Freebeat MorphRover e-bike review: a 2-in-1 workout bike indoors and out

Freebeat MorphRover

Fat-tire bikes have become our favorite kind of e-bike among those we have tested. The MorphRover fits in well with the competition, but the added stationary exercise feature makes it stand out.

We've been testing the step-through model from late fall to winter conditions on every terrain, plus in our living room. Some superior e-bike options perform better on hills or get started from stops easier, but none can be used as a stationary exercise bike.

Exercise bikes can be as expensive as some e-bikes, especially if they have sensors for detecting if the rider is sitting or standing. Anyone in the market for both kinds of bikes should strongly consider the MorphRover 2-in-1 solution.

We'd love to see a foldable MorphRover in the future. Since we've experienced folding e-bikes, it's difficult to go back, but MorphRover makes up for the lack of storability with functionality.

Freebeat MorphRover e-bike review — design

The MorphRover is available in step-through and high-step frames. There are three color options — black, green, and sand.

The total length from wheel to wheel is 75.55 inches. The handlebar height is 43.31 inches, while the max seat height is 35.36 inches for the step-through model.

This is a big, hefty bike at 77 pounds. The 4-inch thick, 26-inch tires make MorphRover a bulky but sturdy bike.

The Freebeat MorphRover is a 2-in-1 e-bike meant to act as a commuter bike and indoor exercise bike at once. Its incredible size and weight make this an interesting combination, but more on that later.

The problem with most 2-in-1 solutions is running into design philosophies that work for one use case but not the other. For example, MorphRover is decent as an e-bike but lacks some design aspects that would make it an excellent stationary exercise bike — like a dedicated, detachable tablet stand.

Assembly and maintenance

Assembling the MorphRover was an exercise in frustration. While we acknowledge that we could have received a poorly boxed model, we feel the need to point out the obstacles.

Most e-bikes we've tested arrive almost ready to go, with only the front wheel, seat, and handlebars needing to be attached. That's how MorphRover came, too, but the battery was missing.

This is a review unit, so perhaps the battery was meant to ship separately and was forgotten. Thankfully, Freebeat was quick to remedy the situation by sending the battery as soon as they confirmed ours was missing.

Actually building the e-bike was a bit of a chore too. The fender attachments were backward and needed to be switched, and the handlebars wouldn't install with the supplied screw until we removed a (hopefully unneeded) spacer.

Once everything was put together, the MorphRover proved to be a well-built e-bike. We didn't encounter any issues with rattling, rubbing, or pinched cables.

Freebeat MorphRover e-bike review — features

MorphRoved has a 750W motor with a max torque of 85Nm. There are five pedal assist levels from 1 to 5, with 0 being no assist.

Information is displayed on a 3.5-inch LCD, but some data can be found in the Freebeat app. The LCD will show current speed, pedal assist level, and trip length.

The e-bike is rated for up to 60 miles, but that's conservative with minimal pedal assistance. The max speed is 28 MPH if unlocked — we saw about 20 miles at most.

Charging the battery from 0% to 80% can take 6 hours. Getting it to 100% takes 8 hours. The battery is also charged while used in indoor mode, but very slowly.

MorphRover has hydraulic suspension and brakes. It is big with fat tires, so it rides smoothly on most terrains.

There is a headlight but no taillights or signals.

The bike has included cadence sensors and a seat sensor, which are only visible to the Freebeat app. Neither Apple Fitness nor the Apple Watch can utilize the sensor data.

Freebeat app

The Freebeat app is relatively simple with its designs and feature set despite being used to promote a fitness program. The lack of forums and social graphs is a plus in our books.

Outdoor mode shows a map, while indoor mode shows available workouts from Freebeat's premium service. Connecting the MorphRover over Bluetooth allows the app to read data from the bike while exercising to display it.

Freebeat's fitness program costs $20 monthly, including video workouts, a rhythm game, free ride modes, and a scenic riding mode. There isn't an Apple TV app, but it does work with screen mirroring.

If you're an Apple Fitness+ user like we are, we're not sure there's enough in Freebeat's fitness program to attract you. Sure, it utilizes information from the bike sensors, but it lacks data like the heart rate from the Apple Watch.

Riding the Freebeat MorphRover e-bike

Since the MorphRover is a 2-in-1 e-bike, we'll split our riding experience into two sections. Primarily, this is an outdoor e-bike with fat tires and a hefty frame, but it doubles as a stationary exercise bike when used with a wheel mount.

As an outdoor e-bike

We've tested a few fat tire e-bikes with 750W motors, throttles, and Shimano drivetrains. The style of the bike is the most notable difference, as the feature set and specs usually match up.

MorphRover performed as expected. It was a smooth ride that gave us confidence because of its size and weight, but there were some oddities.

The spec sheet would tell us this should be one of the most performant e-bikes we've tested yet. However, in practice, we encountered limitations that these specs should have dealt with easily.

Taking off from a stop on a heavy e-bike is always a metric we test. We're happy there's a throttle on the MorphRover, but it couldn't get the bike to move while stationary. We had to push off and then hit the throttle to get rolling.

A 1,000W peak motor with 85Nm of torque should be able to tackle almost any hill we throw at it. Instead, we had to pedal quite hard or just give up and push on hills that other bikes we've tested handled well.

Specs may match up, but every e-bike operates from different algorithm settings. Perhaps MorphRover expects more force from the rider than other e-bikes we tested.

An eight-mile ride starting at about 93% dropped the battery to 62% at varying pedal assist levels. That means our hilly region and reliance on higher pedal assist levels would kill the battery in under 30 miles.

These aren't necessarily bad results, just not ideal given the spec sheet. Where MorphRover falls short of other e-bikes it makes up for in features, like its ability to transform into a stationary workout bike.

As an indoor exercise bike

Nearly every e-bike review has someone asking if pedaling or going downhill recharges the bike, and the answer is always no. It's still a no for MorphRover, but with a catch — indoor mode adds about 10 miles of travel per half hour of exercise.

The MorphRover comes with a front and rear wheel mount to make the bike elevated and stationary. Then, it can be used to exercise indoors along with Freebeat or other content.

We like Freebeat's content as it integrates well with the bike. It can vary the resistance with the workout, and it knows if you're standing up.

As we stated, these niceties weren't enough to pull us from Apple Fitness+, but some may find them useful. We've done biking workouts with Fitness+ and found we prefer the on-screen metrics, calorie tracking, and burn bar better.

Freebeat's fitness courses were fine but busy with on-screen metrics. It felt a bit overwhelming to try and match the expected cadence, match the rhythm in a song, and keep up with an overall score and leaderboard.

We'd love to see Freebeat open up the Bluetooth connection to the MorphRover for cadence and power tracking on Apple Watch. While that's unlikely, we're just happy to know the e-bike works as an exercise bike without paying for Freebeat's plan.

The most important thing to note about using MorphRover as an exercise bike is its size. This huge e-bike is easily twice the size of a stationary exercise bike. Moving it into place, mounting it, and storing it will be more challenging with this hefty model.

The only 2-in-1 e-bike (for now)

Space is limited, so having 2-in-1 solutions is enticing as long as they are not toaster fridges. The MorphRover performs well as an e-bike while offering a well-rounded stationary bike experience.

We'd like to see better outdoor performance on hills and more gear like a tablet holder while indoors. Mixing two types of devices into one will always create differences from competing products.

Anyone looking for an e-bike and an exercise bike can get the MorphRover to kill two birds with one stone. Apple users can easily integrate the e-bike into their Fitness+ regimen, too.

Freebeat MorphRover e-bike — Pros

• Fat tires and a heavy frame make for a stable ride
• Outdoor e-bike and indoor exercise bike in one
• Works as a stationary bike even without Freebeat's app

Freebeat MorphRover e-bike — Cons

• 2-in-1 also means it won't excel at either
• Frustrating to build
• Big and heavy, so it's harder to transport or store

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

A 3.5 out of 5 suggests a product does what it says with room for improvement. It's neither the best e-bike nor the best stationary fitness bike, but it's a decent mixture.

Freebeat has surely started a trend with multi-function e-bikes like the MorphRover. We're excited to see what future models can do.

Where to buy the Freebeat MorphRover e-bike

Get the MorphRover 2-in-1 e-bike from the Freebeat website for $1,799 normally, but it's on sale at $1,499 for the holidays. Amazon has MorphRover at 20% off with an on-page coupon, making it $1,439.99 at checkout.