Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 11 - June 2024 i Cycling Electric

REVIEW On the surface of it, the MiRider One Hope Edition is a collaboration between British brands MiRider and Hope, where the former’s existing MiRider One folding bike is decked out in a range of specialist components from the latter. Hope specialises in high-performance components, with its hydraulic disc brakes in particular regarded as among the very best around. Admittedly, a small-wheeled folding bike wouldn’t have been our first guess as the ideal fit for such powerful stoppers, but their presence alongside a range of other machined Hope components nonetheless serves to give the MiRider One a serious desirability boost. Elsewhere, a refined Hope EVO crankset adds strength and helps reduce overall weight, while Hope’s bottom bracket should be durable and smooth for years to come. The firm’s quick-release levers…

The rise in popularity of e-bikes has seen many new brands emerge, and one of those is Heybike with its two-model range: the EC 1 pictured here and the EC 1-ST, which offers the same specification but built around a step-through frame design. The frame is made from aluminium and, surprisingly for a bike at this low price point, features smoothed welds at each joint and internally routed cables, which combine to give it the appearance of a much more expensive machine. It’s also nice to see that the battery has been designed to cleanly integrate into the down tube, is easily removable for charging and when on the bike can be locked in place to keep it secure. It’s inevitable that hitting such an accessible price point involves some…

REVIEW There are a lot of bargains to be had in the budget e-bike sector, but many feature unbranded or unknown components, which combined with a direct sales model could leave you struggling to find parts or someone able to repair the bike should anything go wrong. So it’s encouraging that while ENGWE itself is far from a well-known brand, the P275 ST features components from the likes of Samsung (the battery) and Ananda (the motor), both of which are well trusted in the pedal-assist world. The familiarity continues with Shimano nine-speed gearing, and ENGWE has gone as far as to spec a comfortable aftermarket saddle from Selle Royal and hydraulic Tektro disc brakes with powerful 180mm rotors. Above the base level spec, the ENGWE P275 is built to be…

Norco has had some false starts in the UK, but the Canadian brand has been building bikes since the mid-1960s and was a major player in the early days of BMX bikes. The Fluid VLT C2 140 sits in the middle of the carbon-framed VLT range, with ‘140’ denoting the amount of rear-wheel suspension travel. The use of carbon fibre helps keep the bike’s overall weight below 20kg, which is very respectable for a full-suspension e-MTB. If you want to go lighter still, the Fluid VLT C1 shaves off a further 750g, but for a £2,000 premium over the C2’s near £8,000 pricetag. While carbon is used for the main frame, which houses the Bosch Performance Line SX motor and matching Bosch CompactTube 400Wh battery, the rear end is aluminium,…

REVIEW E-MTB It’s fair to say you can get a lot of e-mountain bike for £5,000 these days, but we’d warrant you would struggle to find one that offers quite as much as Marin’s Rift Zone E2. Not only has this omprehensive mid-travel, 29-inch-wheeled trail bike been given a price cut to an incredibly attractive £4,899, but for a limited time Marin will deliver it with a second battery free of charge. The good news doesn’t end there. We don’t see it often, but the Rift Zone comes set up tubeless out of the box and includes a pinch puncture-protection strip from CushCore installed, which should insulate you against those devastating flats that come from landing square on a rock edge. With 140mm of front and rear suspension travel from…

For the uninitiated, Liv is the off-shoot women’s cycling brand from Giant, which is among the largest bike makers in the world by volume. Economies of scale count in its favour, and are very much evident in the £3,299 pricetag for its new Lurra E+ 2 hardtail mountain bike. For starters it’s a looker, with cabling internally routed alongside the 625Wh battery, which at this price point is great value and according to the brand is good for up to 190km (118 miles), with 110km (68 miles) stated as the average range you can realistically expect. If that’s not enough you can add a range extender in the form of the EnergyPak Plus 250, which takes the average range up to 160km (99 miles) per charge, which is about as…

The eScultura is very much a modern electric road bike, in the sense that if you take a glance at its sleek profile you’d be hard pressed to spot the motorised underpinnings. That’s all down to the Mahle eBikemotion system, which as well as being small is also the lightest rear hub motor on the market. Merida’s reasonably priced e-road build houses a 250Wh battery in the down tube, providing a quoted range of up to 100km (61 miles). The frame is aluminium, with carbon forks adding a degree of vibration damping at the front end. The bike weighs in at a touch over 15kg, which isn’t the lightest in its class but is reasonably competitive thanks to the grams saved by the Mahle components. It certainly isn’t heavy to…

REVIEW Canyon’s Grizl:ON follows in the footsteps of its previous Grail:ON e-gravel bike, but while the previous platform was aimed at the performance end of the gravel bike market, the Grizl:ON is pitched as more of an all-rounder, with a clear emphasis on versatility. The Grizl:ON comes in a choice of four models, all of them featuring front suspension and powered by a 55Nm Bosch Performance Line SX mid-motor. This is a step down from the more powerful 85Nm CX motor used by the Grail:ON, but the SX unit is significantly lighter at just 2kg, making it better suited to the bike’s broader remit. The battery is Bosch’s 400Wh CompactTube, which Canyon claims should be good for around 100km (62 miles) of riding between charges. Adding further to the Grizl:ON’s…

Santa Cruz traces its heritage back to the halcyon days of the Californian mountain biking scene of the 1990s. Its debut offering was the Tazmon, a full-suspension MTB with 80mm of travel that was perfectly suited to the kind of rocky mountain trails that surround the city the brand takes its name from. Now, 30 years and 89 bike models later, we have the Santa Cruz Skitch, which keeps faith with the company’s adventurous roots but with an added layer of refinement for riding on the road, all backed by the convenience of electric assistance. Available in both flat bar or drop handlebar configurations, the Skitch is equally comfortable on and off-road. The flat bar brings added gravel capabilities to riders who want a fast commuter or just prefer a…

REVIEW Bike 43 is a niche Belgian brand that started in 2011 with the aim of producing practical and reliable longtail cargo bikes for families. The company has developed more than 30 versions of its chromoly steel low-step frame to arrive at the model pictured here. The higher strength of chromoly steel compared to ordinary stainless steel means less material can be used in the frame’s construction to keep the overall weight down – but even if something should go wrong, Bike 43 backs the frame with a lifetime warranty. You can choose between an Alpster spec based around an 85Nm Bosch Cargo Line motor or a Performance build powered by a 60Nm Shimano E6100 unit, in both cases with a choice of Shimano or Enviolo internal hub gears. The…

The rise in popularity of electric cargo bikes has seen an increasing number of families take advantage of them as an alternative to the car for taking children to and from school. While many manufacturers offer solutions to make their bikes’ load-carrying areas child-friendly, Gazelle has taken it to the next level with its Makki Load. This is an e-cargo bike designed first and foremost for carrying children around safely. Most front-loading cargo bikes have a regularly shaped load space, but Gazelle has not only created a dropped opening in the side of the cargo box to better allow tiny legs to climb in and out, but has also added a moulded in-step into the lower section. Once your little ones are in place, the Suntour Mobie suspension fork offers…

The Ridgeback Advance 2W may be badged as a women’s electric bike but really it’s suitable for anyone looking for a stylish step-through model that’s stacked with extras and has a solid spec sheet to match. Headlining that generous spec sheet is Shimano’s STEPS E6100 mid-motor drive unit and the companion E5000 display unit on the handlebar, which gives the rider full control over the pedal assistance at any given moment. The motor is tuned to work efficiently to conserve the 504Wh battery’s power and has been downsized steadily over each of its generations to reduce weight and minimise its footprint on the bike. Despite its compact size, the motor provides up to 60Nm of torque, which will easily see you up steep urban climbs. At the other end of…

REVIEW Sitting at the crossroads between the commute-ready and utility-capable, the Ampler Curt Anyroad is about as versatile as a bike can get. Featuring a riser bar that you’d more commonly see on a mountain bike, it’s available as a belt-driven single-speed or with Microshift ten-speed gearing and as a low-step or high standover frame. There’s even more versatility to be found in the details. Bikepacking mounts on either side of the fork will let you equip cages for carrying a few dry bags, while there are further mounts tucked inside the frame’s front triangle for bottle cages and other accessories, regardless of the frame style you’ve chosen. Further indicative of the Curt Anyroad’s desire to go exploring are the Panaracer GravelKing tyres, which come with added protection for the…

REVIEW Considering EBCO’s founders previously made their name in mountain biking, it’s no surprise that the Adventure 3, while very much an urban cruiser, throws in a hint of mountain bike geometry. What it adds up to is an all-rigid urban land-cruiser with big tyres on 27.5-inch wheels. The Adventure 3 is available in two guises: the Adventure 3R, which has a traditional double triangle design, and the step-through Adventure 3T, both priced at £1,999. As a rule of thumb EBCO always relies on Bafang motors for its e-bikes on account of their perceived reliability and power. The M200 motor specced here provides 65Nm of torque, which is above average in this category, and is powered by a decently sized 417Wh battery from LG, which represents good value at this…

LAZER-FOCUSSED ON SAFETY Lazer Verde KinetiCore helmet ■ While the cycling industry is perceived to be environmentally friendly, it is nonetheless an industry and with that comes the need for resources. Credit, then, to Lazer, whose new Verde KinetiCore helmet is the product of a circular economy in that at least 70% of its material comes from things like recycled CDs, and it has been designed so that at the end of a helmet’s life it can be disassembled into parts that can be reused or recycled again. Where other helmets use adhesives to hold the lid together, Lazer forgoes the need with its patented EcoLoc design. The helmet’s KinetiCore technology handles impacts and rotational injury with a moveable EPS foam that crumples on impact to reduce transmitted energy and…

Whether you’re looking through a magazine, wandering round a store or browsing online, the sheer array of e-bikes on offer can be bewildering. Big bikes, small bikes, folding bikes, cargo bikes, racing bikes, mountain bikes, fat tyres, thin tyres, mid-mount, hub drive, step-through… how do you narrow down the field to find the right bike at the right price? The trick is to ask yourself a series of questions to determine what your needs and priorities are. And how do we know what those questions are? Because they are exactly the kind of questions that a professional e-bike retailer would ask if you walked into their store. ‘We’ve heard every question going,’ says Len Simmons, owner of Highway Cycles in Hertfortshire. ‘In fact that was one of the reasons I…

Have you ever wanted to just turn it all off and disappear? While the circumstances were far from ideal, there was something strangely special about the tranquil silence of the UK’s first Covid lockdown, when the sound of the birds singing wasn’t drowned out by the endless drone of the machinery of modern life. Perhaps, like us, you’ve daydreamed about what the best escape vehicle would be if everybody was trying to get away from a crowded place all at once like in those low-budget zombie flicks. Then again, perhaps you call that 5pm on a Friday. It’s hard not to let your imagination run wild at the thought. For most of us, the screens we leave behind at the end of the working day are replaced by those in…

The design of Brompton’s bikes may have evolved over the years, but at heart the premise remains the same: a folding steel main frame that is made by hand by skilled craftsmen at a factory in London. The unique and patented feature of the Brompton, and part of what makes the bikes so popular, is how the frame folds in on itself with the chain on the inside, so you don’t have to worry about an oily chain making a mess of your clothes while you carry the bike. The overall weight of the P Line Explore, including full-length mudguards and integrated lighting, is a relatively low 16.3kg, no doubt helped by the fact Brompton has used titanium for the rear triangle instead of steel. If it’s still too heavy…

We first rode the Cowboy Cross at the start of spring, but when rain inevitably spoiled the experience outdoors, Cowboy’s team switched focus to introduce us to a new software feature, which sets interval-based power challenges that encourage periodic hard pedalling to hit live goals via a mobile app. It’s a fun new element that adds another dimension to the brand’s already smart software package and, as a ‘gamified’ system, the more challenges you complete the more you move up a community leaderboard. But that’s Cowboy all over, designing bikes that are fun to ride so that you’ll ride more often and for longer. What’s not to like? The Cross is an evolution of the Cowboy ride experience, which is already quite refined. It features a suspension fork with 40mm…

Most of us have a fairly clear picture in mind when it comes to the typical commuter e-bike: a regular-style bike, probably with large-volume tyres for added comfort and an upright position for riding through traffic. But why not try thinking outside the box? Why not go for a recumbent trike, such as the ICE Adventure HD? While the idea of a recumbent trike isn’t for everyone, there’s no question they represent one of the most comfortable and stable types of bike around, especially with the addition of electric power. The Adventure HD’s one-size-fits-all frame is built from a combination of an adjustable steel front section and an aluminium rear, which can be rigidly connected or suspended, and in total can support riders up to 150kg. The front section carries…

We love an electric bike that’s functional but also just a little bit different, and the Genesis Smithfield is precisely that. The relaxed geometry, swept-back handlebar and big 29-inch wheels combine to deliver what looks to be a supremely enjoyable ride at a steady cadence. There’s no rush here – this is a bike for cruising about, handling errands in the sun and maybe returning home with a crate of beer strapped to the front rack. There’s much more to like about the Smithfield beyond its evident character, epitomised by the twin top tube styling. For starters, the major components come from Shimano, including the drivetrain, hydraulic disc brakes and Steps E6100 mid-motor. All are held to be reliable and widely serviceable. Genesis states a 150km (93-mile) range from the…

REVIEW E-MTB Many manufacturers will stick to a single component maker for each aspect of a bike’s build sheet, but not so Scott with the Voltage e-ride 920. Here, the US brand has cherry-picked the best components from multiple companies to get a top-end parts selection that makes for impressive reading. The starting point is the carbon fibre frame. All of the bike’s cables are hidden away inside, as is the norm these days, but Scott has taken things one step further by incorporating the Fox Float Custom 150mm rear shock inside the frame as well. This not only gives the bike very clean lines, but also means there’s space for two water bottle cages on the frame. This is something of a novelty on a modern full-suspension bike, and…

Cycling Electric reviewed the top-spec Orbea Rise M-LTD in 2023, giving it full marks for being an uncompromising e-MTB that handled like a dream – and so it should have, given its five-figure pricetag. Now in 2024, when scouring the new range (actually badged as 2025 bikes) we figured we’d bring things back down to earth with the more affordable Rise M20 build, which shares many of the same top-spec characteristics but for a more accessible asking price. For example, the M20 comes with Fox Float 140mm suspension front and rear, which in our experience is enough travel for all but the gnarliest of UK trail centres and may actually give you a more agile and playful ride feel than longer-travel options on pricier bikes. In keeping with the rest…

REVIEW French bike brand Van Rysel falls under the Decathlon umbrella, which we typically associate with high-value offerings towards the budget end of the market. Van Rysel offers a slightly different proposition: the same focus on overall value, but at a higher spec level aimed at the more ambitious rider. There are several options in its e-road bike range, with this e-EDR AF model sitting somewhere in the middle of the price spectrum, and as you’d expect you get plenty for the £2,300 asking price. It comes with Sram’s Apex groupset, the brand’s entry-level wireless electronic offering that combines quick and reliable shifting with a fuss-free single-chainring setup. Van Rysel has gone for a lightweight Mahle X35 rear hub motor, which combined with the battery system weighs just 3.5kg in…

REVIEW Founded in 2015, Desiknio Bikes was quick to forge a lesser-trodden path for itself in the e-bike market. In 2016 it partnered with eBikemotion to co-engineer a completely new e-bike system for a new generation of lightweight e-bikes, incorporating the battery, motor, motor controller and control unit. As such, the X20 Gravel, currently available for pre-order, is so named for its use of the Mahle X20 eBikemotion system. With a full carbon fibre frame and fork, this bike is aesthetically about as clean as you’ll see, with minimal cables on show and a super-sleek design. The drivetrain is Campagnolo’s top-end 13-speed Ekar, although Desiknio also offers a version running Shimano GRX 600. Either way, smooth and reliable shifting is all but guaranteed when grinding up gravel-coated forest fire roads.…

Cannondale claims the Synapse Neo Allroad 1 is designed for exploring the backroads with speed and comfort, enjoying spirited gravel rides and taking the road less travelled, and we’re not inclined to disagree. In fact, we’d also add covering ground at speed on the road and – thanks to the tubeless-ready 40mm tyres specced – occasional jaunts into the woodland to that list. These days, performance gravel bikes increasingly favour mid-motors over rear hub motors because of the smoother, more reliable kick of power they are able to deploy over uneven terrain. The downside to this used to be an increase in weight, but the Performance Line SX unit seen here is Bosch’s most compact and lightweight mid-motor to date, and is backed by some excellent software. With 55Nm of…

A few years ago, if you wanted an electric cargo bike for less than £4,000, you were restricted to a limited number of options that either charged you a premium for the build extras required to make the bike your own, or didn’t offer them at all. However, that landscape has changed. More manufacturers are now competing in the electric cargo bike market, which means a greater variety of products at more competitive prices. The power and efficiency of electric motors – a key requirement in this sector – has also continued to improve, meaning e-cargo bikes are now more affordable and accessible than ever before. While the sheer variety of products on offer is of course a good thing, it does make it trickier to narrow down which is…

Cargo bikes are becoming serious business, so much so that mainstream bike brands including Trek, Cannondale and Specialized have added e-cargo bikes to their burgeoning fleets. The Specialized Turbo Porto is, its maker claims, an electric cargo bike designed first and foremost with kids in mind, which is an emerging niche within the sector as an alternative to bikes offering a broader range of uses for the cargo hold. That’s not to say the long-tail Porto isn’t customisable. You can fit two child seats over the rear wheel, or ditch the seats in favour of a bench over the rear wheel for when your kids are older, or deploy a combination of the two. You can also choose between foot platforms, footpegs and safety rails that support up to two…

Long-established German manufacturer Riese & Müller has launched what it boldly describes as a new entry-level platform in the e-cargo bike market. Given that R&M is typically a premium-tier brand, it’s perhaps no surprise that the Carrie starts at £5,469, but for that comes a bike with a few unique qualities, most notably a frame built in Portugal from 81% recycled aluminium, which cuts the energy consumption of production by 79%. Riese & Müller has used circular design principles that promote the idea that bikes should remain highly serviceable far into the future. Furthermore, the Carrie is powder-coated to conserve painting resources and the design turns its back entirely on PVC in its add-on child covers, which are also claimed to be repairable. In terms of cargo-hauling, the rear carrier…

REVIEW Launching towards the end of 2024 is a new step-through model from Wigan-based MiRider, which the brand says is the result of customer feedback. The key takeaway, it turns out, is that there are many of us looking for an easy-to-board and easy-to-afford electric bike with enough versatility to be as comfortable on your motorhome’s bike rack as it is ascending chalky coastal paths in Dover. Really what MiRider looks to have created here is an all-rounder that ticks all the casual e-bike rider’s needs, all with the added plus of being able to reduce the bike’s stored size with a fold-down handlebar and a seat that lowers quickly with a built-in quick-release handle. There’s even a folding feature in the pedals to narrow the overall space the bike…

Moustache is an e-bike manufacturer that has never been afraid to do its own thing. The French brand is proud to claim that it doesn’t simply follow current trends but rather builds the types of bikes that it feels give its customers the greatest benefit. It describes the Samedi 27 Xroad 3 Open as ‘a true all-purpose bike’, which we’d translate as something between a rugged urban bike and a restrained mountain bike. The ‘Open’ designation refers to the step-through design of the chunky aluminium frame. In keeping with the bike’s all-purpose billing, it makes the 27 Xroad 3 suitable for riding while wearing a dress or skirt and makes it a welcome option for those with restricted mobility. The whole bike, in fact, is laid out to be as…

REVIEW One of the perks of being among the world’s largest bike makers is the enviable economies of scale that come with the sheer volume of bikes being produced. Trek has taken full advantage with the Dual Sport+ 2 LT, which boasts some impressive selling points for just a shade over £2,000. For starters it’s surprisingly light, tipping the scales at a very respectable 17.35kg, which means it shouldn’t be too much trouble to carry up and down a flight of stairs. Part of that light weight is down to the discreet down tube-stashed battery only offering a 250Wh capacity, although if that brings on a touch of range anxiety Trek does offer to double that capacity with an add-on range extender that clips to the top of the down…

If you’re in the market for a super-compact, easy-to-carry folding e-bike, the Axon Rides Pro is hard to ignore. Small 16-inch wheels and a folding process that is quick and simple to execute make this an ideal companion at work or in the boot of your car. Ease of storage where there are sockets might be an important point, because the battery is on the small side and will need more regular charging than some. As part of the fold there are safety catches to lock and unlock, and usefully even the pedals fold in, thus reducing the width as well as the height. At the time of writing, the Axon Rides Pro makes a particularly compelling argument for itself thanks to a super-low £899 pricetag – indeed it may…

CYCLE TO WORK SCHEME ■ The cycle to work scheme should be your first port of call when looking for ways to save money on an e-bike’s asking price. This employee salary sacrifice scheme effectively sees your employer pay for the bike up front, then recoup the money through monthly deductions from your pre-tax income. That last point is significant because it saves you money through reduced tax and National Insurance payments (the latter of which also saves your employer money). Your first step in this process is to check whether your employer has an existing cycle to work scheme partner, something the company’s payroll or human resources department should be able to clarify. If they don’t, you can introduce them to one. There are various schemes available, but we…

REVIEW Orbea has made plenty of headway in the gravel and road segments with platforms such as the Gain, but we’ve been waiting for a real statement piece on the urban front. And here it is, the head-turning Diem family, available in three models: the Diem 10, 20 and 30. Let’s start with that sleek hydroformed aluminium frame. Tucked into its base is a Shimano EP motor and a hearty battery – 630Wh for the range-leading Diem 10, with the option of adding a 252Wh range extender. Even on the entry-level Diem 30 you get a 540Wh battery, which should theoretically be good for 120km (75 miles) of motorised assistance. Each battery is locked into the frame, making it hard to steal. Orbea has made sure the bikes will be…

The first carbon fibre commuter bike from Fiido comes in the form of the Air, which claims a stunningly light 13.75kg build thanks to a uniquely sculpted carbon frame. While it’s yet to go into full production, the £2,181 pricetag is equally eye-catching when it does. Better still, at the time of writing Fiido has a pre-production early bird offer that drops the price to as little as £1,635. As you’d expect, there are some trade-offs in hitting such a low price point. This is a single-speed e-bike supported by a hub motor and a relatively small 208.8Wh battery, which also helps keep weight on the much lighter side of e-bikes. At the same time, the Air’s nimble characteristics and that low weight mean you won’t struggle to build up…

In the broad context of vehicle repairs, bicycles are fairly simple machines. However, as technology advances so does the sophistication of the parts fitted to bikes, which in turn increases the need for specialist knowledge when it comes to looking after them – especially in the case of e-bikes. Fortunately, dedicated electric bike retailers such as Sevenoaks Electric Bikes spend considerable time and money making sure their staff have the correct training to be able to undertake every task from the simplest of repairs to the most complex of services. The store ensures its mechanics know what they are looking at and how to approach every servicing task correctly, safely and as efficiently as possible. Izak Cobb, one of the dedicated e-bike mechanics at Sevenoaks Electric Bikes, a certified Shimano…

REVIEW E-MTB The term SUV may be more associated with beefy all-terrain vehicles of the four-wheeled variety, but it has come to mean something in the electric bike world too, and this is a bike that definitely fits the bill. Merida does an accessory-light version of the eONE-FORTY 675, but this version catches the eye for its do-it-all nature. You’ll find e-cargo bikes elsewhere in this magazine, but you could get away with carrying two full bags of shopping to the campsite aboard the Merida, all the while taking shortcuts through the woods. All-terrain comfort is guaranteed by 143mm of rear and 150mm of front suspension travel combined with geometry that promotes a low standover height and stable handling on trickier surfaces. Meanwhile, semi-integrated lights that feed off the battery mean…

It wasn’t that long ago that the lower end of mountain biking’s top-tier offerings started at around £5,000, for which you could expect to see carbon fibre frames and finishing kit. Nowadays you can pack a motor, large battery, Kiox 300 display and the rest of the Bosch ecosystem into that price. Yes the frame is aluminium, but the capability you’re getting from a machine like this, at this price point, is nonetheless quite astonishing. With 170mm suspension travel front and rear, very little terrain is off limits, especially with 85Nm of torque from the in-built motor to back you up. The rear shock even has a coil spring, which many serious mountain bikers prefer for vibration-damping. So sophisticated are the Bosch motors now, there’s really quite strong odds of…

REVIEW E-MTB We may as well get the obvious out the way first: the Mondraker Dune is not cheap. An entry-level Dune R build costs £6,799, meaning this is one for the well-heeled enthusiast only, but we’d put the emphasis on the ‘enthusiast’, because this is an e-MTB that will likely be your pride and joy for years to come. The top-spec XR comes in at £11,999, yet the Dune R shares the same full ‘Stealth carbon’ frame and gets Mondraker’s famed Forward geometry and suspension system, optimised around the mullet wheel setup (a 27.5-inch wheel on the rear and 29-inch on the front). Mondraker is trying to shatter the perception that, because of their weight, e-MTBs aren’t as playful and quick-handling as standard mountain bikes. At 19.9kg there’s good…

REVIEW Such was the success of the original Specialized Turbo Creo that there was much anticipation when its successor was announced last year, especially when it appeared to offer much of the same appeal but at a more accessible price. Despite featuring here in the e-road bikes section, the Creo has all the hallmarks of a great gravel bike: FutureShock front suspension, wide, gravel-ready tyres, massive gear range and a powerful motor. The lineup starts with the £4,000 Creo 2 Comp E5, which features a Sram Apex Eagle 12-speed drivetrain built around an aluminium frame. For an extra £1,000 you can upgrade to a FACT 11r carbon frame with dropper post and wireless Sram X1 Eagle AXS shifting. In both cases Specialized’s own 1.2 SL Custom motor provides the electric…

Ridley’s habit of dropping letters from its product names to give them more marketing appeal has brought us the e-Grifn, the pedal-assist version of the simultaneously released Grifn endurance bike platform. At a glance, you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two. The e-Grifn makes use of Mahle’s X20 hub motor, an impressively compact unit that adds only 3.2kg to the bike’s weight. That includes the generous 350Wh internal battery, which can be topped up with a 151Wh water bottle-mounted range extender. In fact the biggest visual cue that gives away the e-Grifn’s electric credentials is the updated iWOC display on the top tube, which now shows battery status as well as the power mode you’re in, and is easier to view in bright conditions. A torque…

The Cube Nuroad e-gravel bike range features a dizzying array of different options, all of them built around the German manufacturer’s C:62 carbon fibre frame. It’s not just about improved components as you rise through the price brackets, because different builds are designed for specific purposes and priced accordingly. On the e-bike side, the Nuroad Hybrid moniker covers no fewer than five separate builds. The entry-level option, which is the spec we’ve detailed here, is the Race 400X model, so named for the 400Wh Bosch CompactTube integrated battery used throughout the Nuroad Hybrid lineup. The five models also all share the same 55Nm Bosch Performance Line SX motor as well as the C:62 carbon fibre frame. The main differences are in the drivetrain: the Race 400X is fitted with a…

REVIEW French brand Look’s electric bike range comprises road, gravel and city models, all under the E-765 label. And while the E-765 Gravel has obvious nods in the specification towards its off-road billing, it otherwise shares the same lightweight, performance-forward focus you’d expect from a manufacturer with a long history at the business end of professional road cycling. The Look E-765 tips the scales at a competitive 14.1kg, largely thanks to the down tube-mounted Fazua Evation motor and integrated battery, which help the bike score highly for power transfer and responsiveness precisely because they help to keep the weight down in the first place. Efficiency is the name of the game here. The other advantage of using the Fazua motor is that you get a discreet and easy-to-use remote that…

REVIEW In major cities where congestion charge zones are increasingly being introduced to limit the use of motorised vehicles, more families than ever are turning to electric cargo bikes for the school run. However, the majority are limited in how many children they can safely carry. Not so with the Urban Arrow Family Active Plus, which can carry up to three children thanks to a longer-than-usual cargo box. Chunky aluminium tubing supports a maximum load of 250kg, and despite its heavy looks the bike’s overall weight is kept to 51kg, which is inevitable for an e-cargo bike this big. All the same, there’s more than enough power on tap courtesy of the Enviolo Heavy Duty gear setup built into the back wheel, which offers stepless shifting. Thanks to Enviolo’s AutomatiQ…

Kalkhoff is a long-established German e-bike brand that was at the forefront of delivering bikes ready-specced to be used in a functional way, long before it became as popular as it is today. As such, the Endeavour L Excite is a bike expertly equipped for utility right out of the box and ready to start cutting into the volume of short car journeys you make. For example, a closer look reveals that the rear carrier is compatible with MIK devices. Then there are mounts for extras found underneath the frame’s top tube, on the seat tube, on both sides of the head tube and on both sides of the fork. As a result, this e-bike is rated to carry loads up to 130kg including the rider. All of this is…

We’re huge advocates of e-bikes that have been designed to suit a wide range of riders, especially when they have broad aesthetic appeal and throw a decent spec sheet into the bargain. Giant, one of the world’s largest bike manufacturers, has been able to achieve all of the above in its three-model Expression E+ range, and at a competitive price too. The platform is a trio of low-stepover electric bikes, starting at £2,699 for the entry-level E+ 2 build, with the Expression E+ 1 coming in at £2,999 and the Expression E+ 0 topping the range for £3,399. All three come fitted with a rear rack that contains a MIK interface and is rated up to 27kg. They also all boast the Giant 50Nm SyncDrive Core motor, a versatile power…

Electric bike manufacturers operating at the budget end of the market have to walk a delicate tightrope, balancing performance against accessibility for a buyer who may be on a strict budget – and let’s face it, that’s a lot of us at the moment. It comes as no surprise, then, that the Emu Classic’s spec sheet has its ups and downs, but on balance there’s some great value on offer here, even if down the line you may want to look at upgrades. That’s particularly true of the brakes, which are the less powerful (compared to disc brakes) rim-brake style, but are at least from reputable brand Tektro. On the positive side, there are other areas where we are quite blown away by the spec, such as the inclusion of…

How much does it cost to charge an electric bike battery? Let’s dive straight in with the most up-to-date information we have, in full acknowledgment that by the time this magazine hits the shelves electricity prices may have gone up again. On looking up the average unit price of electricity across the early months of 2024, we repeatedly came across the figure 29p/kWh. For those who are not electrically minded, a kWh – or kilowatt-hour – is 1,000Wh. So, how do you work out the charging costs of your electric bike? Firstly it’s important to know the size of your battery and it’s helpful to know the amp output of your charger. The latter tends to sit between 2A (amps) and 4A, the smaller figure meaning the charge will take…