Vintage Electric is no stranger to high power and high speed e-bikes. Until now they’ve mainly focused on street-oriented electric bicycles. That changed today though with the introduction of the Vintage Electric Rally, which is an off-road version of their retro-inspired electric bicycles.
Santa Clara, California-based Vintage Electric first came across my radar last year with their 36 mph (58 km/h) Scrambler and Tracker models.
The bikes feature classy frame designs and a battery compartment reminiscent of an antique V-twin engine.
And while those were purely road bikes without any suspension, Vintage’s newest design takes the path less traveled.
Vintage Rally electric bicycle
The new Vintage Rally maintains the classy look that Vintage Electric has become known for, but optimizes the bike for trails and off-road riding.
As the company described the Rally in a press release:
“The Vintage Electric Rally is one of the world’s most dynamic electric-powered pedal-assist bikes with a performance suite made with versatility in mind to allow riders a smooth experience on both street and gravel or dirt paths. Engineered as a multi-terrain pedal-assist bike, the Rally offers classic styling with state-of-the-art technology. Featuring an incredibly smooth hub-drive motor, the Rally reliably delivers speeds up to 28 mph in an attractive platform that offers riders gravel grinding confidence on and off the road.”
The Rally features knobby off-road Schwalbe tires and a front suspension fork – both of which are critical to handling unforgiving terrain. The chromoly steel frame features leather accents and built-in LED lighting. A 10-speed derailleur provides a number of gear ratios for hill climbing.
A 750 W hub motor is paired with a torque sensor and hand throttle to provide pedal assist or pedal-free operation up to 28 mph (45 km/h). Hydraulic disc brakes provide ample stopping power. The 48 V and 10.4 Ah battery provides 500 Wh of capacity in a unique battery case. That case is removable and can be recharged in just 2 hours.
Vintage Electric rates the Rally at 60 miles (100 km) of range, but that is with significant pedal assist. Riders should expect to achieve closer to a third of that if riding at nearly full speed on throttle-only.
According to Andrew Davidge, Vintage Electric’s Founder and Lead Designer:
“For the new Rally model, we incorporated performance influences from multi-terrain bicycles while still retaining classic American bicycle styling. This is our first model with a decent dose of gravel-grinder DNA. We knew early on that the knobbies and a suspension fork would be a crucial part of the package.”
The Vintage Rally is priced at $4,995 – and that’s not even Vintage’s most expensive model.
Electrek’s Take
I’ve always been a fan of Vintage Electric’s styling. It reminds me of other e-bike manufacturers such as RayVolt that make beautiful, uncompromising electric bicycles.
And like Electrek’s publisher Seth Weintraub recently pointed out in his article about visiting Vintage’s headquarters, this is a boutique e-bike builder with a boutique price.
If you want a $1,500 e-bike, there are options for you. Heck, there are $500 e-bike options for you. But if you want something that looks truly unique then you’re going to pay a pretty penny for it.
Am I planning to run out and buy a Vintage Rally? Probably not. I’ll stick to my $2,495 urban electric motorcycle, thank you very much. But if I had the disposable income I’d definitely give the Rally another look. It’s got the styling I like and now it has the suspension and build to handle more than just smooth roads.
What do you think of the Vintage Rally? Let us know in the comments below!
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