O2feel e-bikes land in Australia
French e-bike company, O2feel, has recently introduced their line of e-bikes to Australia, and Glow Worm Electric Bikes are excited to stock them at our Sydney and Melbourne stores. O2feel makes a broad range of e-bikes, including commuter, cargo, compact and mountain e-bikes. We like this because it means they understand the needs of different types of riders and recognise that there isn't one perfect e-bike to suit all people.
Qui est o2feel?
Who is O2feel? The company started out of the founder’s garage in 2009, and now assembles 8,000 bikes per year in their French factory (with some parts manufactured elsewhere), before shipping internationally. The company has been recognised with multiple awards, including a 2017 award for the fastest growing company in France and Europe, as well as best electric bike maker (‘Lifestyle’ category) in the Netherlands in 2020.
Why we like them
There is now a large number of of e-bike brands available in Australia, but here’s what we like in particular about O2feel:
The company is involved in the full e-bike supply chain. From research and design, through to manufacturing, sales, export and post-sales servicing, O2feel are invested in the full life cycle of their e-bikes. They also provide local bike servicing in France, which means they have good oversight of how their bikes perform as they are ridden in real-world conditions for multiple years. Insights learned from this can then be fed back into their bike designs.
They use the Shimano STEPS mid-drive e-bike system. We believe this to be one of the highest quality and reliable e-bike systems available.
Their aluminium bike frames look fantastic. This is thanks to O2feel’s ‘Slick Shape’ technology, which involves polishing the aluminium welds. No ugly, bumpy welds on these bikes!
They design their own batteries. This ensures the batteries integrate as smoothly as possible into the bike frames. They also use more modern 21700 lithium ion cells (normally used in electric cars), which have 50% more energy density than the conventional 18650 cells used in most other e-bikes.
They use reliable mechanical components. This includes Shimano brakes and gears, and Schwalbe tyres.
O2 Feel ISwan Adventure Boost 6.1
O2feel bikes at Glow Worm
Glow Worm Electric Bikes are stocking a select range of O2feel bikes that we believe are best suited to the Australian market.
iSwan commuter and adventure e-bikes
The iSwan is O2feel's range of e-bikes designed for daily commuting and weekend gravel trail adventures. The iSwan is equipped with all the accessories you want on a bike that does almost anything, including rear luggage rack, mudguards, front and rear lights (powered bythe bike battery), rear wheel lock and Schwalbe puncture-resistant tyres.
We stock the iSwan in both step-through and step-over frame versions with either the 432 Wh battery (up to 150 km reported range) or 540 Wh battery (up to 180 km reported range). From experience, we find the range in real-world conditions to be less than that reported by -bike manufacturers, but still sufficient for multiple days of commuting on one charge.
O2 Feel iSwan Explorer Boost 6.1
Equo cargo bikes
The Equo is a versatile cargo bike that can take up to two children on the rear, whether young children in child seats, older children on cushioned seats, or a combination of both. The Equo can also be fitted with a front encolsed rack that can carry up to 15 kg of cargo, and/or a rear enclosed platform rack that can carry 60 kg.
The Shimano EP800 Cargo motor available on some models provides up to 85 Nm of torque, making it one of the strongest e-bike motors available. This allows you to haul heavy loads and climb big hills with ease. O2feel make three versions of the Equo , with a few major differences:
- Equo Cargo Boost 3.1: 9-speed Shimano Alivio gears; Shimano Steps e6100 Cargo motor (60 Nm torque)
- Equp Cargo Power 4.1: Shimano Deore 10-speed gears, Shimano STEPS EP800 Cargo motor (85 Nm torque)
- Equo Cargo Power 7.1: low-maintenance and long-lasting 5-speed Shimano Nexus internal gear hub with Gates Carbon belt drive, Shimano STEPS EP800 Cargo motor (85 Nm torque), 4A fast charger (2x faster than standard 2A charger)
Equo with a child-carrying setup (up to 80 kg on the rear)
All Equo Cargo bikes are available with with either a 432 Wh battery (150 km reported range) or 720 Wh battery (170 km reported range).
We've ridden the Equo and found it to be very smooth and agile. Its 'mullet' setup uses a small 20-inch rear wheel to enable easy access for children ("party at the rear"), as well as a large front wheel to improve steering stability ("business at the front"). This helps the Equo maintain the feel of a normal bike, even though it is a heavy-duty cargo bike.
Equo with a cargo-carrying setup (up to 60 kg on the rear and 15 kg on the front)
Overall, O2feel are a great choice if you want a uniquely-styled e-bike that doesn't compromise on component quality.