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Unknown ONTRO Bike Are About to Unleash an IndieGoGo Campaign With Three Beasts

Urban mobility is booming right now. One of the main vehicles getting most of the attention is the bicycle, these days known as an e-bike. One company looking spice up the game is ONTRO.
ONTRO P1 e-Bike 13 photos
Photo: ONTRO Bike
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Don’t bother trying to find out much about ONTRO, I can across a Facebook add that fed informed me of their existence. Even so, after some searching, I still couldn’t find out much about this team. The only info mentioned on the manufacturer's website, aside from the bikes of course, is the CEO, Hugo Z. Xu, and that there’s an office in San Francisco, Shanghai, and Amsterdam. That’s it. Even Wikipedia has nothing yet.

Well, there is one thing. I was able to track down the country and city where the company was registered, San Francisco, California, and when, April 2020. Since then, there’s been nothing, not a peep, until now.

Being a fairly new company, and in its first year of business, the family of e-bikes ONTRO has been working on, will ultimately determine whether the company has what it takes to climb to EV glory, or sink like California after a big one. Personally, I think they’ll be just fine.

ONTRO A1 e\-Bike
Photo: ONTRO Bike
Three e-bikes have been announced from this team, each one with its own power level and utility. Yes, utility. The Amp One (A1), Geneto One (G1), and Plexe One (P1), are all commuter or city bikes, except maybe the P1, which puts you in more of a road bike position.

To make things easier to understand, I'll tackle each bike separately. The first is the A1. Currently, there isn’t much information on the bikes except what you’ll find on the manufacturer's website. The only hint you’ll get about what sort of material may be used in the build is regarding the chain stay.

ONTRO mentions that this intriguing rear fork is composed of airplane-grade aluminum with T4-T6 heat treatment. Oh, the price too, will tell you a bit about the frame. When the release on IndieGoGo takes place, all three bikes will have a 43% price reduction, meaning you’ll get the A1 for $1249. Aluminum frame? Probably.

Ontro G1 e\-Bike
Photo: ONTRO Bike
A rear hub brushless motor runs under 500 watts of nominal power, with a 960-watt peak. On the tire, you’ll get a max 55 Nm (40.5 lb-ft) of torque. Sure, it may not be some massive motor, but a 672-watt-hour battery should be large enough to cover whatever your daily plans have in store.

Throttle and pedal assist control are found in the bottom bracket and includes a torque and cadence sensor. A hydraulic front suspension and seat post offer a cushioned ride, while disc brakes are used for stopping.

The G1 is like the A1, except for a couple of beefy upgrades. Because this bike is meant to transport cargo, changes have been made to motor placement and uses a mid-drive brushless motor with 350 watts of nominal power. This bad boy cranks out 80 Nm (59 lb-ft) of torque and runs with the same 672-watt-hour battery. An additional cargo carried is added to the rear. This setup will run you $1,649 with that discount I mentioned.

ONTRO P1 e\-Bike
Photo: ONTRO Bike
The third and final bike from the team is the P1. This rear drive brushless motor runs under 500 watt-hours of nominal power and cranks out 45 Nm (33.2 lb-ft) of torque. The same 672-watt-hour battery is used, but this time, a carbon front fork, and pedal assist up to 28 mph (45 kph) is to be had. A seat post suspension will add a bit of softness to your ride. But the P1 is going to run you $1,899 with that IndieGoGo campaign.

One thing I enjoyed about the bike, and what makes it unique, is that battery pack I mentioned several times. Judging by the specs, size, and placement, it seems like the battery is interchangeable between all three bikes.

Personally, I think the bikes look good, seem to have the strength and speed necessary, and can meet several urban needs. Yeah, I think ONTRO will do just fine.
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About the author: Cristian Curmei
Cristian Curmei profile photo

A bit of a nomad at heart (being born in Europe and raised in several places in the USA), Cristian is enamored with travel trailers, campers and bikes. He also tests and writes about urban means of transportation like scooters, mopeds and e-bikes (when he's not busy hosting our video stories and guides).
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