Compact electric bikes are trending, especially those that can carry a little cargo. From our perspective, getting an e-bike like the I:SY P12 ZR for review is no trouble.
Why? Well, it doesn’t take up much space. Consider this stat from the book Against Landlords: Renters now pay more for less, on average, floor space available per person has shrunk from 43 square metres to 36 square metres over the past 20 years.
Discounting bike share schemes, that makes a bike like this second only to folding bikes the ideal solution for the space tight. Except for folding bikes don’t tend to be quite as capable at cargo hauling as what is essentially a short tail cargo bike.
So, cards on the table, I personally love bikes in this category, I think they’re an excellent solution for modern living constraints, plus they’re agile in traffic and increasingly capable. But how does the I:SY P12 ZR compare against the competition and is the ultra-premium motor gearbox worth the extra cash versus other models?
€5.999 | View offer
I:SY P12 ZR review: The headline details
Pros
Compact, well built and capable
Ultra low maintenance needs
Great accessory catalogue
The Pinion gearbox is reliable and effective
Good range of adjustability
Abus multi-key system compatible and included rear wheel lock
Comfortable saddle
Big 800Wh battery as standard
Trustworthy climber
Excellent display and software features, including heart rate monitor pairing
Cons
Might benefit from a suspension seatpost if you take shortcuts off tarmac
Charge time is on slow side
The price will probably scare most away
Specifications
Stated weight: 24.2kg
Stated range:Â Estimated 150km
Frame material:Â Aluminium
Motor:Â Pinion E1.12 motor gearbox
Battery:Â Compact Core 800Wh
Drivetrain:Â Pinion E1.12 motor gearbox (12-speed)
Brakes:Â Magura MT-C
Saddle:Â Zecure Comfort
Tyres:Â Schwalbe Pick Up
Suspension:Â None
Included accessories:Â Display, mud guards, rear rack, Pletscher kickstand, rear wheel lock
Who is this bike for?
As mentioned in the intro, this is a bike that best suits the urban dweller. Mostly you will be riding on the tarmac, within towns and cities. If you’re looking to take shortcuts, well then be aware there is a variation of the P12 with knobbled tyres too.
At €5,999, this is a bike for those willing to invest well into a piece of equipment that is built to the highest standards and with the most premium componentry. It’s versatile in that it has a ton of adjustment in the saddle and handlebar height, so it can be shared between the family, which arguably adds value.
The bike will host a 150kg of load, and that rear rack will be good for about 25kg of that tally, so you have options to carry a load of shopping in pannier bags or baskets and perhaps a small child if you instead mount a child seat.
About the drive system and gearing
The drive system found between the cranks is both a pedal assist motor and a 12-speed gearbox. It weighs 3.9kg all in, so accounting for the components it replaces, it’s not terribly overweight and that weight is placed down low, so the handling feels planted and agile.
Pinion is the manufacturer and so confident is it in this system that it more often pitches the drive to mountain bike makers. Needless to say, it’s robust enough for urban applications and however you use it the claim is of 10,000km of maintenance free riding, in large part down to how enclosed the system is. Nothing is exposed to the elements as would be the case with a derailleur gear and cassette build.
Not only that, the natural bedfellow for this system is the belt drive, which again is maintenance free, dead silent and needs no oil, meaning no oily trouser leg. This seems to be more standard a feature than not nowadays at and above certain price points.
As for how the motor blends with the gearing, you have an 85Nm torque capability driving your momentum up steeper hills, which is comparable with many of Bosch’s top motors, though the 600W peak power is a touch less than many performance motors in 2025.
Still, I pointed this at a long 8% hill climb and absolutely sailed up it in the middle of the gear range and motor output. With a 400% support above and beyond your own pedal power, that’s pretty much a given so long as you use the gears sensibly.
The electronic gear shifting is managed by a discreet pair of remote triggers on the right hand side of the handlebar and you can almost feel the gear shift as soon as you tap the pair of levers thanks to a subtle haptic feedback. Better still, by toggling around in the settings, you can automate the shifting experience.
What’s most impressive is the 600% gear range delivered by the 12-speed system and that each of those shifts can be delivered under full load.
Pair that to the support of the motor and this is notably a monster hill climber and one that leaves you in no doubt as to its abilities. So long as you keep the pedal pressure going I expect you could climb steeper hills than my lengthy 8% ascent on this bike.
If you’re new to e-bikes and still understanding gearing, know that a 600% range is massive and easily trumps anything you’ll get from traditional gearing systems. It’s also extremely useful for acceleration and top-end cruising momentum, so it goes without saying that this is a very efficient mover, which is great for A to B city trips.
A final thing that I really loved the first time around with a Pinion drive system was the large, super bright and crystal clear, removable display. This is really sharp system when it comes to ride data and with a toggle of the top notch on the controller you can shuffle through all sorts of ride data.
This includes all the usual stuff on ride data, range and cadence, but extends to estimate your calorie burn, display phone-linked navigation, plus the ability to see incoming calls and you can even sync the bike to a heart rate monitor, enabling you to regulate the comfortable thresholds your doctor would be happy with before urging you to up the assistance.
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I:sy P12 ZR review: The best of the rest
Before I get to the rest of the traditional hardware, it’s worth pointing to the 800Wh battery that I:SY specs to the P12 ZR as standard. That’s going to give you plenty of bandwidth not only on your commute, but more than likely for a week’s worth of 20km a day trips. Certainly I was impressed with the battery reading after a few rides. Because you have such range on the gearing and a few assist options on the motor, you can really hang back and reserve battery, all the while making good progress.
As with the Riese & Muller Delite, I found the Pinion system here to hit cruising speed very quickly off the back of strong acceleration. If anything you can get to a point where you can pedal past the 15.5mph assist and return to your own power, a few miles in excess of the assist limit with relative ease. It’s no surprise to learn that this system can be set up to cater for the speed pedelec; it certainly feels like it has more in the tank.
Outside of the incredible range, there’s more to the I:SY P12. I love the fact that the rear wheel lock buys into the Abus multikey system. This means that you can take a code found on the keycard at the point of purchase and have a lock specced to the exact barrel of the mounted wheel lock. One key, multiple locking options.
On to adjustability and this is an area where the I:SY excels. It has quick release actuation on a steering column and seat post that can let you fine tune through a wide range of heights, all the while keeping a sit-up-and-beg style geometry that straightens the back and pushes the sit bones into a very plush saddle. Actually I think this is one of the most comfortable saddles I’ve sat on, so it must be a good fit for me.
The 20-inch wheels work well with the way this frame positions you. The ride feels agile and predictable. The brakes support the feeling of control and while the levers feel quite large, they also give the impression of control; and the brakes are really good at slowing you in a controlled way. I rode this bike in the wet a little, just because small wheel bikes can be twitchy in such conditions, but I had no concerns about loss of control.
I wanted to nit pick on the folding pedal, which comes clad in grip tape (notoriously slippy in the wet), but the execution on the I:SY is better than most and they don’t accidentally fold as you ride as some cheaper options can.
It’s really worth flagging the I:SY accessories catalogue too, because these can really make the bike your own, especially if you intend to use it for functional day-to-day utility cycling. There’s all sorts on the brand’s websites, from dog baskets, magnetic bottles, trailer adaptors, even a vase for a handlebar flower… More seriously, there are front racks, child seats, pannier bags, baskets, crates, straps and customisation items too.
I:SY P12 review final thoughts: An investment piece
My immediate thoughts when seeing the price of this bike was that it is an investment piece. A bit like the Schindelhauer Antonia that I reviewed earlier this year in the sense that it is a sophisticated bike for those who value having something a bit special and are willing to pay the extra.
Except the I:SY P12 is a bit more than that. It’s a genuinely useful bike, it is perfect for the modern apartment or small house owner/renter, it rides well, is equipped to the highest standard, has some clever afterthoughts on things like bike security, plus it’s comfortable and gets the job done with zero complaints. Whether it is true that the ultra-low maintenance needs will save you money over time will depend on how much you ride, but surely this is preferable to a derailleur gear bike if you can afford it.
In what is essentially the highest praise a bike can get, I would be extremely happy if I owned this bike. It’s excellent. It’s just beyond the average UK sales price for this kind of bike by more than double. If you’re new to e-bike riding, this won’t be your first purchase. You’ll probably buy something far cheaper, but not as well built. You may stay put on that bike for some time, but later get your head turned by a bike like this, if the spend bandwidth permits.
I:SY is a very popular brand on mainland Europe where spending on quality e-bikes is naturally higher. So my bet is that this won’t be a best-seller in the UK, but if you know what you’re looking at, then this is a quality e-bike that will last generations and can be passed down or sold on with ease. With the Pinion system between the cranks, it’s a bit unique too, so will hold its value well.
How about the competition?
Read my I:SY P12 review? Here’s a bunch more e-bike reviews to chew over if you’re looking at your options across all categories, plus some direct competition below:
Ridgeback Errand
£1,799 | View offer
At the much, much cheaper end of this style of bike sits the Ridgeback Errand, a simplistic, but nonetheless functional build that relies on more traditional componentry. It has a hub motor, derailleur gears, a front rack and 20-inch wheels, plus a handful of accessories fitted to make dashing about in all weathers convenient.
Catch our Ridgeback Errand review in full.
Tern HSD
£4,200 (Was £5,600) | View S+ offer
Hitting a similar price tier, but with a slightly different approach, the Tern HSD has a similar compact wheelbase, powerful motor, excellent hubgear option and even has options to store the bike vertically and fold down the handlebar. Once again, it’s built to carry things, so that extended tail is child seat compatible, among other things.
Read our Tern HSD review in full.
Velo de Ville KEB pro
From £3,229 | View offer
Another excellent option if you like customisation is the Velo de Ville KEB Pro, which given that you can tailor the build from the paint colour right through to the spec sheet may be highly appealing, especially given the bandwidth you’d have in price when benchmarked against the I:SY P12 on review above.