Centris 2 Ebike Review: Stable, Sturdy, Budget Friendly

The seat of the Centris 2 is low and the handlebars are high, reminding us of a stationary scooter rather than a traditional cargo bike. I put my friend on the Centris 2 to compare the handling to one of my other folding bikes, and as we went around the circle, he yelled behind me: “Why are these handlebars so long!?” I yelled back, “Think of this as a motorcycle combined with a grocery store,” as we continued to cruise freely.

Easy Folding

Photo: Maggie Slepian

The Centris 2 frame has two similar designs to mine HeyBike Comfort Ranger 3.0. It works by pulling the first latch in the center of the frame to fold it in half, then dropping another latch, located on the handle, to drop the bike into a compact package that sits on the back seat of a car or tucks in the corner of a garage. It’s perfect for people who have limited storage space or don’t want to lift a 65-pound ebike onto a car rack.

The storage capacity is another benefit, but I had trouble keeping my things in place. I tried Front / Back Rack Bin and Rear Rack Binall products of the Centris line (including the original model and Centris 2), but they are not compatible. When I reached out to Buzz Bicycles about this, the company confirmed that the handlebars may be stiffer on the bend type but should fit and function properly.

After putting both bearings on the bike, however, I struggled with the installation. True to its name, the Front / Rear Rack Bin is designed to be placed in the front or back. I used it on the front, and it usually fit – with some elbow grease to seal the bin inside the side rails, that is. In order to do this, I had to break one side and be very careful with the cable ties, but the bag was able to hold a good volume: my lunch, my wallet, phone, and water bottle. The large Rear Rack Bin is great, but while it did fit my helmet, shoes, laptop case, and groceries, it was also a bit of a bummer. A sturdy nylon shoe with a back panel with secure straps, but no matter where I cut them, my feet hit the bins when I walked. Even though I usually use the bike’s lights and don’t pedal much, I have to drive to get going, and whipping the luggage bag with my heel is annoying and dangerous.