NIU’s BQi-C3 Pro welcomes riders of all heights and abilities with a generously deep step-in design. That sets the tone for what the BQi-C3 Pro is all about: ease, comfort and adaptability.
In keeping with that trend, there’s only one gear – there’s no shifter to contend with. It features a maintenance-free belt drive system instead of the more typical chain drive on bicycles. And the motor assist offers plenty of power to help you get up and over even the steepest hills on your ride. And if you have a long trip, the BQi-C3 Pro offers incredible range thanks to the dual battery system.
It’s a simple, out-of-the-box bike for urban commuters. While the single-speed design presents some cycling challenges, overall the BQi-C3 Pro offers everything an urban commuter needs for daily use over varying terrain and long distances. It is the best electric bike for those who need to travel far. And, at its asking price, one of the best budget electric bikes for the price.
NIU BQi-C3 Pro Review: Price and Availability
The BQi-C3 Pro is available for purchase through the NIU website or Best Buy. The usual retail price is $2,199, but you can often find it for much less; During the holiday season, we saw it for just $1,299.
You can finance your purchase through Klarna when purchasing through the NIU website. And NIU offers a 30-day free trial as well as a 2-year warranty.
NIU BQi-C3 Pro Review: Design
The BQi-C3 Pro features a step-through frame design that makes it easy to get on and off the bike. The seat also adjusts up and down, making the bike suitable for riders of a wider range of sizes. The stem also adjusts to move the handlebars closer or further away from the rider, depending on their needs.
A Gates carbon belt drive replaces the more common steel chain found on most bikes. The belt drive offers quiet operation and a much longer life than a steel bicycle chain, plus it requires almost no maintenance.
While the BQi-C3 Pro weighs 70.5 pounds for a bike like this, some of that extra weight can be attributed to the dual-battery design. There is a removable battery in the down tube and another in the seat tube. This effectively doubles the range of the bike, as it is quick and easy to change batteries when one runs out of battery.
The batteries power a 500-watt rear hub motor that can be activated by pedaling, with three assist modes to choose from. Or, the motor can be activated using the handlebar-mounted throttle.
To slow down, the BQi-C3 Pro comes equipped with front and rear mechanical disc brakes. Other nice touches include integrated headlights and taillights and an integrated rear luggage rack.
Everything rolls on 27.5-inch wheels shod with puncture-resistant tires. There are also integrated headlights and taillights, front and rear fenders, and a rear rack to complement the ride.
NIU BQi-C3 Pro Review: Performance
There’s a lot of Styrofoam packaging in the box when you start building the BQi-C3 Pro. It’s not exactly environmentally friendly stuff, but it kept the bike well protected. And building the bike is quick and easy if you’re a little familiar with the tools.
Getting on and off the bike is also very easy thanks to the very low step-over design. Am
5′ 11″, and my wife is closer to 5′ 3″. We were both able to get on and off comfortably.
The BQi-C3 Pro is quite heavy for a bike of this size, probably due to the dual battery design. However, its size is small enough to keep it maneuverable and weight is largely not a factor once you start pedaling.
The ride itself is a little stiff, although I probably could have reduced the tire pressure for a little more compliance. I was happy to see that NIU opted for a rigid fork instead of a suspension fork; Most bikes in this category won’t benefit much from cheap suspension forks and can actually hurt the bike’s steering and handling.
You will have three levels of assistance at your disposal as soon as you start pedaling. Usually when I ride my bike for the first time, I put it on the highest assist level to start draining the battery as quickly as possible. I will also use the accelerator a lot. But in this case, the lower two assist levels were so powerful that I barely needed the highest assist setting. Getting to top speed was quick and easy without having to use full power.
That’s great and not so great, depending on the terrain you’re riding on. It’s great if you’re not so interested in pedaling. The single-speed transmission combined with the quick assist means you’ll spin pretty quickly. Pedaling won’t do much good at that point, so you’ll rely solely on the accelerator and inertia.
It’s also great if your trip involves a lot of climbs. The BQi-C3 Pro eliminates them quickly, even at the lowest assistance levels. If you don’t want to work uphill, you certainly won’t have to.
There is one exception: starting from a dead stop on a hill. The rear hub motor had difficulty starting up, even while using the throttle, when starting from a standstill on a steep stretch of asphalt. Typically in this case I would shift the transmission into the easiest gear possible to overcome this problem. But the BQi-C3 Pro only has one gear, so you may find this more challenging.
NIU BQi-C3 Pro review: Battery life and performance
NIU includes two batteries with the purchase of the bike. Both batteries are removable and integrate flush with the frame. The advertised combined range is up to 90 miles, with 60 miles being the target for more common use.
On my first ride of about nine miles, I noticed both batteries were dying while I was driving. I assumed the bike would run on one battery first and then automatically switch to the second or require me to physically swap one battery for another. But that was not the case.
Over the course of those first nine miles, both batteries went from a fresh charge (100%) to 90% charge, as indicated by the head unit. While I was disappointed to see both batteries die simultaneously, this mileage still indicates that the bike can get close to the advertised 90-mile range in certain conditions.
Another thing to note about the batteries: NIU advertises them as “lightweight” and they weigh 12 pounds each. But that’s not particularly light for an e-bike battery, even for batteries of this size and capacity.
NIU BQi-C3 Pro Review: Accessories
NIU’s website offers a wide range of accessories for all of its products, including scooters and electric bikes. An additional battery can be purchased for $250, as well as other common replacement parts such as chargers, inner tubes, grips, tires, and brake pads. Aside from the electronics, which are specific to the BQi-C3 Pro, many of these accessories are easily available at local bike shops.
NIU BQi-C3 Pro Review: The Competition
Many bikes on the market today come in two designs: a high top tube version and a step-through design. Notably, the BQi-C3 Pro only comes in a step-by-step design.
Notable comparisons to NIU’s bike include Propella’s new 9S Pro V2, which costs $1,399 and has a range of up to 55 miles.
Another great comparison is the Gazelle Arroyo C8 HMB Elite. The Arroyo comes with many more features, including more gears in the transmission, a suspension fork, and a much lighter weight. But it also costs much more than NIU. For the price, the BQi-C3 Pro offers a lot for an entry-level price.
NIU BQi-C3 Pro Review: Verdict
The BQi-C3 Pro offers plenty of power, range, comfort and functionality for commuters tackling mountainous terrain. For its low price, it is also a great deal and the best electric bike for those who don’t want to have to recharge the battery too often.
It’s not a light bike, but that will only be taken into account if you need to lift it. Weight is a much smaller factor when you’re driving, and the downside of having two batteries makes it worth it.
For the sake of simplicity, single-speed transmission is good for people who want the least amount of maintenance and operational complexity possible, but the bike would benefit from more gears in the transmission, especially if the rider needs to start from a standing start. dead on a steep hill.
All in all, the BQi-C3 Pro is fun to ride, comfortable, and super powerful. The step-by-step layout is a real plus, as is the powerful assistance.