Lemo One: Ebike and back again

When Fazua went into series production with its Evation drive in 2017, common thought patterns broke down. Suddenly, one and the same bicycle could be ridden either as an ebike or as a regular bicycle. The ebike riders could decide for themselves – depending on their mood and the situation. At the Eurobike 2022 in Frankfurt, Lemo adopted this idea by offering not only the drive but also the bike itself. In a few days, the manufacturer, which has been unknown round here until now, will open its first location outside of China – in the middle of Berlin. From then on, you will be able to pick up such a convertible vehicle directly there.

The Lemo One fits seamlessly into the phalanx of sporty, rather minimalist ebikes for the urban setting, which brands such as Ampler, Cowboy, Modmo, Urwahn and Vanmoof have made their mark on. So, there is plenty of competition. It takes something extra to gain a foothold in this very attractive and highly competitive segment. And the Lemo One does indeed have that extra. The ebike is a regular bicycle as well. Alternatively, you can buy the Lemo One initially without the electric drive and add the electric component later. This has its price, but it is remarkably comfortable.

Freewheel or motor?

Two components are essentially responsible for this transformation – the rear wheel hub and a battery that can be plugged into the frame triangle between the top and down tube. The hub contains a motor, similar to the drives from Mahle, FSA, Giant and others. However, this one can be decoupled from the rest of the hub via a clutch. At that moment, it becomes an ordinary singlespeed freewheel. Lemo refers to this function as the e-bike mode and the m-bike mode, where M-bike is probably an abbreviation for “muscle bicycle”.

It’s up to you to do the clutching. Lemo has attached a knob to the rear wheel axle on the non-drive side. Pull it towards you and turn it clockwise by 90 degrees. This switches the hub from m-bike to e-bike mode. Pulling it out and turning it 90 degrees in the opposite direction does the opposite. We can only say how smoothly and reliably this works in the long term after we have been able to test the bike ourselves. In theory, at least, it sounds like an easy job to do.

The exact manufacturer behind the hub is not clear from the information provided by Lemo. The brand belongs to a company called Hypaths Limited, which is located near Shanghai. Therefore, it seems reasonable to assume that it is ultimately a Chinese product. The motor produces the usual 250 watts in continuous operation and has a torque of 40 Newton metres. In purely numerical terms, this is on a par with the Mahle X35+, the FSA HM 1.0 and the Hyena MRC-E250.

More than just a battery

The hub motor draws its power from a battery that Lemo calls the Smartpac. The lithium-ion cells it contains provide a total capacity of 540 watt hours. According to the manufacturer, this should allow a range of around 100 kilometres in the lowest support level under optimal conditions.

However, the term battery only does the Smartpac some justice. For good reason, Lemo has dressed the energy storage unit in a very high-quality-looking fabric garment. You can even remove and wash the cover. That’s because the Smartpac will also serve you well at home or at work. Various mobile devices can be operated via its USB-A and USB-C charging sockets. And because the multitasker is so nicely packaged, you don’t need to hide it under your desk.

In addition, the Smartpac contains all the electronics for motor control, 4G radio for GPS tracking and over-the-air firmware updates. On the bike, you slide it into the front frame triangle on a rail, where it also locks into place on a mount on the head tube. When you take the device off, you can carry it around on a wrist strap. But be careful, despite the three kilograms on your wrist, always smile nonchalantly 😉

The ravages of time

The Smartpac is charged with a 4A charger within three and a half hours. Later, Lemo will offer an optional fast charger with a current of seven amps. Then all the lights light up green after just two hours. Somewhat sobering – or perhaps just more transparent compared to other manufacturers – is the announcement that the useful life of the Smartpac as a battery for the ebike should be between three and five years. After that, the battery capacity had dropped to 80 percent of the original level and was no longer fully suitable for this application.

As a power bank, the Smartpac will certainly serve its purpose for far longer – even if then perhaps only stationary. Otherwise, it can be recycled to a certain extent. A Smartpac in mint condition currently costs 900 euros. For a better classification: the complete Lemo One currently costs 1,990 euros as an ebike.

As indicated, the rest of the ebike system is relatively simple. It can be operated via two buttons on the left and right of the handlebars. At the touch of a button, you can switch on the StVZO-compliant lighting and switch between the different support levels. As soon as the ebike is paired with the app, you can also use the buttons to trigger a hidden lock integrated in the hub.

Lasts even without seams

The aluminium frame deserves a special mention. Why? Because you will look in vain for welds. This frame is bonded and not welded. The process could be an indication of a particularly strong, light alloy that Lemo uses and which, due to its material properties, can no longer be processed by welding. First and foremost, the appearance of the bicycle benefits from this. It suddenly has the elegance of a carbon frame, where the lines flow into each other seamlessly.

On the production side, this probably also opens up some advantages. For example, there is no need to treat the weld seams. Although rather rare in the bicycle industry, bonding is an established process, even for aluminium, which is indispensable in the aerospace and automotive industries.

Lemo is launching two different frame shapes for the time being. In addition to the classic diamond frame, there is also a trapezoid version with a lower step-in. However, two frame sizes – L and XL – are only available for the diamond frame.

Ready for almost anything

The drive system is even more straightforward. The only option is currently a 10-speed derailleur from Shimano. For some, this might be a bit overkill for city traffic. But on the one hand, the cassette offers sprockets with eleven to 42 teeth, a sufficiently large spectrum to allow you to tackle longer tours. On the other hand, Lemo has already announced a singlespeed version that will be operated by a Gates belt.

In addition, the Lemo One is absolutely solidly equipped. The mudguards have an integrated rear carrier to which you can attach light panniers. The standard rear light signals your braking manoeuvres and the front headlight can even be removed from the frame and used as a torch.

Those who have discovered an ebike for themselves in the Lemo One can currently pre-order it on the manufacturer’s website and pick it up in the shop soon to open near Alexanderplatz. Lemo says it will not be able to deliver to other cities and countries until February 2023.

Lemo One at a glance

• Frame: Aluminium 6061, powder-coated
• Variants: Lemo One Bike, Lemo One E-Bike
• Motor: Rear hub motor, 250 Watt
• Battery: Lemo Smartpac, 540 Wh
• Display: LCD display in the top tube
• Control unit: two buttons on the handlebar
• Drive: Shimano Deore, single speed with Gates CDX belt (announced)
• Brakes: hydraulic disc brake with four brake pistons, rotor 160 mm
• Colours: Sand, Grey
• Maximum permissible total weight: 140 kg
• Weight: 18 kg (with battery)
• Price: 1,990 euros (with battery)

 

Pictures: Hypaths GmbH