The Bordeaux brand Jean Fourche presented the first electric bicycle in its history, the Jean Foudre. Its particularity? Its motor and battery come from French manufacturers and are fully repairable.
Putting durability and repairability at the heart of his project: this is Jean Fourche’s ambition with his first electric cargo bike, recently presented. Responding to the name of Jean Foudre, this model is the result of an industrial association with Gouach on the one hand and Virvolt on the other.
The first of them provides a battery… repairable. “A battery without glue, without cables, without soldering, completely removable and repairable in less than 10 minutes», explains the press release by Jean Fourche.
Repairable as possible
With a capacity of 430 Wh, this battery is assembled in Haillan (33), “of second life cells of self-service fleet batteries“. In short, a renewed battery that therefore corresponds perfectly to the manufacturer’s philosophy. Note that the brand advertises a theoretical range of 80 km.
Virvolt intervenes in the motorization of the cycle. its engine isrepairable with a simple set of Allen keys and the 92 component parts are available individually“, it’s written. Positioned at the level of the pedals, it provides a generous 80 Nm of torque, necessary to start and pick up a load on the handlebars.
Source: Jean Fourche
Source: Jean Fourche
This system is associated with a torque sensor. As a reminder, this type of sensor allows you to receive electrical assistance proportional to the force you put into the pedals. This provides a dynamic, responsive and natural ride.
At the rear, the wheel incorporates a hub with integrated gears -seven speeds in total- signed Shimano (the Nexus 7). This equipment makes it possible, in particular, to change gear even when stationary, but also never to derail. In addition, the cover provides very good protection against rain, dust and shock.
Less than 25 kg on the scale
The three levels of assistance on offer are complemented by a Walk mode, which can be very useful if you’re pushing your bike on foot while it’s loaded. With a load capacity of 170 kg, the Jean Foudre can accommodate, for example, groceries, but also passengers in the rear.
Its front luggage rack can support a load of 15 kg, compared to 35 kg for the rear luggage rack, which is compatible with a baby carrier. Adult transport does not seem possible. Where this bike impresses is in terms of its weight: 23kg, which is very light for a long tail electric cargo bike.
Its length of 172 cm is slightly below its competitors: 195 cm for the Gaya Cargo, 186 cm for the Tern GSD S10 LR, 195 cm for the O2feel Equo Cargo Power 7.1 or 185 cm for the Mustache Lundi 20.
Only one black spot stains its technical sheet: the brakes, Shimano Alivio v-brakes. It would have been better to integrate hydraulic disc brakes, considered more efficient and aggressive. Above all, an electric cargo bike is intended for the transport of people: safety is therefore a central element.
A modest price for a long tail
This choice has the merit of lowering the price of the bike: 2,290 euros in total, or even 2,190 euros for the first 50 buyers. This is one of the most affordable fares on the market in the long tail segment. Only the Gaya Cargo manages to stand up to it with its 2,500 euros, when the Decathlon Longtail R500Elec goes up to 2,800 euros.
Deliveries of the Jean Foudre are scheduled for April 2023.
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