetrain, would make this the perfect utility e-bike. Right now, this roughly $70 necessary cost (plus about $35-50 in labor) gets passed on to the owner, and REI is not currently fixing under-geared bikes in stores. REI has a history of listening to its customers and adjusting its product lines accordingly, so one can only hope that the next version of this bike is much better for it.
Style: Urban Utility E-Bike
Wheel Size: 20"
Motor: Direct-drive pedal-assist Bafang 350W rear hub motor with a top speed of 20 mph
Battery: Bafang 36V/11.6AH removable battery, 7-hour charge time, 30-40 mile range
Frame: 6061 aluminum
Fork: SR Suntour SF20 Mobie A32 Cargo, adjustable preload, 70 mm travel
Crankset: Aluminum with steel 42T chainring
Bottom Bracket: Bafang
Shifters: Shimano Altus, EZ-Fire
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Altus, 7-speed
Rear Cogs: Shimano 7-speed, 14-34T
Brakes: Tektro Hydraulic Disc with 180mm rotors
Rims: Co-op Cycles double-wall, 36H
Front Hub: 15 mm thru-axle 36H alloy
Rear Hub: 36H
Tires: Schwalbe Super-Moto-X 20x2.40” with Double Defense GreenGuard puncture protection
Handlebar: Co-op Cycles 6061 aluminum riser bar
Stem: Promax HQ adjustable
Seat Post: Co-op Cycles aluminum
Saddle: Co-op Cycles Comfort Plus with memory foam
Pedals: FPD alloy
Headset: 1-1/8 in. x 1-1/2 in. threadless
Chain: KMC for e-bike
Co-op Cycles Co-op Cycles Generation e1.1 Electric Bike
Co-op Cycles Co-op Cycles Generation e1.1 Electric Bike
Based in Brooklyn, New York, Aithne is a commuter and urban bike tester of mountain bike experience. Between rides, she produces experimental stories at The Atlantic and organizes media labor.
