2019 Flowdot Flowdot Review

Video Review

Written Review

The Flowdot electric bike is compact with an urban feel, and is ready to tackle even the darkest streets with an integrated front headlight and a luminescent ring light built into the frame.

Power — 250 nominal watts, 500 peak watts

The Flowdot electric bike has a geared hub motor that offers 250 watts of nominal power and 500 watts of peak power. 

Speed  — 20 mph

The Flowdot electric bike has a top speed of 20 mph, which can be reached using the throttle or the pedal assist, making this a class 2 electric bike. 

Battery and Range — 36 volt 7.2 ah, 30 miles

The Flowdot electric bike runs on a 36 volt system and has a 7.2 ah battery for an estimated max range of 30 miles with pedal assist. The battery is housed inside the frame, which helps to keep it protected from dirt and grime. There is an external port to charge the battery, but it appears the prototype version cannot be charged this way. Instead, the battery must be removed from the frame and charged separately. 

Pedal assist sensor — Cadence sensor

The Flowdot electric bike is equipped with a cadence sensor that measures the rotation of the cranks. Like most cadence sensors, there is some delay from the time the rider starts and stops pedaling to the time the motor activates and deactivates.

Display — LCD

The Flowdot electric bike uses an LCD display located on the center of the handlebars with an independent button pad on the left side of the handlebars. This display has all the necessary information like speed, distance, battery level and more.

Frame and weight — Magnesium alloy, 48 pounds

The Flowdot electric bike comes in one frame size and two color options — black and grey and black and yellow, and is crafted from magnesium aluminum alloy with a curb weight of nearly 48 pounds. This is about the average weight for a full size electric bike, but keep in mind that the Flowdot is a compact frame.

In the middle of the frame there is a circular light that illuminates to help increase visibility when riding in low light conditions. This is great for safety, and also looks pretty cool. It also appears as if the frame could fold, but we couldn’t find any way to make this happen. Perhaps the final version will offer a folding mechanism.

Suspension —  Solid forks, rear suspension

The Flowdot electric bike has solid forks and a rear suspension with about 10 mm of travel. This rear suspension will help to smooth out the ride on rougher streets, but won’t do much in the way of off-roading. 

Gearing — Shimano, 7 speed

The Flowdot electric bike has a Shimano Tourney derailleur with a 7-speed cassette. It uses a Shimano SIS Index thumb shifter on the right side of the handlebars.

Brakes — Tektro, mechanical disc

The Flowdot electric bike has Tektro mechanical disc brakes in the front and rear with 160 mm rotors. These brakes offer ample stopping power and the brake levers are equipped with motor inhibitors, which instantly cut power to the motor whenever the brake levers are depressed.

Warranty — Unclear

It’s unclear what the warranty is on the Flowdot since this is an Indiegogo project, but we’re hoping for something solid once it comes to market.

Price — Starting at $699.00

Starting at $699.00, the Flowdot electric bike comes at an affordable price for those early adopters. Once the Flowdot hits the market, the price will jump, but we’re not sure by how much. Still, for those looking for an affordable entry level electric bike, this one fits the bill.

Who’s it for — Those interested in getting into electric bikes

The Flowdot electric bike feels like a good choice for first time buyers. The Indiegogo price of $699 is quite affordable and while it doesn’t come with all the bells and whistles of higher end electric bikes, this one will get you where you need to go without having to empty your wallet. For those in search of an affordable, entry level electric bike, the Flowdot feels like a good one to seriously consider.