Fast touring bikes with motor: E-bikes up to 20 kilos - the Bzen Milano on test

Georg Bleicher

· 26.08.2024

Fast touring bikes with motor - E-bikes up to 20 kilos: The Bzen Milano on test

Handlebar display: Readability, robustness and cable routing are inadequate.

Simple and unobtrusive: The charging socket on the Bzen is located on the side above the bottom bracket.

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Photo: Bzen

The Bzen Milano is a very minimalist e-bike. The "flyweight" saves on all kinds of components, but is fast and sporty.

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The Bzen Milano e-bike from Belgium is lighter than almost any other: we weighed 15.8 kilograms. However, the luggage rack, mudguards - all of which can still be fitted - and gears are missing for comparison. Does it work without? Thanks to the Gates belt, the particularly low-maintenance single speeder has a fairly long gear ratio, but the Bafang motor in the rear wheel pushes hard before the pedal has made half a turn. It whirs quietly and unagitatedly towards the limit. You could almost call it sporty.

Very puristic: The mini gearshift panel with display on the handlebar grip only provides a small amount of data and doesn't look very high-quality (weak pressure points during operation) and as if it has fallen out of time. Even the cables and wires don't always find their way convincingly. This doesn't match the cool visual appearance of the bike à la bike messenger, for which even the nameplate on the matt black top or down tube has been omitted.

Photo: Georg BleicherHandlebar display: Readability, robustness and cable routing are inadequate.

Purist commuting with the Bzen Milano

What we liked about the Bzen Milano was the powerful lighting from Busch & Müller and Lightskin (rear light in the seat post) and, of course, the pleasant gliding thanks to the quiet motor and Gates belt. Anyone who likes to sit a little more flexed - the handlebars can even be "lowered" using spacers - and appreciates the fine riding feel is well advised. However, the e-bike is only available in two sizes, so it's best to test ride it first, which you can book via the manufacturer's website - the bike can only be ordered online, by the way.

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Overall, the workmanship is not always convincing - rough rim joints or the somewhat clumsy mounting solution for the belt installation on the rear triangle don't really fit in with a classy image. Nevertheless, sports enthusiasts who ride a fast, easy-to-handle pedelec with an organic bike look, who don't want to invest a lot of time and money in maintenance and for whom fine-tuning the motor via a mobile phone app is a frill, will probably be happy with it. We were unhappy about the lack of a kickstand and the unnecessarily high bottom bracket, which makes it hard to stay on the saddle when stopping at traffic lights. 2999 euros is not exactly a bargain, especially considering the simple drive system and the lack of road equipment.

>> The Bzen Milano in comparison to the competition: 6 e-bikes up to 20 kilos in the test - read now!

Conclusion on the lightweight Bzen Milano e-bike from Belgium

Lightweight, fast, sporty, but not coherent in all respects, the lightweight Bzen Milano is more for quick trips through the city and for people who have to carry the e-bike frequently.

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