AIMA Santa Monica in Metallic Blue

The Santa Monica is a sleek and refined city electric bike, equipped with quality components and powered by AIMA's new "Route 66" motor, which was custom built in a partnership with Bafang.

AIMA did a great job with the design, and their first two models (the Big Sur and the Big Sur Sport) set a great standard for the brand.

Okay, let's jump into the Santa Monica. We'll start off with style and appearance: this is an impressively sleek e-bike, with electronics integrated so cleanly that you would be forgiven for not realizing it's electric. The battery integration is especially impressive; it's mounted in the downtube but you have to bend down and look real close to see the seam around it. Don't worry, it's still easily removable for charging and storage purposes! The test model sports a dark not-quite-black frame with tasteful accents from the leather saddle and grips.

The electronics are what sets the Santa Monica apart from other similarly-specced city bikes. The drive system - comprised of motor, controller, and PAS sensor - is a custom setup that AIMA has built with Bafang. The Santa Monica is using the fifth generation of this drive system, and it's very well dialed in; the tuning on the torque sensor is especially well done! It feels even better than on the Big Sur and that's saying something. The motor represents the biggest change for this generation, though. It has 750 watts of power, which you wouldn't guess from how small it is. It's a new slim profile design that reduces size and weight without affecting power, so you can still easily reach the top speed of 28mph.

The other components on the Santa Monica are good quality as well. For human-powered pedaling there's an eight-speed drivetrain, with a Shimano Altus derailleur and an upgraded cassette with a 12-36 tooth range. It's the perfect complement to the electric drive system and provides a good gearing ratio on the top end to prevent ghost pedaling. The brakes are honestly almost overkill for this e-bike; Tektro hydraulic disc brakes with massive 203mm rotors front and rear. Suffice it to say you'll never have to worry about stopping power, and the bright lever-activated brake lights are a nice touch! There's turn signals too, and the headlight is impressively bright... though I wish it had side cutouts for better side visibility at night.

Let's talk comfort, fit, and sizing. The Santa Monica is quite comfortable thanks to the wide, plush saddle and the swept back handlebars; you get a nice upright seating position, and you can adjust the stem up to 180 degrees to get the perfect fit. AIMA makes the process even easier by offering multiple sizes: the Santa Monica comes in either a medium or a small frame so most riders should be able to get a perfect fit. The medium size was "close enough" for my lanky 6ft 3in frame; while I couldn't fully extend my legs while pedaling, I still felt very comfortable and ready to tackle an extended ride. Comfort is aided by the suspension fork, which is a decent quality SR Suntour with about 80mm of travel. That, plus the large volume of air in the 26x2.6 tires, provide a smooth ride on city streets or light trails.

The Santa Monica comes with sturdy plastic fenders, well mounted to prevent rattling and with excellent coverage. Unfortunately there's not a rear rack included, which I would love to see... but I get it, not everyone wants or needs one. There are mounting points for easily adding an aftermarket rack and this can be done cheaply at pretty much any bicycle shop.
AIMA Santa Monica overview by Tyson Roehrkase (www.ridereview.com)