Stylish and extremely affordable e-bike with a long range - Touroll B2 review

The Touroll B2 comes mostly pre-assembled in a large cardboard box. The budget bike is really well packed. The remaining assembly steps are very simple and can be completed in around 15 to 20 minutes. The handlebars, pedals, front wheel with cover, front light and saddle have to be fitted and screwed on. The appropriate tools are included, along with gloves and instructions in German, which provide sufficient instructions.

The materials don't feel cheap, but not particularly high-quality either, the weld seams are neat, the paintwork is scratch-free and overall the Touroll B2 feels relatively robust. All cables are already pre-routed, the brakes need to be adjusted, the gears work great ex works, even if upshifting requires a little sensitivity at the beginning. However, the tires are almost completely deflated and need to be pumped up, and you are ready to roll. No accessories or spare parts are included.

The Touroll B2 is an inexpensive e-bike, which is of course also noticeable in the features: mechanical no-name disc brakes are used instead of hydraulic ones, but they work perfectly fine. We like to see the ergonomic fin grips in the price range, which sit firmly and, for our taste, also look good - matching the saddle color. The retro design in the color mint green is also pretty to look at. The handlebars and saddle are adjustable, but little else can be set.

The Touroll is powered by a 250 W rear hub motor with 50 Nm torque in combination with a 561.5 Wh battery. There is no torque sensor, but a 12-magnet cadence sensor. The battery is very easy to remove, but can also be recharged while installed.

A 6 km/h start-up aid can be activated on the control panel on the left by holding down the mode button in the first mode. However, this mode is not suitable as a push-off aid, as after just three to four seconds you have to press and hold the mode button again.

The 26 x 2.25 inch no-name tires, whose width is already on the borderline of a mountain bike, are striking. Due to the lack of suspension, the city bike is still not suitable for any off-road excursions, but the larger footprint increases control, riding comfort and grip. However, the handling is still good for tight bends. A simple but solid Shimano 7-speed derailleur is also installed.

The remaining equipment includes extensive metal mudguards, a kickstand, a luggage rack with a 15 kg capacity, lights and a mechanical bell.

The front and rear lights are sensibly positioned, integrated into the electric circuit and shine brightly enough. However, there is no integrated brake light or high beam. The light can be switched on and off quickly and easily using the control panel on the left handlebar.

The generic 250 W motor has a torque of 50 Nm (36.9 lb-ft), but no peak power is specified – just under 400 W would be realistic for the B2 from our experience.

The 561.5 Wh battery is specified to last a full 100 km (62 miles). The manufacturer provides the following information on this manner: Flat roads, no strong headwinds, 26 °C (79 °F), constant 15 km/h (9.3 mph) (level 1) and 75 kg (165 lbs) load. Since the author of this review weighs over 100 kg (221 lbs), a three-digit range is unlikely to happen even under other optimal conditions. Flat roads are also rather rare in County Donegal, Ireland. The battery is fully charged after 7 to 8 hours, which we can confirm – the charging power is around 80 W and the power supply doesn't get particularly hot.

The Touroll B2 e-bike is intended for the city and generally areas with well-maintained roads, which we clearly felt during use. You might think that the wide tires would help considerably, at least on gravel paths and less well-surfaced roads, but with a rider weight of around 105 kg (232 lbs) and a complete lack of suspension, even asphalt roads that are not optimally surfaced are a real ordeal. On gravel roads, on the other hand, you have to be afraid that the rims will warp or something else will break – so avoid them at all costs unless you weigh 60 kg (132 lbs). In addition, in the case of unpaved roads, you should take some air out of the tires to minimize shocks and vibrations – however, this is not a practical solution for everyday use.

Overall, riding feels very stable and comfortable on the straights thanks to the tire width. The quiet engine and the really comfortable saddle contribute to the comfort. However, it is annoying to switch the support levels with just one button, i.e. you can't switch back directly from level 2 to level 1, but first have to switch through level 3 and level 0.

You immediately feel comfortable on the Touroll B2, the stability in particular conveys a very pleasant driving experience, the steering is quite smooth, as is the gear shifting itself, which is only possible while driving.

We also like the low step-through design. With a tare weight of 26.7 kg (59 lbs) plus the rider's 105 kg (232 lbs) (maximum additional load of 120 kg [265 lbs]) and wide tires, the rolling resistance is not ideal, but we were still able to ride the e-bike for long periods at 30 to 37 km/h (18.6 to 23 mph) on straight stretches without motor support. So it's not quite as bad as with extra wide tires, but a conventional, lightweight bike is of course much easier to ride when you compare the two without assistance.

The motor is somewhat quiet and responsive, it only takes half a second for the assistance to kick in, which is a lot of fun. With a height of 1.83 m (6 ft), the tester has enough space, but there can be problems if you wear size 48 (EU) / 13 (US) shoes like the tester – the front mudguard can rarely hit the front foot when steering, but this was more the case in theory than in practice.

The City E-Bike is by no means sporty, but the upright position ensures a very good overview in traffic. The non-continuous support of the electric motor is suboptimal, as it first switches on and then switches off again as soon as you ride faster than the set level "allows" and then helps again as soon as you fall below the corresponding level speed again – this actually goes on all the time, which can be very irritating and annoying. Overall, however, the gear translation is set well – even the highest gears were used.