Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 13 - March 2025 i Cycling Electric

Last year we ran our most thorough electric folding bike test to date, but one manufacturer missing from the lineup was Spanish brand Q.ik. Which was a shame, because its Barcino comes with just about every premium feature we encountered across the spectrum of our group test in a single package – and for a price that isn’t outrageous. For starters, not many electric folding bikes come with rear suspension, and when you’re rolling on smaller 20-inch wheels, having some forgiveness under the saddle is welcome. Then there’s the fact that the Q.ik Barcino’s frame is crafted from carbon fibre, which will do a fine job of absorbing vibrations as you ride. And that weight-saving carbon helps the Barcino rack up another positive: when you’re using a folding bike, some…

We have long been fans of Liv, which for the uninitiated is a sub-brand of Giant that focusses purely on women’s cycling. When it comes to bikes and components, that means using real data to inform product decisions such as shortening the reach on brake levels for typically smaller hands, speccing saddles that are better for wider hip bone placement on the padding and opting for appropriately sized cranks. Throw in the economies of scale that come with Giant being the world’s largest bike and e-bike manufacturer by value, and you have a bike in the Amiti E+ 2 that boasts an array of hi-tech features with no corners cut, therefore delivering excellent value for money. The 2.8kg SyncDrive motor between the cranks provides 70Nm torque to back up your…

After some turbulent financial times over the past couple of years, VanMoof is back in business and has reintroduced its A5 and S5 commuter e-bikes to the UK, with a host of new features aimed at the tech-savvy and style-conscious rider. Perhaps the most noticeable feature from a visual point of view is the new Halo Ring, a pair of circular smart lights located next to the handlebar grips on either side that provide subtle visual confirmation of remaining battery life and the level of power assistance you’re operating on. The handily placed Turbo Boost button is another highlight. Situated within easy reach of your right thumb, it provides an instant power boost, which is useful if you want to get ahead of traffic or up to a steady and…

Scott has been busy of late, as its entries in the gravel and step-through sectors elsewhere in this magazine attest. And then there’s this, the Patron ST 910, which joins a growing array of options in the Patron eRIDE e-MTB range. The near-£6,000 pricetag might not suggest it, but this is one of the cheaper builds – the flagship being the Patron ST 900 Tuned, which features Sram Eagle components and costs £10,099 (as opposed to the Shimano Deore drivetrain on this model). However far your budget stretches, there are several common threads throughout the range. One is the presence of Bosch’s premium mid-motor/battery combination, namely the Performance Line CX and the 800Wh PowerTube battery, which integrates into the sleek down tube. The sporty motor is the result of a…

When forward-thinking engineers in the late 19th century first starting exploring the idea that bicycles could be powered by something other than the rider’s own legs, early prototypes were essentially little more than a car battery attached to a bike using some quite unsightly wiring. Given the unsophisticated nature of motors and batteries (not to mention bicycles) at the time, there was little other way to do it. Fast forward a century to the era of microchips and smartphones, and the required technology had reduced sufficiently in size, weight and cost compared to those early days that engineering giants such as Bosch started taking an interest. So began a new era of electric bike design and refinement. For a long time, however, the early champions of electric bike technology all…

Bianchi is one of Italy’s most famous bike brands, having started life towards the end of the 19th century. So even though the E-Oltre comes equipped with the latest technology, it is dripping with heritage and its ‘celeste’ green colour will be instantly recognisable to anyone with even a passing knowledge of road bikes. The Oltre is Bianchi’s aerodynamic race bike, and the motor-assisted version is no different. Its tube shapes are optimised to carve through the wind and lend the E-Oltre a racy silhouette. In truth, the E-Oltre is more similar in looks to last year’s Oltre as Bianchi has recently revamped its pro race bike to look radically different, with a pinched top tube, curved seat tube and aero stem. To our eyes, the older one is the…

The Domane is Trek’s all-road bike, offering the lightness and speed of a performance road bike but with a bit more comfort for long days in the saddle. That comfort comes courtesy of relatively wide 32mm tyres, less aggressive geometry than a pure racer, and Trek’s IsoSpeed decoupler, which separates the seatpost from the rest of the frame to allow for more movement at the saddle to soak up lumps and bumps in the road. The Domane+ brings all the same elements as the standard Domane but squeezes in a 50Nm TQ HPR – harmonic pin ring – motor and 360Wh battery. In broad strokes, HPR motors replace regular motor gear internals with a system of concentric ring gears, which are smaller, quieter and lower friction. Other than a slightly…

Brand new from Orbea is the Denna M20, the Spanish company’s latest foray into e-gravel bikes. It’s a looker, with dramatic tubes shapes that include kinks and cutaways in the top tube, seat tube and stays. Orbea says these aren’t simply to give the bike a modern aesthetic, but to act as points that provide a degree of flex in the carbon frame so as to smooth out vibrations from the road. A short seat tube allows for a lot of exposed seatpost, which equally results in extra flex for comfort, and 45mm tyres (with clearance for up to 50mm) should soak up any remaining bumps. Geometry is aimed at a stable ride and easy handling, with a long wheelbase and low centre of gravity keeping the bike planted, while…

The vibrant two-colour paintjob is the first thing to catch the eye when you glance at the Mondraker Dusty R, but it’s far from the only thing. There’s the clear presence of a front suspension fork for one thing, and aggressively dropped seatstays for another. Add in a the 1x drivetrain and it all points to a bike designed for being thrown about on rough terrain – even if the slender saddle and drop handlebars might suggest otherwise. All of this makes sense when you consider that the Dusty R is a new release designed to sit between the Dusty, which has no suspension fork and a lower-end spec, and the more exotic Dusty RR, which adds a dropper post into the mix for more advanced off-road play. Not that…

The Pashley Pathfinder XE is an electric gravel bike that combines traditional British craftsmanship with modern e-bike technology. It’s built around a Reynolds steel frame, but Pashley has used 3D printing when fabricating some of the stainless steel components for enhanced strength and durability. And while its cultured lines and smoothly delivered power assistance make it ideal for urban commuting, the Pathfinder XE is designed for adventure and can happily handle gravel paths, forest trails and country roads. At the heart of the bike is a Mahle X30 rear hub motor, which delivers 45Nm of torque for a natural-feeling boost that doesn’t overpower the ride. The 250Wh battery is integrated into the down tube to balance weight distribution, with a range extender available should you need additional capacity. In terms…

Something of a school bus among cargo bikes, the Urban Arrow FamilyNext is laser-focussed in its design to prioritise the comfort and safety of children (or cargo) with one of the most spacious and high-sided cargo boxes you’ll find. Urban Arrow is a Dutch manufacturer that has been specialising in cargo bikes since it was founded in 2010. Its bikes don’t come cheap, but its customers are investing in a brand known for its quality. This level of engineering doesn’t come without a weight penalty. At 51kg, the FamilyNext Pro is among the heaviest we have ever featured, but on the plus side the assistance from the Bosch Cargo Line motor makes the weight manageable when the bike is loaded up, and a robust kickstand helps when the bike is…

The PakYak E+ from Momentum always catches our eye when we visit parent company Giant’s showroom. It leaps out as something unique, fun and quite obviously useful. And now that it’s had a whopping £800 price reduction, we’ve finally decided to write about it. The money saved from that impressive discount could be put to good use, for instance, on the wide range of accessories available for the PakYak, including passenger kits for kids, baskets, wheel guards, the brand’s huge pannier bags, cargo straps and more. Discount aside, it’s also worth pointing out the hidden value that lies in this being a bike from the Giant Group, given how far beyond the typical benchmark the world’s largest manufacturer goes to ensure safety, performance and quality. The batteries, for example, all…

It’s tricky to know where to start with Giant’s Anytour X E+ 3 simply because it offers so much for what is a very competitive price. Let’s start with the Anytour’s versatility: this is a bike designed to do just about anything you could ask of a hybrid commuting bike. Its step-through frame makes it accessible to a wide range of riders; it’s good for utility with luggage carriage and tow mounts for a trailer; it’s also good for countryside exploration thanks to its grippy, high-volume off-road tyres; and about town you can relax during cafe stops thanks to its on-bike security features. Giant also claims the Anytour’s 6061 aluminium frameset makes it a strong and stable all-terrain platform for even heavier riders. When it comes to the drivetrain, a…

In what ranks as the cheapest e-bike we’ve ever featured, let’s hear it for the newly half-price Batribike Omega. This budget-beating model previously came in at the very reasonable price of £1,299, but as of the end of March has been available for the almost ludicrous price of £649. Given the inevitable questions that come with a product so cheap, especially from a brand that is not a household name, it’s worth pointing out that Batribike is part of a larger Danish e-mobility organisation called Promovec, which itself has a battery assembly offshoot. This partly explains Batribike’s ability to price this bike so keenly, given that the battery is often an e-bike’s most expensive component. Aside from the cost implications, knowing that you have a direct line to the battery…

New from Mirider is the 24, a fun and stylish compact step-through bike designed to put a smile on your face without breaking the bank. The standout feature, given away by the name, is the 24in wheel size, which is smaller than the 27in wheels typically found on step-through bikes without dropping into folding bike territory. Mirider describes the 24 as the ‘optimal size e-bike’, saying there are advantages to the smaller wheel size. It helps keep the weight down and reduces the bike’s overall size. Factor in the fold-down handlebar and fold-in pedals that reduce it to just 86cm high and 30cm wide and you have a bike that’s easy to store at home and easy to lift onto a bike rack. Power comes from Mirider’s own 250W hub…

Cycling is for everyone, regardless of gender, age or ability. Many European countries are living proof of this – in the Netherlands, for example, women make more bicycle trips than men. Now some might say that we cannot compare the Netherlands to the UK because of the hills, and that’s where e-bikes come in. An e-bike can flatten those hills by giving you that extra support when needed. Integrating cycling into your daily life helps you to keep active without paying for a gym membership. E-bikes in particular are also ideal if you have mobility concerns, allowing you to stay active without overexerting yourself. And let’s not forget the environmental benefits of replacing short car journeys with an e-bike. If you’re curious about getting started, here are some top tips…

Two-thirds of of journeys under five miles in the UK are done by motor vehicle, according to the Department for Transport. If that includes you, then the argument for getting an e-commuter bike is difficult to ignore. No more being trapped in traffic. No more searching for a parking place. No more polluting the air. No more forking out for road tax, congestion charges, parking or petrol, and only a tiny outlay for electricity – a few pence per trip. When choosing a commuter bike, there are a few things to consider. Do you need to be able to pick it up, for example to carry it up steps? Weight will be an issue. Do you need to be able to ride it in your work clothes? Things like mudguards,…

The competition in the electric folding bike sector has always been fierce, but as the 2025 launch season begins there are newcomers offering products on new levels entirely. The standard has risen sharply across the board. UK manufacturer Estarli isn’t likely to be left behind, and has sharply revised its flagship folding bike with the debut of the e20.x, a model that looks contemporary on all fronts. Aesthetics are one thing, of course, and how an e-bike rides and operates is quite another, so it’s pleasing to see that the e20.x now has a lower profile and more finger-friendly hinge housed within a sleeker frameset. The inclusion of a belt drive helps keep the package clean and maintenance needs down, and it syncs well with the Bafang two-speed automatic gearhub,…

The Orbea Kemen Tour 10 was one of our final reviews of 2024 on cyclingelectric.com and also features in our commuter bike group test earlier in this issue, where it sits at the top end of the budget market or the budget end of the premium market, depending on how you look at it. Either way, what £4,399 buys you is an electric bike that is well-built, uncompromising and aesthetically superior to the majority of its rivals, thanks largely to Orbea’s attention to detail in preserving the frame’s clean lines. There is substance on top of the style too, with the Kemen very capable as a fast-paced mile-muncher as well as being highly practical thanks to its overall spec and the list of included extras. One thing that really stood…

We have been admirers of Tenways’ Ago range from afar for a good while now, but until recently it wasn’t directly available in the UK. Thankfully that has changed and the Ago X pictured here and its sibling Ago T have joined the company’s entry-level CGO range in its UK lineup. While those bikes themselves – the CGO600 and CGO800 – are highly regarded by us, the Ago line is a definite step up despite the still-competitive pricetag. Pitched as an all-terrain SUV e-bike, the Ago X is designed to be not just a reliable commuter bike, but one with the ability to head off into the woods with a picnic in tow in its spare time. Hence the supplied pannier rack, while you also get mudguards and kickstand included…

The best-selling electric bike from longstanding British bike brand Ridgeback comes fully loaded with all of the accessories you might otherwise need to tack onto the final bill. If you’re looking for an uncomplicated design that can quickly get you out and about in town, as well as exploring some countryside routes, this may be the bike for you. The Advance 3’s versatility comes in part from the front suspension fork and the large 50mm Schwalbe G-One tyres. Should you choose to break away from the tarmac on your commute and take a dry singletrack shortcut to town, the additional stability and vibration-damping from the fork and tyres really see the Advance 3 come into its own. Where cycling to work is concerned, Ridgeback has built a bike that promotes…

The eponymous brand founded by cycling legend Chris Boardman and now owned by Halfords, Boardman Bikes enjoys an enviable reputation for value, whether that’s hybrid, racer, mountain bike or, of course, its e-bikes. A case in point is the Boardman MTX-E 8.6 hardtail mountain bike, which looks to offer solid design and decent components for the very reasonable asking price of £1,600, which can sink even lower with the Halfords Cycle to Work scheme. While it’s not common to find a hub motor driving an electric mountain bike, we recently got hands-on with Hyena’s e-bike motor and software products and came away very impressed. The motor provides up to 40Nm of torque to help drive the rear wheel up climbs alongside your own efforts via the Shimano Cues nine-speed drivetrain,…

Long-term mountain bike enthusiasts may be familiar with Ibis as a bespoke brand that makes some of the most sought-after MTBs, with pricetags that reflect their prestige. With that in mind, and knowing the brand’s reputation for not cutting corners in the pursuit of peak performance, it’s encouraging to see the Oso introduced at what appears to be a competitive price point for an elite-tier e-MTB. Ibis is known for supplying its bike frames with a lifetime warranty, so sure is it of their quality. That includes a further lifetime warranty on the bushings too, and in the case of the Oso a two-year Bosch motor warranty to back up the drive system. That mid-motor drive unit is the top-end Bosch Performance Line CX motor, which is well established as…

Liv is the sister brand to Giant, but all its bikes are designed specifically for women. So even though Liv bikes share much in common with their male-oriented Giant siblings, they’re not simply smaller versions of the same bike. The geometry is different to suit women’s morphology, and the components are similarly intelligently specced, such as narrower bars, shorter cranks and women’s-specific saddles. The Liv Avail Advanced E+ Elite AR is the e-bike version of the Liv Avail all-road bike, which itself is the women’s equivalent of the Giant Defy. And it’s not kidding when it claims to be suitable for all roads, almost straying into gravel bike territory with its 1x Sram Rival groupset and mildly knobbly 35mm tyres. This is a bike that is as comfortable skimming along…

The Sonder El Camino is a bike built for off-the-beaten-path adventures on two wheels where the addition of electric assistance hasn’t come at the cost of ride quality. The idea is that agility and responsive handling on even the roughest terrain should always come first, with the motor and battery there for backup in case it’s needed. Powered by a debut motor from drivetrain expert KMC, the Kynamic BC250 rear hub drive delivers 45Nm torque, which when paired to the 250Wh integrated battery provides a claimed range of up to 120km, although this is based on ideal riding conditions and the use of eco mode. We’d suggest a range of about half that if you’re using the El Camino for the kind of riding it’s clearly designed for. The aluminium…

At first glance the Scott Solace Gravel eRIDE 30 looks sleek and stripped back enough to be a race bike, but upon closer inspection it becomes obvious that it is as much about practicality as it is performance. The slender tubes conceal a 360Wh battery in the down tube and TQ HPR50 motor in the bottom bracket, with the latter so well hidden behind the chainring it is all but unnoticeable. German company TQ has become a favourite with e-bike manufacturers for exactly this reason – its motors are small and discreet enough not to disrupt the refined lines of a road or gravel bike, but are still mid-mounted, which tends to provide more balanced and natural-feeling assistance compared to hub motors. It’s also very light (1.8kg) and very quiet,…

If this looks like a cross between a gravel bike and an urban commuter bike, well that’s exactly what it is. It comes with a flat bar, luggage rack, mudguards, integrated lights, kickstand and a fairly relaxed riding position – everything you’d expect on a practical town bike. But then you also get 45mm semi-knobbly tyres (with clearance for up to 50mm), a stiff and lightweight carbon frame, a 12-speed Sram Apex XPLR AXS 1x groupset and a powerful Bosch Performance Line SX mid-drive motor, offering 55Nm of torque – all the hallmarks of an off-road adventurer. Depending on your point of view, the Cube Nulane Hybrid C:62 SLX FE 400X is either the ultimate in versatility or a jack-of-all-trades that is at home on different terrains but never quite…

It’s not available until October, but we’re more than a little intrigued at the prospect of Velo de Ville’s upcoming Loady, which sees the French brand step outside its typical commuter and trekking model range and dip a toe into the hotly contested longtail e-cargo bike market. Velo de Ville has a reputation for high-end quality and attention to detail, and its debut longtail can be ordered online with a bespoke build service enabling you to fine-tune the components, colour and accessories it comes with – the appeal being that, to a large extent, your bike will be unique to you. As with most longtails, the Loady is designed around carting about either children or cargo without compromising the ride characteristics of a traditional bike. The robust rear rack can…

Brand new on the Cycling Electric radar this spring is Ten:07 and its Unicorn eCargo, a modular solution to carry children or a range of cargo safely in your line of sight on the front of the bike. The Unicorn’s clever design allows you to remove the cargo platform in seconds, which means it takes up little more space indoors than a regular bike, and it comes in three sizes to cater for riders from 1.5m to 2m tall. Another thing we particularly like about the design is the ability to bolt on a child seat to the front rack and have the child face the rider, while still leaving space to carry some cargo. Thanks to the way the front end is designed, with the steering operating independently of…

Halfords’ entry-to-mid-range brand Carrera aims its bikes at beginners looking for simple solutions to get into cycling. The Actuate 2 Lowstep is one of its budget offerings and, as the name suggests, has a step-through frame that should appeal to a wide range of riders. By no means a ‘girl’s bike’, it’s built to be unisex and is reinforced low down to provide the strength to take up to 120kg in weight. Impressively given the pricetag – which has been newly discounted to come in barely over £1,000 – there’s a lifetime guarantee on the Actuate 2’s frame, which is fitted with a discreet but removable 367Wh battery to provide up to 80km of range if used sparingly. As with many of Carrera’s recent e-bikes, the motor and battery come…

Practical but built to a strict budget, Ampere’s Deluxe platform has several things going for it, from the comfort that the relaxed geometry delivers through to its overall easygoing simplicity thanks to features such as a low-slung frame and helpful kickstand. With the motor built into the rear hub, your pedalling input is combined at the rear wheel with up to 65Nm torque from the motor, helping you get away smoothly from a standstill and quickly up to cruising speed. The Deluxe 26 comes with a removable 360Wh battery, which is neatly integrated into the down tube and provides a range of up to 90km depending on how much effort you put in yourself through the seven-speed Shimano drivetrain. If that’s not enough, you can upgrade to a larger 504Wh…

Many e-bikes come with lights built in, and while these typically do a passable job at helping you see and be seen out on the roads, you may be considering an upgrade to something brighter or more adaptable. Even if your electric bike doesn’t have in-built lights, the motor and battery system may be compatible to the extent that its controller has a button for operating them. With that in mind, Cycling Electric looks at the market for adding or upgrading electric bike lights both for road-based and off-road exploration… Lezyne Macro Drive 1000 ■ Comfortably shy of a three-figure investment at only £83, Lezyne’s Macro Drive is an accessible and worthwhile boost to any lights your e-bike may already have, or a perfectly good standalone option for covering urban…

It all started with a discussion at Cycling Electric’s Demo Day in Bath last year about charging my electric bike while out and about. How many places in the UK would allow me to spend a full day out on the bike, or better still an entire weekend, including charging the battery during or at the end of the day’s riding? I’ve been a mountain biker and general enthusiast of two-wheeled adventures of all kinds for most of my life, but this enthusiasm has probably doubled if not tripled since I discovered electric bikes, and so finding a riding destination and accommodation that matches my passion for cycling has become harder than ever. I’m not alone in this revived love of outdoor exploration by bike either. Studies from around Europe…

With a £1.2 million cash injection into the business and this, the second generation of its hub-driven pedal assist bike, Flit is clearly intent on taking the fight to the folding e-bike market leaders. That’s no easy task either, given that it means going up against Brompton and our personal favourite e-folder, Eovolt’s Afternoon Pro. So how does the Flit M2 stack up against those big-hitters? Given the bike’s remit, the fold itself is a critical design feature, as it determines whether the bike can quickly be folded and stowed away without taking up much room on a train, under a desk or at home. When folded, the M2 reduces to 797 x 600 x 305mm and will stand in place on the rear section of the frame, which pivots…

There’s white-hot competition around the £2,000 price point for versatile urban and light exploration-ready electric bikes, so when Estarli revealed its E28.9 electric bike at only £1,850 it certainly got our attention. The clean and stylish design makes it hard to spot that it’s a pedal-assist bike in the first place. The only giveaway to the Samsung battery housed in the down tube is an asymmetric battery cover on the nondriveside of the frame. Despite its slender appearance, however, this 360Wh Samsung battery should be good for 95km of assistance if used sparingly. We tested the E28.9 around Hertfordshire just after it launched and found it to be a natural-feeling ride and quite a reasonable overall weight, something that will only further benefit its efficiency and portability. With the battery…

Trek is one of the world’s biggest cycling brands and is a parent to a handful of quality accessory labels too. With this, economies of scale and access to the very best supply chain mean it’s well placed to produce e-bikes that are competitive both on performance and price. The heartbeat of the Trek FX+ 7 is its HPR50 mid-motor from TQ, an emerging force in the e-bike world. Offering 300W of power and 50Nm torque from a sub-2kg package, it has a great power-to-weight ratio, is quiet and is so compact that you’ll barely be able to spot it behind the bike’s front chainring. Also keeping the weight in check is the 360Wh battery, which provides enough power for the daily commute – perhaps a few days’ worth if…

Sleek, stylish and streamlined, the Riese & Müller UBN Five Touring earned a full five stars when we reviewed it on cyclingelectric.com, with our reviewer particularly impressed with how Riese & Müller’s RX Connect app integrates with the bike’s on-board Fazua software. Basic functions on the bike are taken care of by Ring Control, a thumb-operated controller integrated into the left handlebar that enables you to toggle between power levels, turn the lights on and off and activate the walk assist function. If you hold it for a few seconds it can also provide a small power boost to get you up to the legal assist limit of 25kmh. Visual feedback is provided by the Fazua system’s LED indicator light module on the top tube, however a built-in phone mount…

The flagship of the long-travel eOne Eighty line from bike manufacturing giant Merida is the 900, retailing at a wallet-testing £7,500, but in return comes a downhill bike that’s impressively well-equipped across its lengthy spec sheet. Take the e-MTB-specific DT Swiss HX1700 wheels, for instance, which are adapted from the hub to the rim specifically to deliver both high torque from the motor and the ability to soak up the big hits downhill riders enjoy. Or the 180mm of front and rear suspension, which together with the wheels ensure that this is a bike to thrash over rocks, jumps and drops at speed. That suspension comes courtesy of RockShox, with a tuneable Zeb Ultimate fork at the front and a Vivid Ultimate shock at the back to help the rear…

Whyte’s eLyte Evo RS is the British bike designer’s take on a performance trail and enduro bike and was our top-rated electric mountain bike as reviewed on cyclingelectric.com in the winter of 2024. Aside from using its knowledge of local conditions to refine the eLyte for the kind of trails and conditions that prevail in the UK, Whyte has taken innovative steps such as creating a digital balancing machine to pinpoint the centre of gravity on its bikes, which has allowed it to create the lowest centre of gravity of any bike within its market. The upshot is a bike that feels incredibly planted on the trail and handles superbly – even accounting for the 250Wh Bosch PowerMore range extender’s positioning and its 2kg weight. It’s for this reason that…

While we’re long past the point of staring in awe at the latest svelte e-road bikes and trotting out the time-worn ‘you wouldn’t even know it’s an e-bike’ line, it is remarkable how few clues there are to the Merida eScultura 400’s electric underpinnings at first glance. At the bike’s heart is the Mahle eBikemotion X30 rear hub motor, which is capable of up to 40Nm torque – the kind of assistance that will boost (rather than replace) your own efforts when called upon. The 250Wh internal battery, neatly integrated into the triple-butted aluminium frame’s down tube, can be paired with an optional 208Wh range extender that mounts to either of the lower bottle cage mounts. It’s worth mentioning that while the motor’s output and the battery capacity are modest,…

The Rondo IOON is a striking new entry in the e-gravel bike market, and that’s not just our opinion. In January, the bike was given the prestigious 2025 Design & Innovation Award, with judges lauding how its clever design ‘enables a sporty riding position while proving comfortable enough for extended adventures’. Designed in Poland, the IOON’s distinctive pentagon-shaped frame and TwinTip adjustable fork combination stand out at the more aggressive end of the gravel bike spectrum. In fact, with wide knobbly tyres it’s not far off hardtail mountain bike territory, which can be seen as either a pro or a con depending on what you want from your typical ride experience. Positioning the weight low down, the IOON’s frame hosts a Fazua Ride 60 mid-drive motor, which is indicative of…

The Dolan GXE is an electric gravel bike designed for riders who crave top-level performance and versatility, but also value a high degree of personalisation. Dolan has built this bike around carbon frame and forks, which helps keep the weight down and provides vibration-dampening qualities that offset the lack of suspension. Integrated into the sleek frame is an Italian-made Polini E-P3 mid-motor that competes pound-for-pound with the market leaders in size, weight and power output, providing a responsive 75Nm of mid-motor support that outstrips the efforts of most of the hub motors that more commonly serve the gravel bike scene. In the companion mobile app you’ll find five customisable assistance levels, which can be fine-tuned to match the support levels you use most frequently. The integrated torque sensor ensures a…

The gravel bike category really is a broad church these days. On the one hand we have bikes such as the Mondraker Dusty R (see p70) with its off-road geometry and suspension fork, which is clearly aimed at the adventurous end of the gravel market. On the other we have the likes of Giant’s Defy Advanced E+, which is only a few steps removed from being a full-blown e-road bike. It certainly looks like one, thanks on one hand to its subtly integrated rear hub motor and built-in down tube battery, and on the other to a low front end, compact rear triangle and sleek carbon frame. That SyncDrive Move Plus hub motor puts out a modest-sounding 30Nm, which Giant claims is the equivalent of 75Nm torque from a mid-motor.…

Did you know that the average moving speed for motor vehicles in central London is around 12kmh – a figure that only rises a little for outer London? In fact, if you live or work in any urban area you’ll no doubt have experienced times when you were able to move faster on foot than the motorised traffic on the road next to you. The congestion on our roads is only getting worse too. Vans and SUVs are the fastest-growing vehicle sectors – the former thanks to the huge growth of online retail – and, overall, motor traffic levels are not only well beyond pre-Covid rates but still growing. There are forecast to be 50 million motor vehicles on the road by 2050 – ten million more than we have…

We fondly remember the launch of the Tern GSD and a test ride in the Nevada wilderness in 2017, riding down bone-dry storm drains to Lake Mead and back up again. At the time it was a bike like nothing we had ever ridden – highly practical, well-built enough to carry more than we’d previously seen on a longtail and with multiple ways to accessorise the bike and make it seem a true custom build. Fast forward to 2025 and, after nearly a decade of success, the GSD is has been updated to further push the boundaries of cargo bike build quality. Its frame and fork have been bolstered to deliver a rock-solid foundation that meets Germany’s tough cargo bike development standards, and the result is an extremely stable longtail…

The Gazelle Makki Load is a well refined cargo bike built around a high-volume moulded plastic box. Produced by a manufacturer that has been making some of Europe’s most popular bikes for more than 130 years, the Makki is uncompromising in its purpose, designed for both safety and useability for the family. Given the intended use for carrying children around, it’s no surprise that the Makki comes fully equipped with a premium range of parts either designed bespoke or supplied by some of the bike world’s top-tier specialists. A combination of Bosch Performance Line motor and Enviolo’s stepless gear transmission work together to effortlessly move the weight of the bike and its cargo. Up to three children can be transported in the cargo box, which can be fitted with a…

Tenways has recently expanded its popular CGO range of multi-talented city bikes with the introduction of the CGO800 Plus, which deviates from the single-speed Gates belt drive option found elsewhere in the lineup by coming with an eight-speed Shimano Claris drivetrain. The switch to a chain-based drive system does come with a £200 premium, a figure that’s not unreasonable given that the eight gears may extend your battery and motor’s lifespan by stressing them less. Aside from the switch to a rear derailleur this e-bike is a very typical Tenways product in that it comes with a number of premium hardware and software touches you wouldn’t expect for the price. These include a high-quality seven-language display integrated into the bike’s stem, as well as various digital security features and turn-by-turn…

As its rather unwieldy name suggests, the Scott Sub Sport eRIDE 20 Lady is engineered for the female physiology, and more specifically urban commuters seeking comfort paired with modern e-bike technology. Featuring a step-through 6061 aluminium frame that contributes to a somewhat heavy 28kg overall weight, this is a bike that’s designed for comfort and enjoyment rather than outright speed. The geometry promotes good visibility in traffic, straightening the back and supporting your spine as you ride. At its core, the eRIDE 20 Lady is powered by the latest Bosch Performance CX BES3 motor, delivering a powerful 85Nm torque. The efficient motor is paired with a substantial 625Wh PowerTube battery that’s seamlessly integrated into the frame’s down tube. This combination offers up to 135km of range, which for most people…

One of the market’s cheapest and best-known electric bikes just got a little bit cheaper. Carrera is a mainstay of Halfords’ showrooms and its Impel e-bike range is a bestseller, available in three specs. And with the pressures of the cost of living crisis rumbling on, the fact that you can now buy this singlespeed electric commuter for just over a grand is the headline here. The brand also deserves credit for how few corners have been cut to achieve that price point, albeit one big drawback for some riders will be the rim brakes, which are much less powerful than the disc brakes found on most e-bikes these days. But if that’s a deal breaker, the Impel im2.1 build upgrades you to mechanical discs for a still impressive £950.…

Since arriving on the scene in 2010, Ebco has become one of the most familiar names at the accessibly priced end of the e-bike market. Its latest offering is the stylish Adventure 2L, a new twist on the genre built around either the traditional aluminium frame seen here or a low-step ‘trapeze’ frame, where the top tube effectively becomes a second down tube by attaching low down the seat tube. The lower of the two tubes discreetly houses the 360Wh LG battery, which represents great value for a bike that costs less than £1,200. So too is the choice of a Bafang hub motor, and while the 32Nm torque it supplies is modest, it should be enough to propel you up some of the more gentle inclines about town, especially…

THE TORQUE OF THE TOWN Feedback Sports Reflex Fixed Torque Bit Driver ■ There are some excellent conventional multitools on the market, but in a surprising number of cases the form factor leaves a lot to be desired ergonomically. And of those that are comfortable to use, all too few offer the ability to achieve known torque values. Feedback Sports aims to hit both marks with its Reflex Fixed Torque Bit Driver. The nylon body sits as snugly in the hand as its compact form does in a saddlebag. Unscrewing the knurled, anodised cap reveals chambers for four bits (4, 5, 6mm hex and T25 Torx bits are supplied) and one 5Nm preset torque collar. Slip the collar into the port on the body, fix the required bit into the…