If you’ve been around the e-bike world for a hot minute, you might be familiar with Himiway.
For those of you who aren’t, Himiway is a brand that’s famous for producing some of the best budget-friendly fat-tire bikes in the world.
Earlier this year, Himiway released three new e-bikes - Zebra, Escape Pro, and Rambler. If you’re a regular on this website, you might recall that I published a short post where I rambled about what I hope they include in the said new release.
Well, while I was partially correct about Zebra and Escape Pro, Rambler took me completely by surprise. Not in a million years could I ever guess a company whose bread and butter are fat-tire bikes would release a commuter.
The second I saw it, I knew I had to try it out. So I pulled some strings, and a couple of weeks later, Rambler arrived at my doorstep.
And after a week with Rambler, I have to say it’s a pretty snappy commuter. At least the premium version is, the basic and upgraded version not so much.
But enough of my rambling (see what I did there?), let’s see what makes this bike tick.
As I mentioned two sentences ago, Rambler comes in three versions: Basic, Upgraded, and Premium.
While the biggest difference between these versions is the motor, basic and premium versions also differ in what you get on the frame.
Basic Rambler comes with zero accessories. What I mean by this is that you get no fenders or a rear cargo rack. If you ask me, these are essential for a city commuter. There’s no point in getting a bike if you’re just going to ride around town and not carry any cargo. The only upside to the basic version is that you’re going to save two hundred bucks.
The upgraded and premium versions are where the value is at. Frame-wise, both versions are the same. These Ramblers are fully kitted out with fenders, a rear rack and a rear light.
All three versions of Rambler come with a pretty decent front suspension, all things considered. It has around 100 millimeters of travel which is more than enough for pavement but not much else.
One thing is for sure, all three versions are pretty hefty. The basic version weighs around 56 pounds, while the other two weigh a whopping 61 pounds. I sure hope you don’t live in a building without a cargo elevator because lugging this thing anywhere is a nightmare.
At least the bike is pretty comfy. Even if you’re 6’6 like me you’ll still be able to get in a comfortable riding position.
Motor
When it comes to the motor, the basic and upgraded Ramblers come with a rear-hub motor, while the premium version comes with a mid-drive motor.
So, let’s start with the rear-hub motors, shall we?
As is the case with most budget-friendly e-bikes, the motor on the basic/upgraded Himiway is capable of producing just 500 watts. To make things worse, the torque this motor can produce is just as underwhelming - clocking around 62 Nm.
What this means is that you’re going to have a pretty sluggish riding experience. The rear hub motor just isn’t capable of churning out that much power or torque.
With that said, this was an intentional design choice. You see, you don’t need a snappy, beastly motor to get around town. Sure, you won’t be able to reach the top speed of 25 MPH in under 5 seconds. But that’s okay, at least you’re not hogging the battery.
The story is completely different with the Premium Rambler. This one comes with a 500-watt mid-drive motor that can churn out a whopping 160 Nm of torque. Now, that’s a bit more in my alleyway.
Although the mid-drive motor is just as underpowered as the rear-hub one, because of its placement, it’s able to churn out more torque. And the more torque you have, the faster you’ll accelerate to that 25 MPH mark and climb hills easier.
One way Himway kept the costs of this bike down is by utilizing cadence sensors instead of torque sensors. So instead of measuring how hard you’re pressing the peddlers, this bike measures how fast you’re pedaling and applies assistance accordingly.
After a week on this bike, I’m happy to report that the sensors are pretty responsive. It just takes a bit to get used to them.
The reason why this bike is so sluggish is that Himiway gimped the controller. You see, the controller doesn’t just give you access to all the motor’s power willy-nilly. Instead, it slowly ups the power based on the pedal assist level. While this prevents the motor from hogging the battery, it also results in a pretty uneventful and sluggish riding experience.
All three versions of this bike come with your standard control cluster. It’s located on the left-hand side of the handlebars and consists of buttons for turning on/off the motor, selecting the PAS level and fiddling with the LCD located in the middle of the handlebars.
Basic and upgraded Ramblers come with a monochrome LCD, while the premium version comes with a full-color LCD. Both screens are pretty easy to read and are pretty good at absorbing the sun's glare.
Battery
All three versions of Rambler come with the same 48V 15 Ah battery that provides up to 55 miles of range.
As is the case with all e-bikes, that 55-mile range is a bit of an overreach. Although I’ve been riding this bike for just a week, I’ve already drained the battery drive, and I’ve barely got 40 miles of range.
Then, on the other hand, I weigh 200 pounds, so you might get a couple of miles more if you’re on the lighter side.
The battery is integrated into the lower part of the downtube, and you can charge it while it’s on the bike via the charging port. You can also take it out and charge it somewhere more convenient.
Taking the battery out is pretty simple. All you gotta do is unlock it with a key this bike ships with and slide the battery out.
When it comes to recharge time, it’s your standard 4 to 6 hours. That’s pretty fine for a budget bike.
Brakes
Basic and upgraded versions of Rambler come with mechanical disc brakes while the premium version features hydraulic disc brakes.
Both the mechanical and hydraulic brakes feature 180 millimeter rotors which is just fine for a city commuter.
As for the stopping power of these brakes, again, they’re fine. You won’t have much trouble coming to a full stop in just a couple of feet, even at full speed.
Tires
Rambler comes with 27.5" x 2.4" tires with a pretty mild tread. While I would recommend you take this bike on an offroad trail, they’re just fine for city pavement.
Just like the brakes on this bike, they’re fine. They’re your average computer tires.
They’re not great, but they’re not terrible either. They’re perfect for what they’re designed for.
Pros And Cons After Testing
The word that best describes Rambler bikes is fine. These bikes are fine, they’re not designed to break new ground - these bikes are meant for beginners looking for a reliable, relatively long-range commuter e-bike.
With that said, I would stay away from the basic/upgraded versions of the Rambler. The motor on those bikes is just too underwhelming. Sure, it will get you around town, but the ride is going to be incredibly sluggish and boring.
Thankfully, for just a couple of hundred bucks more you can get a Premium Rambler. Now that’s a decent bike. The motor can produce up to 160 Nm of torque, and you get all the accessories you could ever need.
If you can’t afford a Premium Rambler, I recommend you take a peek at other bikes from Himiway. For the same price as an upgraded Rambler, you can get a Cruiser ST - a bike with a 750-watt motor that can produce up to 80 Nm of torque, fat tires, and 60 miles of range.
Advice To Consumers
Unless you can’t afford a premium version of the Rambler, I recommend you stay away from this bike. Otherwise, you get a pretty decent city commuter that will last you for years.
Our Rating - 75/100
If you’re looking for an e-bike that will reliably get you around town - rambler should be on your shopping list. That is if you can get your hands on the premium version, otherwise, you’re better off with Himiway’s other bikes.