E-road bikes with racing handlebars and electric assistance are the cause of controversial discussions. Are they a valuable addition or just a trend? We tested eight different models for road and off-road use to shed light on their potential.
There are not many ways for us as editors to capture a reliable picture of the mood of our audience. The good old letter to the editor is still an important tool because it is very specific. Nowadays we rarely receive letters, but mainly by e-mail, but they still contain inspiring ideas for topics and information on what interests, concerns - or upsets - the road bike scene. Few topics have been as polarising in recent years as the e-road bike genre.
It's not a sport, it's superfluous, it has no place in a road bike magazine - that's what some people say. They are part of the racing bike cosmos, we will all need one at some point, and when would a comparison test finally come along - say the others. The latter are not only, but often, older readers, some of whom have been riding road bikes for decades, read our guides and are now entering a phase of life in which the mountains are simply too steep. However, they want to keep the fun of road cycling as long as they can. Others are looking for an electrically assisted counterpart for their partner to make their rides together more harmonious. Still others would not buy an e-road bike at the moment, but find the developments in this area interesting.
New motors make e-road bikes lighter and retain a sporty look
We belong to the latter group by virtue of our profession and can see that there has been a lot of movement in this area recently. For a long time, electric motors and road bike handlebars were a rather difficult liaison, mainly due to the legally prescribed assistance limit of 25 km/h, but also due to the high weight and clunky, unsportsmanlike appearance. However, new motors are giving the e-road bike - and even more so the e-gravel bike - new momentum. The boom in lightweight e-mountainbikes is contributing to the fact that drives are becoming increasingly smaller, lighter and more powerful. With the new SX, for example, industry giant Bosch has developed a lightweight, compact unit especially for sporty bikes.
Newcomers such as the German manufacturer TQ are also enjoying worldwide success with very compact, powerful motors. The days when an e-road bike weighed at least 15 kilograms are now a thing of the past and the systems can also be integrated much better visually without compromising the sporty silhouette. Probably the most impressive example of this is the recently presented Endurace:ONfly from Canyon, whose additional drive is so minimalist that it is almost indistinguishable from a non-assisted racing bike. In the top version, the bike weighs just ten kilograms and when the motor is not in use, it rides like a completely natural racing bike. Although the tiny motor from TQ has relatively little power, this could be enough for sporty riders who are just looking for a little boost on the climbs. The Rose and Giant road bikes with hub motors are also barely recognisable as pedelecs.
Bicycle weights and the basement stairs
A second reason for the greater acceptance is the gravel bike, which has long since ceased to be perceived as pure sports equipment and is increasingly being seen as a leisure, touring and everyday bike. Today, racing handlebars appeal to a much broader audience, for whom motorised assistance is less frowned upon than it is for true sportsmen and women. For many, the gravel bike is the successor to the classic trekking bike in terms of usage behaviour, and anyone who has to tackle the cellar stairs on their bike every day will almost only find reasonably portable weights in the category with racing handlebars. Last but not least, the motor is even more valuable off-road than on a road bike: the speed level is lower overall, even sporty gravel bikers move more in the area where the motor is useful and spend less time at speeds at which the bike becomes nothing more than a heavy, unassisted road bike.
When used correctly, the motor pushes the gravel bike when the going gets particularly tough: On steep climbs, in deep sand or when you run out of energy at the end of the day. In our test with eight current electric bikes, we familiarise ourselves with very different concepts that demonstrate one thing above all: With the new drives, the variety "with E" has also increased significantly: From minimal drive to overwhelming power packs, from classic road racers to comfortable off-road racers, there are many interpretations. This should please Peter Breiter, among others, who told us in a letter to the editor: "The transitions are fluid: mountain bike, gravel bike, e-bike, racing bike, e-road bike. They're all bikes, and there should be room for them in TOUR." Voilà.
E-road bikes and e-gravel bikes in the TOUR test
Gravel bikes
Racing bikes
Jens Klötzer
Editor
