Momentum Vida E+ electric bike review: stable and high-quality ride

The bike also has a front fork that has 80mm of suspension travel, so accidentally piloting all 60 pounds of it into a ditch won’t leave you upside down. It’s fully loaded, with built-in lights, bumpers and kickstand. Finally, the Vida E+ is UL certified, so it won’t catch fire while charging in your garage. The RideControl app lets you check your bike’s electronic systems for problems, lock your bike, and if you have a bike rack, use it for rudimentary navigation.

Quality components

Riding the Vida E+ is like riding a couch, but in a good way. This is a bike that will do everything for you, without you having to put much thought into it (unless you’re trying to maneuver between two cars in your driveway). The stepped frame makes it easy to get in and out. The seating geometry and ergonomic handlebar are incredibly comfortable; I can ride with one hand, pedal slowly at 9 mph while my kids bike home from school, chattering about anything.

Photo: Adrian So

Since this is a bike made by Giant, the components are very nice and at a reasonable price. I can easily read the screen in high glare natural sunlight. The fork is made by Centaur. Although I certainly wouldn’t take this bike out on the trails, I hit several potholes, both intentionally and unintentionally, without knocking myself out. The brakes are high-performance Tektro four-piston hydraulic disc brakes, which is also a little unusual at the price point. You don’t have to worry about being able to stop quickly on hills or with a heavy load.

Shimano shifters work well with the SyncDrive for climbing steep hills. I found the buttons not very easy to press, and I also tended to confuse the light and power buttons on the top, which my kids find annoying when they take them off and I still struggle to move a 60-pound bike without help.