Eunorau Meta275 commuter e-bike review: torque sensor wins!

We’ve seen several Eunorau electric bikes around these parts, and I’ve tested my fair share of them. But the Eunorau Meta275 is probably the nicest pedaling one yet, thanks to its integrated torque sensor and commuter-ready design.

I’ve talked a good amount recently about torque sensors, and that’s because they’re a pretty awesome piece of kit on electric bikes.

If you actually like to pedal your e-bike (as opposed to just using the throttle), then a torque sensor makes the pedal assist feel much more natural and intuitive.

To see what I mean, take a gander at my review video below. Then feel free to keep scrolling for my complete written review.

Eunorau Meta275 Video Review

Eunorau Meta275 tech specs

• Motor: 500W continuous-rated rear hub motor
• Top speed: 20 mph (32 km/h)
• Range: Claimed 35-65 miles (56-104 km)
• Battery: 48V 13Ah (624Wh)
• Weight: 67 lb (30.5 kg)
• Frame: Aluminum alloy 6061
• Suspension: Front Suntour suspension fork
• Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes
• Extras: Color LCD display including speedometer, battery gauge and PAS level indicator, smartphone app, front and rear LED lights, thru-axle front wheel, torque sensor, included rack and fenders, optional second battery, step-thru and step-over frames
• Price: $1,799 (use coupon code ELECTREK to take 5% off)

It’s all in the name

If you’re wondering where the name comes from, Eunorau is a portmanteau of “Europe”, “North America”, and “Australia”, which seems to be the company’s main export markets. The 275 represents the 27.5″ tire size used by the bike.

And I’m not sure why “Meta” is there, but I’m guessing it’s to shoehorn in one more 2020’s buzz word into the mix.

Commuter bike, comfort ride

So with those larger diameter wheels, hybrid-ish 2.6″ wide tires and general city design, you’ve probably guessed that this is a commuter bike. And it comes with the right commuter loadout, offering comfortable bars, weather protection fenders, and a rear rack for carrying panniers or other gear.

The front and rear LED lights add to the commuter-ready design, making this an e-bike that you can ride to work and back even during those early winter nights.

But even though this isn’t a comfort bike, it’s still surprisingly nice to ride. The saddle is a good compromise between efficient and still offering enough real estate to not feel like you’re sitting on a postage stamp. The bars are slightly raised and swept back to give you a more relaxed seating position, and the angle is adjustable so you can dial it in to fit you nicely.

The front fork adds more shock absorption for when your streets don’t look like the pretty, manicured pavement in the movies.

But the real comfort win here is the torque sensor.

Torque sensor, for the win

That torque sensor is a beauty because it means the moment you step on the pedals, you start getting motor assist.

If you’re like me and you sometimes forget to downshift into low gear before coming to a stop, you’ll really like torque sensors. Getting rolling in high gear with a cheaper cadence sensor its a slog since you don’t have any motor assist for the first several feet until the sensor gets enough data to interpret your pedaling speed. But with a torque sensor, it feels the instant you stand on the pedal and starts providing you assistance to help out.

It also helps give a more natural feeling ride since it won’t accelerate you to pre-defined “steps” of speed, like many cheap cadence sensor controllers do. The harder you pedal, the more motor power you’ll get and the faster you’ll go. It’s intuitive, just like riding a bike should be.

We’re starting to see more e-bikes coming with torque sensors, but they’re still the exception rather than the rule at this price point.

Modest performance

I was a bit surprised that Eunorau didn’t give us a bit higher performance with the Meta275. The 500W motor is fine for typical commutes and can handle modest hills, but it’s not exactly the most powerful motor I’ve ever tested.

The 624 Wh battery is also fine, but again, not the largest, though Eunorau does offer a pretty cool option where you can add a second even larger battery to the downtube if you want to turn this into a super long range commuter.

And the limited top speed of 20 mph (32 km/h) means that the Class 2 bike is better suited for bike lanes than faster roads where you might want the Class 3 speed of 28 mph (45 km/h) to better keep up with car traffic.

But for most commuters, I suspect that this is all going to be quite fine. As a bike lane commuter, the Eunorau Meta275 is pretty much a dream. It’s comfortable. It rides nicely. It has plenty of range in standard form but has the option for even more range with a second battery. And it even has some nice components on it like the hydraulic disc brakes, a thru-axle front hub for a more robust and longer lasting design, color screen, and a 9-speed transmission. For those of you that like to pedal, that 9-speed transmission and the torque sensor are a very nice combination.

For the price of $1,799, I feel like you’re getting a very fair offer here. But when you use the coupon code ELECTREK to take 5%, the deal becomes even better.

As far as purely commuter bikes go, I’d say Eunorau nailed the important points of a comfortable and efficient e-bike that feels as good to sit on as it does to pedal.