The Velotric Breeze 1 Cruiser EBike. Photo: Rebecca Parsons//The Inertia
Electric bikes are the dream. They’re fast, they’re fun, and they make it easy to get around. The only downside of ebikes is that they tend to be heavy, which can make them difficult to load/unload into a vehicle and can make them difficult to maneuver. Weighing in at 48 pounds, the Velotric Breeze 1 Cruiser ($1,799) electric bike hit the market to appeal to smaller riders, and it’s an ideal option for women.
When testing for our guide to the Best Electric Bikes, we didn’t find a ton of options that were truly lightweight. Smaller riders often struggle to maneuver big 60 or 70+ pound bikes, and this can make biking feel less safe. The Velotric Breeze 1 Cruiser is a truly lightweight ebike, and its slim frame and comfortable geometry make it ideal to safely zip around town. We feel it makes a great option for women, smaller riders, or anyone who’s looking for an ebike that’s easy to tote around. To test the bike, I pedaled it around town and down bike paths near my home in Santa Cruz, California.
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My Experience Riding the Velotric Breeze 1
When the Velotric Breeze 1 Cruiser arrived in the mail, my husband and I got to work assembling it. Everything was fairly straightforward, and we had the bike put together and running in no time. My first thought once we got it set up: that it’s cute, really cute. I know looks don’t affect performance, but when I’m shelling out $1,000+ for a bike, I want to like the way it looks. And this ebike looks really good—sleek and pretty much like a normal bike. The Breeze 1 is available in five different fun colors, and I like them all.
Weighing in at 48 pounds, the Breeze 1 is light enough to easily pick up. Photo: Rebecca Parsons//The Inertia
My other initial impression of the bike is that it’s light. Light enough that I can actually pick it up without any problems — atypical for an ebike. For reference, I’m 5’7″, 125 lbs, and I’m fit, but I’m certainly no bodybuilder. Carrying it up and down the steep stairs to our apartment proved to be challenging, but lifting it up a curb or in and out of the car was no biggie – something I can’t say for the other ebikes I’ve ridden.
The Velotric Breeze 1 Cruiser comes in two different size options: Regular and Large. The Regular model is suggested for riders ranging from 4’11” – 5’8″, and the Large is designed for folks 5’6″ – 6’4″. At 5’7″, I could have gone either way, but I opted for the Regular and am happy with my choice.
Taking the Velotric Breeze 1 for a spin around town. Photo: Rebecca Parsons//The Inertia
As with any new bike, it took some initial adjusting of the seat and handlebars to find my perfect fit, but everything was easy to adjust on the fly, so I simply pulled over to make minor tweaks. To test out this cruiser ebike, I spent some time riding it near my home in Santa Cruz, California. The Breeze 1 is designed for the road, and accordingly, I spent a lot of time riding it through the streets and bike lanes near my home. I also found some fun bike paths, and when I was feeling adventurous, took it down a hard-packed fire road to see how it would fare.
The Velotric Breeze 1 Cruiser Electric Bike
Top Speed: Standard 20 mph (adjustable up to 28 mph)
Motor: 750W/65Nm
Battery: Removable, 48V, 13.4Ah (627Wh), IPX7 & UL 2271 Certified
Weight: 48 lbs
Payload: 330 lbs
Range: 70 miles (PAS), 55 miles (throttle)
| Pros | Cons |
| Very lightweight and maneuverable | Lacks suspension |
| Surprisingly quiet | Not the fastest/most powerful bike |
| Built-in blinker and lights |
What I Like About the Breeze 1
Lightweight and Easy to Manage
At every turn, the Velotric Breeze 1 Cruiser was designed to be lightweight and manageable. At 48 pounds, it is one of the lightest ebikes we’ve tested (even lighter than a number of the compact folding ebikes we’ve ridden). And as I mentioned before, it’s light enough to easily lift into your car or up a curb. With other ebikes I’ve ridden in the past, it can feel like a bit of a battle to get the bike to turn and respond in the way that you want it to. This is not the case with the Breeze.
Because the Breeze is so light, it’s easy to start from zero and get it pedaling. It’s also fully possible to pedal the bike without any power, which makes it easy to get going at stoplights and eliminates the fear of running out of battery far away from home. Although running out of power isn’t ideal, you can simply pedal the Breeze like a traditional bike and get a good workout to boot.
Ergonomic handlebar grips make for a comfy ride. Photo: Rebecca Parsons//The Inertia
Designed for Comfort
A comfortable bike is always a plus, but when you’re riding long distances, it becomes essential. The Breeze is designed to deliver an upright riding posture, so you don’t feel slumped over like you might on a road bike. The saddle is wide and the seat is cushioned and breathable, but if you plan to go extra far, you may opt for padded bike shorts for a little extra support. The handles sit at a comfortable width, and the ergonomic grips are comfy and secure.
Another big draw of the Breeze is the frame design. Because I regularly ride my bike through the city, I want something that’s easy to get on and off. The 380 mm low step-thru makes it easy to mount and dismount the bike, and I never felt like I was going to tip over at a stoplight. I haven’t geared up the bike with my surf rack yet, but I can tell the low step-thru will make that nice and manageable.
The Breeze 1 is practically silent while you ride. Photo: Rebecca Parsons//The Inertia
Quiet Yet Powerful
Usually, when someone is riding an ebike, it’s pretty obvious. Not so with the Breeze. Because the frame is sleek, it looks like a traditional bike, but what really seals the deal is the noise it outputs: none. The Breeze is incredibly quiet, regardless of which mode you’re in. It’s so quiet that I sometimes had to double-check whether I actually had pedal assist engaged or not.
But despite its lack of noise, the Breeze 1 still has a powerful 750 W motor that delivers 65 Nm of torque. The bike operates using either pedal assist or a throttle, making it easy to pedal around town and up hills. When using pedal assist, the range is a generous 70 miles (or 55 using the throttle).
The screen on the Velotric Breeze 1 Cruiser shows your percentage of remaining battery, so you can easily gauge when to turn around. After a 12-mile ride alternating between using the pedal assist and throttle, I was still at over 80% battery. At the end of the day, the battery is removable, so you can easily carry it to the closest outlet — this proved to be a game-changer for apartment living. We also love that the battery integrates into the frame, cleaning up the look of the bike.
The headlights and tail lights ensure you’re always visible. Photo: Rebecca Parsons//The Inertia
Fun Features
In addition to all of the essential features, the Breeze 1 has some fun extras that enhance the riding experience. For starters, the ebike has front headlights as well as rear brake lights so you can see and be seen while you’re on the road. The bike also has built-in blinkers that make noise and flash. Another cool feature of the Breeze is that it’s compatible with Apple Find My. Bike theft is fairly common in Santa Cruz, so this is a feature that I’m particularly excited about should my bike ever get stolen. It’s super nice not to have to purchase an AirTag independently of the bike. And finally, the sensor switch enables shifting between a torque sensor and a cadence sensor. We left it mostly on torque mode for smooth power, but the pep of a cadence sensor is a cool option.
The Breeze 1 has light-up left and right blinkers. Photo: Rebecca Parsons//The Inertia
Drawbacks of the Breeze
Although the Velotric Breeze 1 Cruiser is one of my favorite electric bikes I have ever ridden, there is still room for improvement. When riding on pavement, the Breeze delivers a smooth, effortless ride, but it doesn’t perform as well on rough or bumpy terrain. The lack of suspension on the Breeze means you will feel bumps more than something like the Velotric Discover 2, a slightly larger ebike from the brand. This wasn’t a problem on perfectly paved roads, but when a road or bike path was in need of a little TLC, the lighter build and lack of a suspension fork knocked a few points off of the ride quality.
The Breeze has three different modes and five pedal assist levels. Photo: Rebecca Parsons//The Inertia
During my testing, I also took the Breeze on one fire road, and while it fared okay, it wasn’t the same smooth, comfortable ride that I experienced while on the road. To combat this issue, the Breeze does have multiple modes that help a little more with power modulation, but it’s still fairly sensitive and can feel a bit lurchy on bumpier terrain.
My only other complaint about the Breeze is that the motor isn’t slightly more powerful. Of course, mating a slightly less powerful motor to such a light bike is a trade-off for maneuverability and weight savings, but some of the beefier ebikes I’ve tried have had peppier motors. I found the speeds to be proficient and powerful enough to conquer hills, but if you’re looking for a super-fast, super-powerful electric bike, the Breeze isn’t quite it.
The Velotric Breeze isn’t the speediest bike, but it’s still plenty powerful. Photo: Rebecca Parsons//The Inertia
The Competition
If you’re short on storage space, it’s worth considering an option like the Ride1UP Portola. Although the Portola weighs more (59 lbs), it’s still a manageable weight, and it packs down much smaller. The range is only 40 miles, but it reaches max speeds of 28 mph. The Portola also comes with a welded rear rack where you can store gear or even seat a second passenger, which is pretty cool. And it only costs $995. If you’re willing to wrangle a bit more weight, it’s a solid option.
Lightweight and manageable, the Breeze is a great option for smaller riders. Photo: Rebecca Parsons//The Inertia
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a lightweight, manageable electric bike, look no further than the Velotric Breeze 1 Cruiser. Weighing in at 48 pounds, the Breeze is a great pick for newer riders, smaller folks, and women. While it’s not the most powerful ebike on the market, it can reach speeds of 28 mph and cover up to 70 miles on a single charge. Not to mention, the sleek looks and quiet motor make this ideal if you want an ebike that feels close to a traditional bike.
Check Price on VelotricEditor’s Note: For more top ebike picks, check out our other electric bike reviews. For more gear categories we cover, click here. For our most recent gear coverage, click here.
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