Ridden: SWFT’s Volt Ebike Brings Back Single-Speed Simplicity And Cool Urban Style At A Great Price

I get a lot of emails from companies wanting me to test and review their ebikes, and many of them are fairly similar, so I’m always on the lookout for something new – or just different.

Recently, I was contacted by ebike maker SWFT about some new ebikes they have coming out that were pretty similar to other bikes I’ve already reviewed, but one ebike they already offer, the $999 Volt, caught my eye. The Volt is not the latest fat bike – quite the opposite. It’s a skinny-tire, single speed, simple freewheeling (not a fixie) machine with a classic profile – and a 350-watt rear hub motor.

For many years, I commuted on a flaming red single-speed regular bicycle (not an ebike) from an artisan bike maker that has long since vanished into history. Framed in thin-walled steel and equipped with lightweight wheels, flat bars, mountain bike rim brakes and not much else, it was an urban commuting slasher and weighed next to nothing. I still have it, but it’s been a minute or two since it’s seen pavement. The SWFT Volt instantly reminded me of that red scalpel, and after a few email exchanges, SWFT was kind enough to send one my way (below).

The Volt arrived mostly assembled, and in ten minutes I had the handlebars, front wheel and pedals attached, easy peasy. The Volt is the opposite of fancy and at $999 (hint: you can find it for less), that’s not wholly unexpected, but it’s also in line with expectations for this “kind” of bike. Bikes like the Volt should be stripped down, simple affairs. While the Light Makes Right crowd might wish for a carbon frame and carbon everything else to shave weight, I was more than happy with the Volt’s strong old-skool steel frame, steel forks and complete lack of well-known bicycle component brand names. And it came in black, with unpainted aluminum spoke wheels wearing skinny 700x28mm roadie tires, classic but reliable V-type rim brakes and not much else besides a very bright LED headlight and a kickstand. And I even removed the kickstand, just on (hipster) principle! The Volt is also available in a natty silver scheme with orange highlights.

While I tapped out a story on my laptop, the battery charged up and as the sun dipped towards the end of a rare dry autumn Oregon day, I pointed the Volt towards Portland’s inner city streets.

Initial impressions: Single-speedster expectations happily met, even though I kept hunting for the shifter out of habit. At 44 pounds, the Volt is fairly light for an ebike, partly because it’s packing a smallish 36-volt, 10Ah battery that’s ensconced inside the lower downtube. Quick heads up: You’ll need a decent inseam (32 inches or so) to clear the top tube comfortably, and SWFT says the Volt fits most riders over 5 foot 10 inches tall.

The power system offers three levels of pedal assist through a small LCD pad on the left bar, and three is plenty for this bike. Surprisingly, instead of a thumb throttle (or no throttle), there is a twist throttle on the right grip for rolling on electrons alone, and it powers the Volt up to 20mph (eventually) at full throttle in the flat. At that speed, pedaling is fairly ineffective, but again, drag racing other ebikes is not the Volt’s mission: this is a fleet and precise urban transport. The combination of pedal power through the single gear plus the hamster in the rear hub give the Volt over 30 miles of electric range and if the battery goes dry, no worries, it’s not like you have to pedal a 90-pound fat bike home at six miles an hour. This thing zips right along at double digits on the pedals alone, and hills get your butt up out of the saddle where it belongs for a more intense workout. It all feels so familiar, so good, so much more like what bicycling used to be like by default – but with that electric boost in reserve.

And that’s the real charm of the SWFT Volt. It’s the cake you can eat, too. Single-speed nirvana when you want it, pedal assist and even freewheel motoring when you need it. Fancy? No, but that’s OK in this case. Maybe add disc brakes, please? But effective and fun? Absolutely. SWFT’s simple Volt takes me back to those younger, more daring days in the saddle, when “ebikes” weren’t even a word yet. It’s a great blend of both worlds. It’s a keeper.

SWFT Volt ebike, $999 MSRP and as tested.