The Axon Rides Pro Max is an electric folding bicycle designed for inner-city use and short journeys. The Pro Max is the most expensive bike Axon Rides makes, sitting above the Axon Rides Pro Lite that we've previously reviewed and various other Pro iterations. The bike's tiny wheels are fine on smooth roads, but the ride can feel unstable if the surface is uneven (Image credit: Rob Clymo) The ability to easily remove the seatpost battery is an effective deterrent against theft; we suspect not too many opportunists will want to pilot a saddle-less e-bike with no power. Performance and handling It is also one of the most lightweight folders I've ridden, weighing in at 15.5kg. I’ve personally taken it on the tube, held it whilst going down a steep descent on the escalators and used it as a last mile solution from the station to my house. It’s super convenient for local riding and multi-modal commutes!" Other Axon models A note for taller riders – although Axon Rides claims that the Pro is suitable for riders up to 6’2, on my test ride I had the seat as high as it would go and it still felt a little low. For reference, I’m 6’0 but I have fairly short legs.

That’s not to say it’s not a stylish bike, and why change something between models if it looks good and is to the brand’s taste? I would like to see more colour choices, but that’s my personal preference. Speaking of the seat, the seatpost is home to the battery, which is both a neat solution for aesthetics and handy for recharging – just unplug it at the bottom of the seat tube, take the whole seat post out and take it just about anywhere to plug in using the included charger. That said, because the lowered seat post acts as a stand when the bike is folded, removing it takes away that feature. The Axon Pro features in our best folding electric bike guide and our best lightweight ebike guide. Author bio Axon Rides appears to have gone for 'simplicity' with the Pro Lite. It is easy to fold, easy to move around and uses a single-speed drivetrain. That's not to say it is not without any thoughtful extras, such as the integrated lights and horn which can be used via a handlebar-mounted switch and the mudguards. But when it comes down to it, this is an electric bike purely designed to help you to get from A to B – some frills attached.

Expert Verdict

In fact - a note for taller riders! The frame is small and if you have longer legs you will notice it. Despite having the seat as high as it would go, being 5ft10 I couldn’t extend my leg out as I would with a larger sized ride. Eilis Barrett: "It must be noted that all bikes are gender neutral, unless specified by the manufacturer. But women often look for smaller frame sizes and shorter reach with a handlebar width more suited to a smaller person. The Axon Pro is a great option for the smaller sized riders, recommended for a starting height of 4 ft 9. Small mudguards are fitted as standard to protect your clothes in wet weather (Image credit: Rob Clymo) This is perhaps the Pro’s main shortcoming. Other rival bikes have more levels of assistance (usually five) and many have gears to make undulating terrain easier to ride. Once you’re up and running on the Pro, the power is perfectly sufficient to make for easy cruising, but this is a bike we’d suggest you test ride before purchasing, to make sure it fits the profile of your usual journeys. The folding process is well thought-out, simple and fairly standard to folding bikes, with a release clip in the centre of the frame and on the steering tube.

Those wheels are so small that they could be an issue for some less confident riders. As with any small bike with narrow wheels, you’re fine going in a straight line, but you’ll need to concentrate for any out of the ordinary steering maneuvers or when navigating dropped kerbs. Secondly, you’ll find a larger capacity battery. The Pro Max comes with a 7 Ah battery compared to the Pro Lite’s 5.4 Ah. Axon Rides suggests the Pro Lite has a battery range of up to 25 miles while the Pro Max is increased to a maximum of 30. I’d say this is pretty accurate, as even on hilly terrain and using the maximum assist level for the majority of my rides, the halfway drain point was around 13 miles in on the Pro Max. So for flatter, easier rides, I can certainly see riders hitting the 30-mile range. The Pro model sits in the middle of the Axon Rides range of folding ebikes, and its 187.2Wh battery capacity means a range of up to 25 miles. That should be enough to cover the majority of urban commutes, but if yours is particularly lengthy then the Pro 7 and Pro Max models have a larger battery promising 30 miles. Considering that the Axon Rides Pro has little 16-inch wheels – which aid in portability but can be detrimental to ride comfort – it’s remarkably comfortable to ride, and the cushioning from the Chao Yang tyres is enough to take the sting out of cobbles and uneven road surfaces. The Axon Rides Pro is a well-specced, well-priced folding e-bike that has plenty to recommend about it, although it has a few quirks that mean it might not suit everyone.The ride quality of the Pro Max is decent for a folding bike. The 1.75in-wide tyres certainly inspired confidence over potholes and helped to provide a comfortable ride on the roads. The handling is of course twitchy, but there’s not much you can do about that with a bike with no stem. The brand has also included mudguards, integrated lights and a horn that is accessible via the handlebar-mounted buttons. Interestingly, they advertise the Pro model with hydraulic brakes. My test bike came with mechanical but I was pleasantly surprised with how well they operated. Another nifty feature Axon Rides has thought about is the accessibility to the wheels. In the event of a puncture, typically you take the bike wheel off to remove the tube (if it runs tubes), however, in the case of the Pro, you'll notice each wheel is accessible on one side. The front fork is on one side only, the same as the rear seatstay, providing access. Such is the design that the Axon Pro Lite doesn’t actually look like it’s an e-bike. The clever construction is really quite innovative in that respect. At the same time, it’s got everything you need for an enjoyable ride including a very decent saddle. It’s single speed too, so there’s no derailleur to worry about or, for that matter, gears to master.

The seat post is the same as the Pro Lite, in that it is not long enough for taller riders. I’m 5ft 5in and had it on the minimum insert line, so if you’re taller than me, it’s something to bear in mind.

Good for

The electric motor sits in the hub of the rear wheel and gives you up to 250W of power, with three levels of assistance available – you can choose maximum assistance for hills or when moving away, and then dial down the assistance when cruising. Being able to switch between these modes is vital because the Pro is single-speed – there are no gears. This is great for ease of maintenance, with no need to make sure the gears are indexed, but does mean that, especially on hills, pulling away can be a challenge. The included thumb throttle on the right handlebar can give you a short blast of extra power to help. At first glance, and then the second, third and fourth, it’s difficult to ascertain what is different between the two models. The colours are the same, the accessories are the same, the only difference being the torque sensor (which is not outwardly visible) and the battery – which is still in the seat post and doesn’t look or feel any larger than the Pro Lite. My only gripe with it was in the latter stages of testing it stopped assisting above 20kph, which is about 12.5mph. This wasn’t just on hills – although the bike doesn’t enjoy those - but on the flat, too. When it did work though it provided enough boost to ride comfortably. The three power modes are controlled via the computer on the right-hand side of the handlebars. This is clean and simple, and the little power button tab just underneath it allows you to dispense forward motion in little spurts as needed. Performance