The Oraimo Electric Bike Monster 100 is a very cheap e-bike. So cheap that we normally wouldn’t give it a second glance. We’ve used cheaper e-bikes before, and they were woeful. However, since we know that many of our readers are looking for something on the budget side of things, we knew that we had to check out the Oraimo E-Bike Monster 100 to see what it brought to the table, and we are glad we did. While it is not an e-bike that necessarily rivals the e-bikes that are 3-4x the price, it is an e-bike that is far, far cheaper than it deserves to be. This is a perfectly capable e-bike that can pack a real punch for those on a limited budget. Let’s tell you about it in this Oraimo Electric Bike Monster 100 review.
Specifications
Let’s start by giving you an overview of the specs of the Oraimo Electric Bike Monster 100. We’ll discuss some of this stuff in a bit more detail soon.
- Motor: 350W (Peak 500W)
- Battery: 36V 13Ah Lithium-Ion Battery
- Range: 28 to 45 miles, lower if using pure electric mode.
- Max Speed: 20mph
- Full-throttle and pedal-assist modes.
- Gears: 21
- Frame: Aluminum and weighs just 49.6lbs, including the wheels.
- Wheel Size: 26 x 1.95
- Brakes: Disc
- LCD Display: Speed, battery level, distance, pedal assist level
As you can see, the e-bike isn’t massively great on the specification front. There are far better e-bikes on the market, ones that can go faster, and would probably be a lot more comfortable to ride. However, as we said at the start, when it comes to value, the Oraimo Electric Bike Monster 100 is difficult to beat.
Performance
A lot of people have stated that the Oraimo Electric Bike Monster 100 is a barebones bike, and we agree. It doesn’t quite have the bells and whistles that e-bikes many times the price has, but that’s fine. This is an e-bike designed for one purpose and one purpose only – to be a budget option for those who want something that performs well but isn’t going to break the bank.
Our goal in this section is to give you an overview of what the Oraimo Electric Bike Monster 100 is to ride. This means a discussion on the overall performance, the range, the battery, and overall comfort levels.
Who is It For?
As we said – this is a budget e-bike.
We believe it is a decent e-bike for those who want a simple commuter bike. One that will get them to and from work/school/the store without any hassle. While Oraimo does market it as an e-bike that can perform well off-road, it probably isn’t the best choice for that, nor is it the best choice for those who want an e-bike that can cover longer distances. We’ll discuss why shortly.
All you need to know right now is that if you meet the following criteria, this may be an ideal e-bike for you:
- You’re commuting.
- You have a budget.
- You aren’t too fussy about off-roading.
- You cycle for under an hour each way.
How It Rides
We have nothing but praise for the way the Oraimo Electric Bike Monster 100 rides. Despite being a budget e-bike, it rides like a dream. It is smooth. It handles small hills easily (and we mean small hills), and it could probably handle some off-roading, although a limited amount.
Behind the Oraimo Electric Bike Monster 100 you have a 350W motor, which can be pushed to 500W when needed (the e-bike will control all that for you), it is a fraction of the power of some of the more expensive e-bikes on the market, but it will get the job done. Most people do not need anything more powerful than this.
Using this e-bike is so simple too. It doesn’t have a ton of features, so it is really a case of charging the battery, hopping on, and then cycling. If you want full throttle, just twist the handle. Alternatively, play with the pedal assist settings and cycle as you would normally, just with an extra powerful kick to help you along the way.
This e-bike should get you from point A to point B smoothly, especially if it is mostly a paved surface. It may struggle a little getting up the steeper hills (you may need to use pedal assist, rather than full throttle), but there is little we threw at the Oraimo Electric Bike Monster 100 that it couldn’t handle. This is why it is such a good commuter bike; it should give you a nice, comfortable ride to work. For city dwellers, it is perfect.
Where the e-bike starts to struggle is off-roading. While Oraimo does claim that the Monster 100 is fine for off-roading, we would say that it is probably better for lighter off-roading. It doesn’t have the best suspension, and it doesn’t really have enough juice in the battery to go off-road for longer periods of time, and it would certainly struggle with tons of bumps and jumps. You can ride it off-road for a little, but if your whole goal is to pick up an e-bike that can tackle off-roading with ease, you’ll want to look elsewhere.
Battery & Range
The battery in this e-bike has a rather small capacity. Just 13Ah, which is a fraction of what you would find in more expensive e-bikes, but we suppose that cuts had to be made somewhere along the line. Although, the lower capacity does have the positive side of being fast to charge, with the included charger able to get the battery back up to full capacity in around 3 hours, which does make the lower capacity of the battery much more palatable.
The team at Oraimo claims that the e-bike can do the following:
- Pure electric mode (i.e. full throttle, with no pedaling from you) – 28 to 35 miles
- Pedal-assisted mode – 28 to 45 miles.
This is assuming that you are cycling in ideal conditions, which you almost certainly wouldn’t be. So, you can assume that the range would be a good 5-10 miles lower than what we listed above, and the range will fall gradually over the lifespan of the battery.
So, as you can see, this e-bike isn’t going to be for longer rides. It is for shorter rides to and from work. The range is still decent considering the lower battery capacity (although, this is helped by the low-powered motor). We feel that the e-bike has just enough range for most commuters.
If you do buy this e-bike (and some of you may be considering it), then we suggest that you use pedal assist mode as much as possible. Not only will it be more fun to ride the e-bike, but you’ll get a slightly longer range too.
If the battery goes? Probably not a massive problem. This isn’t a heavy e-bike by any stretch of the imagination, so it should be simple to ride home. Just pedal away!
Speed & Power
The maximum speed of the Oraimo Electric Bike Monster 100 is 20mph, which is just a fraction of some other e-bikes on the market. However, we feel that there is just enough power here for most purposes because, let’s be honest, if you’re cycling to work you probably won’t be going too much over 20mph anyway.
You can hit a maximum of 20mph in both pedal assist and full throttle (known as full electric) mode. There’s a decent amount of power behind the motor, particularly in pedal assist, so it shouldn’t take you too long to get up to the 20mph cruise speed.
The only time where you will really struggle to hit 20mph is if you’re going uphill. Expect to get 10-15mph there, although we are sure you expected to be slower going uphill anyway. It is the same for all e-bikes.
Comfort Levels
This is a budget e-bike, so don’t expect the most comfortable ride in the world. It isn’t too bad, though. It is light on the suspension, but the e-bike does absorb the bumps and shocks of the roads well, so it should be a smoother ride. There is also a padded seat that can make cycling to wherever you need to be a much more relaxing experience.
When riding the Oraimo Electric Bike Monster 100, you’ll be seated in a comfortable riding position. You’ll be upright. It isn’t exactly great for speed, but it is perfect for the more leisurely cycles.
At the front of the bike, you’ll have access to an LCD screen that will tell you how fast you are traveling, battery life, etc. which is very convenient during your ride. It isn’t the best LCD screen in the world, but you already know that.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- A budget e-bike that performs well.
- Decent top speed
- Good range, considering the low price.
- Lightweight
- LCD screen
Cons
- There are faster e-bikes
- Not the most comfortable to ride
- Not great off-road
- Can be difficult to source spare parts for.
Final Thoughts
Who Is the Oraimo Electric Bike Monster 100 For?
The Oraimo Electric Bike Monster 100 is a budget e-bike, but a good budget e-bike. While it doesn’t have the greatest range or the highest speed, we can see this making a fantastic commuter bike for a person that doesn’t want to blow a hole in their bank account. It probably won’t be something you’ll be using for longer rides or off-roading, but for short city commutes it is perfect! We are glad we tried it out, and we are sure you’ll love it just as much as we do!
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