Vanpowers GrandTeton Review: Ultra vs Pro, and Which One to Buy

The GrandTeton is Vanpowers' fat tire all terrain line, and the two bikes share more than they differ. Both run a 48V 14.7Ah removable battery with Samsung cells, both carry a torque sensor, both wear 26 by 4 inch tires with 203 mm hydraulic rotors, and both are rated for a 400 pound load. Vanpowers The split is the motor. The Pro puts a 750 watt hub motor in the rear wheel and gives you a thumb throttle. The Ultra puts a 500 watt Ananda mid drive at the cranks, pedal assist only, with 130 Nm of torque against the Pro's 85. Vanpowers

What the $900 actually buys

Torque first. A mid drive pushes through the gears, so 130 Nm at the crank on a 9 speed Shimano CUES cassette is what lets a 70 pound fat bike climb like it weighs less. The Ultra is also 6 pounds lighter at 70.4, gets an air fork instead of a coil, 4 piston Tektro calipers instead of standard ones, a 150 mm dropper post, and Vanpowers' TBOX smart module built in, with GPS tracking and an alarm. Vanpowers The Pro answers with the throttle, plus fenders and a 55 pound rated rear rack that the Ultra does not include. Vanpowers

Range is the same claim on both: 93 miles. Read the fine print, because Vanpowers publishes it: "165.35 lb load, ECO mode throughout, average speed 9.32 mph, flat road." Vanpowers Vagabondish rode the Pro in mixed real terrain and landed "closer to around 80 miles," which is still strong. Vagabondish Expect less on the trail, and less again in winter.

• 
  Mid drive · Pedal assist only

  GrandTeton Ultra

  $3,999 was $4,599

  500W Ananda mid drive, 130 Nm, air fork, 4 piston brakes, dropper post, GPS module. 70.4 lb. Two colours, 40 in stock.

  Skip it if you want a throttle or a rack out of the box. It has neither.

  See the Ultra
• 
  Hub motor · Thumb throttle

  GrandTeton Pro

  $3,099 was $3,599

  750W rear hub, 85 Nm, throttle, fenders and rack included. 76.7 lb. Two colours, 40 in stock.

  Skip it if your rides are mostly steep. The hub motor works harder and cannot use the gears.

  See the Pro

Is it street legal?

That is the other half of why this review exists. Last week we reviewed the Philodo Falcon, a 4000 watt fat bike that belongs on private land. The GrandTeton is the fat tire bike you can ride to the trailhead on the road.

The honest list

Both bikes come in one frame size, for riders 5'5" to 6'3", so shorter riders are out. Vanpowers Both are heavy. Vagabondish said of the Pro that you feel every bit of its 76 pounds. Vagabondish The warranty is 2 years on the frame, battery, motor and controller, 1 year on most other parts, and it excludes the suspension fork and third party drivetrain and brake components. Vanpowers warranty Vanpowers also advertises a 6 year frame warranty on the product page, which is longer than the policy page states, so ask before you rely on it.

Which GrandTeton is yours?

Tap what matters most.

• I climb
• I want a throttle
• I haul gear
• I park it in the city

Who answers when something breaks?

Search the brand and you will find the worry. Vanpowers holds a 3.1 out of 5 on Trustpilot across 121 reviews. Trustpilot The happy owners praise the bikes. The unhappy ones describe support: one wrote that it was "impossible to get a hold of anyone from customer service," another that "the support will only communicate via email" and "the language barrier is high." Trustpilot Vanpowers lists weekday email hours and no phone line on its product pages. Vanpowers If you have bought a direct to consumer e bike before, you know exactly why that gives people pause.

Questions before you buy

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