Our speed test is designed around understanding a bike’s programming. Generally, we’re looking for smooth and incremental increases in power as the bike climbs through the assist levels. We’re also checking to see if the bike reaches/adheres to advertised speeds.
I’m happy to report that compared to previous Puckipuppy bikes I’ve reviewed, the Poodle Pro shows solid improvement in the programming department. For starters, it has class 2 and 3 pedal assist options; historically, Puckipuppy’s bikes have only had class 3 pedal assist, so they deserve some credit here.
We tested the Poodle Pro at both class 2 and 3 speeds, as well as using its torque and cadence sensors. I began the speed test by pedaling with no motor power. Here, I averaged 8.6 mph. The Poodle Pro isn’t awful to pedal without the motor, but like all eBikes, working with the PAS system is preferable.
At class 2 speeds while using the torque sensor, PAS 1 averaged 8.6 mph, PAS 2 settled at 11.1 mph, PAS 3 at 14.2, PAS 4 at 17.0, and PAS 5 reached 20 mph.
The class 3 torque test saw the Poodle Pro settle at 11.4 mph in PAS 1, 15.4 mph in PAS 2, 19.4 mph in PAS 3, 22.6 mph in PAS 4, and 28.2 mph in PAS 5 with an extra push on the pedals.
In cadence mode at class 2 speeds, PAS 1 averaged 8.8 mph, PAS 2 did 12.3 mph, PAS 3 15.1 mph, PAS 4 17 mph, and PAS 5 reached 20 mph.
With the speed limit raised to the class 3 cap, cadence mode yielded 11.4 mph in PAS 1, 15.1 mph in PAS 2, 19.9 mph in PAS 3, 24.0 mph in PAS 4, and 28.2 mph in PAS 5.
Let’s simplify this a bit; in general, the test shows incremental and progressive power increases. However, there are some details to address.
First, each PAS level seems to have a speed limit. Once the bike hits that preset cap, the motor cuts out – as a result, I found the higher assist levels to be more intuitive, especially when using the cadence sensor.
Out of the box, this torque sensor requires a healthy amount of effort. With extra pedal input, it will spit out some power, but can still feel slightly lacking. To fix this issue, we’d recommended turning up the “intensity” settings from 3 up to 5 in the display menu. This makes the bike much more peppy – thankfully, it’s an easy solution.
In cadence mode, there is some ghost pedaling as you crest the class 2 cap, but the 8 speed drivetrain keeps it relatively minimal. This is also to be expected at this price point.
I do want to point out that this bike does adhere to the 3 class system – the standard version of the Poodle that we tested missed the mark there. To me, that alone might be worth the upgrade to the Pro model; I’m glad Puckipuppy has made improvements there.
The big takeaway here is that the programming is respectable on this bike. It’s not the most refined, but I’d still give it a passing grade, especially at this price point.