Despite their utility and close-quarters maneuverability, bikes similar to the CERO One didn’t catch on in the United States. It may be that there was never much of an effort to popularize their use or, more likely, the sprawl of American cities made their use impractical … until a motor was added. Moving at 11 mph isn’t a problem if the rider is only going a mile and parking at either end of that trip is difficult. But in the U.S., distances between destinations can be miles and parking at both ends can be plentiful, so riding somewhere at a relatively slow pace may not seem to offer many advantages beyond fresh air.
E-bikes, of course, changed the math on the use-case for a bike like the CERO One. At nearly $4000, this is a premium e-bike equipped with premium parts, and rather than rolling at the pace of a jog when loaded, the CERO One can zip around faster than a car in heavy traffic can. Justifying such a spend is much easier when the e-bike can serve as a reliable substitute for a car.
CERO has assembled a nice selection of accessories for the One. They offer a platform front rack for the e-bike, as well as two different baskets, a lock, panniers, security nuts for the seatpost and front wheel and a child seat. So many options to customize the CERO One makes buying one feel like it’s made to order.
The CERO One’s combination of a mid-drive motor, Gates belt and a Shimano 5-speed internally geared hub come together in a way to make this e-bike as reliable and ready-to-go as a car, and just as most cars need little more than gas in a year, the CERO One will need little more than an extension cord.
As much as we like the CERO One, this isn’t a perfect e-bike. The fact that it comes in just one size puts smaller riders at a real disadvantage. The reach from the saddle to the handlebar will be problematic for any rider with a short torso and/or arms. Considering the premium nature of this e-bike, two sizes doesn’t seem like a big ask.
We love that CERO offers the Yepp Maxi Child Seat on their website, rather than making the buyer find one elsewhere, and/or wonder if it will really fit. Yepp was purchased by Thule, so any concerns about just how good the child seat is should be satisfied by the stamp of Thule’s approval. Now, that said, CERO doesn’t offer an option for carrying a child once they outgrow the Yepp Maxi Child Seat. Having a child outgrow an e-bike’s utility will be frustrating, especially with other e-bikes offering more child-carrying solutions. It is conceivable that CERO could design a bench seat and handlebar for a kid too big to fit in a Yepp seat. We hope they add that to the mix.
We see increasing numbers of Millenials forego the purchase of a car in favor of transportation that isn’t nearly as expensive to finance or maintain. Not only does an e-bike like the CERO One not have a car payment, it doesn’t require insurance or $70 gas purchases. The question is, why should the Millenials have all the fun?
The look of the CERO One is intriguing and inspires questions wherever we take it. And unlike most other e-bikes, a simple stop at the store for a gallon of milk doesn’t cause a moment of consternation. The CERO One owner never has to ask, “Okay, how do I get this home?”
Whenever we review an e-bike, one of the first questions we ask ourselves is what that e-bike can do, how it is meant to fit in the owner’s life. The best e-bikes are the ones that answer questions as fast as they can be asked. With the CERO One, just one look answers many questions.
‘Happy Riding, make sure to let us know if you have any questions down in our comments section or if you think we left anything out in this review of the CERO One.
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