Himo Electric Bike Z20 review: Perfect city bike or for the quick dash to the shops

Electric bikes are anything but new, but gosh 2020 took them mainstream. When JB HiFi is selling scooters and bikes you know there’s demand. Enter the Himo Electric Bike Z20 – $1499 and it folds to fit in your car!

Sitting on the Himo Z20 isn’t the same feeling as a more “traditional” bike – it’s a lot more upright – this isn’t your MAMIL style rider, nor will it take to the trails, but, it’s perfect for a run down the shops for milk, or to get to the train station or just around town.

The key feature of a bike like this is the ability to unclamp the frame and fold it in half. Simple! For storage at home, or to take it with you in the boot of your car.

At full electric assistance you’ll get around 50km of range from the battery and with the combination of pedal power and electric assistance you’ll manage around 25km/h.

Unlike other electric bikes I’ve used the electric assistance isn’t just enabled in various steps – the Himo Z20 uses a motorbike like throttle on the right hand grip, you twist it to get the electric assistance.

Works a treat.

Still a gear assisted bike so even without the electric assistance you can shift down the gears to make it up the hills.

But at its core, the electric assistance wipes out the hills anyway.

For convenience the seat pole also contains a nifty little pump in case those tyres need a boost. It’s not really the best pump to be honest, you’re better off with the one you probably already have – but for an emergency it’s good to go.

Personally, I’d stump up the extra few hundred for the more traditional Himo C26, but if you need the smaller more portable style of the Himo Z20 then the price is right at $1,499.

Web: JB HiFi