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Blix Bikes has built up a lineup of popular e-bikes that bring together the refined Swedish design of founder Pontus Malmberg with the relaxed beach culture of Blix’ home in California.
The company sent us the Blix Sol Eclipse to run around our Southern California testing grounds to see how it performed. Over the course of our time with the bike, we found it to be a stealth powerhouse of an electrified beach cruiser. Its 750-watt rear hub motor was capable of laying down a massive amount of power, while the 27.5″ x 2.4″ tires and plush saddle work together to give the bike a cloud-like ride.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Before we dive into all the juicy riding details, let’s start with the box. Like most other electric bikes, the Blix Sol Eclipse arrives in a massive cardboard box that allows it to arrive 95% assembled. In just a few minutes, we had the bike together and on the charger to get it juiced up for our first ride. Blix estimates it will take around an hour to put it all together and that feels very fair. Compared to the wide range of e-bikes we’ve put together over the years, the Sol Eclipse was one of the easiest we’ve assembled.
Disclaimer: Blix Bikes provided the Sol Eclipse to the author free of charge for the purposes of this review. No kittens were harmed in the testing performed for this review.
With the Blix Sol Eclipse put together and charged up, it was time to hit the town. Blasting downhill, the mechanical brakes with their 160mm rotors were pushed to the limit to quell the speed, but were still capable of keeping our speed in check. With my weight pushing 205 pounds and the bike charging down a steep hill at speeds pushing 30 miles per hour, that’s an impressive feat.
The Sol Eclipse is a stealthy bike. It looks like a super casual beach bike, but after the first ride, it is clear it is far more capable. The downhill ride also exposed just how comfortable the Sol Eclipse is in a range of riding environments. Its oversized 27.5″ x 2.4″ CST tires proved to be extremely cushy. The larger size translate to a slightly higher ride than the traditional beach cruisers with 26″ tires, but offer other benefits.
The larger diameter translates to a shallower angle of attack when approaching obstacles, while the oversized 2.4″ tires make for a comfortable ride. Their crossover tread was smooth rolling on paved surfaces and surprisingly capable on the trail. The Blix Sol Eclipse is clearly not built for mountain trails, but it was more than happy to get its hands dirty with some light trail work.
Up top, the custom cruiser saddle was great for both casual rides around town and longer rides that required significant pedaling like we experienced on our 20-mile test route.
From the factory, the Sol Eclipse doesn’t come with fenders, so customers riding where water still falls from the sky may want to add these on to the initial purchase. Here in sunny Southern California, we are in a perpetual state of drought, making fenders little more than a fashion statement. The optional fenders Blix makes for the Sol Eclipse are good looking and add a nice pop of color to the bike.
In addition to the fenders, Blix offers a wide range of front and rear racks, baskets, panniers, and the like for the Sol Eclipse that carry the Blix design into your accessories. Its accessories are worth taking a look at and offer an impressive amount of extensibility of the base bike for riders looking to carry groceries, pets, or significant others on their next ride across town.
Up front, the bike sports a LED headlight that’s a great addition for both visibility to cars and to actually see where you’re going if you want to ride after the sun goes down. It’s also handy for those strange people who need to get up and out before the sun comes up.
Overall, the Blix Sol Eclipse is a beautifully crafted cruiser-style electric bike that brings together the classic beach cruiser lines with the power of an electrified powertrain. The rear 750-watt hub motor is equally capable of supporting steep hill climbs as well as mellow cruises along the beach.
We found it to be equally capable on casual rides around the park, commutes through town, and loaded up with kittens, kids, and kaleidoscopes. Ok, so I didn’t actually test that last one, but you get the picture. The low stepover height of the frame makes it a fantastic option for casual riding, riders with less flexibility, loading the bike up with cargo, and riders less familiar with bikes.
For more information about the Blix Sol Eclipse or to order one for yourself, head over to its official online home.
All images credit: Kyle Field, CleanTechnica
Blix Sol Eclipse E-Bike Specs
- Battery: 614Wh / 14Ah, 48 volt removable battery
- Motor: 750W geared rear hub motor
- Display: Easy to read gray scale LCD with integrated USB charging port
- Assistance: 5 levels of pedal assist with left-mounted thumb throttle
- Sensors: 12 Magnet Cadence Sensor
- Mechanical Drivetrain: 7 speed Shimano RevoShift with Tourney derailleur and 14-28T cassette
- Brakes: Tektro mechanical brakes with 160mm rotors
- Tires: 27.5” x 2.4”, Puncture resistant tires
- Saddle: Padded cruiser
- Lights: Integrated front LED headlight
- Price: $1,599
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