18/11/2025
From our client:
E-Velo CHEETAH electric bike test.
My wife and I rode almost the entire Mindanao on E-VELO CHEETAH electric bikes in exactly 2 months (61 days).
Based on previous short tests, we had to make adjustments and replace some parts on the bikes before this trip.
1. Replacing the 7-speed screw cassette (14-28T) with a new type of 6-speed screw cassette (14-34T) Shimano Tourney MF-TZ30. This cassette has two improvements. A) The 34T disc allows for better and more economical climbing of steep hills, B) the cassette is narrower by one speed and therefore the rear wheel is better handled when mounted in the bike frame.
2. Instead of the original single-wheel 46T Crankset, we installed a two-wheel Crankset 56-38T and on the wife's bike, since it is 5 kg lighter, a Ragusa RB 800 Crankset with 52-42T. Since the smaller bike is only used for very steep and long climbs, we shift the chain manually.
3. Replacing the brakes with a fully hydraulic 4-piston design with brake pads that have cooling. And replacing the brake discs with 203 mm.
4. To prevent frequent punctures and improve the handling of the bikes, we put Continental Contact Urban tires on the front wheels and Continental Terra Hardpack Protection on the rear wheels. Thanks to this choice, we did not have a puncture once during the entire route.
5. We have foam seats for comfortable seating on long routes.
6. Finally, the most important addition, an additional external 10AH battery that increases the total capacity to 25AH with a total range on the flat to 150 km or climbing up to a height of over 1,300 m.
We traveled 4,200 km and conquered an altitude of 28,000 m, so for comparison we conquered the Himalayas 3 times in total.
We are not athletes, I am a 60-year-old Czech and my wife is a 49-year-old Filipina, whom I usually have trouble getting for a short ride at home.
We traveled at a leisurely pace at an average speed of about 20 km/h, 90% of the time, on very good 4-6-lane roads, most of the length covered with asphalt. The daily distance traveled depended on the difficulty of the trip and the possibility of finding suitable accommodation. Every third trip was between 100-135 km long, another third between 35-60 km long and the rest between 60-90 km. In addition to the easy flat sections around the coast, we sometimes climbed mountains over 1,000 m high, sometimes with very steep climbs of around 15-20% for up to 20-30 km. At the same time, we also went down for whole kilometers without pedaling, only with our hands on the brakes. The longest overall descent was from the central Bukidnon mountains to Davao City, 70 km long with a total elevation gain of over 1,800 m.
We slept in 41 places for 1-3 nights, visited 49 different locations and tourist attractions and 32 beaches.
Total costs were ₱187,000, of which accommodation ₱60,000, attractions and souvenirs ₱15,000 and the rest for food and other expenses (I have no idea where it was spent :--)).
For those interested in taking a closer look at our "Tour De Mindanao" with a short description of each day and lots of photos, here is a link to the Cloud with all the photos:
Any interested "cyclists" who would be interested in renting electric bikes and traveling around the Philippines for various lengths of time with a guide, write to me and I will provide the contact.
Link to photos:
https://us.zonerama.com/marsik3/Album/1000327769
