Engwe LE20 Cargo E-Bike Review: Electric Feel

Introduction to Engwe LE20 Cargo Bike

JARRETT: In the past, I’ve daydreamed about getting into road bikes and could imagine myself with a motorcycle. For both financial and safety reasons, I have stayed away, especially now that I have a child. I won’t lie, when I saw Thomas and Robbe with their electric bikes last year, I was insanely jealous of how much fun they were having. I kept hearing the two of them talking about riding their bikes around town and deep down, I wanted to join in on the good times. Periodically I hinted to Thomas that if the opportunity came up again, I wouldn’t say no… 

The company Engwe reached back out and it was my time to shine. They were releasing their new LE20 Cargo E-Bike and it seemed like a much better option for a family man like myself.

Who are Engwe?

Engwe is a Chinese e-bike company that looks to offer a range of affordable e-bikes for various uses, everything from folding bikes to e-scooters to fat tire off-road bikes (like we’re reviewing today). Their “About Us” page is somewhat confusing and vague, speaking of three founders, though they’re nameless with zero background information. The text honestly seems like it’s AI-generated. Doing a reverse Google image search, the photo of them is just taken from a stock photo site. They’re also all riding standard road bikes, no motor involved.

Whatever, in any case, Engwe has been around for almost a decade, so they have a decent track record in the e-bike world, especially in Europe..

Engwe’s offerings look good and pack some impressive metrics inside of a very reasonable price tag. Over the last few years, they’ve done some heavy marketing and promotion of the fat tire bikes, specifically the X24 and X26. From YouTubers to editorial gear reviews, they’re really getting the brand out there. In the process, they’ve made quite a few in-roads in the global market. Which is how we ended up here.

Spec Overview of the Engwe LE20

JARRETT: The LE20 Cargo E-Bike has an array of features and options to fit any need from commuting to work, taking the kids around town, or going for a light shop. Engwe has designed the LE20 as a step-through bike to make it easier to get on and off while carrying any cargo. The frame is made of 6061 aluminum alloy that makes it feel very sturdy and secure, although quite heavy weighing a bit over 90 pounds. It also has a cargo capacity of 440 pounds.

The LE20 has a 7-speed Shimano gear system and a 750W rear hub motor that has a peak power of 1300W depending on how you ride it. There are 3 riding modes so you can ride it like a normal bike without the motor, turn on the pedal assist mode, or go full electric and not need to do any work at all. It has a max speed of 20 mph if you’re only using the throttle, or up to 28 mph when in pedal-assist mode.

The LE20 can be ordered with a single 48V19.2Ah lithium-ion battery for $1,499 or there is a dual battery option for $1,799. Engwe lists the single battery range at 109 miles, while dual batteries can reach 211 miles. Keep in mind, Engwe states this mileage is for flat terrain, PAS (pedal assist system) mode 1, a 75kg rider, and no other load.

The bike has a torque sensor to detect your pedaling and assist you based on your effort. This works with the PAS mode which has 5 different levels. Level 1 is the least amount of assistance whereas 5 causes very little effort to pedal and the electric motor to kick in.

On the handlebar is a throttle which can tell how much you are turning it for how much power to put out. Lightly turning it will keep the speed lower while cranking it all the way is full force. There are 180mm hydraulic disc brakes as well as brake lights and turn signals. For added comfort and durability, the bike uses 2 20 x 3 inch puncture-resistant tires that ride on both a front and rear suspension.

Some Assembly Required

JARRETT: I happened to be home when the bike was delivered, and saw the delivery driver struggle to carry over a huge rectangular box. I knew I would have to put the bike together, so I dragged it into the carport and turned the space into a mechanics shop. I have to stop right here and point out that the avid cyclist or mechanic shouldn’t have too much of a problem, but for those who are not as handy, this may be one of the most intimidating things you will do.

I have zero patience (that’s why I’ll never be a doctor. Hiyoooooo…) so I decided to put the LE20 together by myself. It’s doable, but I would not recommend it based on the weight of the bike. It took me about a day to put the LE20 together. I had difficulty trying to understand the simplistic directions even though the bike only had 6 pieces to put together.

The real problem I had was with the brakes rubbing. For those who don’t deal with bikes a lot, DO NOT PULL THE BRAKE WHEN THE WHEEL ISN’T ON. You’ll have to figure out how to reset the brake and it will be super frustrating. For those who are more ingrained in bike culture, the reality is it probably isn’t as difficult as I’m making it seem. You would probably ride circles around me as I’m standing there with 3 wrenches and 4 screws trying to figure out how I got in this situation. To be honest, I should probably get a bike shop to make sure everything is good for my own safety. 

In the end, I got it together and haven’t had any problems with assembly since.

Ride and Performance

JARRETT: Once the bike was together, I immediately turned it on and the LCD color display turned on. It shows you things like your speed, battery charge percent, trip mileage, total mileage, PAS mode level, and more.

I was too excited so without reading much about how to use the bike, I jumped on and when I turned the throttle, oh… my… god. Instant fun. Seriously, I was having the best time riding around the neighborhood looking like a kid who just got a new toy. I even rode it right over to a buddy’s house and told him to come outside and he jumped on and was laughing at how much fun it was.

The “e” part of the e-bike is super simple. It starts with no assistance, and you can increase it to 5 different modes of pedal-assistance, with 5 being the most power output when pedaling. The other option is not pedaling at all and only using the throttle, which to be honest was my preferred method of riding. Solely throttling, the bike takes off and can get up to the 20 mph max speed very quickly. If I wanted to get the 28 mph top speed, I shifted to the 7th gear, put it in PAS mode 5, and the assistance kicked in when pedaling.

Even though it’s a cargo bike, the fat puncture proof tires and suspension allow it to off-road with ease. Riding it through a grassy field just felt so smooth. While riding on the road, it’s impressive how comfortable the suspension was. I didn’t feel like my body was sore after longer rides and I never once thought about needing more padding on the seat or bike shorts.

The seat is very comfortable and can be height adjusted. If you get the dual battery, the seat flips up to allow access to where the second battery is stored. Engwe states the max range is 211 miles with the dual battery, but it needs to be in the perfect conditions. I was riding it pretty much in full throttle mode and up and down the huge County hills and I don’t think I would get anywhere close to that range. Based on the battery depletion, I would put mine around maybe 100 miles, which is still a massive distance. Each battery takes about 8 hours to charge, unless you get the quick charge accessory which can fully charge in 2-3 hours.

Above the back wheel is an extended flat and padded seat for another rider or storage. I drove my wife around as she sat on the back and held on. Engwe sells accessories like rear footrests, rack baskets, canvas bags, and even baby seats. You are given options to tune the bike to your specific lifestyle. 

Suggested Changes

JARRETT: Obviously nothing is perfect, so I do have some things that could be updated and/or tuned. First and most simple, the batteries lock in with a key, which makes sense. The confusing thing is that battery locks have different keys. Why not just have 1 key for both locks?

For the dual battery option, it would be nice to reach the 28 mph max speed without needing to pedal. I’m sure it would kill the range on a single battery, but 2 should be able to handle it. I almost felt out of control trying to pedal fast enough to get that top speed and it isn’t sustainable for long rides.

Lastly, I think the assembly instructions need some fine tuning. Engwe tried to make them very simple and I feel like I’m reading Ikea instructions with pictures and diagrams and very few words. I wasn’t sure if I did things correctly and had to take apart and reassemble a few things multiple times because I realized I messed up on the first or second attempt. Some short videos or more detailed pictures and instructions would have helped the mechanically-challenged like myself.

Final Thoughts on the Engwe LE20 Cargo Bike

JARRETT: The Engwe LE20 is a very impressive and capable e-bike that is practical thanks to its cargo abilities. I can even imagine myself purchasing some of the accessories and taking my daughter to daycare and elementary school as she gets older. You know if I’m willing to put her on it, I must think it’s pretty great. I had an idea that owning an electric bike would be fun, but I didn’t realize just how much fun it would be. 

You can pick up the Engwe LE20 Cargo e-bike for $1399-$1799 by using the shop links below.