Juiced Bikes, formerly known as Juiced Riders is an electric bicycle company, along with a brilliant founder, Tora Harris, has had an astronomical rise in the electric biking world.
The Oceancurrent is a cruiser style bicycle with balanced battery, and pedal assist plus override modes. Different cruisers in the space have batteries which create frame flex or characteristic mid-drive motors which frequently lack rotational mode. And all of them tend to hit the wallet far more. Tora describes the Ocean cruiser as ‘sporty’ and we fully support that.
Swept-back bars the saddle, and fat tires are all present as expected, but the zippy engine and frame set it. It's a take on the category, and I thoroughly enjoyed the test ride. On first impression it feels like Juiced Bikes tries to do too much, but as we spent more time with the model, it keeps growing on us.
It doesn't come standard with fenders or a back rack but they do provide some simple aftermarket options which are guaranteed to match for a small cash investment. What the OceanCurrent lacks in flashy extras, it makes up for having a very appealing cost. And it's not only an internet bike; many stores support this product which does make things easier!
The frames are completely inflexible, all-Aluminum, using a fork that is good quality although the bikes are not overly heavy like some cruisers. They feel solid and steady, in part thanks to the spokes that are over-sized, but they're also able to pass the bumps of the road with relative comfort.
A seat post suspension to smooth out the ride would be a great addition, however, that it will increase the minimum seat height substantially, which in many cases would hinder the riders of more slight build.
Well priced and decently spec’d, the OceanCurrent is no sloutch, lets break down the key ingredients this model offers.
Easy to Setup, Easy to get going!
Operating the OceanCurrent is quick and simple. Some of those older e-bikes demanded a two-step on/off process where you'd insert and turn the key or press on a power button before pressing a second button on the display but that is not the case here.
Once the battery is mounted and charged, press the power button on the LED control panel. This panel is compact and easy, likely costing close enough to the grip, although less while riding that it can be reached. It controls the degree of pedal aid being put out.
Great Balance
With the downtube battery, the center of gravity is low and central, the compact hub motor provides instant throttle and feels like the power is instant with great torque sensing assist
Mechanical Disc Brakes
More than decent disk breaking, while not an aesthetically pleasing cable setup, the external layout is very user-friendly. With concise LED readouts the more budget setup is very functional.
Post Test Summary: OceanCurrent Beach Cruiser Pros And Cons
PROS
Cons
Conclusion
We were quite impressed with all the OceanCurrent and loved the way that it balances relaxation, an upright body position, and very low price with a solid, sporty feel.
You do not get a whole variety of sizes but the mid-step frame is flexible enough to tailor a vast range of riders with ease, and the high-step is very solid and inflexible in comparison to other bigger cruisers using rear-rack batteries. The drive systems have been integrated and more hidden and well protected here.
Though this is a product catering toward the budget side of the ebike market, Juiced Bikes is not seen as a poor quality brand. Their staff is smart, hardworking and attached to their products. They have more insight into what's being produced and delivered than many of their rivals in the industry at larger companies due to their dedication and tighter-knit production teams.
It is not perfect, you do sacrifice some luxuries and get raw power and throttle operation that other companies might intentionally stop, but for people who are looking for something a bit more for their cash, this thing really delivers where it counts!
Our Rating - 78/100
Great Price, Top Quality!
The OceanCurrent has been updated and replaced by the crosscurrent S2. Crosscurrent is a little more focused on comfort, but all in all the same applies to both this review as well as the crosscurrent S2. For more info - Click here.