How we compared them
Every figure on this page was read from Retrospec’s own product pages on September 20, 2026, which now describe the “Rev 3” generation of each bike; both were listed as in stock on that date. Where the two pages state the same spec, we say so once. We have not ridden either bike; this is exactly what we do instead. Note that neither bike has a pinned Amazon listing we could verify, so the buy buttons above go to a tagged Amazon search — check the generation on the listing you land on, because older Rev and Rev 2 stock is still around.
Fit: the difference that settles it
This is the section to read if you read nothing else. Retrospec publishes a sizing table for each bike, and they are not the same bike in it.
The Beaumont Rev has a 42 cm step-through frame with a published rider height range of 5’0” to 5’10” and a standover of 19.35 inches. The Chatham Rev has an 18-inch frame with a published range of 5’6” to 6’4” and a standover of 31 inches. Read those again: the Chatham’s standover is nearly a foot higher. Retrospec’s own sizing advice is to measure your inseam and keep about an inch of clearance to the top tube.
So if you are under 5’6”, Retrospec does not recommend the Chatham and the comparison is over: buy the Beaumont. If you are over 5’10”, the same logic points at the Chatham. Only riders between 5’6” and 5’10” genuinely have both bikes to choose from, and for them the rest of this page is the decision. Our e-bikes for adults fit guide explains why standover matters more on a 58 lb bike than it does on a bicycle.
Frame and mounting: step-through versus cruiser
A 19-inch standover means you step through the Beaumont’s frame rather than swinging a leg over it, and you can put both feet flat at a light without tilting the bike. That is why the Beaumont heads our women’s roundup and appears on the seniors page; it is also the bike we would point a nervous first-time rider at. The Chatham’s step-over cruiser frame is stiffer and looks the part, and a taller rider will find it fits the way a bicycle should. Neither is “better”; they are for different bodies.
Tires: 26 x 3 cruiser versus 27.5 x 2.4 city
The Chatham rolls on 26-inch wheels with 3-inch cruiser tires; the Beaumont on 27.5-inch wheels with 2.4-inch high-volume tires. The wider Chatham tire is the softer ride on boardwalk seams and broken pavement and the more stable one in sand-dusted paths, at the cost of more rolling drag and a bike that feels slower to turn. The Beaumont’s narrower tire on a slightly larger wheel is quicker and lighter-feeling on city streets, and it is the one to have if your route includes real distance on pavement. Neither is a fat-tire bike; for gravel and snow, our fat-tire roundup is the place to look. Either way, run the pressure printed on the sidewall — our tire pressure guide explains why a 3-inch tire wants a much lower number than you expect.
What is in the box
This is the second real difference, and it is worth money. The Beaumont Rev ships with full-coverage steel fenders, a full chaincover and a rear rack rated to 22 lb, plus integrated front and rear lights, a bell and a tool kit. The Chatham Rev ships with the integrated headlight, a battery-powered taillight and the bell; its rack, fenders and basket are sold separately, though the frame has the rack mounts and fender eyelets to take them. At the same list price, the Beaumont is therefore the better-equipped bike for a commuter, and the Chatham is the cleaner-looking bike for someone who wants to add only what they need. Our fenders and racks and panniers roundups cover what those extras cost if you go the Chatham route.
The small differences: weight, charging, bars, saddle
Weight. Beaumont 57 lb, Chatham 58 lb, per Retrospec. Call it identical, and note that both are in the band one person can manage on a short flight of stairs; our weight guide covers what that number means day to day.
Charging. Retrospec quotes 5 to 6 hours empty-to-full for the Beaumont and 4 to 5 hours for the Chatham on the same 360 Wh pack. The battery charges on or off the bike on both. At the current U.S. residential rate a full charge costs pennies; our charging cost guide shows the arithmetic.
Bars and saddle. The Beaumont uses a swept Dutch-style bar and a “Cruising Comfort” saddle; the Chatham a cruiser bar and a “Comfort Cruiser” saddle. Both put you upright. The Chatham’s 7-speed is the Mega-Range version of the Shimano Tourney, which Retrospec says is for hills and headwinds; the Beaumont’s Tourney runs an 11-32T freewheel. On a 350 W bike, gearing you can actually use on a climb is worth having, and our hills roundup explains why.
What they share, and why it matters
Both are Class 2 bikes: pedal assist and a throttle, both cut at 20 mph, with five assist levels and a walk mode, driven by a cadence sensor. That is the class allowed on the most paths and at the youngest ages, and it is the right class for a cruiser or a city bike. Our classes and laws guide covers where it is allowed. Both carry UL 2849 on the whole electrical system and UL 2271 on the pack, which is the certification housing providers and insurers increasingly ask for by number; the CPSC’s guidance on buying certified bikes is in the sources below. Both have Tektro mechanical disc brakes on 180 mm rotors with anti-vibration hardware — sensible on a 58 lb bike, and better specified than most of the bracket, though still mechanical; our brakes guide covers what that means for setup. And both publish a 350 lb weight limit, which Retrospec words differently on each page: the Chatham’s explicitly includes the bike’s own 58 lb, the Beaumont’s does not say. Our heavy-rider roundup explains why that wording matters.
The honest question: is either the right bike?
A 350 W motor with a 360 Wh pack is a flat-town bike. It is fine for a beach path, a campus, a short commute or an errand loop, and on that terrain the certification, the components and the Retrospec finish make either one a good buy at its price. It is not a hill bike and it is not a long-range bike: on this site’s planning figure of about 20 Wh per mile with real assist, 360 Wh is roughly 18 real miles, not 42. If your route has a climb or a 15-mile leg, the same money buys the Jasion Roamer — a 750 W motor, a 528 Wh pack, the same UL 2849 certification and turn signals fitted from the factory — which is why it is the third bike above. It is a road commuter rather than a cruiser, and Jasion publishes no rider-height range for it, no weight and no class. But if the honest answer to “why a Retrospec” is the motor, you have the wrong shortlist. Our Heybike vs Jasion vs GoTrax comparison and the under-$1,000 roundup are the wider field.
The verdict
Under 5’6”: the Beaumont, and it is not a choice. Over 5’10”: the Chatham. In between, the Beaumont for a commuter, because the rack, fenders and chaincover are included and the 2.4-inch tire is the faster one on pavement; the Chatham for a rider who wants the cruiser look, the softer 3-inch tire and the Mega-Range gearing, and is happy to buy the rack later. And if the bike has to climb or go far, neither — read the section above and look at the Roamer.
