Liv Cycling Embolden E+ 2 eBike Review 2024

In-Depth Review

Frame

Electric bikes are traditionally heavier than your average non-motorized bicycle, since you have a motor, wires, and several other components that all need solid protection when you crash. Liv has constructed their bike frame using a custom ALUXX SL-Grade Aluminum alloy, which provides the strength of your typical 6011 aluminum frame while staying 20% thinner. As a result, the average Liv Cycling Embolden E+ 2 electric bike weighs just around 45 lbs, give or take a couple lbs depending on which size you go with. Since this is a more female oriented bicycle, the smaller overall frame weight is a great benefit that will ensure that female, shorter, and younger cyclists will all benefit from the Embolden E+ 2 electric bike.

The Liv Embolden E+ 2 electric bike is available in four different frame sizes, consisting of a XS, S, M, L, and size. The recommended heights for each frame size are as follows:

• Embolden E+ 2 XS: 5’ to 5’4’’
• Embolden E+ 2 S: 5’2’’ to 5’7’’
• Embolden E+ 2 M: 5’5’’ to 5’9’’
• Embolden E+ 2 L: 5’7 to 5’11’’

From our own personal analysis, we think that riders as short as 4’10’’ can also ride the XS, while riders who are as tall as 6’2’’ can ride the L thanks to the bike adjustability options. It’s great to see such a wide range of frame models, and even if you aren’t part of the recommended sizing chart you can still have fun riding a Liv Cycling Embolden E+ 2 electric bike!

Motor & Battery

The Liv Cycling Embolden E+ 2 is a class 1 eBike with pedal assist up to 20 MPH.

The Embolden E+ 2 eBike has a strong 70 Nm Giant SyncDrive Sport motor, designed in part with the assistance of Yamaha motor company. At 70 Nm, you have a powerful motor that will help you travel over city roads with ease, and will also give you a great push as you try to climb up steep roads or your typical mountain biking trail. The tradeoff is that, while a strong motor, it tends to burn through battery life quickly, so your optimal range is just about 55 miles. On a traditional full charge, you can only travel between 40 to 50 miles before you will lose motor assistance.

The battery is an integrated Giant EnergyPak Smart 500Wh battery, which has its own benefits and downsides. The directly integrated battery, which comes with a 6 Amp charger, can recharge from 0% to 100% in just 2 to 3 hours, and occasionally faster depending on your environment. With an integrated battery, you not only will have extended battery life, but your battery will be less likely to get damaged when you tumble or suffer a major crash. The big problem is that you typically have to leave the battery on the eBike itself for optimal charging, and you can’t easily remove it and just leave it on your desk like more removable batteries. So, when you need to recharge your eBike, you often have to do it in your garage or, if you’re cruising around town, find a place that will let you leave your eBike indoors if you can’t find a port outside.

Display/Assist Modes

The controller is located on the left handle, with the eBike featuring one of the smallest and easiest to use motor display/controller systems out there. The Giant RideControl Ergo One has just a couple of buttons to adjust your speed mode, with five LED lights that will display your overall battery life or speed mode. If you want greater motor control or to track your riding metrics, you can do it by downloading a smart phone application. The app is great, but since there’s no phone mount on the Embolden E+ 2 itself you have to either pull over to get your phone mount or add a phone mount as an add-on to your eBike.

As a Class 1 eBike, you will receive motor assistance up to 20 MPH. Depending on the speed mode you choose, you will either prioritize lower motor power for greater riding range, or greater motor power with a battery that drains quicker. There are five power options to choose from, which are as follows:

• Walk: 40%
• Eco: 80%
• Normal: 180%
• Sport: 300%
• Power: 350%

Once you hit 20 MPH, the motor will shut itself off automatically. While you may want to go faster with the motor, the motor is capped at 20 MPH so that you aren’t required to have a motor license to operate the Embolden E+ 2 electric bike. Fortunately, by pedalling manually you can easily exceed the 20 MPH limit, allowing you to keep up and probably outpace your traditional cycling friends. The regular pedaling continues to work even after the motor is dead or you turn it off manually, so you don’t have to worry about having a useless eBike even once you run out of juice.

Handling

• On Streets- The eBike has front and back suspension, both of which have been specifically designed for loose gravel. With the Embolden E+ 2, you can hit the occasional loose roadwork, cobblestone path, pothole, and other stretches of uneven road and feel steady on the Embolden E+ 2 thanks to the suspension shock absorption. It’s not the fastest eBike out there, but it does handle city streets with greater stability due to being a hybrid cross-country eBike rather than a dedicated city commuter.
• Turn Radius- the smaller XS and S frame eBikes, with their 27.5 tires, are going to have a tighter and easier time turning than the 29 tires and larger sized M and L Embolden E+ 2 frames. However, stability matters just as much as maneuverability, so we wouldn’t go with a smaller eBike just because it has a tighter turn radius. Check out the size chart from Liv cycling and try to stick to a frame that will fit you best in order to have the best balance of stability and maneuverability.
• Low Speed Handling- As a eBike built with younger and lighter cyclists in mind, the Embolden E+ 2 eBike is also designed to handle very well at lower speeds. You can walk it along the ground with ease, but if you want the easiest handling we recommend making use of the motor. Walk mode is specifically designed to help you push your eBike along while your feet are on the ground, while Eco mode is a good choice if you want to ride at a low speed without dismounting your bike.

Gears/DriveTrain

The drivetrain is a mostly Shimano based system, with a Shimano Deore 10-speed 11×46 cassette, supported by a KMC e.10 Sport eBike optimized chain connecting to the 36 T steel chainring. The shifting levers and rear derailleur are also Shimano Deore components, which is good to see as Shimano is one of the most popular manufacturers for eBike components. It’s a reliable drivetrain system, but we are kind of surprised that there aren’t any fenders included to protect the system out of the box despite the premium level price tag for the eBike. Since it’s a mid-drive system, the actual drivetrain will require little to no maintenance while you ride, and when the chain occasionally does drop or break it’s easier to remount compared to a hub-drive system. Our one warning is that you definitely don’t want to try to tackle a severe or extreme mountain biking trail, because while there is front and rear suspension if the mid-drive system does overheat or get critically damaged, you won’t be able to ride the Embolden E+ 2 off the mountain.

Brakes

Something we are rather impressed by are the Tektro M745 Orion hydraulic 4-piston 203 mm brakes included on the front and back of the eBike. 170mm to 180mm brakes are typical for commuter or hybrid style eBikes at this price range, so to go with 203mm hydraulic brakes is especially impressive. With the Tektro braking system, you will come to a quick, steady, and smooth stop as you pull the matching M745 Orion levers, especially due to their integration with the motor system. The moment you apply the brakes, the motor system itself will be cut off, helping you come to a quicker stop without having the motor and brakes compete against each other. Thanks to the integrated setup, your motor and brakes will both last longer as well, ensuring that you can continue to enjoy the Embolden E+ 2 eBike without having to constantly swap out parts.

Suspension

Another component setup that we enjoy seeing is that the Embolen E+ 2 has front and rear suspension. The front suspension consists of a SR Suntour XCR34 Air LO-R suspension fork, with 130 mm of travel, while the rear suspension is a 120 mm of travel Flexpoint system. For shock absorption comes from the RockShox Monarch R 184/44 design, ensuring that you can comfortably ride the Embolden E+ 2 on both light and moderate mountain biking trails. This is a true hybrid bike, designed for city and trail riding alike, with the suspension system improving how stable and steady you feel when you hit the occasional beaten up or broken concrete road.

Pedals

While this eBike is designed with smaller riders in mind, the Liv Cycling Embolden E+ 2 electric bike does come with great oversized platform aluminum pedals. Not only are they real easy to install, but aluminum pedals will survive the typical crash or accident much better than your average plastic pedal will. You can comfortably ride on the pedals with traditional riding shoes and your average athletic shoe, especially if you make sure that your pedal is nice and tight when you install it. If you already have premium pedals from another bike though, it’s easy enough to install them on the Embolden E+ 2 as well.

Grips and Saddle

Starting off with the grips, they are made out of an ergonomic textured rubber design so that you can maintain a good hold for extended riding even without any special riding gloves. The grips lock onto the handlebars, so you don’t have to worry about cutting them off like with rubber grips just to replace them either. As for the saddle, it is a Liv Sport Custom saddle that should be more than enough for the typical rider that wants to ride on the Embolden E+ 2 electric bike. The saddle and Giant Contact steam are both adjustable and replaceable, so swap them out for something you know will work if you don’t feel as comfortable when you’re getting used to this electric bike.

Wheels and Tires

The last major component on the Embolden E+ 2 electric bike, we also appreciate how Liv Cycling offers two different tire sizes depending on which model frame you go with. The Model XS and S both have 27.5 by 2.4 tires, while the Model M and L have 29 by 2.4 tires. Each tire size is a Maxxis Rekon foldable and tubeless ready tire, mounted on the Giant XCT 29 aluminum alloy rim. A quick release system has been included, which is great if you need to quickly swap out a flat or just want to make your frame even more compact if you are storing it in your car. The tires work great while traveling over smooth pavement, cobblestone, and mountain dirt alike, especially when you take advantage of the great mid-drive motor system.

Accessories/Upgrades

The Liv Cycling Embolden E+ 2 is built from the ground up to be ready made for a number of accessories and add-ons, although we wish a couple were included with the base model. There is no headlight or tail light on the Embolden E+ 2electric bike, and with minimal reflective taping you’re left with an eBike with minimal safety additions. Our first recommendation when it comes to upgrades is adding a light or two, or buying some reflective clothing for yourself, as having a very visible rider profile greatly reduces the risk of collision during the day and at night.
With that in mind, here are a few other accessories, upgrades, and add-ons that we would recommend for the Liv Cycling Embolden E+ 2 electric bike:

• Recon HL1800/TL200 Safety Lights
• H2PRO Frame Bags (Saddle, Handlebar, Trunk, etc.)
• Shadow DX Frame Bags (Saddle, Handlebar, Trunk, etc.)
• Giant Heart Rate Sensor
• Surelock Force 1/Protector Chain Lock
• Airway Lite Water Bottle Cage
• Rack-It Metro E Rack

Recommendation

The Liv Cycling Embolden E+ 2 electric bike is a great hybrid bike option, an eBike that you can have just as much fun riding to work or to your favorite restaurant as you will riding on a mountain biking trail. The custom ALUXX SL aluminum frame ensures that despite being a true electric bike, it isn’t as heavy as many of the competitors on the market, making it easier for lighter riders to handle overall. The front SR Suntour 130mm suspension fork and rear 120mm flexpoint suspension work together to absorb much of the shock you’ll experience from day to day riding, especially with the high quality Maxxis Rekon tubeless tires. Since it is an eBike, you’ll be delighted by Giant SyncDrive Sport 70 Nm motor and Giant EnergyPAk Smart 500 Wh battery, even if the Giant RideControl Ergo controller is on the simple side of things. The handlebar, grips, saddle, and pedal are all above average and provide a steady, comfortable feel while riding, though we do wish additional lighting options were included out of the box. As it is though, the Liv Cycling Embolden E+ 2 electric bike is a fantastic option that all types of cyclists will want to consider, especially those who like to vary their overall riding activity.

Would you like to see us do a full review and test of theLiv Embolden E+ 2? Let us know in the comments below!