Velotric Discovery 1 Review – One of the best-looking e-bikes on the market

Let me be honest with you for a second: this Velotric Discover 1 eBike is one of the best looking on the market. I know looks aren’t everything (at least that’s what my wife tells me), but this bike is beautiful. Even in black (Jet Black is the official color name), the two tone tires on this bike make it stand out from the crowd.

did you know there is now the Discover 2? Check out our Velotric Discover 2 Review.

Want the Velotric Discover 1 at the best price? Get our exclusive Velotric Promo Code to save even more!

Discovery 1: the quick Velotric Review

Velotric Discovery is a premium-quality eBike that’s doesn’t come with a premium price. It’s the perfect commuter eBike, too.

It has a powerful 500/900W motor with 65Nm of torque, and comes with a Shimano 7 speed gear shift system.

The Velotric Discover 1 also has a unique 87-degree straightback sitting position that makes it more comfortable for commuting. Plus, the fully integrated design means that the battery, controller, front and rear lights are all integrated into the bike itself.

So if you’re looking for an ebike that looks great and is packed with features, the Velotric Discover 1 is definitely worth checking out.

Velotric also has the new Velotric nomad 1 (a fat tire e-bike, read our fat tire ebike guide), Full Review coming soon! But the nomad 1 velotric is awesome!

Discovery 1 Review: Everything you need to know

This ebike features many of the standard electric bike features, for example:

• Comes standard as a Class 2 eBike (read about the different ebike classifications)
• 48V 14.4Ah, 500W Class 2 Motor with Throttle Assist.
• Rear Hub Motor
• Medium-sized tires
• Step-through Frame with Fully-integrated Battery Design
• 50% longer range than other similar bikes. Up to 60 miles.
• 20 MPH Speed
• LED Display
• Half Twist Throttle
• Pedal Assist – 3 Levels
• Smart Charger
• Integrated rear light
• Front Suspension Fork

And a lot more.

The Velotric Discovery, on the other hand, has a few features that set it apart from every other eBike we’ve previously tested.

What sets the Velotric Discovery 1 eBike apart from other eBikes?

Well, for starters, this eBike just looks good.

The Velotric eBike Colors

To be honest, most eBikes come in really bland or really offensive colors.

We’re fans of bland here.

In fact, if you ask my 5-year-old-son what my wife’s favorite color is, he’ll say “Black” – so, most of our house is black and white. Even the dog. No joke.

But we really like the colors the Velotric eBike comes in.

Of course, we got the Jet Black color, but even it has some really subtle details like the two-toned tires. Awesome! I actually this eBike is one of the best-looking we’ve ever reviewed.

But, this bike doesn’t come in just boring black. It comes in other fun colors like Mango, Indigo Grey, Cyan and Pearl (an awesome white color).

If you want a bike that stands out from the crowd, Velotric is definitely the way to go.

The Velotric Discovery 1 eBike also has a few other features that set it apart.

Ergonomic Seating Positions

The Velotric Discover 1 has a unique 87-degree straightback sitting position that makes it more comfortable for commuting. That means that you won’t have to worry about being hunched over like you would on a traditional road bike. It’s more like a cruiser bike in many ways and allows you to ride in a fairly upright position.

In addition, the Velotric Discover 1 has an ergonomic design that makes it easier on your hands and wrists. This is especially important if you’re going to be riding your bike for long periods of time.

The step through design is also nice because it allows anyone, regardless of mobility problems to get on the bike on their own power.

Accommodates a wide range of heights

Some eBikes we’ve tested (like the RadRover 6 – read our RadRover 6 Plus Review) only accommodate taller riders.

Other eBikes don’t accommodate taller riders (like the Himiway Escape – read our Himiway Escape Review).

The Velotric Discover 1 accommodates riders 5’1″ to 6’4″ – that’s a pretty wide range!

So, whether you’re short or tall, the Velotric Discover 1 should be a comfortable ride.

Also, check out our brand new Velotric Packer 1 Review.

Fully Integrated Design

The Velotric Discover 1 also has a fully integrated design. That means that the battery, controller, front and rear lights are all integrated into the bike itself.

This is a really nice feature because it means that you won’t have to worry about losing any of your parts or having them stolen. You don’t need to take off the battery (but you can). The battery life is more than adequate for your e-bike needs.

But the biggest reason we love this integrated design? It just looks really clean and sleek.

Built-in Rear Rack

Almost any eBike needs a rear rack, so it’s a little bit of a pet peeve of mine when they aren’t included, or cost extra. The Velotric Discovery 1 includes a pretty sturdy rear rack.

It has a max payload of 449 pounds – that includes the rider, so you have a good amount of extra weight you can lug around with the rear rack above the tires. Also, check out our best ebike accessories.

The rear rack also is equipped with integrated lights. What do integrated lights give you? They tap into the battery and also show when the brake is applied.

The full-coverage fenders (on the front and rear tires) add to the overall usability of the e-bike. We wish all ebikes were equipped with this!

Velotric eBike: What we love

There is a lot about the Velotric Discover 1 that we love. When we first got the eBike, we thought it was just a good-looking commuter bike. But the more we rode it, the more we realized that there was a lot to love about this eBike.

First of all, the Velotric Discover 1 is a great-looking bike (as we’ve mentioned).

This eBike is also focused on being a commuting machine. The 87-degree straightback sitting position is much more comfortable than a traditional road bike, and the ergonomic design makes it easier on your hands

A good balance between weight, speed and torque

The bike weighs 64 pounds or so. Which sounds like a lot, but it’s much lighter than other eBike with a similar range.

It also has a decently powered motor (peaking at 900W). But the thing that really stuck out was the Torque.

A note about torque

eBike torque is the amount of rotational force a motor can deliver and it’s important when it comes to the motor’s power. Put simply, if horsepower is how quickly work can be delivered, then torque is how much work it can do. eBike torque differs from horsepower because it defines how much an engine can do while horsepower only defines how fast that work can happen. eBike torque = oomph. eBike motors with higher torque will enable you to climb steeper hills with ease and maintain higher speeds on the flat. When shopping for your eBike, make sure to pay attention to the torque rating of the motor!

The RadRover 6 Plus, for comparison has 80 nM (newton meters) of torque, while the Discovery 1 has 65 nM. While that sounds like a lot, the RadRover 6 Plus is over 10 pounds heavier. The makes the Velotric Discover 1 a good balance between weight, speed, and torque.

On the most intense hill climb tests we could put this bike on, it had no problem, using a combo of pedal assist level settings and the throttle. It passed out test hill and hill test right out of the gate and had enough power for city streets, trails and hill climbs.

Three pedal assist levels

I almost put this as a negative for the Velotric eBike, but I changed my mind after riding it.

The Velotric is equipped with three levels of pedal assist: low, medium and high (the highest pedal assist level). This is a great feature because it allows you to customize your ride based on how much assistance you want from the motor.

Most other eBike have a fairly standard 5 different levels of pedal assist – some have up to 10 different levels. However, the truth is, you don’t need 5 or 10 levels of pedal assist, because you’ll only ever use a handful of them.

The Velotric eBike is also throttle on-demand, which means you can get power from the motor without pedaling if you want.

Able to handle offroad-ish

We were pleasantly surprised by how much fun it was to ride, even up some of the steepest hills and on some fairly off-road trails. Please don’t take this bike on a serious mountain-biking adventure, but it’s more than capable to handle paved and unpaved travels – but really excels in road driving.

I wouldn’t trust this in mountain biking at all, but the front suspension and disc brakes make it confident on the road trails near the city.

The front suspension fork is great for light offroad duties of this e-bike but isn’t designed to take the mountains on.

The Price

The Velotric eBike is also one of the most affordable electric bikes we’ve seen. It’s a great value for the money, and is one of the best-looking ebikes on the market. You can save even more using our Velotric Promo Code.

The Velotric eBike is a great choice for anyone looking for a good balance of price, performance, and looks. It’s a great commuter bike that can also handle some lightweight off-road riding and is one of the most affordable electric bikes we’ve seen. If you’re in the market for an ebike, the Velotric should definitely be on your radar.

Velotric Discover 1: What we didn’t love (but not deal killers)

We loved so much about the Velotric, that it’s hard to be nit-picky on the eBike.

The Brakes

Our brake test had no problems stopping the Velotric Discover 1 in relatively short order. However, we’ve been spoiled with hydraulic disc brakes recently. The Discover 1 comes with mechanical disc brakes that work pretty well, but it’s probably unrealistic to compare competitors bikes to this, when they cost about 50% more.

The LCD Display

Once again, I’m being a bit nit-picky here, but I didn’t care for the LCD Display.

I’ve seen other LCD Displays VERY similar to this one on other products reviewed. There wasn’t anything revolutionary here, but it did the job and was functional.

A New Brand

Another small thing, but Velotric is a relatively new brand.

Velotric is a new brand of eBike, but it’s already making waves in the industry. The company is led by Adam Zhang, who was a co-founder of hardware at Lime.

He’s assembled a team of top talent from some of the most iconic brands in the business, including Giant, Specialized and Decathlon. Velotric is quickly gaining a reputation for being one of the best eBike brands on the market. Thanks to its unique combination of style and substance, Velotric is quickly becoming the go-to choice for riders who want the best of both worlds.

It’s a minor concern that they will be around in 10 years, but honestly, an affordable eBike like this one should give you many years of enjoyment without any issues.

If you’re worried or have issues, you can actually call Velotric and talk to a real live human. That’s something that’s becoming increasingly rare these days.

Who is the Velotric Discover 1 designed for?

This is really easy. The Velotric Discover 1 is designed for people who wants a great looking, reliable and affordable commuter electric bike.

The Velotric Discover 1 is also a good choice for anyone who wants a lightweight ebike that can handle some off-road riding, but isn’t going to be taken on any serious mountain biking adventures.

Velotric eBike: Who is it NOT designed for?

The Velotric Discover 1 is not designed for people who are looking for a serious mountain bike. It’s a great commuter ebike and can handle some light off-roading, but that’s about it.

The Velotric Discover 1 is also not designed for people who want the absolute best in performance and/or features. It’s a great value for the money, but there are other ebikes out there that offer more bells and whistles – but they come at a significantly higher price tag.

How easy is the Velotric Discover 1 to assemble?

The Discover 1 is very easy to assemble.

It took about 30 minutes total and I had next-to-no issues assembling this eBike.

Every single one of the e bikes that I’ve put together (and we are not up to about 20 e bikes that I’ve assembled) has some small issue.

Shipping a bike across the country (and in some cases across the world) in a shipping box is tough.

One of the most difficult parts of assembling an eBike is the front wheel, aligning with the mechanical disc brakes, but this was really easy. I finished assembling the Velotric eBike in about 30 minutes and I’m not a professional bike mechanic.

If you can change assemble something from IKEA, you can assemble this eBike.

Velotric Discover 1: The Bottom Line

The Velotric Discover 1 is a great choice for anyone looking for a good balance of price, performance, and looks. It’s a great commuter bike that can also handle some lightweight off-road riding and is one of the most affordable electric bikes we’ve seen. If you’re in the market for an ebike, the Velotric should definitely be on your radar.

The Velotric Discover 1 is an excellent commuter electric bike that’s also great for light off-roading. It’s one of the most affordable ebikes on the market and is packed with features that are normally only found on more expensive bikes. If you’re in the market for an ebike, the Velotric should definitely be on your radar. 

Want to save even more on the Velotric Discover 1? The use our exclusive Velotric eBike Promo Code.