Pedibal Maxima with throttle

The Pedibal Maxima is a rare beast: a fat bike with a legal throttle. Whilst there are lots of throttle-powered fat bikes around, it’s a fair assumption that a sizeable proportion of them aren’t legal – especially if the rider is cruising effortlessly along without pedalling. The Maxima can therefore claim this combination of twist-and-go power and superwide tyres as its USP.

In response to our review of the throttle-powered version of Pedibal’s Navigata, Secret_squirrel asked, “Can we have a review of the Maxima please that’s where a throttle will really shine IMO.” 

So here it is. Whilst the Navigata is a nimble-looking relative lightweight at just over 21kg, the Maxima’s maximalist design and huge capacity battery bring it in at nearly twice that (39.5kg). Both though enjoy the benefits of pure – and legal – throttle power which is what makes them unusual on the UK e-bike scene.  

There’s still a widespread belief that throttles that power you without your having to turn the pedals are illegal in the UK, but that’s not so. Whilst e-bike law stipulates that a throttle is only allowed to operate at full speed provided the bike’s pedals are turning, there is a fully legal, but rarely exploited exception. 

This is a class of vehicle called a 250W LPM – with LPM standing for low powered moped. Okay, legally speaking the Maxima is now a moped not an electrically assisted pedal cycle (EAPC), but throttle aside, it is much the same in all other respects. It is restricted to a maximum speed of 15.5mph with a 250W motor and can be ridden anywhere a bike or e-bike can, including on bike lanes and bridleways (where other classes of moped are not permitted).

To qualify, a vehicle must pass a test for basic safety aspects at a DVSA centre. Pedibal organises this for you, which means the bike comes with a certificate indicating it is legal for the road and bike lane. No retesting is required and nor is there any red tape like needing insurance or licence plates. You just keep the paperwork with the bike and it’s legal for ever more with no extra costs or bureaucracy.

> How Pedibal’s throttle-controlled e-bikes can legally be ridden without a licence and insurance

This is not the case with other more powerful or faster ‘out of class’ e-bikes like speed pedelecs which carry more onerous ongoing legal requirements, such as insurance.

For more on the various light electric vehicle classes (including 250W LPMs) see our ‘Alternatives to e-bikes’ feature.
 

What does the Maxima Offer?

Pedibal Maxima, by Richard Peace

Legal niceties out of the way, let’s check out the Maxima’s most salient features. There’s a chunky-looking Bafang fat bike rear hub motor, a frame-integrated and removable 960Wh battery, 20in x 4in Kenda fat tyres, Tektro hydraulic disc brakes, seven-speed derailleur gears, a full colour display, hardwired lighting, beefy front and rear racks, mudguards, a kickstand and a 3A charger.

The bike also folds, but the utility of that will greatly depend on whether you think you will be able to lift what’s still a large and very hefty folded package. 

Whilst a quick once over of the Maxima might suggest it is a mid-drive, that’s not the case. Presumably this is a generic frame that can be manufactured with a particular mid-drive in mind or with a rear hub fat bike motor. There are a few of the latter around and Pedibal has gone with a trusted name in the form of Bafang. 

As the name suggests, everything about the Maxima is big. In practice, I found it an easy bike to live with as long as you don’t need to lift it off the ground. At almost 40kg, it’s one of the heaviest e-bikes I’ve tested. It did however fit into the usual corner of the kitchen where I often keep all manner of test bikes. The handlebars fold down for good measure and they are quite narrow, meaning it’s no big deal getting it through doorways. Big, steep steps would be more of a problem due to the considerable weight. 

The display is clear and has plenty of useful info at a glance, with graphic displays alongside numeric details such as the watts being put out by the motor. Like many of the other components on the Maxima, it’s not a premium spec, but perfectly suitable for the price and expected performance of the bike. 

Just who will the Maxima appeal to? Pedibal says its main market for the bike is 50-80 year olds and my anecdotal observations suggests this is probably the case. I’ve been approached whilst riding e-fat bikes more than when testing any other kind of bike and it’s clear from these enquirers that the looks appeal to this (without fail, male) demographic for whatever reason. That’s somewhat at odds with stories from Amsterdam of fat bikes (illegally modified for more speed in some cases) being so popular with the young that the city authorities are considering a ban. 

Of course those asking me about electric fat bikes don’t know whether the bike has a throttle or not and may well not know the legal nuances of the subject – but those looking to buy the Maxima will be aware of the option, so older (perhaps less physically able) riders would appear to be a key market. I suspect they are those who want an easy life mobility-wise but wish to maintain a modicum of machismo. 

Personally, I find throttles on e-bikes just make life easier – especially larger, heavier and slower to manoeuvre fat bikes.

As a family, we like to haul plenty of stuff around using e-bikes and the capacious rear rack (rated at 25kg) combined with the solid-looking front rack (rated at 5kg and much to my delight attached to the frame not the forks) means this could serve as a load hauler par excellence. Heavy load hauling is an an area where throttles help with getting going and also with close control.   

Food delivery workers might also be interested to learn that there is an e-bike that can carry a lot of grub on its dual racks easily, quickly and rather effortlessly, without the risk of using an illegal throttle only model. Sadly, the vast majority of throttle powered e-bikes in the UK are too fast or too powerful, or both, to fall within legal limits. 
 

How does it ride?

The throttle is the highlight of this bike, so let’s start there. After a slight delay on twisting, the power kicks in steadily but surely, so I could easily trundle along over pretty hilly terrain at a good speed using minimal or no pedal effort.

Like other pure throttle models, it’s handy for stop-start riding and hill starts, as well as suiting riders with weaker than average pedal power. My only quibble would be that for really good slow speed throttle control of the bike, I would have liked to have seen a more gradual ramp up rather than that slight dead spot when you first start twisting.  

Hit a very steep hill and the bike does slow noticeably, but if you can keep your speed up it’s all pretty effortless. Whilst it’s described as a high torque motor, I would have liked to have seen a bit more low speed torque and raw power in evidence on more severe inclines. The motor is surely capable of quite a few more watts than the 800W or so it (legally) peaked at as shown on the display. This may be because the internal gearing of the motor is designed for higher speed markets like the US, so you aren’t really getting the most out of it at a maximum assisted speed of 15.5mph.

> Torque it up: What is the maximum peak power from a 250W e-bike motor?

The Maxima made it up up my ultra steep hill test at around 6mph pretty easily with some moderate pedal input. If you are going to be tackling ultra steep hills on a regular basis – and especially if you weigh a lot more than my 65kg or will be carting heavy loads around – a very powerful Bosch mid-drive might be a more suitable option, if you can do without pure throttle power.

Do note you can ride it as a pedal assist only e-bike too, or using a mixture of pedal and throttle power. The five power levels are effectively speed rather than power controls, so I tended to leave the bike in level three or four to cruise around using pedal power at a little under 15mph then hit the throttle to help with hills or for quick starts. 

Like many of the parts on the Maxima, the seven-speed derailleur is made to hit a price point, but it is nevertheless a good, practical choice. The indexing allows you to shift several gears at once and this makes the lack of hub gearing less of an omission. The hydraulic disc brakes are also effective.

This is a super comfortable, not to say plush bike to ride. Huge volume tyres, front suspension, sprung saddle and the presence of the optional suspension seatpost on my test bike all contributed to making it one of the comfiest e-bikes I’ve ever ridden. The SR Suntour seatpost was soft enough and the movement just at the right angle to provide great cushioning when dropping off big kerbs and the like. 

Off-road or over uneven ground, the Maxima excels even more – though it’s not a bike for hardcore mountain biking terrain. For that I’d like to see a better modulated throttle and a higher torque motor. But rolling over the worst surfaced roads and tracks, and even bumpy, grassy, muddy or rocky fields, it’s in its element.

Both front and rear lights are plenty powerful, but the rear lights can be significantly obscured if you sling a couple of big panniers over the rear rack and in that instance you would need an extra set of backup lights fitted in a more visible location. There are brake lights too, but they could do with being quite a bit brighter to stand out in daylight. 
 

Any competition?

As I’ve already noted, legal full throttle e-bikes are very thin on the ground. Pedibal offers throttle options for all the e-bikes in its range. In addition to the Maxima and the previously tested folder, the Navigata, there is the Super 73 style Cruiza and, the lightest of the lot,  the carbon-framed, folding Explora. These are all quite different bikes, but if you want a legal throttle-powered e-bike, it certainly extends your options considerably.

There is a cost if you choose a legal throttle power option over a standard pedelec, as each bike needs to be taken to a DVSA testing station. In Pedibal’s case that means a premium of £200 over the pedelec-only versions, but that seems reasonable given the time and costs involved and aligns with what many other companies – for example in the motorbike world – charge for single vehicle type approval. 

Wisper is the only other company I know of that offers its own bikes with the option of ‘full throttle’ models, though its range is rather more conservative. 

In terms of other electric fat bikes, the Maxima reminded me quite a lot of the Super 73 R Adventure I tried back in 2023. That bike was of questionable legality and felt rather underpowered for a big heavy bike when limited to 15.5mph. Whilst the Maxima probably has a bit more zip at low speeds, I still felt it was raring to get into a higher speed to really shine.

If you want fat but no throttle e-bikes, we have tested several. However, they often get unenthusiastic reviews based on the heavy weight and the lack of manoeuvrability. The latter is something a throttle can certainly help with. A couple of more positive e-fat reviews we’ve featured are the Engwe C20 Pro and the Himiway Zebra. 

Overall, the Pedibal Maxima is highly recommended for those looking for a full throttle e-bike with tons of practical features and a penchant for rougher tracks (certain off-road sections of the National Cycle Network, especially in winter, qualify here). In these situations, its superb comfort comes into its own. Potential buyers just need to be sure they can live with the huge weight penalty of this sort of design.

pedibal.com

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