Centris 2 Folding Ebike Review: Compact, powerful and budget-friendly

The Centris 2’s seat is low and the handlebars high, more reminiscent of a standing scooter than a classic pedal bike. I put a friend on the Centris 2 to compare its handling with another one of my folding e-bike, and as we were riding around the neighborhood, she shouted behind me: “Why are these handlebars so long!?” “Think of it like a scooter and grocery truck combo,” I shouted back as we continued to cruise along at ease.

Foldable convenience

Photography: Maggie Slepian

The Centris 2 frame has the same two-point folding design as mine HeyBike Comfort Ranger 3.0. It works by pulling the first latch in the center of the frame to make it folded in half, then dropping the other latch, located on the handlebar, to fold the bike into a compact package that can be slipped into the back seat of a car or tucked into the corner of the garage. It’s perfect for people who have limited storage space or don’t want to load a 65-pound e-bike onto a car bike rack.

Cargo capacity is another plus, but I had trouble holding my items in place. I’ve tested Front/rear rack box and Rear shelf boxBoth are made for the Centris line (including the original model and Centris 2), but don’t fit exactly. When I contacted Buzz Bicycles about this, the company confirmed that the boxes would be more compact in the compact folding model, but they should fit and work properly in the end.

When I rolled both boxes onto the bike, I had a hard time setting up. True to its name, the front/rear rack box is designed to be placed on the front or rear rack. I used it up front, and it fit mostly well – after I applied some grease to wedge the box inside the side rails, that is. To make it work, I had to squish one side and be extra careful with the strap connectors, but the basket was finally able to hold a decent size: my lunch, wallet, phone, and water bottle. The larger rear rack box is more cavernous, but despite fitting my helmet, shoes, laptop bag, and groceries, it was also defective. The durable nylon box attaches to the included rear rack with secure latches, but no matter where I clip it, my foot hits the box when I pedal. Although I mostly use the electric function of the bike and don’t pedal much, I have to move around at first, and hitting the charging case with my heel is annoying and unsafe.