HeyBike Ranger 3.0 E-Bike Review
Fun times on a fat tire e-bike
Last year, I was on a long bike ride - of the traditional pedal-powered variety - with my kids, and we found one of those signs on the road that notify drivers of their speed. So, naturally, we tried to see how fast we could go. I believe I hit 20 mph at full tilt and then promptly felt ready to pass out. Last week, I spun the throttle on an e-bike, the HeyBike Ranger 3.0 Pro to be specific.
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Up to that point, I had put e-bikes in the neat but unnecessary category. I like regular old biking. Being outside, getting a workout - it’s all good things. I still do. But man, slinging this HeyBike up to 20 mph without breaking a sweat is pretty darn nice. As it turns out, there are times I don’t feel like pushing hard up a hill and just want to cruise. And when that’s the case, it’s hard to argue with how absolutely awesome an e-bike is, like, say, the HeyBike Ranger 3.0 Pro. I highly recommend.
The One Time You Shouldn’t Throw The Directions Away
Apologies to the UPS guy who delivered my HeyBike Ranger. It comes in an enormous box, weighing somewhere north of 75 pounds. You’re going to want a helper when it comes time to move this cardboard container. But once you do, assembly is straightforward. HeyBike prints a “Warm Tip” on the box regarding hanging on to it for future use. I appreciate the humor and have one to add: READ. THE. DIRECTIONS.
Or at least watch the brief YouTube tutorial to familiarize yourself with how the Ranger 3.0 Pro goes together. My brother, Tyler, and I have a lifelong history of never looking at the instructions and just winging it. As in, physically tossing the manual and laughing in the process. It’s the wrong move here. Pretty quickly, there were questions to be answered, and mistakes were indeed made.
Like hanging on to the small metal bolt that gets removed as part of construction. Fortunately, Tyler found it and we got it figured out. But there’s no need to rush. Had I actually watched the tutorial, I probably could’ve built the bike in 15 minutes. There’s also an online PDF with more detail that I leaned on for a few installation nuances.
Printed Instructions Would Be Nice
All that said, I do wish HeyBike included a printed copy of that PDF, as there are enough small details that I had to fiddle around with my phone, zoom in, and read a few times carefully. Or pause the YouTube video, rewind, and watch again slowly. For a project like this with lots of hardware and tools (all of which are included BTW), printed directions would be nice. I might even recommend NOT throwing them away.
Look Mom! It Folds In Half!
The battery pack is heavy, as you might expect of a 90-mile riding range, according to HeyBike. But it clips in and out of the frame smoothly, and the bike itself feels sturdy and well built. Folding in half is a pretty cool - and handy - trick, one that is easy to initiate. Release the frame hinge, and the bike can be folded in on itself.
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Once you do so, there is a built-in stand for it to rest on, as opposed to the sprocket taking all the weight. And the pedals have a clever folding mechanism so that when you lay the HeyBike on its side, it will stay mostly stable - versus rotating like a top on the pedal edge, as with most bikes.
The Build Quality Shows
You can also release and fold down the handlebar assembly to create a more compact folded setup. The Ranger 3.0 Pro retails for $2,000, but you’re clearly getting a carefully designed, impressively engineered e-bike. This folding feature comes in handy for stowing the bike in the back of your SUV for a trip to use elsewhere, but doing so requires some oomph as it weighs 75 pounds.
Whether you just ride it from home or fold it up and take it on the go, the HeyBike Ranger 3.0 Pro is a breeze to ride. Having never been on an e-bike, I found the process intuitive and easy. Rotate the throttle, and the power builds gradually; it won’t peel out.
28 MPH Top Speed
A small digital display on the handlebars can be used to select your power level. To fire it up, just tap the included NFC card to the screen. Out of the box, the Ranger 3.0 Pro is set up as a Class 2 e-bike and capped at 20 mph, but using the app, you can convert it to Class 3 and unlock the 28-mph top speed.
Maximum weight for rider and cargo comes in at 440 pounds, and the integrated rear cargo rack is rated for 100 pounds. I like the headlight and turn signals front and rear, along with a brake light that blinks brightly as you squeeze the disc brakes. On that front, the Ranger 3.0 Pro delivers confident stops. Skid marks are scribbled with ease.
Full Suspension E-Bike For The Ride Comfort Win
The ride is crazy smooth, much of which can be chalked up to the 4” wide fat tires on the bike. But it also has a fully adjustable front suspension and rear air shock. Open that front fork all the way up and even over bumpy dirt roads, it feels like you’re floating.
Unlike HeyBike’s Ranger S model, which uses a cadence sensor for pedal assist, the Ranger 3.0 Pro uses a torque sensor. With a cadence sensor, the electric motor adjusts the level of assist based on how fast you’re pedaling, while a torque sensor setup does so based on how hard you’re pedaling.
I haven’t ridden an e-bike that uses a cadence sensor, but I can tell you that the torque sensor on the Ranger 3.0 Pro delivers a natural feel for someone unaccustomed to e-bikes. The harder you pedal, the faster you go. You could also just rest your feet on the pedals, twist the throttle and zip along like you’re riding a motorcycle. Alternatively, you might consider leaning forward, stretching your legs out behind you, pinning the throttle, and howling with delight. With a helmet on, of course.
More E-Bike Fun To Come
It’s a kick riding this e-bike. When Tyler got back into mountain biking as an adult, a friend told him it would be as much fun as when you’re a kid and first learned how to ride a bike. After bombing around on HeyBike’s Ranger 3.0 Pro for a while, it’s safe to say that sentiment is 100% applicable here too. Follow along on our upcoming road trip where we’ll be putting the Ranger 3.0 Pro and Mars 3.0 to the test in America’s national parks!
You can check out more details on the Ranger at HeyBike’s website here.