Volt Burlington e-bike review

By Rebecca Bland

2 Apr 2022

Move Electric rating: three-and-a-half stars out of five

What does it cost?
£1949

What is it?

The Volt Burlington is a step-through framed electric bike typically seen on urban and city bicycles. Volt, however, is keen to point out that it is "just as at home out in the countryside as it is navigating the city". The upright riding position lends itself traditionally to more urban riding but, on this bike, in particular, it can remain comfortable over longer rides (20+ miles) too.

What is it like?
Sitting just shy of £2k it impressed me with the quality at this price point.

Aesthetically, it's interesting to look at. It's not the most beautiful bike in the world, but it's not designed to be fawned over like something in a gallery, it's designed to be ridden. At the end of the day, you can bang on about the sleek lines of a bike and the paint schemes, but if you want a bike that will get you from A to B without any fuss then the Volt Burlington is a great place to start from.

To start it up you press the button on the battery, and then using one of the key fobs Volt provides, you tap the screen to unlock the bike. It’s a nice little security extra if you’re worried about leaving your bike unattended. It won’t stop determined thieves but it will help to slow them down.

The rear hub motor is a 250W SpinTech™ x Bafang collaboration. I found it a little bit sluggish, to begin with, taking half to a full pedal stroke for it to kick in when setting off from standing. However, once it's up to speed it maintains it well and with only a slight whir unless you're climbing, at which point it is more than noticeable.

Move Electric Awards 2022 Best Electric Bike: Ribble Hybrid AL e

It also performs well in the wind, I rode through 40mph winds to test this so I can comfortably say it can handle most British weather. However, it has to be said that you can ride this bike quite easily on the flat without any assistance. I wouldn't recommend climbing a hill without any power but otherwise, it's easy enough to ride around on without feeling like you're dragging your feet through treacle.

The Burlington comes with either a 400Wh or 504Wh battery, situated in the downtube but can be removed. Volt estimates a 60-70 mile range on low assist settings. I got just shy of 40 miles on one charge using mostly the two highest levels of assistance in some testing weather conditions so I'd say it's quite accurate.

Front fork suspension provides an extra layer of comfort over pothole laden roads or towpaths and bridleways. The SR Suntour forks come with a lockout so you can have a rigid fork when riding on smoother terrain.

The frame comes in one size only, 17”. If you’re short this may be an issue but you can adjust the saddle height and the handlebar and stem position. At just shy of 5’6”, I found the saddle height range was fine but the handlebars remained quite high. To my surprise, I found this quite comfortable but it’s worth a test ride if you’re unsure.

Volt has used a Shimano Alivio groupset on the Burlington. I found the gears needed a little adjustment now and then but overall worked well. Hydraulic disc brakes were a nice addition, and I found they worked well.

In terms of included extras, the Burlington comes with mudguards, a kickstand, a rear rack – which has thick tubing on the top makes attaching pannier bags difficult unless you have ones that work on 16mm+ tubes – and Spanninga lights on the front and rear. Overall, it's a well thought out utility bike that is priced well and has a lot to offer the commuter or leisure cyclist.

Where can I buy it?
Directly from the Volt website, or other retailers across the country.

How does it arrive?
My test bike arrived by courier fully assembled.

Verdict
The Volt Burlington provides a great option for leisure and utility cyclists alike at a reasonable price, with an enjoyable ride, great battery life and a motor that can tackle the wind with ease.