This Clip-On Motor Can Turn Almost Any Bike Into an E-Bike

If you really like the bicycle you own, but you don’t want to pedal literally all the time, The CLIP friction drive might be for you. This lightweight electric motor turns your regular bike into almost-an-e-bike. It clips onto your front wheel in seconds and gives you a boost of extra juice to get over that bridge or up that hill on your commute.

I strapped a CLIP onto my bike and gave it a spin recently, and here’s what I think.

A quick look at the CLIP 

The CLIP is definitely a neat little gadget, but it isn't for everyone.

Pros

• Ingenious design: A ton of thought went into making this product easy to use and effective.

• Easy set-up: Attaching and detaching the CLIP takes about 10 seconds and requires no tools.

• Portable: The CLIP is small enough to fit into a backback when you get to work or school.

Cons

• Limited power: It won’t take you far and it won’t take you up big hills. 

• Price: $499 or $599 is a lot for only part of an e-bike.

Installing a CLIP is easy

Both the local bike shop where I picked up my CLIP review unit and the company behind the product offered to walk me through installation, but I turned them down. I wanted to see how true their claims of "easy to set up" actually are. Verdict: extremely true.

The CLIP took about 45 seconds to install. You don't need tools, screws, or wires—you don't even need the instructions. You can see that the side arms spread out to attach to your fork and CLIP's small wheel rests on your front wheel without a diagram. The rest of the installation is attaching a wireless button to your handlebars with a magnet. Easy-peasy. I estimate that it's 8,000 times easier than full e-bike conversion kits.

The CLIP is not designed for every bike, though. It won't fit on a bike with a front suspension fork, and it's designed for 26" to 28" tires. So check this compatibility tool on CLIP's website before you buy.

What it's like to ride a bike with a CLIP

When I first attached the CLIP I was concerned about safety. The "explorer" CLIP weighs almost 10 pounds and the "commuter" weighs nine (most of the weight from the 96Wh battery for the commuter the 192Wh battery for the explorer model.) It's not too much to carry, but it's seemingly enough to unbalance a bike. Once I pedaled a bit though, physics took over and it felt entirely stable.

If you're accustomed to riding e-bikes, there's a small learning curve with a CLIP. Unlike an e-bike, it doesn't provide power based on your pedal cadence or pedal torque. The CLIP transfers power based on your front wheel spinning, so it propels you along until you stop adding power to the system, then keeps you going at the speed you've built up, topping out at about 15 mph. This is way more fun than having to pedal to get to that speed.

A typical e-bike will stop providing power when you hit the brakes, and not turn back on again until you pedal, so if you slow down, you coast. If you slow down with the CLIP, though—say, from 15 mph to 10 mph—it will maintain that 10 mph speed after braking. Not a huge deal, but something you need to get used to.

The red button provides a boost of power. It works, but given the CLIP's relatively small motor and battery, you're better off letting it help you pedal than expecting it to haul you around.

Speaking of the battery: They aren't lying about the six or 12 mile range. Fortunately, the CLIP's battery charges to full power in either 30 minutes for the commuter model and an hour for the explorer.

To stress-test the CLIP, I rode my bike over some potholes and uneven ground to see if it would shake off, and it stayed snugly attached to the front wheel.

Overall, the CLIP is a fun little addition to a bike, perfect for a short commute to class or work, but there is a lot that the CLIP isn't designed to do.

All the things the CLIP is not

As useful as it is for some kinds of biking, the CLIP has a narrow range of possibilities. You can't use it in the rain or on wet streets; the distance per-charge is small—6 miles for the commuter, 12 for the explorer, even with regenerative braking—and the power output is minimal. It will give you some help getting up a hill, but it won't pull you up.

The CLIP isn't designed to turn your bike into a full e-bike; it's designed to provide a boost for your existing ride, and it does that extremely well. Whether that's worth the price is subjective, but the two models of CLIP retail for $499 and $599, so it isn't cheap, especially when you can pick up a quality budget e-bike like the Propella 7S for $899, or take your chances on a no-name Amazon e-bike for even less.

The bottom line on the CLIP

The CLIP is a solid option for riders who already love their bike and want a portable, lightweight motor for short, mostly flat urban rides. It’s easy to install, easy to use, and provides just the right amount of boost for running errands or getting to class. For what it is—a minimal, grab-and-go bike motor for city dwellers—the CLIP does its job well. Just don’t expect it to turn your bike into a full-fledged e-bike.