Qulbix (the official brandname of performance e-bikes, produced by Ulbi, Slovenia) presents full equipped performance electric bikes and DIY components for downhill racers, E-Mountain Bikers and thrill seekers.

Pedelecs versus performance e-bikes

Pedelecs (it’s all in the name) are pedal assisted bicycles. You get that extra little kick with pedelec only when pedals are moving. While off-road performance bikes are mostly operated by a twist grip throttle.

Pedelecs also have electric motor limitations and end speed limitations which categorises either as pedelecs or high speed pedelecs, but never exceeding 1000W and 25km/h in speed. Performance e-bikes can go up to 90km/h and can store a massive battery pack of 2160 Wh and an e-motor of 10kW.

Pedelecs have a delayed boost that kicks in after a few pedals turns, and they stop giving out power after you’ve stopped pushing the pedals for a while. This kind of speed management just wouldn’t be safe with greater powers, especially during the cornering. That’s why most performance e-bikes operate on twist throttle, giving you full control of that massive power. Just like with motorcycles, you need to be in control, at all times.

Street legal?

All performance e-bikes are joy-ride vehicles that really boost when taken to off-road. Hill sides, pastures, forest paths, closed circuits, bike parks are just a few examples, where you can ride your bike. You can’t play with it on the road, but people still own a power vehicle to have fun with. It’s a challenge to find new places to ride it all the time.

How to choose a performance e-bike?

Riders choose their bike by its performance capabilities, such as end speed, range and power. Those are the obvious and most marketed aspects of a performance e-bike. But geometry and the over-all quality of the bike is also very important: you should recognise a well-designed one, as soon as you lay your eyes on it.

A bad frame geometry, weak swing arms, strange pivot points are just a few examples of what gives a bad design out, at a first glance. Performance e-bikes, especially those with heavy performance hub (rear) motors carry a lot of weight on their swing arms. It matters how they are designed. You have to pay attention to the frame and battery box materials, battery chemistry, quality of the brakes, rim size, charging time and so on.

Qulbix e-bikes

All Qulbix e-bikes run on high quality Li-Ion cells which, if kept properly, are safe and will last a long time. The bikes offer two types of brakes, a front and rear set of quality disc brakes and an additional electric brake, aka regen or motor brake that creates resistance within the electric motor, charging the bike’s battery on your way down from a hill side, saving power and saving your mechanical brakes at the same time.

A very important component of any e-bike is it’s battery box. The battery box needs to be watertight, strong and durable to withstand possible crashes and safeguard the battery pack inside. And of course it needs to be as light as possible.

Qulbix e-bikes have a shell type space frame, which serves also as a battery box. This design gives maximum inner size at a minimum outer dimension. The frames are made of thin, extra strong custom CrMo steel and high tensile aluminium, making them impact resistant and relatively light (Q76R frame shell weighs 3,2kg) at the same time.

And there are also numerious little solutions that make the rider’s life easier. For example, the Qulbix rear shock bracket has three hole positions, which can be used to set-up the rear shock according to the biker’s weight, height and riding style. Another example is the rim size – Qulbix bikes have a 26’’ bicycle tire in the front to keep the steering light and nimble, and a 19’’ moto tyre in the rear to insure good traction and stability. Both are standard dimensions, which means you can choose from a wide variety of tyre types.

Q140R Boost

The Q140R is still one of the bestselling bikes of Qulbix, as it can store massive battery pack (72V 30Ah, 2160 Wh) for maximum performance:

• Max. Speed: 70 km/h
• Max. Torque: 190 Nm
• Max. Range: 140 km (moderate riding: 15Wh/km)
• Min. Range: 48 km (high performance off-road riding: 45Wh/km)
• Weight, ready to ride: 54 kg

Q76R Adrenaline

But some riders aren’t all about speed and toque. They prefer pedalling and Q140R still seemed a bit wide for them. They would prefer a lighter bike, too. So Qulbix created the Q76R and as the name of the model implies, it’s almost half the size of Q140R. It could still store a 72V 20Ah, 100A battery pack, but it’s lighter (47kg compared to Q140R model at 54kg) and more manoeuvrable.

• Max. Speed: 70 km/h
• Max. Torque: 150 Nm
• Max. Range: 95 km (moderate riding: 15 Wh/km)
• Min. Range: 30 km (high performance off-road riding: 45Wh/km)
• Battery Capacity: 1440 Wh
• Weight, ready to ride: 47 kg

As the trends in performance electric bikes are shifting, pushing the electric motor off the rear wheel and into the mid-section of the bike, we’ve developed a new version of the Q76R, the Q76MD. We’ve decide to offer it only as a frame kit, as we do not wish to enter the pedelec sphere. But for riders who wish to have a mean looking high-speed pedelec, that can use a 76MD frame kit as a backbone of their bike.

DIY customers

Qulbix started as a DIY e-bike frame producer, so over the years they have added more and more components to their web store. Bike builders can now pick and choose parts they need for their build projects, from complete electrics kit, frame kit, motor, suspension, right down to cable ties and bolt sealer.

But many customers do not have the knowledge, time or patience to build a performance e-bike of their own. They only choose some of the basic bike configuration – the frame model, battery size, seat and footing options, tire type and color scheme and Quilbix build the bike according to their wishes.

The new Q140MD in 2018

Qulbix is planning on taking the Q140R to a new level. To follow the trends in performance e-bikes and also follow the typical Qulbix vision. The new Q140MD bike will be a powerful, high performance mid-drive bike, which you’ll be able to modify according to your needs. Foot pegs or pedals, bicycle or moto seat, the new Q140MD will have it all. At it will look mean!

More info: Website Qulbix