Himiway Escape Pro: Stylish Fat Tire Ebike With Serious Moped Vibes
Himiway Escape Pro
The Himiway Escape Pro is a fat tire ebike that stands out with its moped-like design and features, such as the fixed seat and dual coil rear suspension. However, for those in the UK and EU, the 250W motor limit its suitability for larger riders and challenging terrains. The US model with a 750W motor should offer ideal performance. Overall, the Escape Pro is ideal for those who want a unique, stylish ebike for all-terrain local travel and don’t mind the heavy weight.
I love the aesthetic of a fat tire bike, but so many of them are starting to look awfully similar. Which is why it’s refreshing to see the Himiway Escape Pro stand up and say, “This isn’t a bike with big wheels; it’s a moped with pedals.”
The Escape Pro is available now fromHimiwayBike(or UK), starting at $1,800, but is it right for you?
Unique Design and Features
Visually, the Escape Pro exudes style, with its untraditional moped-like fixed seat on a step-through thick frame and striking features like the dual coil rear suspension. Even down to the small things such as the flourish on the kickstand and the faux leather with bold stitching on the handles, set the Escape Pro apart in a sea of fat tire ebikes.
Despite the bold design, many components are generic, like the Shimano 7-speed Altus gear system or 20x4-inch Kenda fat tires. But it’s what you do with it that counts, and the Escape Pro delivers.
Sadly, the aesthetics are slightly compromised by the tacky web URL printed on the side in classic Arial font. I’m tempted to paint over that with a bit of matte black body touch-up paint. The logo on the side and back of the seat is fine, but the URL would have been better as a small, discreet QR code next to the logo.
Riding Experience and Comfort
Throughout the review video, you’ll see my wife riding the Himiway Escape Pro, and that’s for two good reasons—and not just my cynical attempt at getting more views by having a female in the thumbnail.
Firstly, it was clear from the outset that I was slightly too tall for this bike. While visually stunning, the generally low riding style and low fixed-height seat (28 inches from the pedals) does mean that it can be difficult for tall riders.
Himiway states a recommended height of 5'1" to 6'1" should be fine. I’m 6'1", and it’s not really fine. My legs ride up ever so much too high. My wife is about 3 inches shorter than me, and it seemed ideal. I haven’t tested anyone much shorter, but based on that, 5'8" would be the maximum I’d recommend for comfort.
The second reason is that I’m quite heavy; I need a fair bit of motor power to help me on an ebike. The Escape Pro comes with a suitably hefty 750W motor if you purchase it in the US. Unfortunately, the exact same model from the UK store ships with a 250W motor instead.
This is, apparently, to comply with local laws and regulations in which anything above 250W is technically classed as a small motorbike. That requires a driving license and number plates (seriously—stop laughing, our laws are antiquated and silly). Curiously though, Himiway shipped this with a grip twist throttle, which, as far as I’m aware, makes it illegal in the UK anyway. But unless the police stop you and examine it closely, they aren’t going to know.
As with e-scooters, you’re only legally permitted to ride higher-powered ebikes on private land. Given that the Escape Pro isn’t foldable, it’s perhaps harder to justify selling an illegally high powered motor on the proviso that the user won’t ride it on the road. You can’t fold it up and put it in the back of your car, after all.
Regardless, that’s the other reason it’s not great for me: it doesn’t have enough power to get me up a hill.
Remember that fat tire bikes are heavier than regular bikes, so everything else being equal, you need more power to travel at the same speeds. Even on flat ground, I require some motor input to ride a fat tire ebike. My wife, at half my weight, struggled to ride the Escape Pro up a heavy incline or on rough terrain, which she wouldn’t have had it been the full 750W motor.
If you’re in the US, you’re able to ignore that complaint enitrely. But anyone in Europe or the UK, you might want to be looking at different bikes with higher power if you want this for anything other than city riding. For off-roading, 250W just doesn’t cut it.
Technical Specs: Brakes, Suspension, and Battery
On the front fork, you’ll find an adjustable hydraulic suspension that can be locked off for a more efficient road ride. I mentioned the rear dual coil suspension; combined, these give a very comfortable ride on any terrain.
The Tektro Aries 180mm hydraulic disc brakes are decent enough and relatively common for replacement parts, but they felt a little weak for my taste. I would have preferred a little more bite.
The 48V 17.5Ah (840Wh) battery is removable, which is essential on something this heavy so you could carry it somewhere to charge. All the wiring is wiring is hidden away inside the main body, leading to a much neater main body. The range is between 30 and 50 miles, though it depends on factors like hill climbs, rider weight, whether you’re using pedal-assist mode (and on what level) or pure throttle, and type of terrain. However, the capacity of 840Wh is above average, so you’re going to find a little better range than elsewhere.
In addition to a front light, you also have a factory-fitted rear brake light that perfectly matches the aesthetics; it’s not just a generic aftermarket bonus in the box.
Accessories: What Else Does the Escape Pro Offer?
We were also sent a front basket for testing. One slight word of warning, though: you need to move the front headlight if you add this, and it can hit the front wheel with any large bumps. Removing and refitting the light is not particularly easy, so if you do want to use it primarily off-road, it might be a good idea to invest in an alternative lighting solution.
The basket is great for running errands, and if you have a backpack to carry, it’s much easier than trying to strap it to the rear. It ties in perfectly with the chunky metal aesthetics and repeats the wooden base style that the rear pannier rack has.
As well as a front basket, there’s an optional extended rear basket and a matching delivery bag—perfect if you’re getting this for your Deliveroo runs.
Speaking of weights and capacity, the body is made of 6061 high-quality aluminum, and unlike competitors, the chunkier frame design allows it to have a far higher payload capacity of 330 lbs (150kg), which is about 50% higher than typical.
The bike itself is also heavier, though, at 92 lbs (41kg). While that’s not a problem if you have experience riding an actual motorbike (you know how to lift it after a fall), it is about a third heavier than similar ebikes. I wouldn’t lend this to my elderly neighbor because if it fell on top of her, she wouldn’t be able to get it off.
This also makes the Escape Pro difficult to ride without pedal assist. If you regularly forget to charge your ebike, or find yourself testing the range limits, the Escape Pro may not be for you.
But in terms of carrying capacity and sheer utility, the Escape Pro is superb.
What’s Next for Himiway?
It’s worth mentioning that Himiway recently announced a selection ofnew bikes for their 2023 line up, some of which are female-focused.
The Himiway Pony is a super-compact, ultra-portable, foldable bike with a 300W motor, weighing only 35 lbs (15kg), yet still achieving 22 miles on throttle alone. That’ll be available at a very affordable $500 price point.
The Rambler is a step-through city bike, at around $1,300, which looks to be good value if otherwise unremarkable in the design.
Of more note is the Rhino, a dual-battery mountain bike model with new 4.5-inch fat tires and up to a 100-mile range. The standard model is $3,000, with a Rhino Pro 1000W mid-drive model for $4,000
Should You Buy the Himiway Escape Pro?
As long as you are 5'8" or under and can handle a heavyweight bike, the Escape Pro a lot of fun and can be optionally kitted out with all sorts of load-carrying baskets that match the unique chunky moped aesthetic and make it the perfect all-terrain utility bike.
The weight of the bike can be a problem, and particularly in the UK, it’s difficult to recommend with just a 250W motor, particularly if you’re hoping to tackle anything outside of flat cityscapes or to use throttle-only driving. It just doesn’t have the needed power and doesn’t match the comfortable low seat. The pedals are almost an afterthought to get it legally recognized as an ebike.
For US readers, the 750W motor would be perfectly matched, and you should have no problems on any challenging terrain. If you have been considering a fat tire bike and don’t mind the fact that it’s not foldable; if you want something to travel locally with and not put in the back of your car; then the unique design and great suspension give the Himiway Escape Pro equal parts utility, comfort, and fun.
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