Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
City cycling offers a healthy way to travel, avoiding germ-ridden buses or trains, exercising your lungs and often getting you to your destination faster. But the wrong terrain or just-too-great a distance can put you off. Which is where an ebike comes in—especially at this time of year when your new year’s resolutions may be faltering and you need all the help you can get.
Ampler Stout in Metor Ash finish.
Here’s why they’re not cheating: ebikes still require you to work, which is why they’re called pedal-assist, but they take the edge off the effort you need. Some studies have shown that ebike riders get more exercise than regular bikers.
Many ebikes have telltale piles of batteries above the rear wheel or attached to the frame, for instance. What is cheating is when ebikes are designed to look just like regular bikes, which is what Ampler prides itself on doing.
Ampler, which hand-builds its ebikes in Talinn, Estonia, disguises its electrical capabilities persuasively by sliding the battery into the downtube of the frame, allowing models such as the Ampler Stout to look like a classic city bike.
The Stout is now on to its second generation, and I’ve tried both the older first model and the newer one (some first-gen Stout bikes are still available at lower prices). Both offer a comfortable, upright seating position and a smooth drive across nine gears—the Ampler range includes “fixies” with just one fixed gear as well, if that’s what you prefer, but for everyday use, the Stout is a versatile, go-anywhere choice.
One of the key changes between the generations is the addition of an integrated monochrome display which sits in the top tube of the frame. Press the power button, now conveniently placed on the underside of the top tube, and the screen shows the battery level and how much power assist you’re using. You can choose from Level 2, Level 1 and no power assistance. Also in the display is other information, such as statistics for your trips and—crucially—remaining battery range. The power button also turns the lights on and off.
Another upgrade is GPS. Absent from the first models, the Stout knows where you’ve parked. Using the Ampler app, you can lock and unlock the bike remotely, which is a highly useful security benefit, especially in urban settings.
The 250-watt rear hub motor assists you for speeds up to 15.5 miles per hour. Any faster and you’re on your own. In practice, it’s a seamlessly smooth ride, starting you from standing still with enough oomph to make a difference, but never a harsh acceleration to jolt you.
Ampler Stout in Pearl Black
It’s at its most effective helping you take a steep hill where you glide (gratefully) away, past sweating cyclists on regular bikes. If only they knew you had electric assistance.
In tests, I found the range to be around 45 miles, edging to 50 miles or more on flatter terrain. Recharging the bike takes around 2 hours 30 minutes, which is fast enough to be convenient.
Ebikes can be heavy, but the Stout clocks in at 39.24 pounds (17.8kg), meaning that you can easily heave it up a few steps, but living on the third floor would make it a chore to carry. Even so, as ebikes go, it’s relatively light.
It comes in two frame sizes, 58cm for riders 5 feet 5 inches up to 6 feet 6 inches, and a 55cm one for those between 5 feet 4 inches and 6 feet tall. There are two slick but subtle colors, Meteor Ash which is a deep, dark grey and Pearl Black which has a darker, quietly gleaming feel to it. Both have an appealing, demure and understated look.
By the way, the Ampler Stellar is similar to the Stout but has a step-through frame, if you prefer that. Oh, and it comes in brighter colors.
Ampler Stout Gen 2 is available from amplerbikes.com and costs $3,450 (3,350€ or £3,190) plus shipping. The earlier Stout G1 model is available in an Anniversary edition and costs $2,360 (2,290€ or £2,290) plus shipping.
