[TEST RIDE] Trek FX+ 2 adds a little electric feel to a Seoul commute

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Published: 24 Jun. 2023, 13:08 Updated: 02 May. 2024, 17:11

[TEST RIDE] Trek FX+ 2 adds a little electric feel to a Seoul commute

Trek FX+ 2 [TREK]

On paper, Seoul is something of a commuter’s paradise. Bisected by the Han River and its superhighway of bicycle paths and with a network of streams crisscrossing the city, many areas can be reached with a bit of creative navigation and minimal time spent on roads or sidewalks.

But the environment here is a cyclist’s worst enemy. Boiling hot and humid in summer, frozen solid in winter and with the ever-present risk of heavy pollution, there’s only a couple of months every year when cycling seems like a realistic option for anybody that still wants to be vaguely presentable by the time they get to the office.

The Trek FX+ 2, a lightweight city bike with just enough of an electric motor to take the edge off Korean summer riding, might just be the best answer to many of those problems.

Trek’s FX+ 2, released late last year, is a “lightweight city electric bike that’s designed to make everyday excursions faster and more fun,” according to the American bike maker. “It has an intuitive and natural feeling pedal assist system that makes exploring your city extra exciting and cruising up hills a breeze.”

In short, it’s an electric bike, but one with just enough functionality to make life a little easier without piling on the weight or ruining Trek’s normal performance bike look or the rider’s credibility on the road. A stealth electric bike, if you will.

Minimalist approach

Test riding the FX+ 2 for 10 days with a 46-kilometer (29-mile) round trip commute, the first thing that was immediately obvious is that Trek have done just enough to make commuting in the sun enjoyable without significantly impacting the performance of the bike.

The FX+ 2 weighs in at around 18 kilograms (40 pounds), heavier than a performance bike but significantly lighter than the majority of electric bikes on the market in Korea and internationally.

The bike comes with a pedal assist system, meaning that the electric drivetrain will only kick in while the rider is pedaling. The FX+ 2 is designed to be ridden like a bike, with the drivetrain assisting with acceleration and hills but nothing more. There is no throttle option, so some level of effort is required at all times.

A small computer positioned just to the right of the left gear shifter allows the rider to toggle between three levels of assist and shows the battery level using five indicator lights. It can also be ridden comfortably with the assist completely off, allowing you to raise the level of assist when going uphill and then kill it completely on the way back down.

The FX+ 2 has a 250-watt Hydrive rear hub motor that boasts a 56-kilometer range, although this is hugely dependent on what level of assist is needed throughout the journey.

The Trek FX+ 2 parked in front of the Han River in Gimpo, Gyeonggi at the end of May. [JIM BULLEY]

The bike handled my 46-kilometer commute — including two big bridge inclines in each direction — without issue, but was nearly always down to one light left on the battery indicator by the end of the journey.

That lack of specific information on the computer was the only noticeable issue with the minimalist approach Trek has taken to the FX+ 2.

While the bike is enjoyably discreet — potentially a big bonus in a market where theft might be a concern — and looks great, the five-light battery indicator can be annoyingly unspecific, making it impossible to really know if you have 20 percent of your charge left or you’re about to ground to a halt halfway up a mountain.

Other electric bikes on the market offer a larger screen computer with a more visible number display, although this obviously comes with a design cost. For daily usage the lack of a screen and a specific read out is unlikely to be too much of a problem, but if you are in the habit of pushing the battery to its very limits, it could become a concern.

On the road

Actually riding the FX+ 2 is a joy, even with assist turned completely off.

As a hybrid city bike, it is able to comfortably shift between the majority of terrains offered on any normal Seoul commute, handling a mixture of Han River bike paths, badly paved sidewalks and waterlogged farm roads on my commute with very little concern.

The FX+ 2 has a 9-speed Shimano cassette, offering more than enough gear options for the city commuter without needing to clutter up the handlebars with multiple shifters.

There is a temptation on an electric bike to camp in a high gear and let the electric assist take care of acceleration for you, but Trek recommend working your way through the gears as you would with any bike to preserve battery and keep everything moving smoothly.

The chain and derailleur are standard bike components, a step down from the fancy carbon belt drives seen on higher-end electric bikes, but a more realistic option for the average consumer.

Like all good performance bikes, the FX+ 2 also comes has hydraulic disk brakes. As well as smoother braking, the Shimano hydraulic disks also ensure that inclement weather or water on the ground don’t cause too much trouble when stopping the bike.

As well as making it easier to ride, the bike’s light weight is also a factor when it comes to everyday use — it’s significantly easier to maneuver an 18-kilogram FX+ 2 onto a bike rack than a 28-kilogram throttle assist starter electric bike.

A view from a bike path of the Han River in Seoul in May. [JIM BULLEY]

Convenience first

One thing that Trek have clearly put a lot of thought into is making the FX+ 2 as convenient as possible straight out the box.

Unlike most bikes, the FX+ 2 comes with lights, fenders and a rack included as standard. The lights are even wired in to the onboard electric system, allowing them to be toggled on and off from the computer and run off the same battery as the motor.

The fenders are a godsend in a city like Seoul, where wet commuting is often the norm and drainage is never ideal, and the rack allows the savvy office worker to switch straight to panniers without even having to get a screwdriver out.

The only area where convenience takes a back seat — and this is an issue quite specific to the Korean market — is when it comes to charging.

Clearly designed with a U.S. market full of houses and garages in mind, the FX+ 2 does not have a removable battery, meaning it needs to be plugged directly in to the wall to charge.

For Korean riders, the vast majority of whom live in apartment complexes, this means either accepting that you are going to have to keep a bike in the house or trying to negotiate access to a plug somewhere in the parking lot. Charging time is quick — going from one light to fully charged in about four hours — but the need to keep the bike in the house might be a deal breaker for some people.

That said, it is worth thinking through where you plan to keep a bike of this caliber before making the purchase.

The FX+ 2 retails for 3.29 million won ($2,500) in Korea, although it is currently on promotion for 2.63 million won via the official Trek website. At that sort of price, it is not necessarily the kind of bike you would be planning to keep on the local communal bike rack anyway.

Optional accessories are available, most noticeably including a second “range extender” battery that can be mounted on the down tube to extend the range to a whopping 112 kilometers, according to Trek. At 849,000 won, that extra range does not come cheap, but could be worth considering if longer rides are on the cards.

Overall, the Trek FX+ 2 is a comprehensive city bike that comes ready to roll straight out of the box. The electric assist makes it rideable even as the mercury starts to climb, making it the ideal tool for a Seoul commuter that still wants to get some exercise on the way to work.

The lack of removable battery is the only real inconvenience, and could be a big issue if you don’t have the room to charge the bike at home. If you can find a way to make that work, however, it may just be worth the inconvenience.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]