Ariel Rider C-250 vs Faraday Porteur

Brief:

Ok this one is an odd combo perhaps. The reason is Ariel Rider C-Class is an ebike in it’s own category, since it’s a mix betweena city ebike and a cargo ebike. However, there’s no denying that both Ariel Rider and Faraday are very stylish ebikes. We’ve heard of Faraday first with a crowd funding project, they’ve successfully raised the capital they’ve needed and ever since they’ve been in business successfully, adding new and exciting models to their line. Earlier this year Faraday bikes has been acquired by Pon Holdings, owner of several bike brands including Cervélo, Gazelle, Focus and Santa Cruz.

Ariel Rider Ebikes on the other hand is owned by a relatively old company in the industry with great after-sales track records. The company typically produces unique and extremely robust cruiser ebikes and it’s their first take on city/cargo ebike -basically anything other than a cruiser-. And needless to say, C-Class isn’t short of any uniqueness that their other models have.

Faraday, Porteur:

Since Faraday Bikes introduced Porteur, very little has changed on it’s design, probably it being an iconic design. I’ve had the chance to try out this bike last year at Eurobike in Germany. I must say, while the design and feel of the materials used are amazing, but the rest of the bike -performance- leaves a bitter-sweet taste in your mouth and doesn’t live up to expectations. Which is mostly due to using a very old front-hub motor.

MSRP is $3849 for 250W 43V7.1Ah model.

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Pros

• Iconic design,
• Comfortable sitting position,
• Integrated front and rear lights,
• Hydraulic disc brakes,
• Belt-drive system,
• 8-speed internal hub gears,
• 3 different sizes,
• Light; due to not having a powerful motor and battery, though…

Cons

• Non-removable battery,
• Very generic 250W Bafang (8fun) motor,
• Front hub motor; I cannot stress this enough, using front hub isn’t very safe mainly due to geometry of a bike. Weight distribution is mostly on the back wheel, so in some conditions (uphill, rain etc.,), the front tire will start spinning, making it extremely dangerous for non-professional riders,
• PRICE! The bike itself is $3499, which is possibly the most expensive 250W, front-hub motor ebike in the market right now. And front&rear rack will set you back an additional $350.
• Mudguards, while bamboo mudguards look cool and all, due to not having a curve around the tires, if you’re riding in rain, you’ll see that water is splashing all over your pants,
• Very small battery pack, which won’t take you to long distances. In many cases, you’ll have to recharge your ebike at office, and battery not being removable, it’ll be an issue…
• The kick stand feels a little wobbly and cheap.

Ariel Rider, C-250:

As I’ve mentioned before, C-Class is Ariel Rider’s first take on any category other than a cruiser. While I was very sceptic of this design at first, after trying their bike at a bike Expo in Chicago, I’m convinced that this is possibly one of the best ebikes in the market. Below at Pros list you’ll see why.

MSRP is $2099 for 250W 36V11Ah model (2017 model).

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Pros

• Riding position; since they do not offer different sizes, I was not sure how this ebike will fit all, but with a few smart tricks such as adjustable stem and seat post, it’s very easy to fit any person.
• Standard front and rear lights,
• Rear BRAKE light! This is a no brainer that every ebike in the market must have, but somehow they don’t. Ariel Rider claims that they’re the first ebike company that started using actual brake lights about 5 years ago in the first generation of their N-Class.
• Super comfortable saddle. It’s seriously like sitting on a couch.
• Standard front and rear rack,
• Versatile front rack; the front rack is completely made out of bamboo, below you’ll find a few photos that I took in Chicago ebike expo, the rack even has a cup holder! Perfect for those early morning commutes. Also one thing the sales rep was mentioning is, the front rack size was designed based on an average pizza box, so that you won’t have to tip the box, and the cup holder is designed to carry all sizes of coffee cups. I was impressed because that alone tells how much thought went through the design of this ebike!
• Standard hydraulic brakes in 2017 models.
• Price! Compared to most city bikes in the market, I think C-250 offers the most for the price.
• Motor. They’re using the same brand as Pedego and BH e-Motion is using, from a Japanese company called Dapu, however their motor is a custom designed one. This 250w is considered to be not too fast or powerful, Ariel Rider claims that they have the most powerful 250W hub motor in the market, and trust me that bike can go!
• Rear rack. Since the rack is a welded part of the frame, it can carry weights that most “cargo” ebikes cannot carry. Ariel Rider claims that the rear rack is designed to carry up to 297lbs which is quite impressive!
• Removable battery.
• Samsung battery cells.
• Maxxis balloon tires ensuring a smooth ride.
• I’m really a fan of Ariel Rider’s POD system (power on demand), it’s basically a fancy name for their torque sensor. The system is very sensitive and immediately works the second you start pedaling.

Cons

• Size. It’s by no means a small ebike. However, since the battery is removable, you can just lock up your bike outside and carry the battery upstairs.
• Weight. It’s not a light ebike, however, you can’t expect a lighter “cargo” ebike I suppose.
• Delays in 500W option. Ariel Rider has been working on making a 500W version of this ebike for about a year now. I’ve just mailed with the sales rep I’ve met before, he told me that the 500W versions are scheduled to arrive in the US by mid-May, which is a long way from their initial announcement date of Jan 2017.

Spec Comparison

WINNER

While I’m personally a fan of Faraday’s iconic design and class, Ariel Rider C-250 wins this round hands down. Better pricing, better motor and battery and so on. At the end of the day, it depends on what you’d like to carry on your ebike, I suppose. If you want an utility ebike which can easily make you ditch your car, Ariel Rider is the choice to go, but if you’re just looking for an ebike to stroll around town, Faraday is a great option.