The EBCO M45 is a good-looking city bike with good quality TranzX motor system, and it’s a decent all-rounder. It’s probably not the best performer at this kind of money, and you’re not far off being able to afford a more powerful mid-motor bike, but if your budget won’t quite stretch that far it’s a capable and stylish machine, especially if you live somewhere that’s not all hills.

The M45 is built around a unisex low-step aluminium frame and fork, finished in very smart metallic orange. The bike uses a rack-mounted rear battery, set between two aluminium struts that are part of the frame. It’s a neat-looking way of mounting the battery, with a contemporary look, but it’s not without its issues: if you want to fit standard pannier bags you’ll need to get an adaptor plate for the rack. I didn’t have one – they don’t seem to be available as yet – so I can’t comment on how effective it is. The battery/rack has a sprung clip on the top for holding on to small loads. It’s not the best: it has a fairly weak spring and tends to rattle a bit over rough surfaces.

The rear light is integrated into the battery unit, and a front light is wired in too. The front light is good for being seen around town, but it’s a bit weak for venturing out of lit spaces after dark. The lights are turned on and off from the TranzX bar-mounted control, which also gives you access the bike’s four assistance modes and gives you an indication of the battery state thanks to a multicolour LED. There’s a 2-digit LED speed readout too. The remote is pretty easy to use, with the buttons just about big enough to operate in gloves. The system has a USB port so that your dealer can easily run a diagnostic check of the system to make sure everything’s working okay.

The motor is housed in the front wheel. It’s a TranzX F15 unit, which is rated from 14-45Nm. It’s a motor which I’ve tried on a number of bikes, and it’s a pretty effective mid-range hub motor that’s good for most terrain. On the M45 it’s mated with a Shimano Nexus 7-speed hub gear which gives a good range of gears for the flats and the climbs. With a maximum torque rating of 45Nm you might expect it to be equal in terms of assistance to something like a Bosch Active Line mid motor. In reality it’s not as powerful as that: on my benchmark climb (1.5km at 5%, with a 12% section) it was generally okay but started to struggle on the steepest section, requiring a reasonable amount of leg input to keep things moving. Below about 8% gradient it’s very capable, so if you live somewhere flatter and want to cruise around then the system will work very well for you.

The rest of the equipment on the bike is good. You get a full chaincase to keep your trousers free of grime, full mudguards to keep you dry when the road surface isn’t, and a kickstand for parking. The Promax V-brakes do a good enough job of hauling you to a standstill, although there’s a reasonable choice of hydraulic-disc-equipped bikes for this kind of money, and discs are certainly better for all-weather use.

The riding position of the bike is fairly upright, so you get a good view of what’s going on around you. There are two frame sizes, and plenty of adjustment for height at both the seatpost and the stem, so it’s pretty easy to get the bike set up how you like it. The big, swept handlebars offer a comfortable position for your hands and the saddle is pretty decent, especially for commuting type distances. It’s a pleasant enough bike to ride, without any obvious foibles. There’s no suspension fork, which makes the ride at the front firmer but also improves the handling and the steering of the bike. The 40mm Kenda tyres have an iron cap puncture belt and reflective side walls, so they’re hardy and visible at night. They roll well considering they’re a pretty tough compound.

The M45 has a 400Wh battery, and the range is enough for most people’s riding needs. Unless you’re planning some bigger rides, there should be plenty of juice to not worry too much day to day. I was getting three commutes out of the M45 before I felt the need to plug it in; that’s less than 30km, but up and down some sizeable hills. On the flat you can easily scoot between Bristol and Bath and back again, a round trip of around 50km, on a single charge. It’s unlikely you’d want to ride the bike much further than that: the position isn’t really designed for long hours in the saddle.

Overall the M45 is a decent bike, with clean lines and a competent motor system. If you’re looking for something for everyday use that’s fairly low maintenance, then the fact that it has a fully enclosed chain and a hub gear will appeal. It’s a nice-looking bike, too. In terms of value, £1,400 is a fair whack for a bike with this motor system, considering the spec. If you can root around down the back of the sofa for another £200 then you’re moving into the sort of territory where you can get yourself a bike with a Bosch mid motor, that’s considerably more powerful than the TranzX hub motor used here. My pick at the M45’s price point is probably still the Carrera Crossfire E. It’s not as pretty as the M45 you don’t get a hub gear or mudguards, but the motor system is more powerful and it gets hydraulic disc brakes. That’s not to say I couldn’t be happy on the EBCO: if I was looking for something stylish and low maintenance for reasonably flat city riding then it would fit the bill nicely.

www.ebco-ebikes.co.uk