E-road bike: Test from the editorial team - "I was quickly impressed by the E-Gravel"

The e-road bike polarises - not only in everyday life, but also among us in the TOUR editorial team. While some of our test team have categorised the topic in their usual objective manner, others have deliberately kept their distance. This is now coming to an end: TOUR editor Matthias Borchers reports for the first time on how the concept feels to him - and which questions, surprises and aha moments have characterised his first experiences.

For me, an e-road bike is not a break in style or a crutch, but a new way to experience cycling in a different way. Unlike my colleague Kristian, I am open to the technology. When I discovered the Scott Solace Gravel eRIDE 10 for the first time, I was curious. I rarely ride gravel bikes and had never ridden an e-racer before. On the first few metres of my home circuit, I was quickly impressed. I was immediately hooked by the riding experience: the silent motor pushes powerfully with up to 350 watts, but is never intrusive. The transition at 25 km/h is so smooth that you hardly notice it. I'm usually travelling faster on the flat anyway - but uphill, for example on the high banks of the Isar in Schäftlarn, it feels like you're flying a little. Sure, it's less sport than on a lightweight organic racer, but the Scott is in a different league. And that's perfectly okay.

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Visually, the Solace looks beefy. The thick down tube and the massive bottom bracket area make an impression. Together with the 50-millimetre tyres and the Zipp 303 XPLR SW wheels, the result is a coherent, powerful appearance. I like this presence - the bike looks like it could roll away anything that gets in its way.

The Solace feels most at home on gravel tracks

The geometry is based on the Addict Gravel, but the riding position feels very front-heavy to me. The Solace feels most at home on wide gravel tracks. In winding terrain, you notice the somewhat sluggish steering behaviour - not a problem for me, but nothing for tight trails. If you love quick changes of direction, you'll have to get used to it. The controls are well thought out. The support levels can be selected via small buttons in the shifters, although the pressure point should be more defined. I find the controller on the top tube even more reliable. The display in the top tube is easy to read, but I would prefer to have it directly in the cockpit - it would be better in the field of vision there. If you have a current GPS computer, such as a Garmin Edge, you can have the values mirrored on its display via Bluetooth and thus closer to your field of vision.

E-road bike: a real experience

The new SRAM Force XPLR works perfectly, and the fact that the rear light is powered by the motor battery is a clever detail. A front light can be retrofitted, as can mudguards; the optional range extender extends the support radius. This makes the bike suitable for longer tours. My conclusion: The Scott Solace Gravel eRIDE 10 is a real experience. I see it as the ideal bike for cyclists who want to get back into the sport or keep up with their cycling mates after an accident, illness or with decreasing strength as they get older. It offers comfort, performance and a riding experience that remains close to the classic gravel bike. The price of 10,000 euros is high, no question. But as a temporary leasing racer until you switch back to an organic bike, the Solace is a smart option. For me, riding the Scott Solace was more than just a test - it was a new perspective on cycling. The Scott Solance Gravel eRIDE 10 is z. e.g. available here.