On the surface, the Heybike Mars 500-Watt E-Bike has an exceedingly versatile design. The chunky tires look like they could handle the turbulence of the path less traveled, the powerful battery seems as if it could handle a hefty commute, and the foldable frame makes it a minimalist’s dream, but is it really as good as it sounds? That’s what I endeavored to find out!
Heybike Review
Heybike Mars 500-Watt E-Bike: Pros And Cons
Pros
- 48 V battery offers great range (48 miles).
- Arrives pre-assembled.
- Fat tires offer ultimate traction.
- Handles hills well.
- Great on wet, sandy, and snowy surfaces.
- Comes with an awesome front suspension.
- No need to lift seat to remove the battery.
- Battery has a USB port for charging your phone.
- Has both throttle and pedal assist modes.
- Controls are user-friendly and display information in a legible fashion.
- Snappy acceleration.
- Good value for money.
Cons
- Cable management at the front is baffling.
- A 10-speed shifter would be better suited.
Where Can You Purchase The Heybike Mars?
Shop the Heybike Mars here.
Buyer’s Guide
Assembly
The Heybike Mars arrives at your doorstep 100% assembled and ready to go!
Motor & Top Speed
The 500-watt, hub drive, brushless motor is pretty darn good, folks. It’s snappy off the mark and can hit the top speed of 20 miles per hour amazingly quickly.
What’s more, on a flat surface, I found that if you really push the throttle, you can actually break the 20 mph threshold by a fraction of a mile, even with pretty severe wind resistance, so, yeah… it’s a great motor that goes above and beyond spec.
Tires And Terrain
With 20 x 4” puncture-resistant fat tires that offer tons of traction, even over wet, and to a certain extent, snowy and icy surfaces, the Mars is the ultimate, year-round ride!
It’s even pretty great at handling inclines, which is something I was a little worried about, as the area I live in has some big rises and falls.
However, despite the versatility of these tires, I wouldn’t exactly call the Mars an all-terrain bike. It can handle plenty of rough and tumble, and it can absolutely take you for a long nature ride down an easy-going trail, but due to the frame design and rider position, it’s probably not the best model for hardcore mountain biking.
I see the Mars as the ideal commuter bike and the perfect tool for zipping around town to run errands without wasting the gas in your car.
Battery & Range
The battery on the Mars is what sets it apart from the other 500-watt foldable options on the market. It’s a 48 V, 12.5 Ah, lithium-ion unit, which translates to an insanely impressive range — we’re talking 37 miles at full speed. And that’s using throttle the whole way as well, which is nuts!
As is often the case with foldable e-bikes, the battery is loaded on the seat post/seat tube, which I think I prefer to the typical down tube mounts you’ll find on electric mountain bikes.
Resting almost perfectly in line with your spine, it strengthens your center of gravity, optimizing the downforce of your legs and helping you to stay balanced.
On most bikes with this style of mount, you have to lift the seat in order to remove the battery, meaning you have to re-find your sweet spot after every charge. But the Heybike Mars has a seat tilt function that clears a path for battery removal without adjusting seat height — it’s such a thoughtful feature!
And while we’re on the topic of charging, you can expect a full charge to take roughly 6 hours, and once it’s all topped up, you can use the baked-in USB-C port to charge your small electronics.
Assist Modes
As is the norm with this style of e-bike, you get 3 tiers of pedal assist to choose from as you ride: low, medium, and high.
Pairing low or medium with a high gear will help you get a good workout while still getting from A to B in record time, and the high setting completely takes the sting out of pedaling, allowing you to kick back and enjoy the ride.
It’s a hybrid design, meaning it also comes with a throttle function that essentially pedals for you, so you really can just relax and let the good times roll.
Controls
The control has a backlight that you can toggle on and off, so you can still make out crucial information when riding at night. It shows you distance traveled, battery reserve, miles/kilometers per hour, and, of course, which of the three levels of speed assist you’re using.
If you give the power button a tap, you can also cycle through a couple of additional bits of data, such as time or watt consumption, which is pretty cool.
On the other handlebar, we have the thumb throttle control. I personally prefer a twist grip throttle, but it all works exactly as it should, so no real qualms from me in this department.
Brakes, Suspension, & Handling
You’ll see a lot of foldable e-bikes arrive with fat tires and no other form of suspension, which is a little lackluster. Thankfully, the Mars arrives with chunky tires, and an amazing, adjustable front suspension, ensuring it can handle tricky terrain without flinging you all over the place, bucking bronco style.
The dual mechanical disc brakes are great, too. Would I have preferred hydraulics? Yes, but being that we’re only ever traveling at 20 mph here, they’re not really necessary.
Once you’ve dialed in your suspension preference, and you’ve acclimatized to the braking system, the Mars handles wonderfully. The handlebars are nimble and easy to turn, the stopping power is on point, and those fat tires provide a very reassuring feeling of stability at all times.
Frame, Drivetrain, & Weight Capacity
With a slick red and black color scheme, and the ability to support riders between the heights of 5’3” and 6’3” up to 330 lbs, the frame of the Mars means business!
I was particularly surprised by the weight capacity considering it’s not the largest bike in the world, and foldable designs tend not to have quite as much tensile strength as their rigid counterparts.
I’m only around 140 lbs, so I haven’t been able to test how weight closer to the threshold affects performance, but based on how easily it carries me, I’m certain it’d still perform to spec on flats, right up to the 330 lbs limit.
At 66 lbs, the bike itself is quite heavy, meaning the folding is more of a space saver in storage than it is an invitation to walk around with this thing like it’s a suitcase, although the built-in handle does help take the edge off transporting it by hand.
The rack on the back is a nice little extra. I’ve been using it to tie my groceries down, so I don’t have to bring a backpack with me on my shopping trips. It’s robust (rated for 100 lbs), it’s practical… I can’t fault it.
The drivetrain is awesome, too, and the Shimano 7-speed shifter is a lovely touch. It keeps gear changes super smooth, which helps optimize battery and motor efficiency.
If I’m being picky, I’d like a couple extra gears for when I maxed out the highest pedal assist tier, as it feels like your legs are moving faster than they need to, but other than that, it’s a fantastic system.
Comfort
I have to say, this is the comfiest version of this kind of e-bike I’ve ever ridden.
The saddle has plenty of cushioning without being too bulky, and the combination of the fat tires and adjustable front shocks makes small work of potholes, divots, curbs, and bumps. The seat post also has a small suspension system, to keep you extra comfortable!
Sure, if you planned on riding the maximum 48 miles on this thing, you’d no doubt feel a small amount of discomfort in the old derrière, but, unless you plan on strapping La-Z-Boy to your seat pole, the same would be true of any bike/saddle combo.
Value For Money
A few weeks back, I reviewed the Ecotric Dolphin [Link to another article from same batch of content], which is a very similar beast in concept, but it comes nowhere near the Mars in terms of build quality and performance, yet they arrive at similar price points.
The Mars is the more expensive of the two, but for a minimal difference, you get an adjustable front suspension, a much bigger battery, a more efficient motor, a bunch of nifty extras like the USB port and seat tilt function, and, in my opinion, a much cooler looking frame.
So, is the Mars cheap? Not really, but is it great value for money? 100%
The Final Verdict
And there you have it — The Heybike Mars is one of, if not, the best foldable e-bike of this type on the market, and I would absolutely recommend it to pretty much anyone.
The only person it might not be suited to is the consummate thrill-seeker, the mountain biker whose idea of a good time involves death-defying rides over the toughest terrain they can find.
The Mars just isn’t designed for that sort of application, but for general off-roading and street riding, it really is an elite bike. I would prefer a 10-speed gear system, and smarter cable management system at the front would be the icing on the cake, but overall, I’m very happy with my purchase, which is why…
I give the Heybike Mars 500-Watt E-Bike 4.9/5
