British-Born Classic Electric E-Bike Attracts With Clean Looks and Smashing Abilities

Folks, the old-school but modern machine before you today is nothing other than the Classic Electric, Temple Cycles' spin on the electric bike, and if you have any idea how this crew rolls, it makes sense to see a mix of modern and classic styling.

Now, kicking things off for the Classic Electric, allow me to point out that this baby used to cost around €4,000, but recent news from Temple showcases this baby as going for no more than €2,400 ($2,600 at current exchange rates). Quite a price cut, so let's see what we can get our hands on.

First and foremost, allow me to point out that the frame for this beauty is crafted from nothing more than aluminum, a material not encountered so often when talking about Temple; they love crafting bikes from timeless steel, but to keep the weight of the Electric to a minimum, aluminum was called upon. The fork is built from the same material, and together with all the drivetrain components, we're looking at an 18.9 kg (42 lbs) EV.

From a geometry standpoint, we're looking at a bicycle with a rather urban stance, with an upright handlebar for a relaxed body position and a slightly slanted top tube for easy mounting. All that's then built around 700x38c rubbers, so speed is clearly part of the package here, be it with or without electric assistance.

But, being an e-bike, electric assistance is what you'll likely be buying the Classic for, and if you've had a chance to really analyze the bicycle, you've noticed that Temple has done the research and whipped up a machine with a mid-mounted motor.

This not only means a motor that directs all its power into the chain, thus the wheel, but it's also what you want in terms of a motor that's going to be by your side for as long as possible; mid-mounted motors are subjected to fewer vibrations and shocks than hub-mounted motors.

Overall, a Bafang M420 motor operates at a nominal 250 W of power, but surprisingly, 80 Nm (59 lb-ft) of torque is also available. If you've got hills in your town, this one should have no issues tackling them. Couple that with a 9-speed Shimano drivetrain with an Altus derailleur, and you should be fine. As an idea of gear range, 11-36T are available from the cassette, and the chain wheel is a 38T Bafang component with 170 mm crank arms.

In all, five levels of assistance are available to riders with a peak speed cap of 25 kph (15.5mph). But, if you're looking to break that speed limit, you can get your hands on a Bafang Speed Box and go from there. Just remember, when you tamper with e-bike speed settings, you'll be messing with the law, too, not to mention placing extra stress on your motor and battery system.

Speaking of batteries, Temple Cycles equips the Classic Electric with a removable Samsung battery with 504 Wh of juice inside. What does this mean in terms of range? According to the manufacturer's website, up to 120 km (74.5 mi) of riding is possible with this setup. That's quite a number if you ask me, and it's sure to attract some attention now that this machine is nearly half the price it was just a few months ago.

While it may feel as though there's nothing else to remark about the Classic Electric, I do want to point out that this EV is designed to handle a tad more than just riding to work and home again. If we look closely at the frame, we can see several mounts all over the frame and even fork. This means that Temple designed the Classic with the power to handle cargo racks too.

This is an indispensable trait for anyone who's always carrying a laptop bag, backpack, or downright groceries. If you can find a way to throw on some wider tires, you'll even be able to take his two-wheeler for spins outside of town and on some gravel routes. Those fenders are sure to help keep you and the frame clean and undamaged.

As for the rest of this e-bike, Temple throws on hydraulic brakes, classy and rather stylish fenders with integrated lighting, and that brown leather saddle sitting atop an aluminum seatpost. The stem and handlebar have the same look and feel, bare aluminum with brown grips.

All that's left to do now is get your hands on one of these babies and see if it's a good fit for you. Considering Temple Cycles ships anywhere in the world, the chances of you finding one in some local shop is a very real possibility.