Velotric’s GoMad e-bike brings power, comfort, and utility together

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The Velotric GoMad is built to do a lot. It’s a utility e-bike with a 500-pound load capacity, a powerful motor, and enough room on the back to carry everything from cargo to passengers. But despite all of that capability, it’s surprisingly easy to ride.

Before I even got on it, though, there were two things I loved: the color and those massive tires. I tested the GoMad in Obsidian, a black finish with a subtle sparkle that catches the light. The 20 x 4-inch fat tires are just as hard to miss, and they immediately became one of my favorite things about the bike.

Those oversized tires are paired with an integrated rear rack that can support up to 176 pounds, while the bike itself has a total load capacity of up to 500 pounds.

There’s plenty of power when you want it

The GoMad uses a 750-watt rear hub motor that can reach 1,300 watts of peak power and delivers 85Nm of torque. It has five riding modes; Eco, Tour, Trail, Sport, and Boost.

I spent time moving between the different modes, but Tour quickly became my favorite for everyday riding. On relatively flat roads by myself, it provided enough assistance that riding felt easy without giving me more power than I really needed.

Boost is there when you want more. In that mode, I could comfortably reach around 20 mph and stay there cruising without feeling like I was pushing the bike particularly hard.

I also liked being able to see and switch between Class 1, 2, and 3 operation directly from the GoMad’s 3.5-inch color display. The bike comes with a default maximum speed of 20 mph, although it can be configured for speeds between 12 and 28 mph depending on its class, settings, and local regulations.

With a bike this substantial, getting up to speed is only half the equation. I also wanted to know how it would feel coming back down from it.

The GoMad uses Tektro hydraulic disc brakes with a 203mm front rotor and 180mm rear rotor. Even going from around 20 mph to a stop, braking felt controlled and safe. I never felt like I was fighting the weight of the bike or that I needed to be overly cautious about slowing it down.

Comfort goes beyond the seat

At 77 pounds, the GoMad isn’t a light e-bike, but I was surprised by how manageable it felt even when I wasn’t riding it. At one point, I needed to turn the bike around before heading out, and I was able to pivot it in the opposite direction without much effort. Once I started riding, the weight became even less noticeable.

Those enormous tires that immediately caught my attention help here. The 20 x 4-inch tires are paired with a hydraulic suspension fork offering 100mm of travel, giving the GoMad a setup designed to handle more than perfectly smooth pavement.

Tour gave me an easy everyday ride, while Sport and Boost added more assistance without making the GoMad feel difficult to control. Even when I was riding around 20 mph, I felt comfortable cruising and equally comfortable bringing the bike back to a stop.

Even the standard kickstand feels appropriately sturdy for a bike this size. Despite the GoMad’s weight, it held the bike firmly in place and never left me worried about whether it could support it.

Putting the GoMad’s utility to the test

A 500-pound load capacity sounds impressive, but utility-bike specs become much more meaningful once you actually put some weight on the bike. That’s where my kids came in.

I tested the GoMad with Velotric’s Young Passenger Kit installed, which adds a rear seat setup, passenger handrail, foot pegs, wheel guards, and a dual kickstand. With both of my kids on the back, I added about 80 pounds of passenger weight to the bike.

The dual kickstand immediately became one of my favorite parts of the setup. It’s incredibly sturdy. I was able to load and unload both kids by myself without needing another person to hold the bike upright, which made the passenger setup much easier to manage.

Riding with both kids took a little adjustment at first, particularly when it came to finding my balance. But once I got up to around 10 mph, the GoMad felt comfortable and surprisingly natural. I never really felt like I was carrying an extra 80 pounds, and starting, stopping, and cruising all felt controlled.

I did find myself changing riding modes. Tour was my favorite when I was riding alone, but Sport became the sweet spot with the additional weight on the back. It provided enough assistance for normal riding that I never felt like I needed to keep the bike in its most powerful setting.

Of course, I still had to try Boost.

I took the GoMad up a fairly big hill with both kids aboard, switched into Boost, and it handled the climb without an issue. Even with the additional weight, getting all three of us up the hill felt surprisingly easy.

There’s more utility beyond carrying capacity

The GoMad has plenty of other features designed around everyday use.

Velotric rates its 801.6Wh battery for up to 75 miles of pedal-assisted riding under its stated test conditions, while adding an optional second battery can bring the claimed maximum range to as much as 150 miles.

There’s also NFC unlocking, support for Apple Find My and Google’s Find Hub, USB-C phone charging, and integrated lighting. The front headlight puts out 500 lumens, while the rear light incorporates a brake indicator and turn signals.

The GoMad manages to do a lot without feeling like a lot

The GoMad is undeniably substantial. It weighs 77 pounds, rolls on massive 4-inch-wide tires, can carry up to 500 pounds, and has a motor capable of putting out 1,300 watts at its peak.

By myself, Tour was comfortable enough that I could simply cruise without thinking much about the motor underneath me. When I wanted more power, Boost could comfortably get me to around 20 mph, while the hydraulic brakes made coming back down from that speed feel controlled.

Adding another 80 pounds to the back put the utility side of the GoMad to a much more meaningful test. There was an adjustment period while I found my balance, but once I was moving, the additional weight became surprisingly easy to forget. Sport provided all the assistance I wanted for normal riding, while Boost made taking on a bigger hill almost feel like showing off.

Even some of the smaller features ended up making a difference. The sturdy kickstand was useful on its own, while the dual kickstand included with the passenger setup made loading and unloading both kids considerably easier.

What surprised me most was how easy the GoMad felt to ride regardless of what I was asking it to do. Riding alone was comfortable and fun, and adding another 80 pounds to the back didn’t suddenly make the bike feel difficult to manage. There’s plenty of power when you need it, whether that means cruising at 20 mph or getting three people up a hill.

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