Fixie Inc. Backspin Zehus

Fixie Inc. Backspin Zehus sounds like a bicycle product for riders who want an electric-assist fixie rather than a plain city bike. The draw is the idea behind it: Zehus is known as a compact hub system that hides battery and motor inside the rear wheel, so the bike keeps a clean fixed-gear look. By our assessment, that same neatness is the trade-off, because this is not a low-maintenance commuter toy; battery life, charging, and the feel of the assist shape the whole experience. In practice the appeal is to people who like a stripped-down bike with some help on hills and starts, and who accept that fixed-gear bikes are already a specialized taste. It sits between an urban fixie and a light e-bike, and that middle ground is narrower than either side. The Backspin Zehus name points to that hybrid idea, not to all-purpose cycling.