iweech test: the urban ace of electric bikes

Who is Bellatrix? Data sheet Design App and connected features Driving Autonomy Price and availability ConclusionCommentsSee the product sheetAvailable at €2,950

Launched by the Marseille start-up Bellatrix, the iweech electric bike wants you to love urban travel thanks to its compact size, striking dynamism and more than decent autonomy. All at 2950 euros. We tested it, here is our verdict.

Source: Anthony Wonner – Frandroid

Iweech (2021)Who is Bellatrix?

Bellatrix is ​​a young company from Marseille founded in January 2018 by Pascal Lafourcade and Christophe Sauvan. It now has 15 employees and a single electric bike in its catalog, the iweech. The latter was launched in May 2020 after an 8-month quality test involving 70 models delivered in 2019.

The French company relies on its Marseille workshop to assemble its product (frame, stem, fork and other parts), 70% of whose components come from Europe and the rest from Taiwan. In October 2021, Bellatrix raised 2.8 million euros to accelerate its commercial development and strengthen its R&D.

Iweech (2021)Specifications

This test was carried out using a model lent by the brand.

Iweech (2021)Design

Geometric and compact

The Iweech is not an electric bike like the others. Its format is indeed halfway between a classic VAE of any other brand and much smaller folding cycles. The iweech bike is placed between all these beautiful people and adopts a compact format that is practical, intelligent and efficient.

Practical, because the iweech sneaks everywhere with disconcerting ease: in your apartment, an elevator, to move on a sidewalk in the middle of pedestrians, at work, between cars and other cyclists. He excels in the matter and tames the urban environment with style.

Intelligent, because its size does not skew its performance or autonomy (see below), thanks to a slew of sensors, a good dose of artificial intelligence and an excellent engine on paper. Efficient, because the iweech is right and perfectly meets a specific need: to take advantage of a (really) space-saving urban ace.

On a purely visual level, the iweech has the merit of attracting the eye with its angular and geometric frame made of aluminum. It might not be the most polished and streamlined aesthetic formula we've seen at $3,000, but it gets the job done. Its design also impacts the seat height, naturally raised for a user of 176 centimeters.

The iweech has also been available in a single size: the marketed model targets both men and women whose height oscillates between 160 and 190 centimeters. Apart from these measurements, it is not recommended to buy it. And for the more hesitant, trials can be booked on the brand's official website.

The Marseille-based company has also sought to contain the weight of the bike – 18.5 kilos – by integrating a carbon fork. A material lighter than aluminum. The handlebars are not entitled to it and are confined to aluminum. Overall, the VAE enjoys a good balance thanks to its motor and battery placed in its center. The front seems a bit lighter.

Honorable comfort

Without suspension or telescopic fork, the iweech could have gone wrong in terms of comfort. And yet, the bike manages to pull out of the game without either being up to a Reine Bike, which is its specialty. But in reality, we have clearly seen worse. The result is even surprising.

Obviously, big potholes do not give him a present. On the cobblestones, it shakes a little without being prohibitive. Still, the small irregularities of the road manage to be erased enough to make your trip largely acceptable, thanks in particular to the Schwalbe Big Apple tires with 24-inch rims.

This type of tire is considered "balloon tires", designed to provide driving comfort and absorb shocks. Their width and large volume of air characterize them. Here, it is clear that their efficiency plays a central role.

Finally, a suspended seat post could have been an excellent alternative to improve comfort. The shape memory saddle fulfills its role very well and does not cause any particular discomfort even after a long journey. Bonus: the Ergon grip racing GS1 handles have very practical lugs to accommodate the palm of your hand. We like it, especially in the " sporty " position.

A panel of efficient equipment

At first glance, the iweech carries with it the classic set of equipment that can be found on an electric bike. Namely mudguards (here in aluminium), headlights and a bell (obviously mandatory, the bell is delivered in a kit) and a stand. Except that in fact, the cycle goes much further.

To go furtherThe best bike accessories for more safety in the city

The stem of the model is rotatable: this exclusive system designed by the company allows in one click — via a button placed on the left of the stem — to rotate the handlebars and align everything in the axis of the wheels. This is extremely well thought out and practical when parking your bike in a hallway or driveway at your workplace.

The iweech goes one step further with its foldable pedals, which you usually come across on foldable electric bikes. In short, it seeks above all to be discreet and compact once placed at home or at work. All this coupled with its compact size, it is quite simply a success.

Our product of the day continues to accumulate good points with its incredibly efficient Supernova headlight. Practical case: I found myself, in the middle of the night, on the quays of Aubervilliers without any artificial lighting. I was amazed by the light intensity of the lighthouse, which "illuminated" my route. In town, it will be your best ally for being spotted by other users.

If we had to distribute a single bad point to the equipment, it would be at the level of the crutch. If you have large feet, your heel may tend to touch it. In my case (41.5), this almost never happened to me. Just remember not to position your foot too far back on the pedal.

Otherwise, it's flawless.

Iweech (2021)Connected application and features

How to use your iweech?

Ease of use. This is how we could define the iweech, which, even boosted with artificial intelligence, is simple and effective. Once your bike is configured, all you have to do is press the single "power" button located on the top tube of the frame. And then that's all.

Of course, if you want to know your riding data, you must first pair your bike to your phone during a very easy little configuration. But that's all there is to it.

Source: Anthony Wonner – Frandroid

If you leave your bike at home or at work, it will automatically go to sleep after a few seconds. To wake it up, just move it a few meters, and you're done. Then you can fly away.

The iweech, despite its connected aspect which can sometimes be restrictive on some bikes, goes straight to the point and does not complicate things. Of course, you have to go through the application to manage the headlights, which can however be self-managed thanks to the presence of an ambient light sensor. For the rest, the cycle does not complicate your task.

An easy-to-understand application

The application does not get you lost in a maze of options and sub-options. The main interface displays a map and the geolocation of the bike, the accuracy of which has been improved in recent years. She is also good. A button for managing the headlights is located at the top, in the center, while another is dedicated to locking the bike (see below).

The profile tab gives you access to " My trips ": you will then have to deal with your dashboard with the list of your routes (remember to connect your bike and your smartphone via Bluetooth so that they are taken into account). account) and your mileage by year and month.

Each trip shows you a series of information: number of kilometers traveled, time, average pace, calories burned and amount of CO2 saved. By clicking on one of your tracks, a graph relating to your speed and the distance covered is made available to you. For data lovers, why not!

The bike has no screen on its handlebars, but who cares? It doesn't interfere with the experience. And in fact, your smartphone can act as an on-board computer – by attaching it to the handlebars – with all driving information displayed live. Is it really really that useful? Not so sure. The main thing, on a bike, is to focus on the road and not on your phone.

What security systems?

The iweech relies on security to reassure its users. The bike is equipped with a GPS chip which allows it to be tracked in the event of theft. But before that, you have to activate the feature using an NFC badge. On the bike, a small area below the main tube features a connectivity logo: passing the badge here activates the system.

If thieves remove the battery from the bike, don't panic: the GPS chip is able to last several days to continue to geolocate your bike.

Source: Anthony Wonner – Frandroid

An alarm system is also on the program. Again, you have the choice to activate it, or not, directly from the main interface of the application. By switching it on, the bike will then start ringing for a second in the event of movement. If the thief persists, the alarm will start again for one minute this time.

A notification is also sent to your smartphone within 30 seconds of the alarm being triggered. On the other hand, it is necessary to pick up the network to receive the alert.

Iweech (2021)Driving

A perfect ally for the city

At the risk of repeating ourselves, the compact size of the iweech makes it an ideal electric bike for the city. Ideal for all the above reasons (easy to park, rotating handlebars), but also ideal for weaving between cars and other road users. Its all-purpose side is a real asset.

For fans of an upright riding position, the iweech isn't the perfect candidate. You are dealing here with semi-sporty riding where your body tends to tilt forward, due to a relatively high saddle in relation to the handlebars. For a user of 176 centimeters, this will be the case.

A formidable assistance

The electric assistance of the iweech is one of its strong points. The Marseille start-up opted for the Brose T motor (central position) with a torque of 90 Nm – it’s huge – and a power of 250 W, accompanied by a carbon belt transmission signed Gates. It obviously respects the European standards of 25 km/h.

This motor has been associated with a single and unique speed and three sensors with different functions: one calculates the force transmitted to the pedals, the other measures the rotations of the pedals and the last evaluates the degree of inclination of the pedals. odds.

This system thus makes it possible to provide you with the most accurate electrical power according to your current needs. But what we feel above all are the 90 Nm of torque with formidable efficiency.

Source: Anthony Wonner – Frandroid

This is another reason why iweech is a perfect ally for the city: its dynamism and its revivals. A strong pedal stroke propels you with vigor, but in a smooth and harmonious way. You feel like you are one with the bike.

Consequences: overtaking another cyclist becomes child's play. Better: it becomes fun as the electric assistance performs. The iweech is a pleasure electric bike, with which you have fun. There is nothing monotonous. On the contrary: it is entertaining.

Some people will find his assistance perhaps a bit too exponential and irregular. Once the boost has been given, you may tend to rest on your laurels as the VAE rockets forward. However, you have to keep your pedaling pace, at the risk of slowing down too much.

Source: Anthony Wonner – Frandroid

Opposite, the Cowboy 3 pleads for a more linear electric assistance, but just as succulent.

Overall, the company has mastered its subject and offers a successful score, since the iweech also gives you the impression of riding a bicycle — albeit an electric one — with enough resistance to make you pedal, on the contrary an Angell Bike, where the milling effect ruins the experience.

A smart control that can save

The smart control system, as its name suggests, wants to intelligently control the electric assistance. The idea is simple: thanks to artificial intelligence, the bike is able to understand, assimilate and recognize a daily and regular journey (home-work, for example).

If you take this same route with an almost flat battery, then the iweech automatically engages the smart control which will call on the engine at appropriate times: the odds, in this case. The idea is to support you until the end of your journey, even with a low remaining autonomy.

No need to activate smart control mode (two clicks on the power button, search for an address in the application) if your battery has enough to come: in this case, the bike will give you as much power as as usual.

Very reassuring brakes

As for the brakes, it's faultless: the Tektro HDT275 hydraulic disc brakes fulfill their role to perfection. Here you have full control of your bike, both in ordinary and urgent situations.

Source: Anthony Wonner – Frandroid

Biting, progressive and responsive, the brakes of the iweech combine perfectly with the nervousness of the VAE. The latter pushes you to overtake, accelerate and start on the wheel hats: an incentive behavior that needs effective brakes. That's good, it is.

Maneuverability at the rendezvous

Its compact size coupled with a balanced weight gives it excellent maneuverability and stability once launched. The iweech is agile in town and among other users. Frankly, we have little to reproach him for on this point.

Iweech (2021)Autonomy

Announced autonomy vs real autonomy

The iweech only has one and only one mode of assistance, the autonomy announced on the site official is supposed to stick to your daily use (and not to an Eco mode, as is often the case): the French manufacturer communicates over a radius of 90 kilometers in cities and 190 kilometers in smart mode thanks to a battery of 497 Wh.

In our case (63 kilos, 176 cm), and with fairly aggressive driving where overtaking and overtaking were numerous, the range recorded was around 55 kilometres. It is therefore well below the announced promise, but there is a "but". Or rather two.

Source: Anthony Wonner – Frandroid

With a softer and more measured behavior, the autonomy of the iweech should easily climb to 60 kilometers. I also rarely turned off my bike (pressing the power button for a few seconds), preferring standby mode. A mode that causes a loss of energy of about 2% per day to power the system (Raspberry Pi, home controller card, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, 4G).

In short, the iweech is able to cover 70 kilometers with sober driving and stopping the bike at night, or even during your working day. If you leave it hanging outside, turned off, the tracking system will continue to work if it is activated. On the other hand, you will not receive any notification in the event of suspicious movement.

For comparison, the Cowboy 3 is now sold for 1990 euros with an endurance of 70 kilometers. The competition is fierce. We did not have the time to test the 190 km promised by iweech's smart mode. The power button, meanwhile, opts for the color orange when the autonomy weakens, then red if it is approaching the end.

Source: Anthony Wonner – Frandroid

The end of the autonomy cycle must be approached with caution: at 10% remaining, the electric assistance disappears and is reserved for the lights and the system. It is a piece of information to know. On the flat and without assistance, the 18.5 kilos of the bike are reasonable. On hills, your legs won't thank you.

Also be aware that removing the removable battery is not the most practical: the upper bar tends to interfere with the extraction of the accumulator. Nothing prohibitive, in short, it's just a matter of habit. The 36 V charger for 5 A reinflates it to the block in 3h30 top time.

Iweech (2021)Price and availability

The iweech electric bike is available at a price of 2950 euros, payable in one installment or in three installments (983.33 euros) according to your preferences, in Black color Matt, Anodized Storm Gray and Pearl White. The Marseille-based company guarantees a 14-day "trial", after which you can return the bike if you are not satisfied.

Bellatrix also offers after-sales service included in the offer, with same-day intervention in the event of a problem and a "courtesy bike in the event of immobilization for more than 7 days" . The bike is also guaranteed for 24 months, or two years. In the event of a technical problem, 300 partner repairers are available.

The model is also available at Fnac.

To go furtherHow to maintain your electric bike when you don't know anything about it

Depending on your city, department or region, purchasing aids are available to users. In Île-de-France for example, up to 500 euros in bonuses are available.