With a sleek carbon-fibre frame, discreet electric motor and an impressive battery range, the ENGWE N1 Air promises to make every day cycling a breeze.
Review: Engwe N1 Air 250W Ultra-lightweight 100KM Long Range Carbon Fiber City E-bike
There’s a lot to love about electric bikes. They make cycling more accessible, take some of the effort out of longer journeys and offer a brilliant alternative to jumping in the car. But not everyone wants an e-bike that looks and feel as cumbersome as a small motorbike. Enter the ENGWE N1 Air, a handsome electric bike that combines contemporary styling with a surprisingly affordable price tag.
ENGWE is perhaps best known for its chunky folding electric bikes, but the N1 Air takes a different approach. Its slender frame, understated charcoal-grey finish and neatly integrated battery make this a bicycle that could easily be mistaken for a conventional road bike. It’s a big part of its appeal, but after putting the N1 Air through its paces, I’ve discovered that its sporty appearance doesn’t quite tell the whole story.
Carbon-fibre
First impressions count, and the ENGWE N1 Air makes a good one. This is an attractive bicycle, with a sleek design that looks more expensive than its price tag suggests. The carbon-fibre frame is a particular selling point. Usually associated with premium road bikes, carbon fibre helps keep the N1 Air’s weight down to a claimed 15.6kg before accessories. That’s considerably lighter than many electric bikes, although still noticeably heavier than a conventional lightweight road bicycle.
The removable 360Wh Samsung battery is well concealed while a compact rear-wheel motor keeps everything looking pleasingly conventional. It’s an elegant design, without the bulky appearance of many rival e-bikes. There’s something adventurous about its appearance, too, and with a purposeful frame and substantial tyres the N1 Air looks ready for country lanes, longer rides and perhaps even a few rougher tracks.
However, appearances can be deceptive. This is really a bicycle that feels happiest in an urban environment, rather than one designed for tackling challenging terrain.
Electric assistance and hill climbing
The N1 Air uses a 250W MIVICE rear-hub motor, delivering up to 40Nm of torque. A torque sensor adjusts the assistance according to how hard you’re pedalling, providing a more natural feeling than systems that simply switch the motor on whenever the pedals turn, and this is noticeable in day to day riding.
There are five levels of assistance to choose from, giving you some control over how much help the motor provides and on flatter roads, the system makes plenty of sense. The assistance takes the effort out of maintaining a comfortable pace, making the N1 Air a good companion for commuting, exploring cycle paths or heading into town.
But despite the relatively lightweight frame, the overall weight of the battery and motor becomes noticeable when the road starts climbing. Even with the highest assistance level, setting five, selected, I found that steeper hills could still be surprisingly hard work. The motor helps, but it doesn’t deliver the effortless climbing ability that some more powerful electric bicycles offer. Combined with the limited gear range, this means that challenging terrain can affect how enjoyable the bike is to ride.
It’s not necessarily a dealbreaker, but it’s worth considering where you’ll be riding. If your regular journeys involve plenty of hills, the N1 Air might not be the best choice. For flatter city environments and gently rolling countryside, it’s a much more appealing proposition.
Where are all the gears?
The bike comes fitted with a Shimano seven-speed transmission, which is perfectly adequate for gentle everyday cycling but feels rather limited when you want to get a move on.
On faster stretches, I found myself wishing for another, higher gear. The bicycle looks sporty and capable, but the gearing doesn’t particularly encourage enthusiastic riding. This isn’t simply down to the electric motor’s speed restriction. Like other UK road-legal e-bikes, the N1 Air stops providing assistance at 15.5mph, but there’s nothing stopping you from pedalling faster under your own steam.
Unfortunately, the limited gearing makes doing so less satisfying than it should be. The carbon-fibre frame and overall design suggest a bicycle capable of more spirited riding and a wider selection of gears would make it more versatile, particularly for cyclists who enjoy covering longer distances at a brisk pace.
For relaxed riding, the seven-speed setup is fine. More experienced cyclists, however, may quickly find themselves wanting more.
Comfort and controls
The N1 Air keeps things relatively simple when it comes to its electrical controls. A small colour LCD display sits on the handlebars, showing essential information such as speed, battery level and assistance setting.
It’s not the most sophisticated system I’ve encountered. In fact, the display has a rather budget feel, especially compared with some of the smarter interfaces found on modern electric bicycles but it works well. The information is easy to access, the controls are straightforward and there’s no need to navigate complicated menus before setting off. The walk along mode I found especially useful when pushing the bike uphill, as it gently engages the electric motor to a walking pace.
Comfort is another area where the N1 Air does a reasonable job. There’s plenty of adjustment available in the saddle, helping you find a riding position that suits your height and preferences. I found that spending a few hours on the bike was perfectly achievable, making it a good option for leisurely afternoons exploring country lanes or getting around town. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for serious long-distance touring though as the relatively simple setup and limitations in gearing make it better suited to shorter adventures than full days in the saddle.
One particularly positive surprise was the braking performance. My test bike came fitted with mechanical disc brakes rather than the hydraulic option also available from ENGWE, but I found them reassuringly powerful. They provide plenty of stopping power, inspiring confidence when slowing down quickly. It’s an impressive feature on a bicycle that otherwise makes a few compromises to keep costs down.
Battery life that impresses
ENGWE claims a maximum range of up to 100km (62 miles), although, as with all electric bicycles, that figure depends heavily on riding conditions, assistance levels and terrain. In my experience, the 360Wh battery performed extremely well. On rides of between 20 and 30 kilometres, I used less than half of the available charge, leaving plenty of power in reserve, which was encouraging and suggests that longer rides are very much within the bike’s capabilities if you’re happy to keep the assistance at a moderate level.
Of course, hills make a difference. Asking the motor to work harder on steep climbs will drain the battery considerably faster, so riders living in hillier areas shouldn’t expect the same results. Nevertheless, for commuting and everyday exploring on relatively flat routes, the N1 Air offers reassuring endurance. The battery is also removable, making charging more convenient if you don’t have access to a socket wherever you store your bike.
Verdict: a stylish city companion
The ENGWE N1 Air is an appealing electric bike with plenty going for it. It’s attractive, lightweight for an e-bike and refreshingly uncomplicated, with an excellent battery range for everyday riding.
Its carbon-fibre frame gives it a premium appearance, and its straightforward controls and adjustable saddle make it a practical choice, but it’s not without limitations. The seven-speed gearing feels restrictive, particularly when trying to ride faster, and the motor can struggle to make steep hills feel easy even at its highest assistance level. Despite its sporty, rugged appearance, this isn’t a bicycle I’d recommend for demanding routes or serious long-distance touring.
Where the N1 Air makes much more sense though is as a stylish urban commuter or a comfortable companion for leisurely rides through flatter countryside. It can happily take you out exploring for a few hours, and the excellent battery performance means range anxiety needn’t be a constant concern.
If you’re looking for an attractive, uncomplicated electric bike to make everyday journeys more enjoyable, the ENGWE N1 Air is well worth considering, but its sporty looks doesn’t mean that it’s a performance machine.
The ENGWE N1 Air is available from ENGWE UK from £1,199.00
