The Swytch Bike Kit - Review 2023

Empower Your Favorite Bike

The Swytch bike kit is a solution for riders who don’t want to let go of their current two-wheeler.

Whatever our expectations for the Swytch ebike kit was before we got it, incorporating it into a standard piece of everyday equipment was surprisingly easy. In fact, it’s difficult to imagine removing it now because it makes biking every single day a little more ejoyable.

A typical day for testing, which included the aforementioned 600 plus kilometers, was a 5 km ride to the train, a 20 minute ride on the train, followed by a 5 km bike ride to the office. The Swytch bike empowers the rider so that the 5 km biking segment was often extended to a 12 km ride to a further station.

This is maybe the most redeeming feature of ebikes generally and one that the Swytch will do more cost-effectively. The only downside will be less cardio work. But it can always be turned off, and, in fact, when biking faster than the pre-programmed limit, there’s no pedal assist.

For this and a few other reasons related to its impressive design, it’s probably the best conversion kit for bikes on the market. For value and performance, at least, it seems to win.

This conversion kit includes a customized rim–made specific to individuals’ existing front wheel–with a 250-watt motor hub. A mount for the battery and an LCD controller is preprogrammed for pedal assist up of 32 kph or 25 kph, depending on the local speed limits.

You can choose from two battery packs- AIR and MAX. The former has a max range of 15 km, the latter up to 30 km. That’s on paper, at least. Our experience over 650 km with the smaller AIR battery shows that there’s a lot of variation in results.

Sometimes we’re able to eke out 20 km before the battery is drained. Other times, we only manage 12 km before running dry. It depends on how much pedal assist we apply and how fast or slow we bike. More about that later.

Design

A “Universal eBike Conversion Kit” is an accurate description of the Swytch. You can install this pedal assist system on practically any bike model, even on foldable bikes. This versatility is one of its strong points that we appreciate.

It allows you to enjoy the familiarity of your favorite bike while boosting its performance. The package comes with a custom rim, pedal sensor, cables, mounts and brackets, and charger.

Swytch will make rims for bikes with sizes between 16″ to 29″, whether for a Brompton, MTB, road, or hybrid. Make sure to check your bike carefully, thru-axles are not compatible with Swytch.

Your bike will retain its profile for the most part, except for the battery pack in the handlebar. You’ll only feel the additional weight of the motor and battery at the frontl when carrying the bike up and down stairs.

So how does it work?

The 250-watt motor hub in the front wheel gives your bike the pedal assist it needs. To start delivering power, the magnetic disk placed at the pedal arm revolves around when pedaling and triggers the sensor that’s fastened in the Swytch bike kit paired with the pedal sensor communicates your cadence to the front wheel motor. In a sense, your pedaling speed will dictate how much power the engine needs to exert to give you the extra push.

So, if you’re in low gear, uphill, pedaling like mad, the motor kicks in more to help you. Alternatively, if you are cycling easily on the flat in high gear with slower pedaling, the motor does not give you much extra power, but you also don’t need its help.

Installation

Setting up the Swytch bike kit is pretty straightforward. Simply remove your front wheel and change it with the rim included in the package. No worries, all the bolts and attachments you need are in the box.

After replacing the front wheel, unclip the sensor disk and attach it to your crank. Then, attach the sensor next to it on your bike’s frame. The magnetic disk of the Swytch bike kit also comes with adaptors to match various cranksets. Users have had trouble with the adaptors since the sizing is inconsistent.

We had to trim some of the plastic pieces off in order to make it fit, but after that all went smoothly.

Now, install the battery mount in the handlebar. This process is also a breeze and needs nothing but an Allen key. Remember to use the strap under so it doesn’t tilt down accidentally.

Connect and secure all the cables: from the handlebar mount to the wheel and from the wheel to the sensor. And voila! Clip in the battery, and your Swytch bike kit is ready.

If your bike has suspension, remember to leave enough allowance in cable length. Bracket spacers and zip ties are all provided. The zip ties are probably the least elegant bits of this set.

Otherwise, setting up this conversion kit on your bicycle is a simple process. You might bump into some problems, but Swytch fits most models without a hassle.

Speed and Power

The Swytch bike kit has five levels of assistance. Six, actually, if you include “0”. Set to “5” and the motor will assist you up to the max speed quickly. Set to “4”, less quickly, and so on. We found that switching the power based on the situation maxed out the battery distance.

For example, turning up to “5” at a stop and turning down after reaching a kind of cruising speed. On the other hand, for a more balanced ride, a setting at “3” will good distance and decent performance (speed).

From a stop, the power assist gets you up to speed relatively quickly. For those with bad knees, this is of particular value. After that the power profile will push the bike to 20 km/h and beyond and hold it there, depending on conditions.

Pushing through inclines with this pedal assist will also give you enough assistance to keep you going up hills.

On a morning commute, getting passed by spandex-clad bikers on their thousand-dollar bikes on the flats or downhill is typical. But it’s also nice catching them at hills with the Swytch kit (laughing on the inside.

To get the feel of the motor alone, we removed the bike chain and pedaled to see how fast it could go without assistance from the back wheel. With the setting on 5, we got up to 25 km/h speed.

Range, Battery Life and Charge Time

You can choose two battery sizes when joining the Swytch bike kit waitlist. The 98Wh AIR can cover 15 km while the 180Wh MAX can last twice the distance, at least on paper.

Their charge time is also different, with the former only needing an hour while the latter needs 2.5 hours. Both still have a relatively short charge time and are super portable. However, the AIR pack will only be ideal for 10-12 km tours.

But in real-life scenarios, trail conditions and a rider’s weight will factor in its range capacity and battery life. The more uphill you climb, the more pedal assist is needed and the more battery you use.

On paved roads, you can clock in 3-4 short trips or use a fully-charged AIR battery for extended rides close to 15 km on the lower assist setting. Make it last longer by coasting or biking faster than the assist-speed ceiling.

And if you’re planning to go for extended distances, getting a spare one makes it effortless to swap them and carry on with your pedaling adventure.

The battery pack itself is durable. After more than 1000 kilometers of use, there’s no sign of wear and tear, thanks to its rubberized edge.

Ease of Use

Getting the drat out of the way, the required power adaptor is unique and needs to accompany the battery in order to charge it. That reduces the elegance of it all when needing to recharge constantly, something that the AIR battery does need often.

Beyond that, popping the battery in and turning on the controller takes 5 seconds.

After stopping and locking your bike, it’s even faster to pop the battery out and slip it into a fanny pack or backpack.

You’ll have to install your own lights if you’re riding during the night. The previous version of this conversion kit had a built-in 200-lumen headlight, which worked ok to stay visible but wasn’t bright enough to illuminate the way. The company prioritized portability and ditched that part of safety after the upgrade.

Overall, the Swytch bike kit is a breeze to operate. It gives the extra push you need during uphills or during those days when your legs feel like jello.

Final Verdict

Getting on your bike with Swytch power and feeling the acceleration puts a smile on your face. Using the Swytch as a daily driver will make you want a longer commute too. The elegant design of the battery makes popping it out and shoving it in a bag or cargo pocket easy. That also makes it better than most electric bikes.

Price-wise, the Swytch kit e-bike kit will be much less expensive than a decent electric bike on its own. But that requires having a bike, to begin with.

On the other hand, the Swytch bike kit allows you to enjoy your favorite bike’s performance and add some fun to the overall experience. The battery pack’s portability also means you can carry it to the office and charge it. Lock your bike at the parking and come back, then plug it in and go.

At less than 15 km distance, the AIR battery pack is not the best for long-distance rides. But it’s smaller and more convenient to grab on the go. It’s also convenient to have an extra battery to swap it in whenever needed, even in the middle of nowhere.

Setting up and operating the Swytch was simple. More accuracy on the battery unit’s power meter or an app to show actual power remaining would be nice, but it’s something you get to know after a while.

This conversion kit provides the pedal assist required, whether for speed on flats or some push during inclines. It doesn’t perform as well as the higher end e-bikes, but it’s excellent for a pedal-assist system if you want to keep the bike you own but want to add some juice.