Mercane WideWheel Review

The Mercane WideWheel was one of the most interesting electric scooters around when it was first announced on IndieGoGo at the start of 2018. Its chunky airless tires, front and rear suspension and all round great specs really made it stand out. Well we’ve finally managed to get our hands on one thanks to FluidFreeRide who provided a model for this review. They are also the company behind the Mosquito and Horizon e-scooters. We’ve given it a proper test and will go through everything that we love (and a few things we don’t) about the Mercane WideWheel.

All thoughts and opinions are my own and are not influenced by the related company in any way.

 

 

Quick Look

The Mercane WideWheel has certainly lived up to our expectations. It’s one of the most fun alternative transportation experiences we’ve ever had. The specs convert very well into the real world and the top speed of around 20 mph is definitely doable. The max range of 15 miles is also very achievable. But what really stands out with the WideWheel is just how fun it is. The wide wheels and suspension give a fantastically smooth and stable ride, the brake works incredibly well and the power (even from the single motor version) is more than enough to get the blood pumping. It does have a couple of downsides but for less than $1,000 we really can’t complain.  

Check the latest price on FluidFreeRide’s Website.

 

Quick Specs	Top Speed	20mph (dual motor does 25+mph)
	Maximum Range	15 miles (dual motor with larger battery does 20 miles)
	Weight	37.9lb (17.2kg)
	Motor Size	500W (dual motor has 2x 500W motors)
	Dimensions	43.1 x 21.6 x 43.3 inches
	Folded Dimensions	43.1 x 8.6 x 16.1 inches
	Maximum Rider Weight	220lb (99.8kg)

Features

The Mercane WideWheel is a pretty feature heavy e-scooter. It doesn’t have any gimmicky features that sound good on the web and then are never used when you actually buy it. The features are all useful, high quality additions that genuinely improve the scooter itself.

We’ll start with the feature that gives it its name: the wheels. These are 4 inches wide and 8 inches in diameter. They’re made from a mixture of aluminium, urethane foam and rubber to create a strong and sturdy airless wheel. These are not specifically off-road tires, and I would advise against anything too intensely off road but it can manage some light trail riding. However they have a lot more to offer than standard commuter scooter tires, being able to tackle most surfaces and provide a luxuriously comfortable and fun ride.

These impressive wheels wouldn’t be complete without the front and rear swingarm suspension they’ve been equipped with. This combination provides an excellent ride that is controlled and soft. Whilst large bumps are still noticeable, a lot of the smaller cracks and uneven parts of the roads we’ve tested it on felt almost like they weren’t even there.

The WideWheel comes in two variations, with two 500W motors and a single 500W motor variants. These are hub motors that are very well engineered and sit almost invisibly within the wheels. We tested the single motor variant and thought the power and performance was very good. They’re powered by an 8.8Ah (13.2Ah for the dual motor version) battery pack that sits in the deck of the scooter.

When you really give the WideWheel some power you’ll be glad to know that it has a very powerful rear disc brake. This actually took a little getting used to because it works so well.

The deck is coated with 3.5 inch wide grip taped but the actual deck and batteries are wider than this which gives you makeshift additional foot room if you really need it. We found this to be plenty wide enough with a good grip which meant the ride was perfectly comfortable.

The WideWheel doesn’t come with LED displays or speedometers, instead they went down the minimalist route of a central display made up of four lights which represent the battery life and give a simple user interface. The button beneath these lights also controls the power, the top speed limiter, and the push-and-go function. Controlling these different functions took some getting used to, but they all worked as expected. We think this is the only area that is really lacking with regards to features, a simple odometer and speedometer would have been nice.

Some helpful other additions include the mudguard covering the rear wheel, which also houses the brake light. Another light at the front is an LED headlight that is bright enough to suitably light your way in the dark. It also has a kickstand that comes in handy as the scooter is somewhat cumbersome and can be a pain to constantly have to hold and carry. The recharging is also done with a very simple cord that plugs into the top of the deck, near the front. These features might not seem monumental but you definitely notice when they’re not included or not done as well.

 

Design and Build Quality

The Mercane WideWheel’s main build materials are aluminum and plastic and the high quality of the build is noticeable from the moment you step on it. The big chunky wheels and solid construction of the deck really make it feel like you’re dealing with an exceptionally engineered machine. The quality of the build and choice to go with the wide wheels ensures the stability and smooth ride that the Mercane offers will make any passenger feel confident and safe whilst also having a great time! These are more than enough to easily cover cracks or bumps on your journey when combined with the suspension. So if you’re worried about getting a scooter that won’t be able to handle a rough commute, then consider the WideWheel as it will make the morning commute a real joy. The only slight issue with the build quality that we found was that the handlebars can sometimes feel slightly loose, probably because they are foldable.

We think that the WideWheel could be an ideal candidate for a commuter scooter. The weight of the scooter lends it much more to completely replacing a car/bike rather than it being taken on public transport and then used as a last mile alternative. But the design of the handlebars allows them to be folded inward which makes the scooter just that little bit more portable than other options. This means that it fits in the boot of a car very nicely and so could definitely be used for a part car, part scooter commute.  

We also unanimously think that the WideWheel is a good looking scooter. It’s sleek and stylish and the wheels and suspension really add an almost futuristic feel to it.

It does have a few small problems that could be changed in an ideal world. The T-bar isn’t height adjustable, but for a 6’0” man I had no issues with the height and it was very comfortable. When it comes to packing the scooter away, the folding mechanism requires a fair amount of screwing and unscrewing. This is not ideal, especially if you have to be somewhere quickly or are travelling a lot.

 

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Performance and Range

The general performance of the WideWheel is very impressive. It has a rated top speed of 25mph and a range of about 15 miles, this means it’s made it onto our list of the fastest electric scooters. Both of these numbers felt very realistic but they will definitely depend on the weight of the rider and where you are riding. We tested it in a fairly hilly environment with a rider that weighs about 170lbs and we estimate that it got fairly close to the rated numbers despite no way of accurately telling (no speedometer or odometer!). It’s acceleration is also very good and you definitely get a little jolt from the sudden acceleration when you fully push the lever in. It also managed hills fairly well, with only a slight slowing down even on the steepest one around.  

Despite the excellent performance, there is very little in the way of noise or discomfort from the WideWheel. Unlike many of the cheaper electric scooters out there the hub motor makes just a slight hum, even at full power. The ride is also incredibly stable, thanks to the wheels and the suspension. If you’ve never ridden a scooter in your life it’s super easy to jump on, kick once or twice to get going and then have a very enjoyable first ride.

Luckily, it’s also very easy to stop. The rear disk brake does an excellent job at stopping the scooter despite taking a little getting used to.

The accelerator is another part of the scooter that has a slight learning curve. We found it to be quite twitchy when you first press it down after pushing off. This means you might get a bit of an unexpected kick from the power but you soon get used to it.

 

What We Like About the Mercane WideWheel

• Great performance – The range, speed and acceleration of the WideWheel are superb.
• The super smooth ride – Probably the best part of the WideWheel is how good the ride it. Not only is it super smooth and stable, but it’s also incredibly easy and simple to ride.
• It’s so much fun! – One of the things we all agreed on was how much fun the WideWheel is. The combination of the great performance, excellent top speed and very smooth ride is an experience that is probably one of the most enjoyable we’ve ever had.

 

What We Don’t Like About the Mercane WideWheel

• The folding mechanism – Whilst this isn’t a huge problem, it can be a little slow and awkward to fold the stem. The screwing mechanism isn’t as quick to use as a simple clip but the result is the same.
• The weight – At 37.9 lbs for the single motor version this is a fairly heavy electric scooter. Whilst it can be used as a last mile e-scooter the weight does make this a bit inconvenient. Where it really excels is in using it for the entire journey, this way you get to experience the great ride and don’t have to haul it around on public transport.
• The lack of an interface – Something more than just a row of LEDs would have been nice considering the price point.

 

Final Thoughts

Overall, the WideWheel has to be one of our favorite scooters we’ve reviewed so far. It has a fantastic ride, both from a performance perspective and a comfort perspective. But most of all, it’s incredibly exciting and just so much fun. It’s also quite practical, having a nicely folding set of handlebars, a simple recharging system and being super easy to control.

It’s a great product for pretty much anyone looking for an electric scooter. At around $1,000 it isn’t cheap, but you’re getting top quality in every department and for that we think it’s a no-brainer.

We’ve also reviewed FluidFreeRide’s other scooters, the mid range Horizon and the cheap commuter scooter, the Mosquito.

Check the latest price on FluidFreeRide’s Website.

 

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