Can a Hypershell be used on a bike to replace an e-bike? I tested it to find out

I recently received a review sample from Hypershell to Testing in the Grand Canyon. What I was particularly interested in was whether Hypershell could help me, a 50-year-old, 270-pound man, keep up with my 15-year-old competitive athlete daughter.

The device uses a 5,000 mAh battery to power its motors. The motor is attached to arms strapped to the user’s thighs, helping the user pump their legs so they can go further than they could without their assistance.

But hiking isn’t the only tool in Hypershell’s repertoire of tricks. While testing the exoskeleton, I noticed a… Cycling ability.

Sure, a 50-year-old big man isn’t the typical stereotype of bikers, but in fact, I’ve been one for 15 years – that is, until… E-bikes Destroy me. As a technology reviewer, I encounter new forms of technology all the time, and I’ve tested quite a few e-bikes over the past few years that left my Trek 7.1 hanging and forgotten from the rafters in my garage. The Hypershell has given me the opportunity to shake off the cobwebs and get back to pedaling. So I did.

My three-round test with the Hypershell and e-bike

Since I have a lot of experience with e-bikes, I wanted to see if the Hypershell X Ultra S could give a regular bike a similar upgrade. This is no small task, but if it can help you reasonably well, you can get a nice upgrade without having to replace your bike wholesale at $1,999 which is less than most mid-range e-bikes and certainly less than the premium offerings in this category.

One of the defining features of the neighborhood I live in on the outskirts of Chicago is that there is no flat land anywhere around me. Granted, I don’t live among the mountains, but you can bet that if you’re biking around my neighborhood, you’re either climbing or descending. I got used to that over my years of cycling, but quickly lost that ability when I started letting e-bikes do the work for me.

To test the effectiveness of the Hypershell X Ultra S, I hit the road on my regular bike without any assistance. I set off at a casual pace and tried to keep it as casual as possible along my chosen 6.5 mile route.

Once I got home, I rested until I got back Heart rate I got back to something approaching normal, then strapped on the exoskeleton and hit the road again.

Finally, after calming down a bit, I grabbed my favorite e-bike, the… Another andand got out one last time, leaving the bike to do some work.

Anecdotal evidence: speed, time and heart rate

My first time out of the gate on the bike unassisted…it didn’t go well. I actually had to stop and rest for a few minutes at home before I could complete the trip. I was completely shocked when I got home. Then again, my neighborhood is no joke when it comes to hills, and there was a fair amount of wind resistance as well. But I made it home, and I didn’t die, so I’ll put it in the win column.

The second ride with the Hypershell X Ultra S seemed to be better. I felt the exoskeleton effectively push my legs down, which was the desired effect anyway.

The exoskeleton was in Hyper mode, which helps determine the level of assistance you get from the exoskeleton, at about 50% of the power. I found diminishing returns above that force because instead of pushing my legs down, the unit itself was rocking back and forth on my back, helping me pedal as much as it hindered me, reducing the force I felt in my legs and causing discomfort.

The third trip was by far the easiest of the three. The Engwe LE20 has a torque sensor in the pedals, which senses how much resistance you feel and then turns on the motor to help you keep going. It’s also worth noting that while my Trek bike weighs about 25 to 30 pounds, the Engwe LE20 weighs in at 120 pounds.

During the three trips, I wore out pixel watch 4 To track heart rate (HR) and average speed. I also used Asics Runkeeper app As a backup. Here’s what the data says about my three trips:

a trip	Average speed (mph)	Active time	Average heart rate	Peak heart rate	Light HR area	Temperate HR zone	Active HR area
No help	9.5	43:33:00	131	145	1:27:00	11:43:00	30:21:00
Hypershell	9.6	42:04:00	132	144	0:06:00	7:52:00	33:40:00
E-bike	11.52	34:21:00	100	116	31:05:00	3:37:00	0:00:00

As you can see, the Hypershell didn’t make much of a difference in overall speed or heart rate. I spent more time in the vigorous heart rate zone but less time in the moderate zone. Being as out of shape as I am, it’s very likely that my heart hasn’t recovered yet after 90 minutes of rest. I felt fine, but maybe my heart was different.

What I can say is that I felt better after the second trip than after the first. In fact, I didn’t have to take that break at home. Was this all Hypershell? I can’t be sure. I noticed my back felt a little sore after the second ride, which may be due to the Hypershell or the fact that a big guy rode 13 miles after a two-year break.

My Hypershell vs E-Bike Takeaway

I feel like there’s a good chance that I’m not the target audience for a device like this. This exoskeleton is designed to enhance skills, not give them. If you repeated this test at the end of the summer, after training for several months, it is very likely that the results would be different.

What seems clear is that, regardless of metrics or training, if you’re not an athlete and want to bike more, an e-bike will be the path of least resistance. But if you’re a former cyclist with a great bike that you want to get back into, the Hypershell X Ultra S might be a good option. It can help you when you need it and get you back on the bike.

But in either case – riding a bike with a Hypershell or riding an e-bike – it will be a win-win.

Editors’ Note: Author’s travel costs related to the launch of the Hypershell X Ultra S were covered by Hypershell and Finn Partners. CNET’s judgments and opinions are our own.