SWFT Fleet Review

EDITORS' RATING : 8 / 10
Pros
  • Comfortable to ride long-distance
  • Speeds up to 19.8 MPH
  • Battery lasts over 35 miles per charge
  • Thick, robust frame
  • Easily swappable battery
Cons
  • Must be at least 5-foot, 7-inches to ride
  • Large size requires significant storage space

The SWFT Fleet is an electric bicycle with a classic beach cruiser style and a 37.2-mile range. The bike has a 19.8 MPH top speed courtesy of a 500W motor inside, and it works with a single rechargeable, removable battery that takes approximately 6 hours to go from totally empty to totally full. This is a big, high-quality electric bike the likes of which have scarcely been out-done in the world today.

The SWFT Fleet is one of several electric bicycles made by the company. You'll find a more rugged machine with the SWFT Zip, and a bike roughly equivalent (in looks, anyway) to a fixed-gear bike with the SWFT Volt. The SWFT Fleet is the "chill" bike of the bunch – the one made for "cruising around town", as SWFT suggests.

If we had to find an electric bike that was most unlike that of the tiny, foldable Swagtron EB-5 we reviewed back in September of 2018, this SWFT Fleet would be it. The Fleet is big – it has a thick steel frame, thick beach cruiser tires, and a thick seat. Where the Swagtron EB-5 was made for people of a variety of heights, the SWFT Fleet is most certainly made for people 5'7" and taller.

The Fleet has comfy, laid-back handlebars and a design that lends itself to a variety of styles of biking. It's not meant for mountain adventures, but it handles a bit of off-road grass and gravel with the greatest of ease.

The quality of this bike is above and beyond any other electric bike or scooter I've reviewed before. When you drop hundreds of dollars on this machine, you'll know where your money went. That includes the frame, the handlebars and seat, the tires, and the battery. It even includes the kickstand, which is (thankfully) more than beefy enough to keep this bike standing upright under most conditions.

We've got a surprisingly bright built-in headlight up front. Like the rest of the bike, the styling of this lamp lends itself to any sort of rider – and lights the way, as it should. The light as well as the top speed and throttle are controlled by an LCD control display. This control display is simple and usable – learning how to use this bit was no hassle whatsoever.

This bike comes unassembled, but is not difficult to put together. You might have the option to have the bike professionally assembled – and you certainly COULD choose to do so – but it's not necessary so long as you can hold the frame up while you're screwing the tires into place.

I am by no means a professional when it comes to bicycle repair or construction, and I was able to put the bike together in around a half hour by myself.

I like the way the battery is mounted on this bike. Having tried a number of electric transportation machines over the last several years, I've come to appreciate having the option to remove and replace a battery with ease. This battery clicks in place and comes with a lock with a set of keys – very convenient and nice to use.

SWFT's claims on battery life and charge time are right on the money. You'll be able to ride for over 35 miles, no sweat, so long as you've charged the battery to full before you head out. This bike comes with its own charging block that can plug in to any standard outlet.

The SWFT Fleet electric bike can be purchased from the Ride SWFT website (and online store) for approximately $999 USD. That includes shipping. This bike can also be purchased with a monthly payment plan with Klarna for "as low as $56/mo." This bike is worth that amount of cash all day long – and assuming it's ready to last season after season as I have no reason to believe it wouldn't, it'll be worth that amount of cash for many years into the future, too.