The E11even Fitness bike is a budget friendly bike that is designed to make fitness fun. At only $599.99 it’s a budget friendly bike that is perfect for commuting or exploring local roads and trails. Despite the low price, E11even has incorporated a semi-hydroformed aluminum frame, disc brakes and 700x35c tires into the Fitness bike. The bike also features a 3×8 L-Twoo A3 drivetrain which uses a triple crankset upfront and an 8-speed cassette on the rear to allow the bike to climb easily and handle faster paced riding. As with other E11even products, the Fitness bike is focused on value and reliability instead of minimizing weight or unnecessary features. The bike is also backed with a lifetime frame warranty and one-year warranty on the complete bike.
The E11even Fitness bike combines a well designed aluminum frame and comfortable 35mm tires with an accessible price point.
| Retail Price | $599.99 |
| Rating | Design: A Components: B+ Handling: A Value: A+ |
| Weight (lb) | 29.9 (large size) |
| Likes | + Affordable price + Comfortable 700x35c tires absorb imperfections + Attractive alloy frame and gray color scheme |
| Dislikes | – No color options – Triple crankset setup requires fine tuning – Bike does not include kickstand |
| Where to Buy (US) | E11even |
UNBOXING
The E11even Fitness comes well packed in a large bicycle cardboard box with E11even branding. Once you’ve opened up the box you’ll find:
- Fitness bike with protective coverings
- Assembly tools (wrench and allen keys)
- Instruction manual
The bike is very well packed with foam and protective wrapping on all the components to avoid any damage from shipping. Our bike arrived in perfect condition without any scratches or dents.
ASSEMBLY
Before you can start riding, some assembly is required. In order to make the Fitness bike fit into the box some parts are removed from the frame. There is an ample amount of protective wrapping and foam between the various parts to protect the components. You don’t need to be a professional mechanic to assemble the bike though, as you only need to reinstall a few components. You’ll want to start by attaching the handlebar onto the stem. Then you can attach the front brake rotor and front wheel to allow the bike to roll. The final details are small accessories such as the seat post and pedals. We’d recommend using some bike grease or blue loctite as well as a torque wrench for some of the more sensitive components such as the stem and seat post collar.
Once assembly is complete there is some fine tuning in order to avoid the disc brakes from rubbing and drivetrain from skipping. We had to do some minor adjustments in the brake rotor positions and angle to prevent any rubbing between the pads and rotors. The 3×8 drivetrain also was slightly out of tune for us and required some adjustments in the cable tension and high/low derailleur screws. There are a variety of YouTube videos that can help with the indexing and adjustment of derailleurs as it is not a brand specific procedure. For those that are not mechanically inclined, we’d recommend having a shop or mechanic look over the bike to ensure everything is torqued and tuned properly before riding.
FIT & FINISH
We were pleasantly surprised when we saw the Fitness bike in person as it looked significantly more attractive than the website photos would suggest. The bike is only offered in a single silver color which looks like a typical flat silver on the website photos, however, in person the color is actually a modern cement gray / nardo gray matte finish that has become an increasingly popular option for cars and bikes. The combination of the attractive gray color and simple black E11even branding makes it easy to mistake the Fitness bike for a mid-level endurance road bike from much larger brands. The bike even has a swoopy top tube that transitions from an elliptical cross section to a round cross section thanks to the semi-hydroformed aluminum frame which is a design typically reserved for carbon frames or higher-end aluminum frames.
The Fitness bike uses an endurance style geometry which uses a tall headtube, and more vertical seatpost and headtube angles than road bikes to achieve a more upright riding position. It’s similar to the Priority Ace of Spades and is perfect for commuting to work, riding around town or even medium length rides. For those looking for a more aggressive setup you can easily adjust the handlebar position by removing spacers or using an angled stem to lower the handlebars. The bike comes with a single bottle cage and provisions for rack or fender attachments on the front and rear wheel which are useful for commuting or urban use. There are even eyelets on the rear dropouts that can be used with heavy duty racks or fender setups.
COMPONENTS
E11even has set up the Fitness bike with affordability and versatility in mind. That means the bike comes with a simple L-Twoo A3 mechanical drivetrain. There is a triple crankset on the front and eight gears on the rear cassette to achieve a total of 24 gears. Unlike a Gates carbon belt system, found on other commuter bikes such as the Priority Ace of Spades, which can be nearly maintenance free, the mechanical drivetrain requires semi-regular grease and derailleur adjustments for optimal performance. While we would have personally preferred a more simple 1x system, the 24 gear setup offers a wide gear range that handles slow hill climbs as well as faster paced riding well. The thumb shifters also have large and easy to read gear indicators that make it easy to see what gear you are currently in for both the front and rear derailleur.
The other parts of the finishing kit are unbranded but use modern designs. You’ll find a threadless headset and 27.2mm round seatpost with clamp setup. One of the best aspects of the bike is the use of mechanical Winzip disc brakes with 160mm rotors on the front and rear. While the setup isn’t as smooth as the TRP HY/RD hydraulic setup of the Decathlon RC520 it works well and provides great braking power. Even Decathlon can’t match the E11even Fitness bike’s $600 price point, the closest configuration is a $800 RC120. Thanks to the disc setup, there is plenty of clearance to go even wider than the stock 700×35 tires for those looking for an even more plush ride. As with any budget bike, we’d recommend upgrading the saddle, tire levers and tires over time to improve the bikes performance and comfort.
RIDING IMPRESSIONS
The combination of the upright endurance geometry and the wide flat handlebars give the E11even Fitness bike responsive handling. It’s not as twitchy as aggressive road bikes which position you further forward over the front wheel, instead it’s quick and nimble. It’s a great setup for urban riding if you need to maneuver between vehicles or dodge pedestrians. We also appreciated the wide 700×35 tires which provide a smooth and plush ride. The setup absorbs potholes and can even be ridden on gravel roads with ease. While the bike may lack a carbon fork or carbon seat post, the aluminum frame does a great job at dampening road vibrations while still offering feedback. For those looking to do more road riding, we’d recommend swapping out the CST 700×35 tires with high-performance tires such as the Hutchinson Sector 28 tires which offer more grip and speed.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the E11even Fitness bike to be a highly accessible and well thought out entry-level bike. While the name “Fitness” bike isn’t a particularly clever bicycle name, E11even has hit the right marks with the design and components of the bike. The bike uses modern design elements including mechanical disc brakes, semi-hydroformed aluminum frame and wide 700×35 tire setup. The bikes 3×8 drivetrain setup also offers a wide gear range that makes it easy to ride the Fitness bike on steep hills or faster flat roads. At only $600 it’s tough to find an equivalent bike from reputable brands. The main negatives of the Fitness bike is the fact that it is only offered in a single but attractive gray color and that triple crankset setup requires some tuning for smooth shifting. That said, if you’re looking for a budget friendly and versatile bike the E11even Fitness bike is an excellent option to consider.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by E11even. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.
Would this make a good gravel conversion? Any idea how wide of tires this bike can accommodate?
Yes, it’s a pretty impressive deal at this price point (it’s on sale for $500 right now too). You’d probably want a flared dropbar and more aggressive tires to make it more fun on gravel. I’m not exactly sure how wide of a tire would fit, but visually there looks like enough room to go up to 700×45 range.
I know cost has been saved from using economy components, but in your honest opinion, how good of quality would you rate the frame? Is it on par with a “name brand” $1k bike? If the frame is decent, upgrades down the line should be easy enough.
From our experience, the welding and frame design seem to be well done. The only limitation you should consider is that the bottom bracket is a square taper cartridge BB design which may limit upgrade options. If you plan to do longer rides or century type events I’d recommend a Van Rysel / Triban style endurance bike over this fitness / hybrid style geometry though – otherwise the e11even is a solid bike at $600 and easy to upgrade.
Is there an option to attach a kickstand? If so do you have any recommendations?
That’s a good question. I don’t see any pre-drilled spots for a bolt-on kickstand but there seem to be a lot of clamp-on aftermarket options available. We haven’t tested any in particular to recommend though.