TST Dreamer 26″ Step-Thru Fat Tire Electric Bike Review

In the last couple of months, I’ve been dealing with either cream-of-the-crop bikes or low-end bikes. I haven’t had a chance to check out any of the mid-range models that came out this year.

Well, that is until now. For the past two weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of riding TST’s Dreamer Step-Thru Fat Tire ebike. And after this much time with this bike, I've got to say it’s pretty decent.

The bike doesn’t excel at anything, but that’s not what mid-range bikes are supposed to do. A bike in this class has to provide you with the best bang for the buck, and that’s just what Dreamer has accomplished.

The bike is pretty fast, extremely durable, and reasonably comfy - just what you’d expect from a mid-range e-bike. 

Although TST is still pretty unknown in the e-bike market, they’ll certainly make a splash with this bike.

But enough of my ramblings, let’s see what makes Dreamer tick.

Frame

TST Dreamer’s frame is beautifully simple. This is mostly due to it featuring a step-through design. of course, another big reason why this bike is so sleek is because the wires are routed through the frame.

Unfortunately, just because it’s sleek, that doesn’t mean Dreamer is lightweight. After all, this is a fat-tire e-bike, and these bikes are anything but light. Dreamer weighs a whopping 86 lbs - now that’s a chunky boy.

I wouldn’t recommend you buy this bike if you’ll have to lug it upstairs. This goes for literally all fat-tire e-bikes of the non-foldable kind. You’ll want to die lugging this thing around for more than 2 minutes, trust me.

With that said, all this weight gives the bike a really rugged feel. Like you can throw it off a rooftop, and it won’t break. 

When it comes to comfort, I’m happy to report that whether you’re 5’1” or 6”3, you’ll have zero issues getting into a comfortable riding position. The seat could be better, but that’s easily fixable - there are tons of cheap comfy seats on the Internet.

I almost forgot about the front suspension. Just like the rest of this bike, it’s fine. It has 80-mm of travel which is more than enough for city commuting. They’re a bit too stiff, so I don’t recommend you do any downhill racing with this bike - you’ll have one hell of a bumpy ride.

And then we have the accessories. If you buy an ebike, you’ll also get a rear rack and fenders. This is a must-have if you’re going to use this bike as a daily driver.

Motor

Dreamer comes with a real powerhouse of a motor. To be more precise, this e-bike comes with a 1300W rear-hub motor from SUTT0 - a sub-brand of legendary Bafang, one of the world’s leading e-bike motor manufacturers.

I don’t know how TST managed to stuff a 1300-watt motor into a mid-range bike - but I’m glad they did it. Most bikes in this price range usually come with 1000 or 750-watt motors since they have the best bang for the buck.

The only thing I would improve is the torque. Dreamer’s motor can only produce 85 Nm, which is a bit subpar for such a beefy motor. Luckily, the bike is pretty snappy acceleration-wise, and it can even climb medium hills on nothing but throttle.

My only complaint about the motor is that TST messed up the controller. There’s a pretty noticeable shift in the amount of power you’re getting from PAS 1 and PAS 2. PAS 1 feels like you’re not getting any power at all, and the second you switch to PAS 2, you’ll feel like someone strapped a rocket to the bike.

You will zoom down the street like a rocket since this bike’s max speed is 28 MPH. And on top of that, you also get a thumb throttle if you ever get tired of pedaling.

As for the controls, they’re you’re run-of-the-mill e-bike fare. You have your control cluster on the left-hand side of the handlebars. There you will find a small LCD screen and buttons for selecting the PAS level, as well as a button for turning on the front light. The screen is pretty  basic and will feed you only the basic riding info, such as your current speed and the battery level.

Battery

Dreamer’s battery is just as impressive as the motor. It’s from LG so you know it’s high-quality.

As for the specs, Dreamer’s battery is rated at 48V at 15Ah, which roughly correlates to around 60 miles of range. Well, realistically, you can expect anywhere from 35 to 45 miles of range, but that’s still pretty good for a chunker of a bike like the Dreamer.

The battery is integrated into the downtube and can even double as an LED floodlight. Just take out the battery by unlocking it, and you’ll find the floodlight button on the side.

As for the recharge time, it’s your standard 4 to 5 hours. So, if you’re not planning on getting a spare battery, I recommend you charge the bike while you sleep.

Brakes

Dreamer comes with hydraulic disc brakes with monstrous 180-millimeter rotors. Putting overly large brake rotors on this bike makes sense since you need all the stopping power to get this chunker of a bike to a full stop.

The brakes do an admirable job of stopping the bike. Even at full speed, it will take less than 15 feet - pretty admirable for 200 pounds zooming at 28 MPH down the street.

Wheels And Tires 

Dreamer comes with gigantic 26-inch tires. The tires are more than solid. 

They’re puncture-resistant and have a pretty decent tread. Unfortunately, you will have trouble turning this monstrosity because of the nature of the tires, but you’ll get used to it over time.

Pros And Cons After Testing

Dreamer is a pretty solid e-bike. I’m honestly pretty astonished TST managed to build such a high-quality bike. After all, they’ve been on the market for less than a year.

Although Dreamer is pretty hefty weight-wise, the 1300-watt motor is more than capable of handling it. Those 85 Nm of torque come in pretty handy when you want to accelerate quickly or go up steep hills.

When it comes to comfort, this e-bike is on par with some high-end models. With that said, the seat could be better - luckily, you can fix this by getting a new one.

And then you have those 35 to 45 miles of range. That’s enough to last you for weeks, even if you’re a daily bike rider. 

Add to all this a pretty affordable price, and you get a perfect mid-range e-cycle.

Advice To Consumers

Whether you’re a newbie or an e-bike veteran, I recommend you pick this bike up. Even with its excessive weight, Dreamer is super-comfy, fast, and can carry as much as a pack mule - provided you get the necessary accessories.