Takeaway: The iZip E3 beach cruiser offers a smooth, upright, electric-assisted ride for a low, low price.
- Pedal assist tops out at 20 mph; battery offers max range of 62 miles
- Comes with rear rack, fenders, lights, and a kickstand
- Comfortable saddle and upright geometry for a relaxing ride
Price: $1,750
Weight: 53.8 lb. (one size)
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If you’re dreaming of breezy rides on the boardwalk or a quick cruise down to the corner store, the bike that belongs beneath you might be the Izip E3 Simi Step-Thru electric cruiser. The pedal-assist motor takes the ugh out of running errands by bike and keeps you less sweaty on hot rides. The Simi comes fully equipped with a rear carrier to which you can strap parcels, beach towels, or a rack-mounted basket. A step-through frame and upright positioning make it comfortable to ride (even in a skirt!), and fenders keep puddles from splashing up onto your clothes. Ready for vacation, short commutes, and small errands, the E3 Simi is a charming and efficient way to get around.
Frame Aluminum
Fork Hi-Ten Fork with Oversize Steerer and Blades
Battery SR Suntour Li-Ion 410Wh
Motor SR Suntour E25 Performance Rear Hub Brushless DC Motor, 250W
Display SR Suntour Multi-Function LED Display
Headset Semi-Integrated, Sealed Mechanism
Cranks SR Suntour Alloy Black, 170mm
Chainring 42 Tooth
Drivetrain 7-speed Shimano Tourney
Cassette 12-28
Handlebar IZIP Ergo Comfort Alloy Bars
Seat IZIP Custom Ergo Performance
Rims 26” Alloy Double Wall, Anodized Black
Tires Vee Rubber 2.125-inch
Brakes Tektro mechanical disc [180mm rotors]
Pedals Flat urban
Extras Alloy rear rack, alloy fenders, front and rear LED lights, kickstand
Motor and Battery
One of the great things about cruisers is, well, cruising! And on the Simi, the motor takes much of the work out of the ride, so you can go farther without working quite as hard. The bike employs a hub-driven SR Suntour E25 DC motor that is a little touchy when engaging and disengaging, but smooths out once you get rolling—plus, it’s incredibly quiet. Assist level tops out at 20mph, but it seemed to take exponentially more torque to increase the motor assistance once I went over 15mph.
A button on top of the SR Suntour battery lets you check the juice level while riding, and a threaded receptacle ensures the plug won’t accidentally slip out while charging. There are three levels of assist: eco, standard, and high. A fully charged battery will last up to 62 miles in the lowest assist and about 15 in the highest.
An SR Suntour LED display unit, located next to the left-hand grip, is simple yet sufficient. It has buttons to power up the bike, control the lights, and choose assist mode. It does not show you things like current speed, battery status, or miles ridden, but you can get a rough idea of remaining range by checking the lights on the battery.
5 Things We Love About the E3 Simi Step-Thru
City Ready
Rack, fenders, and lights included
Simple User Interface
Adjust the assist mode and turn on the light.
Hub-Driven Motor
Super quiet and smooth rolling
Wide, Comfy Saddle
Supports your sit bones in the upright position.
Light-Duty Battery
Lasts up to 62 miles in eco mode
Geometry
The Simi puts its rider in an upright position that’s easy on the lower back, neck, and wrists, and allows you to comfortably take in the scenery as you pass by. The seat tube is on a much slacker angle—which allows you to put your feet on the ground without getting off the saddle—while still maintaining a comfortable distance from the pedals. This is helpful for balance and control while stopping or navigating crowded boardwalks where you have to put a foot down often. The wide handlebar is great for mounting a basket if you want to add extra carrying capacity up front. A wide, cushy saddle supported my sit bones and distributed my weight well.
Components
Izip added all the bells and whistles to the Simi: Fenders, a rear rack, lights, and mounts for a water bottle cage afford you the commuter comforts that keep you more visible and dry, and allow you to haul what you need. Plus, a sturdy kickstand means it’s easy to park anywhere.
The 1x7-speed Shimano Tourney drivetrain has a cassette range of 12- to 28-tooth cogs, which at first glance seems to be a little on the small side (it is), but the motor makes up for it by engaging harder when you run out of gears. The paddle shifting is simple and easy to operate, and a little window beside the levers shows you which gear you are in so you know just how many more cogs you have left to get you up the hill.
Mechanical disc brakes suit the heavy bike well, and helped me keep my speed under control with large, 180mm rotors. They are less touchy to engage than hydraulic disc brakes, and afford a slightly more gradual stop, which is ideal when you have a basket full of veggies and flowers from the farmers market. Smooth, 2.125-inch-wide tires roll well on pavement, but provide enough traction to keep you stable and planted through corners or small patches of sand on the pier.
Ride Impressions
Like I mentioned above, the motor isn’t the smoothest I’ve ever ridden, but it’s pretty darn good for an e-bike at this price. It had subtle engagement, rather than making me feel like I was constantly accelerating like some e-bikes can do. I felt the most consistent assistance and smoothest ride in a lower gear going between 8 and 12mph. At 250 watt-hours, the battery is what I would consider light-duty—in the lowest assist setting, it can extend the range of your ride substantially; in the highest, it’ll do a good amount of the work for you but for only so long.
I clamped a low-profile basket to the rack and a wicker one to the handlebar, and took off to a nearby store to grab some groceries. The wide handlebar helped me keep the front under control, even when there were eight 12-ounce cans of lime seltzer and a bag of cookies in the basket weighing it down.
Riding the Simi feels whimsical and beachy, but offers much more tech and comfort than the ancient, sandy cruiser in your garage. So if you want a bike that can extend your cruise by an hour or so, lighten your load as you run errands, and zip down to meet a friend for coffee sweat-free, the E3 Simi Step-Thru is the bike you’re looking for.
Riley Missel is an experienced road racer, mountain biker, national champion on the track, and a former Bicycling editor. She is a USA Cycling-certified Level 1 coach, a loud and very stoked Spin instructor, and she will definitely stop the ride to pet that dog.
