- This topic has 44 replies, 32 voices, and was last updated 1 year ago by dudeofdoom.
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Do I want an E gravel bike?
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duncancallumFull Member
Pondering this as an option.
Gravel here is a bit chunky so I’m thinking 650b with 50mm tyres would be nice currently on 38s.
It’s about 5miles to any good loops…
So I’m wondering if an e gravel bike would be an idea, make the road section pass nice and easily and allow some better time on the bike in more interesting places. I’d like to think I could or would use it more often as I could ride into town on it and do bits of shopping.
My mileage has dropped right down as I used to live in the pennies and ride the hills from my door. Now if I’m mtbing I’ve a trail centre and some limited foot paths. If I’m road riding it’s always bloody windy too…..
I like exploring, but my pinnacle isn’t floating my boat up here on the gravel.
Also seem to have all my old injuries starting to haunt me. This coupled with just having a TC which im just not enjoying to ride has caused me to put weight on…
I’m just after a bike that will rekindle my enjoyment.
So any thoughts or anything to look out for? I want something with low drag as I want to be able to run zero assistance some of the time. That makes me think a hub motor would be best?
scotroutesFull MemberI’m not (yet?) In the market for an e-bike but I reckon that the gravel bike would be the best option for me in terms of what I ride and the benefits I’d get. Orbea seem to have pretty much nailed it for me so I’d start there.
Though there is also an electric Topstone Lefty…
Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition
Latest Singletrack VideosFresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...duncancallumFull Member@weeksy I do if they’re any good.
And I’ll use it!
It’s that or a half fat 29 ebike but I like my hardtail and enduro bike…
Basically I need to stop being a fat bastard and ride more. If I do 45 miles from the house on gravel I’m doing 15 on the same bits of road… so just looking at ways make it more fun
cogglepinFull MemberHave a look on GCN, think it was Hank and his Dad had a day racing each other, his Dad on the egravel bike. ‘Twas good.
IdleJonFull MemberIt’s about 5miles to any good loops…
About 20 minutes at a relaxed pace then? That’s not a justification for getting a motor, unless..
It sounds like you do want one.
😀
titusriderFree MemberGravel here is a bit chunky so I’m thinking 650b with 50mm tyres
My experience of gravel bikes is that anything actually chunky just becomes a fraught journey of wincing every time the tyre bottoms out as you wait for the next puncture to happen, Surrey hills is great for them, most stuff in real rocks I’ve found stressful 😬
twonksFull MemberThe only worry I’d have with anything other than an off road e-bike, is the limitation to 15.5 mph top speed.
On my emtb it’s a pain off road at times never mind not quite so bumpy terrain where the speed could be reached easily.
Some will say just pedal and take over manually at that point but it sort of spoils the ebike feeling imho as it does take a lot more effort to move beyond assistance.
And this isn’t drag, it’s just a lack of assistance. Pedalling the same weight bike with no motor will feel the same at the same speed. I’ve proved this to myself many times when going out on a normal bike after weeks of ebike riding. The last time I went out on a relatively light hardtail that used to feel springy and direct. After the ebike it felt like I was riding through treacle straight away and took a good hour of riding to become ‘normal’.
I think 20 mph for electric bikes would be a good place, like they do in the USA I believe. For the moment this is illegal in the UK and has many implications, so for now I refuse to fudge my bike for more assistance. I’d definitely think about it much more for a gravel based bike though as personally I think the rides would be a bit rubbish without.
PickersFull MemberI have the Orbea Gain gravel bike from when I was not so well a few years ago.
I liked it when I needed it – nice on the road, a bit abrupt off road. All the weight out back.
Watch the sizing, I’m 32” inseam on a small…
If you want 650b you’ll likely need to budget for a wheel rebuild (hub motor), and 50mm rubber might be tight – 700×40 on mine are closer than I’d like in the frame.
There wasn’t much choice when I had mine – early 2019, if I was buying now I’d probably have something with a Fazua motor.
I’m on a regular gravel bike now, but the Orbea has proved an excellent commuter.thegeneralistFree MemberNo. Sounds pointless. Supposedly the whole point of a gravel bike is to make the whole ride better, but now you’re saying the compromised bike needs a motor.
Can see the appeal of an eeb mtb, but not gravel.
vmgscotFull MemberI have no experience with an e-gravel but have really enjoyed exploring all over our local environs (D&G, SUW, etc) on an Orbea Rise. Plenty of road, forest, singletrack and chunky stuff and no limitations where we go really. As @twonks says, the assistance cutting out at 25km could be an annoyance on road/gravel but our rides are a lot more ‘chilled’ than that.
ads678Full MemberPlenty of gravel bikes that will take 50mm ish tyres on 700c rims, Sonder Camino alu or Ti or ones that will take bigger tyres like the Cotic Cascade. Good for lumpy stuff, just need to look at what gearing you want. My Cascade won;t take a double up front that could be better for road riding….
kerleyFree MemberNobody can offer you any help on whether you want one as that is down to you only. Can’t even really say whether you need one either as that again is down to your circumstances.
I don’t need one and the 5 miles of road to get to the gravel I would just see as a good easy warm up.ayjaydoubleyouFull Member“It’s about 5miles to any good loops…”
About 20 minutes at a relaxed pace then? That’s not a justification for getting a motor, unless..
“It sounds like you do want one.”
😀
at the 15.5mph limiter it will still be ~20 minutes. So its not even saving any time.
Still sounds quite fun overall, in some moderately hilly terrain though.
AlexFull MemberNot sure that hub motor is going to be much fun off-road. I have a vibe which I use as a car substitute. I did look at e-gravel bikes but everything I read said the weight in the rear made them compromised on anything but very easy trails (I’m sure there’s a ‘rohloffs are fine’ argument here!). The hub motor also has no torque sensor so if the freewheel is spinning, the motor is giving out all the power on whatever mode it’s in.
Absolutely fine on road and the software does a good job of engaging it/disengaging it. Not sure what’d be like off road but mine anyway is pretty low torque anyway. The 15.5mph limiter can be looked at two ways; I’m not in a rush so I’ll just waft along (often I turn the motor off completely as the vibe is still pretty easy to pedal on road tyres) under the limiter or push on a bit and get a better workout.
I am not in the market for an off-road eBike (MTB/Gravel/Whatever) but I’ve gone from a ‘never for me’ to ‘wow this thing is amazing and I’m glad I’m not in the car’. Different use that yours, but hopefully some help!
duncancallumFull MemberJust get bored of the same stretch of tarmac and then the same 2 or 3 Miles of fire road to a junction.
Like I say I’m struggling currently with niggling injuries that are catching up. That and I’ve completely lost my mojo. From being out 4x a week on a mtb. Been out once this month. Fitness isn’t helping as I’m pissed off I’m not as fit as I was which leads me to not riding as much and its a viscous circle
I’m not anywhere hilly enough to really justify an E mtb any more.
Was just considering options. Thought of being able to bang a weeks shopping in panniers and have an enjoyable ride home is also appealing.
You never know even just a nicer gravel bike might cheer me up. Mines a arkose 2 and it’s a touch heavy and rattly
MSPFull MemberI bought a canyon grail:on last year, I love it. After a few years of health problems and injuries my fitness had suffered and my weight was a bit out of control. It allowed my to keep up with my friends in group rides and get out enjoying the outdoors. I also have a yt decoy, but I spend more time on the gravel bike.
This winter I am using it to do some proper zone 2 training rides, hoping to lose chunk opf weight and get some proper fitness back, I would kind of like to get back to using a non powered gravel bike, however I will probably stick to emtb for my mountain biking from now on.
HoratioHufnagelFree MemberI think it’s that time of year when lots of people lose their mojo. I’ve barely been out either. It’s raining loads and there’s barely any daylight. meh
alpinFree MemberYou might want one… Doesn’t mean you should get one…. Five miles is what….? 15-20 minutes?
If you can’t hold 15mph on a gravel bike in the road you should be questioning yourself.
esselgruntfuttockFree MemberIf you can’t hold 15mph on a gravel bike in the road you should be questioning yourself.
Questioning himself about what?
merckx12Full MemberYes you do! I’ve got a Grail ON & it’s brilliant and good fun on & off road. Most reviews say the same. I have other non-E bikes, but ignore all the comments about no you don’t, why are you unfit etc.
PyroFull MemberIf you can’t hold 15mph on a gravel bike in the road you should be questioning yourself.
Questioning himself about what?
Whether he wants an e-Gravel bike or not, apparently.
kerleyFree MemberJust get bored of the same stretch of tarmac and then the same 2 or 3 Miles of fire road to a junction.
How would it relieve that boredom? You would still take the same time due to the slow assisted speed of ebikes. Clearly not for me though as I don’t get bored riding my bike, I love riding it anywhere.
MSPFull MemberSo any thoughts or anything to look out for? I want something with low drag as I want to be able to run zero assistance some of the time. That makes me think a hub motor would be best?
There is **** all drag in either my bosch or shimano ebike motors, it is only the lack of assistance when you are used to it that makes them feel draggy, however the bosch is probably a bit better it doesn’t seem to stop the assistance as abruptly as the shimano.
duncancallumFull Member@alpin go on I’ll bite what question should I ask myself?
Pray tell?
duncancallumFull MemberAlso don’t get me wrong I can still go out at weekend and do a 30 to 40 mile loop on the gravel bike I’m just not always enjoying it. I’m paying for it later with pain in my lower back and hip which then puts me of going back out.
It basically extends my range so I can go out and do a 60 70 mile loop rather than drive out to miss the bit I always do.
But it’s fine I’ll probably go n buy a ramp for my workshop instead.
chevychaseFull Memberdon’t get me wrong I can still go out at weekend and do a 30 to 40 mile loop on the gravel bike I’m just not always enjoying it. I’m paying for it later with pain in my lower back and hip which then puts me of going back out
Sounds like you need core work and some physio on your hips more than an ebike m8.
Was getting terrible lower back pain after rides but then I’d ditched pilates in favour of TV and cake. Picked up the pilates again and it’s cost neutral as it’s probably even with the cake and going out and doing a class on mondays and thursdays is more interesting than owt on telly. Back pain gone again. (Until I get back into my bad habits – and rinse repeat).
duncancallumFull MemberYeah I’ve found a local sports physio.
I’ve a total hip replacement after a mtb accident at 25and fractured t12 when I was 21.
I’ve never been one for much physio but I’m starting to gradually seize up
tthewFull MemberCould you test the water with a conversation kit on your Arkose? If you find it doesn’t help, either your mojo or 5 boring miles you’d likely sell it at much lower cost loss than a full e-bike.
tjagainFull MemberHub motors are very much second best to mid mount in both riding feel and handling as well as efficiency climbing. no significant difference in drag with power off
for the 5 miles on the road the ebike will not save any time but would mean you could do the five miles without any real effort
60 – 70 miles is a lot to get out of a battery. It would mean riding with minimum assistance most of the time which makes it pointless IMO
duncancallumFull Member@thew thought about it. I just don’t know. Part of me just doesn’t like the bike. I don’t really ever get the same enjoyment riding gravel bike as I do the Mtb. It’s more would I like riding another gravel bike more and as I’m not as fit or riding as much would a shiny e bike push me out more.
Also think as I’m not hugely familiar with here yet I don’t have many ride options In my head. Struggling as I’ve no point of reference like I had with the mast. One pine tree looks like every other makes navigation very difficult.
Could be I’m not actually much slower it’s I ride with Jase…. you rode with us a couple of months ago. Did I appear slow?
Think I’m just in a slump. I mean you ever known me to turn a lakes ride down?
Might try getting away more with the van and the bike get back in the habit. I’m just a long way from anything here!
tthewFull Memberyou rode with us a couple of months ago. Did I appear slow?
No, not even on the pedaly bits.
I don’t really ever get the same enjoyment riding gravel bike as I do the Mtb.
You might be better with an e-MTB then because it seems that the 15.5 mph cut off helps more on a slower bike, you might be able to extend the area you can ride from the door and find more stuff. Someone else would probably give you a better steer on that, given I’ve never owned one.
mattsccmFree MemberNo. Why?
Too damn slow on the flats.15mph. A real handicap. Yeah you could work extra hard but you wouldn’t buy an ebike if that was your intent.
Weight. Spoils the point of something light and nippy although certain varitions of “gravel bike” are rather tank like.
Ebikes are (fat and infirm aside) for winching some over heavy, poorly handling bit of kit up to ride down gnarly stuff. Uplift alternatives.TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsSTRFull MemberWith the pain you’re suffering, it sounds like you want anything but another gravel bike. Well, something comfier at least
iaincFull MemberI have a Spesh Creo SL. Mine is in road setup though there is a gravel version too – same frame, different wheels, tyres, dropper, flared bars etc on the gravel version. I use it a lot, along with a regular road bike (Creo on dry days as no muddies on it !)
I find it particularly fun on a ride when I might otherwise get quite fatigued, either through poor fitness, repetitive days riding etc. I’d say that if you are in a position to be able to buy one it can only add to the fun.
inthebordersFree MemberIt feels like you need something that’ll help you ‘rekindle’ the love for biking, nothing wrong with that and if you’ve the ability to buy a new bike and not lose any sleep if it doesn’t work, then buy another bike.
But, I’d try and demo/hire first.
I’ve just bought an eBike, but I managed to get a couple of 2-day local demo’s and then hired another for a day to ride the actually trails I normally ride. And when I bought my Cotic previously, we had the Cotic Demo Van up and I rode their demo’s on my local trails too.
Beware though, I hadn’t actually decided to buy one at the moment, think next year. And then I saw the bike I preferred in the Black Friday Sales, and then bought the more expensive version too 🙂
oldenoughFree MemberIf you can manage 30-40 miles I wouldn’t even consider an e gravel bike. That’s a good ride for me and I’d say most people. You’d be riding a heavily less responsive bike that beats you up the same perhaps for even longer. Easier pedalling is the only plus. If that’s a plus anyway 🤷♂️
duncancallumFull MemberYour probably right.
I’m after a silver bullet really.
Just need to sort my shit out.
13thfloormonkFull MemberAlso don’t get me wrong I can still go out at weekend and do a 30 to 40 mile loop on the gravel bike I’m just not always enjoying it. I’m paying for it later with pain in my lower back and hip which then puts me of going back out
I’ve been through this a lot recently, when it’s going well I’m loving my riding and actually feel reasonably fit but aches, pains and niggles are just gradually sucking the joy out of it. I don’t believe an e-Bike would be the answer though, sometimes I’m most uncomfortable/enjoying myself least on the EASY rides!
I’ve finally accepted I need to spend my winters on maintenance and repair rather than CX racing and threshold sessions indoors. Maybe you need to consider similar? My hip pain is due to underactive glutes which are inhibited by over-tight hips and quads etc. etc. Takes time to unravel and fix.
Spend the money on finding a good physio (don’t be shy to try several or seek recommendations, sadly the quality of advice varies considerably).
doris5000Full MemberI suspect what you need isn’t an e-bike – but you should definitely demo one anyway, because then you’ll know for sure and it’s just a fun thing to do for its own sake!
When you say you want to ride with zero assistance most of the time, remember you’ll be on a significantly heavier bike. I love my e-bike, but I have very different circumstances to you (Long COVID, i rely on it to go anything further than about 1 mile), so can’t really advise there.
But one thing I’ve found to generate some inspiration is Cycle Travel – I like to plan out routes on there that I’ll do when I’m well enough, and combined with Google Maps for reviews of various pubs and cafes, and Streetview to see if certain roads look busy or quiet, I’ve got quite the list to try out 🙂 https://cycle.travel/
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