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When I got the chance to test out the latest offering from Magicycle, I was excited to be able to test an e-bike with a torque sensor! 5 months ago, I got to try a Himiway Rambler with a torque sensor on the CES floor and knew that I would like to spend more time exploring this feature in the future.

The Magicycle Ocelot Pro 2.0 aims to elevate your e-bike experience with its advanced torque sensor. This sensor promises a more natural and intuitive ride by precisely matching motor assist to your pedaling effort. But does it live up to the hype? Let’s take a deep dive into the Ocelot Pro 2.0 torque sensor, exploring its features, performance, and how the company supports its products.

My 2-Wheeled Background

Growing up in a small town in Iowa, I used various bikes as transportation until I was 14. I joined my sister on some longer rides, including a 7-day ride across Iowa (called RAGBRAI). About the time I turned 14, mopeds became popular and I ended up getting two different models— a 1978 two-speed 50cc Kriedler moped with worthless pedals (about 110 pounds) and a 50cc Yamaha Yamahopper without pedals but with a shaft drive (couldn’t find the weight, but it was lighter, more reliable, and didn’t have to mix oil and gas or mess with a chain). Then I had a 125cc Honda street bike (underpowered) and then a Yamaha 1-cylinder street bike that was very high torque and fast from zero to 30 mph. This is is where my love of torque started before I got addicted to electric cars. More recently, I’ve been using bikes and e-bikes as a way to get more exercise, enjoy the outdoors, save money, and lower my carbon impact.

Magicycle Company Background

Magicycle is a relatively new company in the electric bike industry, founded in 2020 by Wade Wei. The company is based in Chongqing, China, and entered the US market in 2021. Magicycle focuses on producing high-quality electric bikes that are designed to be both affordable and efficient.

Magicycle needs to offer something different to set itself apart from the competition. I found it does that a number of ways. 

• 120-mile range is a big number! How did they do that with a single battery? First, it is a big battery of 52V 20AH (1040 Wh) capacity. But the other part of range is efficiency of the motors, and the torque sensor applies the power more smoothly, since it adds power as a rider applies more pressure to the pedals. Doing a little research, the longest range e-bike I could find is this 300-mile Everest model with a huge 3260Wh dual battery. Before you get too excited, the price starts at $18,900, or the price of a nice used electric car! Most mainstream bikes in this price range consider 70 miles long range, so this really sets them apart!
• The large battery also supports the 750W/1500W(peak) brushless gear motor. I prefer a hub motor, since a powerful mid-drive can require more maintenance and usually is more costly. This power allows the bike to support a payload of 450 pounds and makes it a great choice for hilly terrain, on- or off-road. The company offers a range of electric bikes, including the popular Magicycle Cruiser, which features a powerful 750W motor and a high-capacity 52V 20AH battery. The company aims to make electric bikes accessible to a wider audience and has received positive reviews for its products and customer support. 
• 2-year warranty. The 2-year warranty includes free replacement parts and assistance from the support department. If the bike has been used more than a month and you need them to repair, it, there is a $200 shipping fee to send it to their service center. You could also chose to have it fixed at a local dealer, but once again, they will provide parts free of charge, but not cover the labor. For comparison, some established brands like Blix have a standard 1-year warranty, but some of the brands like Heybike and Himiway are expanding to offer a standard 2-year term.

Unboxing

The e-bike came 90% assembled. We only had to put on the handlebars, then put on the front wheel, fender, and headlight. It was a little awkward installing the headlight, but nothing too bad. It can be put together by one person in 15 minutes if you are handy, or 30 minutes if you aren’t.

Magicycle Ocelot Pro 2.0 Specifications

You can find the complete specs on Magicycle’s website here, but I’ve summarized them below with some comments.

I tested the e-bike in the very hilly environment in Seattle (which is similar to San Francisco in many ways) with my son. The first thing we noticed was it had plenty of power to climb the steepest hills, as opposed to some other products we have tried. Equally important is to being able to stop, and we found the hydraulic disk brakes both smooth and powerful.

In riding it around downtown Seattle, we found the battery level would of course drain more quickly when we used throttle only and traversed the very hilly environment.  After 25 miles, the battery was down to 40%, which was unexpected, but after giving the bike a 5-minute break, it was back to 60%. So worst case was about 40 miles, but range quickly improved as we used the pedals either using the cadence or torque sensors. I’m confident we could get 80 miles in this environment as long as we used a low level of assistance. In order to get the 120 miles of range, we would have to use a very low assistance level, not something I would want to do climbing a steep hill. Sure, I can put it in first gear and pedal at 3 miles per hour, but that isn’t why I buy an e-bike. If I was using the bike in flat terrain, I would be comfortable using the very low assistance levels to maximize range, but not in Seattle. Luckily, 80 miles is still plenty of range for most people, and having the power to both climb steep hills and power through rough terrain is a lot of fun!

I love how easy it is with just one button click to switch from using the torque sensor to using the cadence sensor. Most e-bikes only have one or the other, or if they do have both, you have to go deep into their setup menus to change them. I prefer the natural feel of riding using the torque sensor for most riding because it mimics the experience of riding a regular bike, but better. It makes it very easy to control your speed with your level of effort instead of adjusting the assistance level constantly. But I appreciate having the cadence sensor for when you are tired or your knees are starting to hurt — you can still pedal, but you don’t have to put much effort into it. Of course, you can stop pedaling completely and just use the twist throttle when you really feel lazy. Having all 3 modes in the same bike really makes it more versatile.

Conclusion

Disclaimer: Magicycle provided the Ocelot Pro 2.0 to the author free of charge for the purposes of this review, but this review was not sponsored by the company — if you’d like to purchase a Magicycle, use this link to visit their website.