I decided to write a quick review on the 26 inch 36V 250W Valk ladies electric bike that I brought for my wife a few months ago.
There is a whole heap of electric bikes on the market now and most are well designed with quality parts. Valk has stepped up the notch and included some really nice components for the price.
- Shimano SIS-Index series 7-speed gears
- Cable Disk brakes
- Easily removable 36V 8.8Ah Li-ion battery
- Lightweight 6061 Alloy frame
- LED headlight powered from main battery
- 250w rear-drive electric bike motor
Table of Contents
Day one on the Valk Vista E-bike
The Valk ladies e-bike comes in a large box that needs some assembly. This is standard for all bikes sold online. All of the cables are already installed so it is just a matter of installing the rims, seat, handlebars, and pedals.
Included are all the tools needed to build this women’s e-bike but I prefer to use my own. Every man or woman needs these tools in their garage.
The battery came precharged to around 50%. It is best to fully charge the 36v 8.8Ah battery before use. This will take between 2-8h depending on the battery level. I charged the battery while I was building the Valk women’s e-bike. The total build time took me around 20 minutes.
There is a key to lock the battery to the bicycle so that no one can remove it without the key. Charging can take place with the battery on or off the e-bike.
Riding
There are 3 modes of riding these e-bikes. Pedal assist, throttle assist, and manual pedal only.
Most budget models will only have pedal assist and off. I love that this has throttle assist as I ride motorbikes and it is a natural feeling using the right-hand throttle to power this e-bike. This was a big reason I chose this model.
With a full battery, my wife can get over two hours with pedal assist activated. This is traveling close to 40km while riding on bike paths near the beach.
It comes with an 8.8Ah battery and a 250w motor. To work out the distance traveled on electric battery power only I used this formula P=VA.
Power =250W and Volts is 36V so for 1 hour at full power you would use around 7Ah. The battery will last around 1h and 10 minutes to fully deplete the battery. Obviously, there are a lot of variables such as weight, gradients, and drag.
Charging
The included charger can charge the e-bikes lithium-ion battery pack in around 5 hours from a fully depleted condition. The charger and battery pack gets slightly warm while it is charging so make sure to keep them both out of direct sunlight.
The charging light will go from red to green when it has completed charging.
These lithium 18650 batteries have a charge cycle life of around 800 cycles. You will see lower capacity and less run time after the recommended cycle life. This is a normal feature of these batteries. So if you charge your electric bike once a week you will be able to get 15 years out of these batteries. Now, that’s impressive.
The Valk women’s bike lithium-ion battery is 36V, 8.8Ah with a discharge current of 15 amps and a charge current of 2A. The model battery that I have is TC-TT041004HL.
I like that the charger is compatible with my other Valk men’s e-bike.
Valk E-bike assembly video
What’s in the box?
- 1 x VALK VISTA Electric Bike (TRNEBKVLKAVS2)
- 1 x Saddle Bag
- 1 x Battery charger
- 2 x Security keys
- 1 x Tyre repair kit
- 1 x Multifunction tool
- 1 x Rear pannier rack
- 1 x Rear Battery-powered red light.
- Valk user manual for assembly and use.
Torque Settings
- Front and rear axle nut: 35Nm
- Handlebar clamp bolt:10Nm
- Handlebar neck bolt:15Nm
- Handlebar stem bolt: 24Nm
- Pedals: 35Nm
- Brake caliper bolts:7Nm
Understanding the speed controller.
The e-bike speed controller is the brain of the bicycle. It controls the power level delivered to the rear motor. There are three levels high, medium, and low. A handy battery level indicator is also shown with 5 red LED lights.
You have the option of either peddle assist or throttle speed control. Pedal-assist will only speed up the e-bike when you are peddling. While the throttle will power the electric bike just like a motorcycle. There is no actual speed reference on this speed controller but it sure runs fast at top speed.
There are 3 different power options depending on the level of pedal assistance you may need. I like the maximum power so I turn it right up. Although will drain the lithium-ion battery faster.
Changing between peddle assist and throttle assist is easy as pressing the M button a few times until all the lights are off on the speed controller.
To activate the front bike light press the M button for 3 seconds until it turns on. To deactivate the front light press the M button for 3 seconds.
These e-bikes are governed for a max speed of 25km/h and a max rating of 250w motor. This makes them legal in Australia, you can read more about the information on e-bike laws here.
Valk ladies electric bike specifications
- Brand: Valk
- Model: Vista
- Type: Lady’s Step-through
- Power: 250 W
- Battery: 36V/8.8Ah Lithium-ion battery pack removable.
- Max Assisted Speed: 25 km/h
- Tires: Hybrid 26×1.75”
- Frame Material: 6061 Alloy
Are Valk electric bikes any good?
Yes, Valk is a quality company that has been making e-bikes for a few years now. They are sold online at eBay and mytopia.com.au
I already had a Valk men’s mountain bike so I was confident that I would be getting another quality electric bike that will last many years. The 6061 Alloy is tough and light, so with the added battery pack, its total weight is not much heavier than a steel frame bicycle.
Who makes Valk electric bikes?
Valk electric bikes are made in PRC. Also known as made in China. I have yet to fault it so hopefully, it will last a long time.
Likes and Dislikes
This women’s e-bike is built tough. I like that it has alloy rims and 6061 frames with a very comfortable seat which makes it a light e-bike. Its large disk brakes are responsive but only have cable pull. More expensive models will have hydraulic disk brakes.
The battery pack is removable so if you don’t have power where you store the e-bike you can remove the battery pack to charge it inside.
The one thing I didn’t like was that there is only one headlight, there is no rear tail light only a red reflector. There is a red battery-powered light that is included in the box but I would prefer it to be hard-wired. Either include both lights or none at all. Riding at night with only a headlight is illegal in Australia.
The tire tread is also very soft, I’m sure it is only a matter of time before I get a puncture. Good thing they included a puncture repair kit in the box. I like to pump my bike tires to around 32 PSI which makes for a nice smooth ride.
Also, it only comes in two colors red and white. Maybe they will release more colors in the future.
How to get the best price on an electric bike.
Places like Amazon and eBay often have special deals on e-bikes. You can subscribe to many e-bike stores and they will send out discount codes every now and then.
Drop into your local e-bike store and see if they will price match an online price. If they don’t then ask for a discount. Many will drop 10% or more off the price to move stock. Especially if you pay with cash.
Conclusion
With e-bikes becoming more popular there is no better time to get out on the road and start getting some exercise. The battery will let you travel further and faster. No more struggling with a strong headwind.
Valk has a history of making great bikes and you can’t go wrong with any model you buy from them as they mostly all use the same components from the electric motor, speed controller, battery, and charger.
If you want a cheap lady’s electric bike then take a look at Valk. Most of my neighbors have had a test ride and many have brought the same model with no issues yet. Check out this post on e-bike battery problems and solutions and how to take care of your e-bike.
6 Months down the road this e-bike is still going at full capacity and we are very happy with the purchase. Electric vehicles are the future embrace it.
I am a qualified Industrial Electrician for the past 20 years and I love to share my knowledge on home repair and maintenance jobs.
I love fast toys like Motorcycles, Cars, Jetskis, Boats, and Computers so writing about them is easy. Working on them is fun.
To keeps costs down I do all my own mods, repairs, and servicing. These skills I want to share with everyone. DIY is a skill everyone can learn.
Love the explanation thanks! It seams to have everything that I need to get to training however, I am a bloke of five
foot severn. Will the ‘womans’ bike be large enough far men as well?