Snapcycle R1 Pro

The Snapcycle R1 Pro is a big, heavy e-bike that looks similar to many other models from China. This review will distinguish this model from these lookalikes and help you decide where to put your money.

In the review, we cover the R1 Pro’s specifications, provide performance figures from our standardized tests, and list the pros and cons. We’ll conclude with overall impressions of the bike and its value.

Who Are Snapcycle?

Snapcycle is one of countless Chinese e-bike brands that sprang up in the last decade or so. It sells a range of folding and traditional e-bikes for commuting, cargo, and recreation.

Unlike major cycling companies, these smaller brands lack heritage, market size, and geographical footprint. Snapcycle’s address appears to be a virtual mailbox, and its service center is an e-bike store that also retails several other brands. The lack of an established North American headquarters means there may be questions about long-term support for servicing, spare parts, and warranty claims.

What Is the Snapcycle R1 Pro?

The R1 Pro is the recently released upgrade to Snapcycle’s R1 fat-tire e-bike. It’s available as a step-over or step-through, and this review covers the step-through.

The R1 Pro is an adventure-style fat bike with an aluminum frame and a suspension fork. A 960Wh battery powers a 750W hub motor, and a torque sensor manages pedal assist. 

The R1 Pro comes with fenders, a rear rack, and nicely integrated front and rear lights—all standard accessories for this category. However, it has a few noteworthy extras.

The headlight has switchable high and low beams, and the taillight has brake activation and turn signals. Both features should improve safety on the road. Our test bike came with a front rack, but this costs extra.

The headlight is neatly integrated into the handlebars. Similarly, the display is embedded in the stem portion of the one-piece cockpit. The cables are tidy, and they disappear into the frame behind the head tube.

This integration makes the bike look neat but adds work when servicing or replacing these components.

The R1 Pro ships configured for Class 2 operation (20mph speed limit). The throttle can be removed for Class 1, but with the max speed unlocked, the throttle reaches 28mph, which is illegal on public roads and trails. 

Snapcycle has a smartphone app that’s supposed to connect to the bike over Bluetooth, but we encountered problems with this, which we outline below.

From our initial assessment of the specifications, the Snapcycle R1 Pro is a reasonably powerful cruiser or recreational bike that can be used on light off-road trails. But how does that pan out in testing?

Pros

Motor and Torque Sensor

Thanks to the R1 Pro’s nicely tuned torque sensor, the powerful 750W motor provides a good balance of intuitive assistance at low speeds and the ability to hit high speeds. Maintaining 20mph using the highest pedal assist level can be done without exerting too much effort at the pedals. Unlocked, the bike easily reaches 28mph.

Both throttle power and pedal assistance are responsive, which is especially helpful on hills. The R1 Pro achieved solid results in our hill tests, and range is good despite the high power output.

Range

In testing, the 20Ah battery lasted almost 40 miles in Class 2 mode on PAS 5, the highest pedal assist level. Dropping down to PAS 3, the range topped 45 miles at an average of 15.5mph.

Some credit for the good range must go to the torque sensor, which manages motor power well, conserving battery by never giving more power than needed. Battery voltage also tapers off smoothly, so there’s no sudden drop in performance.

Cons

No UL Certification

Although the charger that comes with the R1 Pro is UL-certified, neither the battery nor any other part of the bike’s electrical system is UL-rated. These days, that’s a big miss.

We asked Snapcycle if the R1 Pro was in the process of getting UL-certified, but the company hasn’t responded yet.

Poor Off-Road Performance

Like many similar e-bikes, the R1 Pro has a low-cost coil suspension fork. Snapcycle says the step-over has 175mm of travel, and the step-through has 135mm, but it actually measures 125mm.

Whatever the travel, the fork very easily blows through it. With my 180lb aboard, it frequently bottomed out over bumps–hardly the all-terrain vehicle touted by Snapcycle.

This is a hardtail, so it’s down to the wheels and fat tires to absorb shocks and maintain traction. In rough terrain, the tires had to be aired down a lot to improve the ride quality, but those low pressures increase the risk of rim damage and pinch flats.

The tires and rims aren’t tubeless-ready, but the Kenda Krusade tires come with Kenda’s K-Shield tire liner to prevent punctures. This stops intrusion by sharp objects but won’t protect against pinch flats or dinged rims.

The bike’s size and weight hinder maneuverability on light trails and singletrack. In this regard, the R1 Pro is no different from most electric fat bikes, but this is still worth noting if you’re wondering how the R1 Pro compares to a lighter, more compact e-bike with narrower tires.

Another issue when riding this bike off-road is the noise from chain slap and rattling fenders. 

Sizing Confusion

Snapcycle’s website states the R1 Pro’s height range as 5’6″ to 6’7″, but the user manual says 5’3″ to 6’4″. Not only is this confusing, but such wide height ranges are also unrealistic.

At 6′ tall, the bike fits me with the saddle about five inches up from the minimum. I typically ride a large or extra-large frame. My 5’3″ tall wife couldn’t ride this bike; it’s just too big.

Noisy Brakes

In addition to the chain slap and noisy fenders, the rear brake squeals, and the front brake isn’t much better.

Our test bike has inexpensive Logan hydraulic disc brakes with two-piston calipers and 180mm rotors. Confusingly, Snapcycle’s website lists ZONGLUN brakes with 160mm rotors. We asked the company about this disparity, but the response was unclear and appeared to indicate that some R1 Pros come with the ZONGLUN brakes and smaller rotors rather than the Logan brakes and 180mm rotors we tested.

While braking performance was fine throughout testing, we feel a bike that weighs over 80lb with an unlocked top speed of 28mph deserves stronger brakes. 

What Does It Do Best?

The Snapcycle R1 Pro has a 750W motor that peaks at 1200W and 85Nm of torque. The beefy 960Wh battery and well-tuned torque sensor deliver good range.

There’s plenty of room for cargo, especially with the optional front rack. The bike complies with Class 2 e-bike rules, the throttle can be removed, and the bike can be unlocked to 28mph (Class 3).

Despite the noise, the tested braking distances are on par with similar bikes. Finally, the R1 Pro comes with fenders, a rear rack, and integrated lights with brake activation and turn signals.

Reasons to Look Elsewhere?

The R1 Pro is a big, heavy bike. With the front rack installed, it weighs 82.4lb; without it, it’s just under 80lb. This isn’t unusual for this category, but it’s worth consideration, especially by smaller riders.

The R1 Pro’s weight makes transportation a challenge. This is worsened by its 72″ length; most bike racks won’t be able to carry it.

The inconsistent and unrealistic height ranges and the lack of UL certification add further frustration.

On the road, the bike can do 28mph when unlocked, but the limited gearing range leads to ghost pedaling above 20mph, so you’re really stuck with using the throttle, which drains the battery faster.

Finally, there’s the lack of off-road performance. The R1 Pro can be taken off-road, but the suspension and ride quality aren’t up to the demands of anything more than light trails and grass. And there’s all that noise.

Specs

Electric Bike Class: 1, 2, or 3
Warranty: 2-year limited warranty | 1-year battery
UL Certification Not certified
IP Rating IP54
Total Weight: Claimed: 80.7lb – As Reviewed: 82.4lb (includes front rack)
Motor Brand: Unbranded
Motor Type: Rear hub
Motor Nominal Output: 48V 750W
Max Torque: 85Nm
Controller: 48V 25A
Sensor: Torque
Battery: 48V 20Ah (960Wh)
Range Claimed: 30-60mi
Range Tested (PAS 5): 38.97mi – 1,152 ft – 15.4mph avg.
Range Tested (PAS 3): 45.21mi – 1,496 ft – 15.5mph avg
Top Speed: 28mph
Throttle: Thumb-style
Pedal Assist: 5 levels
Charger: 54.6V 3A
Charge Time: 7 hours
Display: Integrated LCD
Frame: Aluminum 6061
Fork: GTMRK coil suspension, 125mm travel
Brake Levers: Logan hydraulic
Brake Calipers: Logan 2-piston
Brake Rotors: 180mm
Chain: KMC
Crankset: 48t, 170mm, double-sided plastic guard
Derailleur: Shimano Tourney 7-speed
Shifter: Shimano TX-50 7-speed
Cassette: Shimano 7-speed, 14-28t
Rims: 26″ aluminum
Tires: Kenda Krusade 26” x 4” | Included K-Shield puncture protection
Fenders: Included, plastic
Lights: Headlight with high/low beam, taillight with brake activation and turn signals
Grips: Ergonomic rubber lock-on
Saddle: Justek
Pedals: Aluminum platform
Handlebar: Aluminum, 680mm, integrated display and light
Kickstand: Single-sided
Max. Total Capacity: 275lb

Frame and Geometry

The aluminum alloy step-through frame feels solidly built, with no noticeable flex. Thanks to that rigidity, there’s none of the disconcerting shimmy I’ve experienced when riding some step-through e-bikes.

There was one problem after the initial assembly that buyers should watch out for. Part of the headset bearing assembly ended up misaligned, resulting in the bike always pulling to one side. I’m not sure how it happened, but since I found and fixed the, the R1 Pro handles like any other fat-tire e-bike. 

The frame has mounting points for fenders and racks but no bosses for bottle cages or other accessories. Finally, the R1 Pro has a below-average payload capacity of 275lb. Snapcycle changed this to 330lb on the website while we were reviewing the bike.

As discussed, there’s no clear rider height range, and Snapcycle doesn’t publish geometry figures, so we measured the R1 Pro.

Measurements:

Seat Tube: 18 “(457mm)
Reach: 16.5″ (419mm)
Stack: 27.5” (698 mm)
Standover Height: 18″ (457mm)
Virtual Top Tube Length: 21″ (533mm)
Saddle Height Min 33.5″ (851mm)
Saddle Height Max 39″ (991mm)
Wheelbase: 50″ (1270mm)
Recommended Rider Height: N/A

Display and Control

The color display is small and simple. The readout shows speed, pedal assist level, and battery level. There’s a trip meter but no odometer to show total distance traveled. A ride timer is also missing.

There’s no option to monitor battery voltage, and during testing, the five-bar battery meter fluctuated up and down by one bar, depending on how hard the motor was working.

Battery range dropped consistently, making it easy to estimate remaining range. When the battery level was on the third bar, the range was 50%. At two bars remaining, the readout turned yellow, and at one bar, it turned red. 

The 12 advanced menu options can be accessed by pushing the up and down buttons together. A notable omission is the lack of a USB port to charge a phone.

The simple e-bike controls are on the left side of the handlebar, next to the mechanical bell. There’s a three-button control pad for the bike and a pair of buttons for the turn signals. These units are separate and can be rotated to suit personal preferences. Clicking the power button toggles between high and low beams if the headlight is on.

The turn signals must be turned on and off manually. There is no auto-cancel, timer, turn signal icon on the display, or audible warning if you forget to cancel the signal. 

App

The first time using the app, I couldn’t get it to pair with the bike. The process outlined in the manual didn’t work because the auto-pairing function couldn’t find the bike.

I contacted Snapcycle, who provided a reset procedure, but this should be included in the manual. After I reset the bike, the pairing worked without any problems.

Snapcycle uses the generic Smart Life app by Tuyo, which is available for both Android and iPhone.

A generic app deprives Snapcycle of the opportunity to provide bespoke features. Overall, the Smart Life app’s functionality is underwhelming, with only basic options and no ride tracking. The only real use for this app is for managing a handful of options, Bluetooth keyless locking, and maybe troubleshooting.

Given this bike’s price and lack of a USB power port and phone mount, the underwhelming generic app and basic display are disappointing. 

Motor

I found the torque sensor responsive and well-tuned. Power kicks in with little delay, providing smooth assistance at low speeds, and assistance climbs nicely in line with pedaling effort. Motor noise is on par with other bikes at this price point.

The responsive torque sensor means the bike pulls away quickly from a standstill, but it’s so sensitive that you can’t just sit there with your foot resting on the pedal; you have to hold the brakes to stop the bike from pulling away. I really wish Snapcycle included a way to fine-tune this sensitivity.

This R1 Pro’s acceleration is good but slightly slower than competing models. It reached 20mph from a standstill in nine seconds using pedal assist and 11 seconds using the throttle.

PAS 5 provides plenty of assistance and makes it easy to maintain high speeds without breaking a sweat. Climbing hills is also made easy by the motor’s 85Nm of torque.

The R1 Pro’s climbing performance is also solid. The small hill test tends to reward bikes with less torque and higher top speeds and represents the kinds of hills the average rider is likely to encounter. The medium hill has a 12-degree incline, which is close to the steepest most e-bike riders will face.

The R1 Pro climbed the medium hill in 2 minutes and 26 seconds, averaging 16.6mph. It tackled the small hill in 3 minutes and 3 seconds, averaging 18.8mph. Overall, the R1 Pro’s hill climbing and acceleration are similar to competing bikes.

Battery and Charger

This bike has a 48V 20Ah (960Wh) battery that complements the 750W motor. Again, none of the electronics are UL-certified. Not only is this sub-par in 2024, but it means this bike can’t be sold in places with e-bike restrictions, like New York City.

In the max pedal assist range test, the R1 Pro covered 39 miles and 1,152 feet of elevation gain. With assist turned down to level 3 (our real-world test), the R1 Pro covered 45.2 miles with 1,496 feet of elevation. Both tests were done at an average speed of around 15.5mph.

The charger puts out 3 amps and provides a full charge in around seven hours, according to Snapcycle. The battery can be removed and charged off the bike, and a key-operated lock secures it in the frame.

Drivetrain

The R1 Pro’s drivetrain is a typical collection of budget components. There’s the ubiquitous Shimano Tourney 7-speed derailleur, paired with a corresponding Tourney TX50 on the right handlebar.

At the rear, gearing is provided by a 14-28t cassette, and the pedals are attached to 170mm cranks driving a 48t chainring. A double-sided guard protects the chainring from foreign objects and clothes from the chain.

The gearing is fine for speeds up to 20mph, but ghost pedaling becomes a problem above that. As noted before, there’s a lot of chain slap when riding over bumpy terrain.

Brakes

The R1 Pro I received from Snapcycle has generic Logan hydraulic brakes with 180mm rotors. Confusingly, the Snapcycle website says the bike comes with ZONGLUN brakes and 160mm rotors. When asked about this, Snapcycle seemed to say that most R1 Pros now come with the Logan brakes and bigger rotors, but there’s a risk that buyers could end up with the ZONGLUN brakes and 160mm rotors. The Logan brake levers have adjustable reach.

In testing, the Logan brakes performed well, coming to a complete stop from 20mph in 18.5 feet, which is almost as good as the best results from the bikes we’ve tested, which are under 18 feet.

Wheels, Tires, Fenders 

The Snapcycle R1 Pro has 26″ aluminum rims and 4″ Kenda Krusade tires. These are good-quality tires that come with 3mm puncture-protection liners. Snapcycle also provides full-coverage fenders.

As highlighted earlier, the tires aren’t tubeless-ready, so airing them down in search of improved traction and ride comfort off-road could result in punctures and rim damage. On-road performance is fine, but the aggressive tread is noisy and doesn’t roll as easily as a tread pattern designed for the road.

Like other fat bikes with chunky 4″ tires, the R1 Pro has a large turning radius, and handling is sluggish compared to shorter bikes with narrower tires.

Accessories

The R1 Pro comes with a reasonable set of accessories, but it doesn’t have mounts for a bottle cage.

The fenders are useful on the road but make too much noise off-road, and the rear rack provides good carrying capacity. The headtube has mounting points for the optional front rack included with our test bike.

The R1 Pro has integrated lights. The headlight has switchable high and low beams, and the frame-integrated rear lights function as turn signals and brake lights, meaning they light up when you pull the brake levers.

The bike has a heavy-duty single-sided kickstand. This operated fine throughout testing. Snapcycle offers extra batteries, frame and saddle bags, and some replacement parts.

Touchpoints

The included lock-on grips are ergonomic and made from rubber. They were comfortable, offered good grip, and didn’t move on the bars. The saddle is padded and wide. I found it to be comfortable throughout testing. Finally, the aluminum platform pedals are typical for this kind of bike. They have small alloy pins for grip.

Conclusion

The Snapcycle R1 Pro is another big fat-tire e-bike. The torquey motor copes well with hills, and the well-tuned torque sensor combines with the motor’s 750W to provide smooth, responsive pedaling at low speeds and plenty of power for higher speeds.

Thanks in part to the torque sensor, the large 20Ah battery returned 39 to 45 miles of range with plenty of elevation gain while maintaining good average speeds of 15.5mph.

The bike’s bulk and weight make it a handful on twisty off-road sections, where it also suffers due to the low-quality suspension fork.

It’s a good-looking bike, but it won’t suit shorter riders, the brakes, fenders, and chain slap make it noisy, and the companion app is useless. 

Overall, the R1 Pro isn’t a bad e-bike, but it’s not up to the demands of the complex terrain that Snapcycle says it will handle. It does a decent job as a commuter or recreation bike that can just about handle modest off-road excursions. However, the limited suspension, noisy drivetrain, lack of clear specifications, and difficulty getting a response from Snapcycle reduce its appeal.

For comparison, check out the <a href=”/himiway-d5-zebra/”>Himiway D5 (Zebra)</a> and <a href=”/fiido-titan/”>Fiido Titan</a> e-bikes we’ve tested.

Score Breakdown

Build quality: 75
Performance / Innovation: 80
Design: 70
Ride quality: 80
Price / Value: 80

Overall: 77

If you’re considering an e-bike, the Snapcycle provides excellent value for its price…

Overall, this Snapcycle R1 Pro E-Bike is an all-around great performer. The ride is smooth and the brakes work well…