2019 Ruff Cycyles Lil Buddy Review

Video Review

Written Review

The Ruff Cycles Lil Buddy electric bike is a premium moped style ride with fat tires, fantastic hydraulic disc brakes, a gorgeous Bosch Active Line motor and enough accessory options to make your head spin.

Power — 250 nominal watts, 500 peak watts

The Ruff Cycles Lil Buddy electric bike has a Bosch Active Line mid-drive motor with 250 nominal watts of output and 40 Newton meters of torque. This is a beautiful motor that’s incredibly responsive and because it’s a mid drive, it’s able to leverage the gearing to it’s advantage, making it feel far more powerful than a comparable 250 watt hub motor. It’s position low and in the center of the frame also keeps the center of balance very low, adding to stability. Although this is motor is just 250 watts, it’s still a fairly competent hill climber. Lastly, this motor has shift detection built in, so it cuts power to the motor whenever the rider shifts gears, helping to alleviate stress on the derailleur and chain.

Speed  — 20 mph

The Ruff Cycles Lil Buddy electric bike has a top speed of 20 mph, which can be reached using the pedal assist. Because the Lil Buddy does not have a throttle and has a top speed limited to 20 mph, it is considered a class 1 electric bike and is legal to ride in almost all areas.

Battery and Range — 36 volt 11 ah, 30 miles

The Ruff Cycles Lil Buddy electric bike runs on a 36 volt system and has an 11 amp hour battery for an estimate max range of 30 miles. Again, since this bike doesn’t have a throttle, the real world max range is going to more closely match the estimated max range since the rider must pedal to keep going. In fact, it’s entirely possible, and even likely, that on a low pedal assist mode the max range could be higher than 30 miles. 

The battery is located underneath the seat, which adds some weigh higher up on the bike and increases the center of gravity. Still, the Lil Buddy feels well balanced. The battery is locking and removable, but it appears the battery must be removed from the frame in order to be charged. 

Pedal assist sensor — Advanced sensor

The Ruff Cycles Lil Buddy electric bike is equipped with Bosch’s advanced pedal assist sensor, which uses three modes of measurement — wheel speed, cadence and torque. The sensors take over 1,000 measurements per second, giving the bike a silly smooth ride with near instant motor activation and de-activation. It’s a thing of beauty.

Display — Purion, LCD

The Ruff Cycles Lil Buddy electric bike uses a Bosch Purion display located on left side of the handlebars. This is a greyscale display that has all the necessary readouts, including current speed, assist level, trip and odometer, distance, and even an estimated remaining range.

Frame and weight — Steel, 55 pounds

The Ruff Cycles Lil Buddy electric bike has one frame size and five different color options — Orange, Pealrwhite, Anthracite, Grey and Blue. The entire frame, including the handlebars, is constructed from steel, yet the curb weight is still just 55 pounds, making this a pretty lightweight electric bike given the construction materials. The steel forks, frame and handlebars will help to soak up some of the vibration from the road, but steel is prone to rust if exposed to the elements, so watch out for scratched paint. 

Suspension —  Solid forks

The Ruff Cycles Lil Buddy electric bike has solid front forks and no rear suspension. The front forks are steel however, so they will help to soak up some of the vibration from the road, but won’t help much in the way of jumps and rough trails. Also, because the saddle is moped style as opposed to a traditional bike saddle, there’s no way to add a seat post suspension.

Gearing — Shimano, 7 speed

The Ruff Cycles Lil Buddy electric bike has a Shimano Altus derailleur with a 7 speed cassette. It uses a Shimano trigger shifter on the right side of the handlebars. 

Brakes — Shimano, hydraulic disc

The Ruff Cycles Lil Buddy electric bike has Shimano hydraulic disc brakes with 180 mm rotors in the front and rear… which is exactly what we like to see on electric bikes. The braking power on this bike is considerable and the brake levers are not only adjustable, but also have motor inhibitors built it, which cut power to the motor whenever they are depressed. 

Warranty — 1 year comprehensive

The Ruff Cycles Lil Buddy electric bike has a 1 year warranty.

Price — Starting at $2,800

Starting at $2,800, the Ruff Cycles Lil Buddy electric bike is not cheap by any stretch. But quality comes at a price, and in this case the price is nearly $3,000. But that’s just getting started. There are also plenty of upgrade options to ratchet up the price even higher, including a 500 watt version for $3,300, a light set for $220, mudguards for $110, a GPS tracker for $220, and folding ABUS locks starting at $77 and going as high as $166. If you opt for every upgrade, the price will hover around $4,400.

Who’s it for — Those with an eye for style and quality

The Ruff Cycles Lil Buddy electric bike feels like an excellent fit for those who want a more refined electric bike that not only performs extremely well, but looks just as good. The Lil Buddy is a capable commuter, but really this feels more geared towards leisurely rides along the beach or just around town. The moped style seating reduces the pedal efficiency, so it’s not ideal for long commutes as some riders may experience knee strain. Still, with the Bosch Active Line setup, amazing hydraulic disc brakes and full steel frame, this is a hard bike to pass up for those with an eye for style.