The international health crisis of 2020 marked the beginning of a new phase for urban mobility, one where previous environmental concerns and traffic congestion issues were compounded by the need for social distance, boosting the industry of two-wheelers. It was, and still is, a great time to be a cyclist.
The e-bike bubble has peaked, if we're to believe analysts, but far from this being a bad thing for customers, it means we get to pick and choose from a broader range of models, with varying specs and features, at increasingly more affordable price points. Put it differently, the fact that there are so many e-bike manufacturers and retailers means we get more and improved options at competitive prices.
An excellent example in this sense is the PVY Z20 Pro e-bike from the Chinese startup PVY. If you're a rider, especially of fully electric or motor-assisted bikes, you know that most of the bikes on the international market are sourced in China for parts, electronics, and frames. More recent models come directly from Chinese manufacturers looking to enter the global market.
PVY is one such company. With a founding team that includes mobility experts and technical engineers with 10 years of experience in the urban mobility field, PVY boasts the noble (and profitable) goal of wanting to deliver green, convenient, and reliable two-wheelers to customers, at an affordable price. Case in point: the PVY Z20 Pro. It might not have the catchiest name out there, but it definitely seems to be a sum of every feature you're looking for in a city bike for the daily commute.
Photo: PVY
If you live in the city and commute daily, your options are not that many. You can get a car, but that means paying for gas daily and dealing with rush hour congestion. Or, you can use public transport, but that can mean extended waiting times, and being comfortable with crowded spaces. Or, you can ride a bike to work, but that means having to find a place to store the bicycle inside your home.
If you're ok with the idea of braving the elements on the daily and dealing with whatever shortcomings of your city's infrastructure on option no. 3, PVY promises to take care of the rest. The Z20 Pro is a compact bike that rides on 20-inch wheels, made even more compact by means of a folding frame, so it's ideal for storage inside a small city apartment.
On the face of it, this e-bike is neither highly innovative nor particularly good-looking, but that's only because it's probably not striving to be either. Instead, the Z20 Pro wants to be that trusted friend you go to every day for help: reliable, convenient, durable, and comfortable. It aims to impress by putting together all the features you will want in this kind of bike.
Photo: PVY
The aluminum alloy frame is foldable, and the 36v10.4aH lithium battery that hides in the front part of the tube is removable so that you can charge it indoors. The bike itself weighs 22 kg (48.5 lbs), and while it's not the lightest e-bike of the kind, it's still light enough to be carried up the stairs and into a city apartment for safe storage. The battery is good for 50 to 80 km (31 to 50 miles) of range per charge, but take that figure as an estimate, since real-life range depends on various factors, including terrain, riding mode, the weight of the rider, and weather conditions.
Power comes from a rear hub brushless DC motor limited electronically to 250 W, so it fits EU regulations (the bike has CE certfication), but it's unlockable. Top speed is 25 kph (15.5 mph) for the former and can go as high as 32 kph (20 mph) in the latter mode, and the 50 Nm of torque guarantees the ability to go up steep inclines of up to 25 degrees. A 6-speed Shimano gearshift helps with that, as does a throttle function, and you get double shock absorbers in the fork, for those riders whose city infrastructure is far from perfect.
Stopping power comes from mechanical disc brakes, and the small display on the handlebar offers essential rider stats like top speed, distance covered, and battery level. It's nothing too fancy or out of the ordinary with a middle-entry e-bike, but it's more than what you get on similar models, at a similar price point. Most e-bikes of this kind won't get you a suspension fork, extra accessories, or a detailed display, and that's understandable: this is a budget product.
Photo: PVY
That's what makes the PVY Z20 Pro stand out: it brings all these features together while still being a budget product, with an €839 price tag, now reduced to €759 ($922 and $834, respectively, at the current exchange rate). To further sweeten the pot, PVY throws in a bunch of freebies, including a phone mount that goes with the USB charge point on the handlebars, front and rear fenders, a rear rack, a detachable taillight, and even a waterproof car cover, which we assume you can also use for the bike.
Unicorns are magical creatures no one has seen in real life, but the PVY Z20 Pro sure sounds like an e-bike version of a unicorn. On paper, at least.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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