Lectro recently went through a complete rebranding and are now called Hero Lectro with a range of newly designed Electric Bicycles. Electric Pedal Assisted Bicycles use rechargeable batteries which can be charged using a power plug. These cycles come in varied designs, and are meant for all age groups for various usages. We got the opportunity to test ride the Hero Lectro C4 26 SS, A Women’s Electric Cycle and here is what we thought.
Weight: 18 kgs (Including battery)
Category: Commuting/Leisure
The Hero Lectro C4 Women’s specific Electric Cycle is built on a full Alloy frame. Electric Bicycles are generally considered heavy due to the battery and motor but the use of Alloy as the frame material helped keep the overall weight in check. The frame geometry was a women’s specific with a fully downward slanting top tube. This geometry helped with having an upright posture which was perfect for leisure rides and commutes. The Alloy rigid fork was bladed and aerodynamic in design. Whilst some might think that a suspension is needed for urban roads this frame’s Alloy absorbed most vibrations of the surface and in turn gave the rider a smooth ride experience.
The Hero Lectro C4 which was tested came in a full Lilac primary colour on the frame with a darker shade as the secondary colour for the graphics. The rigid alloy fork is black in colour which is in good contrast to the frame colour. The matte finish paint job was of great quality with a smooth finish to it. The concealed battery inside the bottom tube made the E-Bicycle look like any normal Bicycle and thus making the frame look neat and also protecting the battery from external dust.
This Electric Bicycle comes with a Single-Speed drivetrain. There is no compulsory need for an Electric Cycle to have gears as the battery is going to over-power the gears on speed. For short commuting needs there will be no necessity of gears and this Single-Speed drivetrain is also easy to maintain. The lack of gearing components also decreases the overall weight of bicycle.
The Hero Lectro C4 26 SS runs on a rear hub BLDC 36V 250W rear hub motor. This motor is powered by a 36 Volt, 5.8 AH Lithium-Ion battery. The throttle on the right grip was easy to use and also brought out the fun factor on this E-bicycle. The 3-Level Pedal Assist termed Low, Medium and High give three different levels of power assist from the battery for each pedal. There is also a walk mode which helps get a constant speed for easy walking with the bicycle. The LED button display on the left side of the handlebar bar has the On/Off button, Pedal Assist level changer, walk mode button and also the battery level indicator. The maximum speed using battery power is 25 km/hr. As a safety feature there is a button next to the right hand side gip accelerator which can be used to switch on and switch off the accelerator function.
With 1 full charge this battery is capable of giving 30 kms in Pedal Assist mode and 22-25Kms in Throttle mode. These mileages may differ based on riding conditions, and rider weight. This battery takes 4 hours to charge from 0 to 100% with any normal Indian plug point. The charging point for the battery is on the left side of the frame above the bottom bracket. The small downside to this charging method is that the bicycle has to be near a charging point as the battery is not detachable.
This Electric bicycle’s stopping power is controlled by a Mechanical Disc brake at the front and a V-brake at the rear. Both these brakes were powerful enough to get the bicycle to stop safely and quickly at 20-25 km/hr.
The alloy riser handlebar on this bicycle was of the perfect length to give a comfortable riding posture for a woman rider. The grip throttle on the right was smooth and easy to use to accelerate.
The 26” x 1.90” Urban tires on the Hero Lectro C4 were fast rolling on both smooth and rough urban roads and were perfectly suited for an Electric Bicycle when riding at 25 km/hr. The treads were perfect to give good traction on slightly rough roads and fast cornering.
The saddle has seen a considerable upgrade in the newly released C4 with an extra layer of padded cushioning which makes it as good as having an external gel/foam seat cover. This makes sure there is absolutely no soreness for the rider.
Overall Rating
The Alloy frame is lightweight and comfortable to ride for a woman rider with a downward slanting top tube. The concealed battery along with the smooth matte finish paint job makes the E-Bicycle look aesthetic. The 3-Level Pedal Assist along with a throttle and the extra cushioned saddle made the electric riding experience comfortable and enjoyable. The 26” x 1.90” tires were fast rolling on smooth and rough urban roads. Priced at Rs.24,999(as on 28th August 2020) the Hero Lectro C4 26 SS Women’s specific Electric Bicycle is an ideal choice for any woman looking to buy an Electric Bicycle for leisure rides and commutes.
Prices and Specifications/Components are subject to change by the brand, without due notice.