Blix Ultra Review, 2024

Intro

Blix Electric Bikes has introduced a new all-terrain e-bike, the Ultra. E-bikes present a special kind of freedom to explore and all-terrain e-bikes expand a rider’s ability to explore in a way that most other e-bikes can’t match.

The Blix Ultra is a fat-tire e-bike with a suspension fork, an easy pedaling position and confident handling. With its wide gear range and a powerful 750W brushless, geared hub motor, the Blix Ultra is designed for tackling unpaved roads and even trails.

In our Blix Ultra review we will look at the e-bike’s suitability for off-road riding, whether the motor offers enough power to explore wild places and how the Ultra’s two-battery option increases its range.

It’s not often that we find an option for an e-bike to be one of its more interesting features, but in the case of the Blix Ultra, its range with two batteries is one of its most compelling selling points. Of course, the Blix Ultra’s long range is interesting because the rest of this e-bike is so well-considered. Let’s dig into what makes this an all-terrain e-bike worth looking at.

E-Bike Category: All-terrain

Who the Blix Ultra Electric Bike Is for: Riders who want to explore roads and trails unpaved

Blix Ultra E-Bike Specs

• Battery: 48V, 672Wh
• Expected Range:
• Charger: 48V, 2A
• Motor: 750W brushless, geared hub motor
• Pedal Assist: 5 PAS levels
• Throttle: Thumb button
• Display: LCD
• Headlight: 80 Lux
• Taillight: N/A
• Frame: 6061 Aluminum
• Fork: 80mm travel Zoom suspension fork
• Fenders: N/A
• Kickstand: heavy duty
• Handlebars: 680mm, alloy
• Grips: TPR, ergonomic
• Drivetrain: 8-speed Microshift
• Brakes: Zoom hydraulic disc with 180mm rotors
• Pedals: Alloy, with reflectors
• Saddle: Comfort padded
• Tires: Chaoyang 26 x 4 in.

In-Depth Blix Ultra Review

Blix Ultra Review: Comfort, Handling, and Ride Qualities

Compared to commuters, cruisers and most other e-bikes, all-terrain e-bikes provide a noticeably more comfortable ride. The combination of big tires for traction and to cushion the ride, wide bar for handling and suspension fork for control give the Ultra the ability to go places that most e-bikes aren’t meant to visit.

Comfort is a relative quality when riding off-road, obviously. Surfaces can be very bumpy, as well as slick or loose. As a result, the first job of an all-terrain e-bike is to give the rider control, no matter what the surface is. The suspension fork helps to keep the front wheel on the ground while the fat, knobby tires provide traction when other tires would slide. Riding off-road on an all-terrain e-bike will never be as comfortable as riding a commuter on a paved road.

The Blix Ultra is offered in a single frame size. The frame is big, rangy. It positions the saddle farther behind the pedals than other all-terrain e-bikes, making the pedaling feel more like what people experience with a cruiser. That increases the reach to the handlebar, which is quite long. In terms of comfort, riders shorter than 5 feet 10 inches may find the reach uncomfortable on longer rides. Also, the standover height is 29 in., which demands fairly long legs.

As we mentioned, this is a rangy frame; it’s long. This is an e-bike that will offer stability and a confident feel on fast downhills, but won’t be especially maneuverable on tight and winding trails. But for cruising dirt roads, this will be a very fun ride that will track easily as the rider takes in their surroundings.

Blix Ultra Review: Motor, Battery, and Drivetrain Performance

The Blix Ultra is built with a powerful 750W brushless, geared hub motor that produces 90Nm of torque. It’s a powerful motor, full stop. So why such a powerful motor? Off-road riding asks more of an e-bike. The softer surfaces cut down on an e-bike’s efficiency and dirt roads and trails can often feature much steeper grades than typically found with paved roads. As a result, suitable motors will feature both lots of power (and 750W is the most powerful motor allowable in a Class 1, 2 or 3 e-bike) and gobs of torque.

Torque is important because that’s what helps most on hills. More torque is akin to having a lower gear.

The Blix Ultra comes with an option to purchase the e-bike with two batteries, both 672Wh. With two batteries, Blix estimates that riders can cover as much as 80 mi. on a single 1334Wh charge. Range estimates are notoriously wonky because they are influenced by the rider’s weight (and anything else they might be carrying), the terrain (hilly terrain cuts down on range) and surface (softer surfaces make the motor work harder, drawing more energy. Our point here isn’t to cast doubt on that 80-mi. estimate. Rather, it is to note that while it may be hard to predict just how much range the Blix Ultra may achieve, the two-battery option is terrific for riders who want to explore deep in the backcountry.

We see lots of all-terrain e-bikes that comes with 7-speed drivetrains. Typically, the gearing on those e-bikes lack the high end for going Class 3 speeds and the low end for climbing steep hills and with an all-terrain e-bike, we like to see low gears for sure. The Blix Ultra is equipped with a Microshift 8-speed drivetrain; the 11-32 gear cluster in the rear offers both more high end and low end than we see in most 7-speed systems, a good thing for someone who wants to leave the pavement behind.

Blix Ultra Review: Braking, Safety & Warranty

All-terrain e-bikes need powerful brakes because a rider needs excellent control when going downhill. Blix chose to equip the Ultra with Zoom hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors. This is similar to what we see on many eMTBs. Riders who have never ridden with hydraulic disc brakes will be impressed by the combination of tremendous stopping power and light, smooth touch.

Beyond the brakes, as we consider the question of safety and the Blix Ultra, the e-bike’s payload capacity is worth noting. It can handle riders up to 250 lbs. And carry up to an additional 150 lbs. on racks in the rear and/or front. That speaks well of how well-engineered the frame, fork and wheels are.

Calm handling can be an important part of an e-bike’s safety when riding in the middle of nowhere and as we noted previously, this is an e-bike designed to remain stable even at speed.

The Blix Ultra comes with a one-year warranty on all parts and factory labor. That’s pretty standard for e-bikes from direct-to-consumer brands, but Blix does offer the opportunity to purchase a two or even three-year extended warranty.

Blix Ultra Review: Recommendation/Final Verdict

Off-road riding can be demanding. Riders must be prepared to be bounced and jostled more, even with the aid of fat tires and a suspension fork. The terrain is more likely to feature steep hills and soft surfaces that make the motor work harder. The choice to go with a 750W motor that produces 90Nm of torque was appropriate to this e-bike’s intended off-road use.

The 672Wh battery offers a good range—estimated to be as much as 40 mi. per charge, but the option to add a second 672Wh battery will double the range. We expect what most riders will enjoy is the ability to go farther at a higher PAS rather than try to squeeze every extra mile of range possible.

The frame’s long wheelbase is a key factor in the Ultra’s calm handling at speed. The design carries yet another benefit in handling. Because it is long, the second battery can be positioned behind the seat tube, keeping it low on the frame to keep the center of gravity low and the Blix Ultra well-balanced.

Blix makes a number of accessories to customize the Ultra based on the rider’s needs, including racks, baskets and bags. One thing parents of small children might want to consider is that thanks to the space left for the second battery behind the seat, the rear rack is farther behind the rider. That makes more space for a child in a child seat. They get a better view and the rider doesn’t have little hands grabbing their ears.

One of the only features of the Blix Ultra that we wish they would change is the LCD display. The display is integrated with the PAS selector and as a result, sits on the handlebar near the grip, which doesn’t make for convenient viewing. Also, it shows only a single number and as a result requires the rider to scroll through the different functions in order to see things like current battery level, current speed and trip distance. We would prefer the display be mounted near the stem, where it’s easier to view while riding.

All-terrain e-bikes are a popular and growing category of e-bikes, but the demands of riding off-road—steep terrain, soft surfaces, longer distances—gives e-bikes equipped with two batteries a real advantage in terms of greater freedom.

Anyone contemplating the purchase of an all-terrain e-bike would do well to consider where they want to ride and the demands of that terrain. A second battery isn’t just insurance; it extends the fun someone might enjoy.

Thank you for reading through our review of the Blix Ultra. Still have further questions? Wondering how it compares to a similar e-bike we’ve reviewed? Let us know in the comments below!