FLYER Upstreet6 7.10 HS in review

A massive battery, a motor perfectly tuned for the flats and wide 27.5″ tires: the FLYER Upstreet 6 7.10 HS has the potential to clean up in the big commuter bike group test. Does the S-pedelec make the cut or is it unable to emerge from the test unscathed? You can find out here.

Get an overview of the grouptest here: The best ebike of 2021 – The 19 most exciting concepts for everyday use

**FLYER** Upstreet6 7.10 HS | TDCM HCA45/810 Wh
32.24 kg in size L | € 5,099 | Manfacturer’s website

Escape from the daily rush hour that steals away precious minutes from the ever smaller amount of free time available both before and after work. Leave the bitter fight for the last parking space to others. Swap increased stress for the refreshing wind blowing through your hair. FLYER promise all this with the Upstreet6 7.10 HS, one of three S-pedelecs in our big ebike group test. The Swiss brand goes against the mid-motor trend with a rear-wheel-drive – common for sports cars like Porsche or Jaguar to allow for more agile handling. We found out whether the Upstreet benefits from this too.

If you expect Swiss quality in terms of looks, you’ll be disappointed by the front of this bike. It’s a bustle of too many cables and chaos reigns.

FLYER Upstreet6 7.10 HS spec in detail

Form follows function – that must have been the motto during the development of the € 5,099 FLYER Upstreet. The massive, reinforced frame, hefty welds and fat chainstays leave no doubt that the Upstreet can deal with all the forces exerted on an S-pedelec at 45 km/h without any issues. And that turns out to be the case: the aluminium frame of the FLYER bike is decidedly stiff and is completely unimpressed even when loaded up maximally with 116 kg. Unfortunately, chaos reigns in the cockpit. Clearly, the ergonomic and cable routing experience of the Swiss brand has been inspired by Italian cuisine and, as such, emanates spaghetti flair. The Swiss promise of quality gleaming on the top tube couldn’t stand in starker contrast to the front of the FLYER, where numerous cables cross wildly and make a mockery of the idea of integration. Even the adjustable stem and solid mount for the FIT D1 display can only do so much to rectify the damage. Things are different on the frame and rear of the ebike: here all the cables and hoses run tidily inside. Unusual for an S-pedelec is the lack of four-piston brakes and the associated reserves – nonetheless, we didn’t have any problems during our testing. However, during long descents, which in hilly Switzerland stack up like binged Netflix series during a pandemic, the MAGURA MT4e brakes can reach their limit – the bike alone weighs an impressive 32 kg.

**Where do I put the Game Pak?**
With its joystick and 3.5″ display, the FLYER Upstreet fulfils all requirements for a small Nintendo game. However, the ergonomics of the joystick to control the energy recovery mode are a bit fiddly.

**Promise broken**
With a label of Swiss Quality Assembly, we expect anything but the cable routing of the cockpit, which just doesn’t do the bike justice.

**Sometimes less is more**
With 50 teeth, the chainring is too big and together with the comparatively weak motor, makes the FLYER Upstreet unsuitable for hilly terrain.

FLYER Upstreet6 7.10 HS

€ 5,099

Specifications

Motor TDCM HCA45 37 Nm
Battery FLYER FIB-810 810 Wh
Display FIT D1
Fork SR Suntour MOBIE45 60 mm
Seatpost FLYER Alu 31.6 mm
Brakes MAGURA MT4e 203/180 mm
Drivetrain Shimano DEORE 1x10
Stem FLYER Integrated Stem 95 mm
Handlebar SATORI Wien 640 mm
Wheelset FLYER Disc
Tires Continental CONTACT Plus City 27.5 x 2.2"

Technical Data

Size S M L XL
Weight 32.24 kg

Specific Features

recuperation mode
FIT D1 display
ABUS SHIELD 5650L frame lock

**One of the biggest in the test**
The 810 Wh FLYER FIB battery is one of the biggest single batteries of all the test bikes.

**Please don’t push**
The push-assist of the FLYER Upstreet is neither particularly powerful nor reliable and gave up multiple times during the test.

**The wall does it better**
When it comes to tidiness, the Upstreet6 could have taken an example from the wall behind it. The cable routing at the front of the S-pedelec is chaotic.

Size	S	M	L	XL
Seat tube	440 mm	480 mm	520 mm	560 mm
Top tube	565 mm	590 mm	615 mm	640 mm
Head tube	130 mm	150 mm	170 mm	190 mm
Head angle	70.5°	70.5°	70.5°	70.5°
Seat angle	73.0°	73.0°	73.0°	73.0°
Chainstays	480 mm	480 mm	480 mm	480 mm
BB Drop	45 mm	45 mm	45 mm	45 mm
Wheelbase	1,104 mm	1,130 mm	1,156 mm	1,182 mm
Reach	384 mm	403 mm	423 mm	442 mm
Stack	591 mm	610 mm	629 mm	648 mm

DThe TDCM hub motor of the FLYER Upstreet: Forwards with a roar?

For the drive system, FLYER rely on a hub motor. It is provided by Taiwanese manufacturer TDCM and propels the Upstreet with a comparatively limited 37 Nm. The TDCM HCA5 motor is fueled by one of the biggest batteries in the test: the FLYER FIB with an 810 Wh capacity. In comparison to many other batteries that are hidden in the down tube, it can be removed from the side, making charging much easier. Unfortunately, during the test, the TDCM motor revealed a number of issues. The motor pushes the bike gently and isn’t very aggressive. That makes the FLYER Upstreet6 easy for newbies to master even without much of a learning curve. Acceleration and power in the mid-range are completely acceptable and you can happily ride the FLYER Upstreet6 7.10 HS on the flats at a constant 45 km/h without breaking a sweat. In contrast, that’s only possible with the Riese & Müller Homage with significantly more of your own input. However, when a hill appears, you’ll need to take as big a run-up as possible. If your speed drops and you end up pedalling with an ever lower cadence, the support of the motor disappears quickly and you’ll be left pedalling on your own without any support. Setting off on a hill is also almost impossible with the FLYER Upstreet.

The lower power compared to a mid-motor is a limitation of the design and common to numerous hub motors. In combination with the comparatively low torque, the FLYER just can’t keep up with the competition in these situations. The limited power of the push assist adds to this difficulty, regularly overwhelmed on steps and on top of that, ended up having numerous malfunctions and showing faults on the display.

You want to fly over the flats at 45 km/h and feel the wind blowing through your hair? The FLYER Upstreet6 7.10 HS is your bike!

Once you’ve managed to climb a hill, you can enjoy the energy recovery system on the way downhill. With the integrated motor brake, it’s possible to recover some energy to feed the battery and charge it during your ride. Unfortunately, this only works at low speeds for a longer period of time; above 40 km/h, the system switches off quite quickly to protect the battery. The usability of the energy recovery mode via the joystick on the bars isn’t really intuitive. One of the few highlights of the E-drive is the large and clear FIT D1 display, which can be paired with your smartphone and app like Komoot and provide you with turn indications – unfortunately, there’s not a complete map like on the Bosch Nyon display.

FLYER Upstreet6 7.10 HS on test

As mentioned previously, the FLYER is easy to keep at speed on the flats but, as an S-pedelec, can’t legally be ridden on bike or forest paths in Germany, which should be clear anyway if you buy a Speed-pedelec. As a result of the hub motor, the Upstreet is lighter at the front than the rear which has an influence on both the handling and comfort of the bike. As such, the mass of the bike pushes noticeably from behind when riding over bumps. Despite the stiff triangle, the bike isn’t uncomfortable and is able to offer a decent level of damping thanks to the 27.5 x 2.2″ Continental tires. Small vibrations are damped effectively but big hits are transmitted almost unfiltered onto the rider. The SR Suntour suspension fork is specially designed for 45 km/h bikes and can be specced for a surcharge of 250 CHF instead of the rigid fork – we’d advise doing so because it’s worth the money and shines with good damping.

Tuning tip: tip to the manufacturer: please fit easier gears that will match the comparatively limited motor power

The FLYER Upstreet reacts willingly to steering input and in some situations demands a certain amount of rider experience. At high speeds, the sensitive bike wants to be steered with a careful hand and led gently through corners. On the other hand, at low speed, the Upstreet is easy to ride intuitively without too much thought required from beginners. At very low speeds i.e. when standing or pushing, the overall handling of the bike is comparatively difficult to manage as a result of the inadequate push-assist. Due to the high weight of 32 kg and its rear-heavy distribution, the bike is anything but handy. The FLYER Upstreet6 7.10 HS is only suitable if you have to overcome hardly any climbs on the way to work, never ride off-road and are looking for a bike with a big battery for commuting that can cruise at speed on the flats.

FLYER Upstreet6 7.10 HS conclusion

With its large battery and hub motor, the FLYER Upstreet6 7.10 is predestined for long rides on the flats and effortlessly maintains its cruising speed of 45 km/h. However, the S-pedelec is shy on hills and strikes almost completely as things get steeper. On top of that, it’s stubborn when pushed and the cable routing at the front is chaotic. That means the Upstreet6 can only score in a relatively limited range of applications and, unfortunately, disappointed us during this test.

Tops

one of the biggest batteries in the test
great motor tuning for the flats
clear FIT D1 display with Komoot integration

Flops

weak response at low cadences or from a standstill
difficult handling when standing or pushing the bike
chaotic cable routing up front
too hard gearing for the torque available
narrow range of applications

Rider Type

The trans-urban mile muncher 1

The stylish city explorer 2

The Transporter 3

The short distance whizz 4

The passionate recreational cyclist 5

You can find out more about at flyer-bikes.com

The testfield