From Daily Commutes to Hilly Country Roads: Mirjam’s Hailong One Experience
What is an e-bike really like when it becomes part of your everyday routine?
For Mirjam, the FAFREES Hailong One has become a regular companion for commuting to work, riding along country paths and tackling hilly routes in Germany.
Her detailed feedback gives a realistic look at the bike from the perspective of an everyday rider — including what she enjoys most, how the bike performs on her daily route, how the battery responds to climbs, and the small details that make everyday riding more convenient.
A Smooth Start from Delivery to Riding
Mirjam says her delivery experience in Germany went very smoothly.
After receiving the Hailong One, she was able to get started quickly and began using it as part of her everyday routine.
She also appreciated the overall design and the practical character of the bike, which combines a conventional bicycle layout with electric assistance for daily travel.
Built for Everyday Riding
Mirjam mainly uses her Hailong One to commute to work, rather than keeping it only for occasional weekend rides.
Her route includes plenty of field paths and significant changes in elevation, making her daily journey a useful real-world test for the bike.
The Hailong One is designed as a 26-inch e-bike with a rear-drive 250W motor, 45Nm of torque and five levels of pedal assistance. Its combination of a traditional bicycle drivetrain and electric assistance gives riders flexibility when moving between flatter roads and hillier sections.
For Mirjam, that extra support is particularly valuable because of the terrain she encounters every day.
“The Drive Is Great”
One of the clearest positives in Mirjam’s feedback is the motor assistance.
She describes the drive as great and says she often chooses a high assistance level during her rides.
That preference makes sense on a route with repeated climbs. The Hailong One uses a 45Nm rear-drive motor, designed to provide electric assistance while pedaling, with five selectable assistance levels.
Rather than focusing only on specifications, Mirjam's experience shows how those numbers translate into everyday riding: for her, the motor support is one of the main reasons the bike works well as a commuter.
A Design She Enjoys
The Hailong One also won Mirjam over visually.
She specifically mentions liking the bike's design and describes the overall package as practical for everyday use.
The bike uses a 6061 aluminum alloy frame and 26-inch wheels with CST 26 × 2.1 tires, giving it a familiar bicycle feel while retaining the benefits of electric assistance.
The rider fit is listed for approximately 160–195 cm, which also puts Mirjam at the lower end of the manufacturer's recommended height range.
Useful Details for Everyday Life
Some of Mirjam's favorite features are not necessarily the biggest specifications on the product page.
Phone Charging on the Go
She appreciates being able to charge her phone from the bike.
The Hailong One's LCD display includes a USB port, which can be useful for everyday riders who use their phone for navigation, communication or other tasks during a ride.
Front and Rear Lights
Mirjam also likes that the bike comes with front and rear lights already installed.
For someone commuting regularly, having lighting integrated into the bike is a practical advantage, especially when rides begin or end in lower-light conditions.
A Manageable Overall Weight
Mirjam describes the bike as not particularly heavy for her needs.
The current Hailong One specification lists a bike weight of 22 kg, with a maximum load capacity of 120 kg.
For a commuter who needs to move the bike occasionally, weight is still worth considering, but Mirjam feels its overall weight is manageable in everyday use.
Battery Performance on a Hilly Route
Battery performance is one of the most interesting parts of Mirjam's story.
She normally charges the battery every two days of use, while also saying that it could potentially last longer depending on riding conditions.
The Hailong One uses a removable 36V 13.5Ah lithium-ion battery with 486Wh of capacity, while FAFREES lists an estimated range of 45–55 km.
For Mirjam, however, the important factor is not simply the advertised range. Her daily route includes plenty of climbing, and she has noticed that the battery level can decrease faster toward the end of a ride when the terrain becomes demanding.
Her experience highlights an important point about e-bike range: real-world battery consumption depends on more than battery capacity alone. Terrain, assistance level, speed, rider weight and riding conditions can all influence how much energy is used.
Why She Prefers Higher Assistance
Mirjam usually rides with a high level of assistance.
She explains that lower assistance settings can sometimes feel unusual to her, because the support may seem to drop away and then return again.
For her particular riding style and route, stronger assistance feels more natural and predictable.
The Hailong One uses a cadence sensor and five pedal-assistance levels, allowing riders to choose different levels of motor support depending on the situation.
There is no single assistance level that is right for everyone. A flat urban commute, a hilly countryside route and a leisurely ride can all call for different settings.
An Honest Note About Braking
Mirjam also shared an honest observation about braking.
She felt that the braking force could decrease relatively quickly and specifically noted that the Hailong One uses mechanical disc brakes.
The bike is equipped with 160 mm mechanical disc brakes, which are designed to provide reliable braking while remaining relatively straightforward to maintain.
For any e-bike, braking performance deserves regular attention. Riders who frequently travel on hills or use their bikes every day should regularly inspect the brake system and address any noticeable changes in braking performance.
This is one of the useful aspects of real rider feedback: it highlights not only what makes an e-bike enjoyable, but also the areas that deserve attention during ownership.
Suspension for Mixed Roads
Mirjam's regular route includes field paths as well as paved sections.
The Hailong One is equipped with an 80 mm suspension fork with lockout, designed to help absorb impacts from uneven surfaces while allowing the rider to choose whether the suspension remains active.
For riders combining commuting with country paths, this can make the transition between different surfaces more comfortable.
21 Gears for Changing Terrain
Another feature that suits Mirjam's route is the bike's gearing.
The Hailong One combines a Shimano 3-speed front system with a 7-speed rear system, giving the rider 21 gear combinations to work with.
For a route that includes both flatter sections and repeated climbs, having a range of gears can help riders find a more comfortable pedaling rhythm.
The electric motor assistance and mechanical gearing therefore work together rather than serving exactly the same purpose.
Beyond the Commute: Discovering Schloss Liebenstein
Mirjam's riding is not limited to getting to work.
She also recommends the area around Schloss Liebenstein in Baden-Württemberg as a beautiful place to ride, and the photo she shared with her story was taken there.
The region offers a scenic combination of countryside and cycling routes. One route around the area, the Wein-Land-Fluss-Tour, covers roughly 48.9 km and passes through the surrounding wine-growing landscape.
For riders who enjoy combining everyday transportation with weekend exploration, destinations like this can turn an ordinary e-bike into a way to discover more of the local landscape.
What Mirjam Likes Most About the Hailong One
Looking at her experience as a whole, several points stand out:
The motor assistance helps make her hilly commute more manageable.
The design is one of the aspects she particularly enjoys.
The overall weight feels manageable for her everyday needs.
The USB charging function adds convenience to daily rides.
The integrated front and rear lights are useful for everyday commuting.
The removable 486Wh battery supports her regular riding routine, with charging roughly every two days in her current usage pattern.
At the same time, she provides an honest picture of ownership by pointing out the effect of hills on battery consumption and the need to pay attention to braking performance.
A Realistic View of Everyday E-Bike Ownership
What makes Mirjam's feedback especially useful is that it goes beyond simply saying that the bike is good.
She explains how she actually uses it, what her route looks like, how often she charges the battery, which assistance settings she prefers, and which details she notices during everyday riding.
That kind of experience can tell future riders much more than a list of specifications alone.
For Mirjam, the Hailong One has become part of her normal routine — helping her travel to work, ride along field paths and take on hilly roads while also giving her the freedom to explore the countryside.
The Long-Term Test
Mirjam's experience so far is clearly positive, but she also leaves room for a long-term perspective.
Like any bike, the real test is how it continues to perform after months and years of regular use.
For now, however, the Hailong One has already earned a place in her everyday routine.
A Rider’s Recommended Destination
For anyone looking for a scenic cycling destination in Baden-Württemberg, Mirjam recommends the area around Schloss Liebenstein.
It was the setting for one of the photos she shared and represents another side of her e-bike experience: not simply commuting, but having the freedom to turn a normal ride into a small journey.
Tot slot
Mirjam's experience with the FAFREES Hailong One is ultimately a story about everyday mobility.
She appreciates the motor assistance, design, practical features and battery capacity, while also openly discussing the effect that hills can have on energy consumption and the importance of keeping an eye on braking performance.
That balance makes her story valuable for anyone considering an e-bike for commuting and mixed-terrain riding.
For Mirjam, the Hailong One is more than a way to get from A to B.
It is a bike she uses for work, for country paths and for discovering new places along the way.
Sometimes, the best measure of an e-bike is simply how naturally it becomes part of everyday life.
About Mirjam
Location: Germany
Height: Approx. 160 cm
Weight: Approx. 60 kg
Main use: Commuting and countryside riding
Typical terrain: Field paths and hilly roads
Bike: FAFREES Hailong One
