Ohm Urban E-Bike Review

This is an almost silent e-bike with very rich features and an urban hardtail that’s available in four frame sizes and can be switched from Class 2 with throttle to high-speed Class 3.

The proprietary torque sensor is integrated into the 12 mm rear-axle, it feels fluid and sporty to pedal with and less finicky than older TMM4 or bottom bracket sensors. OHM overbuilds their bikes so even though this is an urban model, it still has a tapered head tube, a 15 mm thru-axle, an adjustable air fork, and a hollow spindle bottom bracket.

The BionX D-Series hub motor is powerful and quick but visually it does stand out more than a compact gearless design, the trigger throttle only activates whenever the bike is moving.

The premium rack and 60 mm Aluminum alloy fenders offer a ton of utility.

The integrated lights from Supernova tend to last longer because of metal housings and sturdy mounts, It’s nice how the headlight is positioned below the handlebar to make room for the LCD display.

This e-bike’s control is easily workable and accessible including the mini control ring near the right grip, the compact color LCD panel, or the smart phone app, being able to remove the display for parking (to reduce wear and tampering) is fantastic.

The four frame sizes mean you can find an appropriate fit and the semi-integrated battery makes space for a bottle cage and lower top tube to make the bike easier to mount.

Considering how sturdy and well accessorized this e-bike is, anyone will be impressed with the 55.7 lb weight, it has metal lights, a high-capacity battery, and a powerful motor but things like magnesium pedals, a minimalist kickstand, hollow spindle bottom bracket, and air fork all make a difference.

You’ll like how this bike looks, the decals are minimalist and the light grey is gender neutral, the oversized headset is a signature look and also provides more strength.

Knowing that the BionX D-Series motor weighs ~8.8 lbs, You’d expect it to be rear-heavy, but if lifted just in front of the saddle nose and tipped forward vs. back, you’ll feel that it’s very well balanced and the weight is all kept low for improved handling vs. a rack battery.

There are a lot of comfortable touch points including locking ergonomic grips, finger-adjustable brake levers, a sporty Ergon gel saddle, and wider Schwalbe tires with a medium-range pressure recommendation.

Since safety is a big deal, the lighter frame color, reflective tires, and bright integrated lights are a big win, everything just works and the lights run off of the primary battery.

Riding this bike just feels good, it’s more polished, quiet and balanced than a lot of others. It’s also one of the few bikes that even offers a throttle mode which is fun to use.

Even though regenerative braking doesn’t put much power back into the battery, it does reduce wear on brake pads and can be used to simulate climbing with the four levels on the BionX system, overall it’s pretty neat.

The unique design of the hub motor casing, being relatively slim but tall, allows for the spokes to connect at the hub vs. the outside of the hub motor and this allows them to flex naturally providing a level of comfort and performance that most other hub motor e-bikes lack.

The battery pack clicks in from the left side vs. down from the top which means it won’t bump into the frame as easily and the top tube can be lower, it’s good that the battery is rated against dust and water, it uses a fast charger, can be filled on or off the bike, and even has a touch-activated capacity indicator (where the charger plugs in) it lights up green at 70%+, orange between 20% and 70%, and red when below 20%.

After a few minutes of inactivity, the display panel automatically powers of. It has lots of settings where you can change brightness, units, etc. to make it fit your preferences and style.

Larger 180 mm hydraulic brakes provide the kind of stopping power that mountain bikers need, so it’s cool to have them on more of an urban bike, specifically because it weighs more and can be switched to 28 mph Class 3 if you want (It’s not a bad idea to inform OHM to do this and change the Class sticker before it’s shipped to you).

Shimano Deore XT is a mid to high-level drivetrain and ten speeds is enough to let you climb and reach higher speeds comfortably. Although the larger 48 tooth chainring is setup more for speed, there are times where you’ll need to ride in the absolute lowest gear because of a hilly terrain. It’s good that the derailleur has a one way clutch to reduce chain bounce (the little grey lever, point it up to tighten the chain).

The chainring has an alloy guard to keep your pants or skirt clear along with a plastic inner guide to reduce drops, basically they combine to create reliability when on bumpy terrain.

OHM Urban Specifications

Introduction

MAKE: OHM
MODEL: Urban
BODY POSITION: Forward
SUGGESTED USE: Urban, Commuting
ELECTRIC BIKE CLASS: Throttle on Demand (Class 2), Speed Pedelec (Class 3)

WARRANTY: 3 Year Electronics, 5 Year Frame
MODEL YEAR: 2017/2018

Bicycle Details

TOTAL WEIGHT: 55.7 lbs (25.26 kg)
BATTERY WEIGHT: 7.4 lbs (3.35 kg)
MOTOR WEIGHT: 8.8 lbs (3.99 kg)
FRAME MATERIAL: ADVANCE™ Hydroformed Aluminum Alloy
FRAME SIZES: 16.5 in (41.91 cm)18.5 in (46.99 cm)20.5 in (52.07 cm)22.5 in (57.15 cm)
GEOMETRY MEASUREMENTS: Medium 18.5″ Measurements: 18.5″ Seat Tube Length, 21.5″ Reach, 28.5″ Stand Over Height, 26.75″ Width, 71″ Length
FRAME TYPES: High-Step
FRAME COLORS: Matte Grey
FRAME FORK DETAILS: Suntour RAIDON XC-LO-R Air Suspension, 100 mm Travel, Compression Clicker with Lockout, Rebound Adjust, 100 mm Hub, 15QLC 15 mm Thru-Axle with Quick Release
FRAME REAR DETAILS: BionX Proprietary, 142 mm Hub, 12 mm Axle with M6 End Cap Bolts
ATTACHMENT POINTS: Rear Rack Bosses, Fender Bosses, Bottle Cage Bosses
GEARING DETAILS: 10 Speed 1×10 Shimano Deore XT with Shadow Plus Derailleur, 11-36T Cassette
SHIFTER DETAILS: Shimano Dyna-Sys Two-Way Triggers on Right
CRANKS: OHM Branded Chainway Custom Specced Crank Arms, Aluminum Alloy, 170 mm Length, 48T Chainring with Alloy Chain Guide, SAMOX Sealed Cartridge Bottom Bracket, Splined, Hollow Spindle
PEDALS: Wellgo MG6 Magnesium Platform with Adjustable Pins
HEADSET: Ritchey Pro Logic Press Fit, Tapered 1 1/ 8″- 1 1/ 2″, Four 10 mm Spacers, One 5 mm Spacer
STEM: Promax Alloy, 70 mm, 6° Rise, 31.8 mm Clamp Diameter with Custom Light Mount
HANDLEBAR: Ritchie Comp, Aluminum Low-Rise, 670 mm Length, 35 mm Rise, 31.8 mm Diameter
BRAKE DETAILS: TRP Zurich Hydraulic Disc with 180 mm Rotors, Quad Piston Calipers, TRP Levers with Tool-Free Adjust Reach, BionX Motor Inhibitor for Regen Activation on Right
GRIPS: Ergon GP1, Ergonomic Rubber, Locking, 150 mm Length
SADDLE: OHM Branded Ergon Sport Gel SMC4, Chromoly Rails, Nylon Composite Shell, Orthopedic Comfort Foam with Gel Pads
SEAT POST: Ritchey Comp, Aluminum Alloy
SEAT POST LENGTH: 350 mm
SEAT POST DIAMETER: 30.9 mm
RIMS: Alexrims FR30, Alloy, Double Wall, 32 Hole, Aluminum Eyelets
SPOKES: Sapim Strong, Stainless Steel, 14 Gauge, Black, Brass Nipples
TIRE BRAND: Schwalbe Big Ben Plus, 27.5″ x 2.0″
WHEEL SIZES: 27.5 in (69.85cm)
TIRE DETAILS: 35 to 70 PSI, Performance Line GreenGuard, SnakeSkin, Reflective Stripe
TUBE DETAILS: Schrader Valve
OTHER: Locking Removable Semi-Integrated Downtube Battery Pack, 0.9 lb 3.45 Amp BionX Compact Charger, KMC X10 EPT for MTB Chain, (Size Specific Handlebar 680 / 720 mm, Stem 70 / 80 / 90 mm, Crank Arms 170 / 175 mm, Grips Small 130 mm / 150 mm)

Electronic Details

MOTOR BRAND: BionX, D-Series
MOTOR TYPE:Rear-Mounted Gearless Direct Drive Hub
MOTOR NOMINAL OUTPUT: 500 watts
MOTOR PEAK OUTPUT: 1000 watts
MOTOR TORQUE: 50 Newton meters (Nominal 25 Nm)
BATTERY VOLTAGE: 48 volts
BATTERY AMP HOURS: 11.6 ah
BATTERY WATT HOURS: 556.8 wh
BATTERY CHEMISTRY: Lithium-ion
CHARGE TIME: 4 hours
ESTIMATED MIN RANGE: 25 miles (40 km)
ESTIMATED MAX RANGE: 70 miles (113 km)
DISPLAY TYPE: BionX DS3, Removable, Backlit, Color LCD
READOUTS: Three Display Layouts (Basic, Enhanced, Data View), Assist Level (1-4 Support, 1-4 Regeneration), Power Graph (Output, Regeneration), Speed (mph / kph), Battery Level (10 Bars), Setup, Odometer, Trip Timer, Trip Distance, Average Speed, Clock
DISPLAY ACCESSORIES: Independent Button Pad (On/Off, Lights, +, -, Left Clicker, Battery Level (5 Bars), Assist Level (4 Dots for Power and Regeneration), Right Clicker), Optional Standard Sized USB Port
DRIVE MODE: Torque Sensing Pedal Assist, Trigger Throttle
TOP SPEED: 28 mph (45 kph)(20 mph Throttle Only)