R5 PRO

I just recently purchased this Burchda Pro 5 E-Bike. Keep in mind, i have not ridden a bicycle in 10-plus years. This past weekend, I took the e-bike onto part of the Swamp Rabbit Trail in Greenville, Sc.

I started out not using the power or pedal assist. The longer I went, the more I ended up using pedal assist 2 at 2nd gear. Which was enough for going up the hills and taking the load off the knees. It was easy to switch between the various power functions as well as the various gears of the bike.

At one point, I went up to power level 5 in 7th gear and I was cruising at 24 mph with an easy pedal. Then on raw power, I got up to 27mph.

But since I actually wanted to work out, I mostly alternated between no power and pedal assist 2 between gear 1, 2, and 3. By the time I was done, I ended up going 11.72 miles. Not bad for a first bicycle ride in over 10 years!

Keep in mind, the bicycle is 75 lbs. heavy. So getting started was a bit of a strain without power. But once I got going, I was pedaling on my own without power on the flat surfaces and on some of the shallow hills.

The E-bike that I purchased is a folding one. Just to see if I could, I put it in the back seat area of my Crew Cab truck. It’s a bit awkward to put a 75 lbs. bike in there, but it is doable.

I only fell once as a bunch of teens and kids were blocking the trail and I tried to veer around them, and a kid got in my way and I swerved off the trail and fell. I did not get hurt. But I did lay the bicycle down then. Just a few dirt scuff marks were on the bike that were easily wiped off.

I still had plenty of power on the battery. The manufacturer says it could go 20 miles on battery power alone. Since I mostly used either no power or the low tier pedal assist so the battery indicator never showed a loss of power in the nearly 12 mile ride.

The only two 'negatives' that I have are as follows:

First, is that I am 5' 6" tall with a 30 inch inseam and the website says that the regular size will fit me. It does... barely. I have to lean the bike to get started or to be at a complete stop with one foot on the ground. To straddle the bike with both feet on the ground, I have to get off the seat and have it poking me at the top of the but-crack and my crotch is... not comfortable on the main beam of the bike. (Personal note: I may need to wear a cup when I ride this bike.)

Second, the bike was very well protected in the shipping. However, the assembly instructions were severely lacking. I mean, a fuzzy black and white photo and the instructions are "Assemble as shown" does not make a good step-by-step instruction. Luckily, there are YouTube videos out there that tells you how to assemble the bike out of the box. I highly recommend that you watch the videos! They will save you a lot of headaches and frustrations!

Oh, the mirror and bike chain and phone holder that comes with it, are a joke. There is no place to mount the bike chain holder on this bike. The handlebars are a bit too thick for the phone holder, and the holder itself was too small for my iPhone.

So far, overall, I’m pretty happy with it.

Good bike for the price

The Burchda Pro 5 is a fun bike, not to mention it’s a great deal. The only draw back is the mirrors and the bag. The mirrors doesn’t seem to work well with my riding position and the bag doesn’t fit my needs. I’d rather have the rear basket. But overall it’s fun bike.

We purchased the R5 Pro and are impressed with the quality. It arrived on time and was packed well. The bike was easy to assemble. We find the torque good and very comfortable to ride.

This bike was easy to ride and has great acceleration. It’s a very comfortable ride and feels solid. I found it very easy to assemble and the features of the bike controls are great.