Pure Flux One

If you’re after a budget belt drive bike and don’t mind doing without some of the extras, the Pure Flux One is well worth considering

Pure Electric is a chain of classy high street shops that has seen very rapid expansion over the past few years thanks to its focus on personal electric mobility

– at the moment its shops sell electric scooters and e- bikes, including own- brand models as well as other well- known brands such as Brompton, Giant and Raleigh. Aside from its presence in the UK, the chain has also expanded into continental Europe.

The Pure Flux One is a stealthy- looking, single- speed city e- bike with a Gates Carbon belt drive. Belt drives certainly have a strong following in the e- bike world, and that’s no surprise: they are low- maintenance, oil-free and very long lasting. Perhaps they haven’t caught on as much as they deserve to due to the fact they tend to appear on pricier bikes (the belt can’t be ‘split’ like a regular bike chain can, so a belt- compatible frame needs to be used that can). So, the Flux One stands out markedly as one of the few very affordable e- bikes with a belt drive.

The rest of the spec looks about right for the price point: mechanical disc brakes should provide you with effective and lowmaintenance stopping power and the rear hub motor and 252Wh removable frame-mounted battery are a budget spec that nonetheless should should do the job of getting you moderate distances around fairly hilly terrain (though for very steep hills an e- bike with at least a few gears might be a better choice).

The price has also been kept low by offering only a single frame size and not fitting extras like lights and mudguards to the bike as standard. Most of these can be added pretty economically, however, so the Flux One remains great value, especially when you get that highly prized belt drive which is an ideal choice for a city bike.

► From £999 pureelectric.com