Top 5 Best Electric Bikes | Cycling Weekly
Electric bikes have continued to improve as the machines on offer have become more refined, lighter and - we think - even better looking. E-road bikes from the biggest bike brands now strike an amazing resemblance to their 'analogue' counterparts and, often, the casual observer can't spot the difference. That's not to say that a large amount of power isn't lurking within the tubes as the e-road bikes we've picked out as our favourites, all boast a mighty kick waiting to surge you down the road and, more importantly, up those climbs! While some of these bikes are expensive, most of them do have cheaper and more affordable counterparts.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 While mountain bikes and hybrids
00:03 have been long-term adapters of electronic technology,
00:06 it's only more recently that we've seen road bikes
00:09 embrace a little assistance,
00:10 certainly in a way that allows them to retain the aesthetics
00:13 and ride quality that are an important part of their appeal.
00:17 The challenge, well, it was not insignificant.
00:20 How do you add a motor and battery to a bike
00:23 without it becoming ugly, heavy, and downright noisy?
00:26 Not the attributes you wanted associated
00:28 with a modern road bike.
00:30 For a while, it appeared the struggle
00:32 may be too great to overcome
00:33 with a number of e-road bikes released
00:36 that have left a lot to be desired.
00:38 But perhaps unsurprisingly,
00:39 given the unrelenting march of most tech,
00:42 the engineers won the day.
00:43 And over the past year or so,
00:44 we've seen several e-road bikes released
00:47 that are both lightweight and quiet,
00:49 as well as looking the part.
00:50 So here are our favorites for 2023.
00:54 (upbeat music)
00:58 Stand the Domane Plus SLR side by side
01:01 with its acoustic counterpart,
01:02 and it's hard to spot the difference.
01:05 It's only the beefier downtube,
01:06 which hides the 360 kilowatt battery,
01:09 that gives the game away.
01:10 It shares a similar endurance-focused geometry
01:13 with a high stack and longer wheelbase,
01:15 and even wider tire clearance.
01:17 The Domane Plus can fit up to 40 millimeter tires.
01:21 There's also the same ISO Speed technology
01:24 to reduce road chatter and hidden mounts for mudguards.
01:27 It's even made from the same material as the regular SLR,
01:30 Trek's top tier 8,000 series OCLV carbon.
01:35 Certainly, if you're after an e-road bike
01:37 that can be ridden on a club ride without raising eyebrows,
01:40 then this is it.
01:41 Not only is it aesthetically appealing,
01:43 it uses TQ's revolutionary HPR 50 system,
01:47 which is said to not only be
01:48 the lightest hub-driven offering on the market,
01:50 at just under four kilos for both motor and battery,
01:53 but the quietest too.
01:55 Trek claim that it's twice as quiet as its previous e-bikes,
01:59 with ambient wind noise cancelling out
02:01 any noise from the motor.
02:03 It all adds up to a bike that weighs just 12.6 kilos,
02:06 or just under 28 pounds, in a size 56.
02:10 But it also has a maximum assist
02:12 of 15 and a half miles per hour here in the UK,
02:14 or 28 miles an hour in the US,
02:17 with a range of around 60 miles.
02:19 Naturally, this level of tech doesn't come cheap,
02:21 with the entry-level SLR6 costing £8,340,
02:26 or nearly $9,000,
02:28 while the flagship SLR9 is priced at £12,900,
02:33 or nearly $13,000.
02:36 (upbeat music)
02:38 According to Scott, the Solis eRide project
02:44 was to target low weight, silence, compactness, and comfort.
02:48 Combined, it's the holy grail for all e-road bikes,
02:51 as designers and engineers seek to find ways
02:53 to add to the road riding experience
02:55 for those who want a little help
02:57 without diluting it to the point it becomes unrecognisable.
03:01 Interestingly, they've looked
03:02 to the added gravel model for inspiration,
03:05 rather than previous editions of the Solis.
03:07 It's made for a road bike that's still endurance-focused,
03:10 but one that can handle some rough stuff too.
03:12 In fact, Scott offered the Solis eRide 10
03:15 in both road and gravel configuration,
03:17 with the gravel version using SRAM's Force 1 eTap,
03:21 while the road bike is equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2.
03:24 The frame remains the same for both, however,
03:26 using Scott's proven expertise with carbon
03:29 to create a frame that's light,
03:31 as well as one that balances compliance with stiffness.
03:34 We rode the Solis both on-road and off,
03:37 and it delivered predictable and assured ride quality
03:40 on both services without ever becoming dull.
03:43 Like the Trek Domane Plus,
03:44 the Solis is driven by TQ's impeccable
03:46 HPR15 motor and battery,
03:49 which, as advertised, is almost silent when in use.
03:52 As for pricing, the Solis eRide 10s that we tested
03:55 retail at nearly $10,100,
03:58 or £9,200 for the gravel version,
04:01 and nearly $12,000,
04:03 or nearly £11,000 for the Dura-Ace-equipped road model.
04:07 You do also get a pair of Zipp 303s
04:09 and a Syncros Creston IC bar and stem,
04:12 but it remains, admittedly,
04:14 a considerable chunk of change to pay for a bike,
04:17 electric or otherwise.
04:19 Next up is BMC's newest electric road machine,
04:27 the Zero One AMP-X,
04:30 with the 01 signifying that this is designed
04:32 as a flagship model rather than an entry-level offering.
04:35 It shares plenty in common with both the Domane
04:37 and the Solis eRide.
04:39 It too is endurance-focused,
04:41 and is built around a high-end carbon frameset
04:43 that offers a more upright riding position,
04:45 as well as elements created with comfort in mind.
04:49 There's clearance here for 38mm wide tyres.
04:51 The shorter chainstays, however,
04:53 420mm compared to the Domane's 430mm, for example,
04:57 point towards improved manoeuvrability
04:59 and perhaps additional stiffness too.
05:02 Once again, the TQ HPR50 is the system of choice.
05:06 Unsurprisingly, the combined weight of 3,900g
05:10 for battery and motor is appealing to any engineer
05:13 tasked with creating an e-road bike that's lightweight.
05:16 The fact that it's compact too
05:17 and can be discreetly hidden in the bottom bracket area
05:20 and the down tube as it is here,
05:22 allows for a bike to retain the good looks
05:24 of a regular road bike.
05:26 The road machine should appeal to fans of the original,
05:28 with BMC's signature tube shapes
05:30 and drop seat stays still present.
05:33 Interestingly, BMC has opted to equip the bike
05:35 with a SRAM 1x drivetrain,
05:37 Force and rival XPLR eTap access depending on the model,
05:42 as well as Redshift suspension stem
05:44 and Pirelli gravel tyres.
05:46 It certainly points to a bike with a dual purpose,
05:48 as well as one that's designed to be pretty user-friendly.
05:52 The road machine Zero 1 AMP X is available in six sizes,
05:56 ranging from 47cm to 61cm.
05:59 The one is priced at nearly $8,900 or £8,100,
06:04 while the two retails at nearly $7,900 or £7,200.
06:10 (upbeat music)
06:12 Don't be fooled by the name.
06:18 The Filante Hybrid is designed to resemble
06:20 the Italian's brand flagship road bike,
06:23 rather than that flat bar commuter
06:25 you only ride to the office.
06:27 Certainly the tube shapes are reminiscent of the SLR,
06:30 but Wilier has tweaked the geometry
06:32 to deliver a more endurance focused ride.
06:35 Think higher stack, shorter reach and longer wheelbase.
06:38 And that's more in keeping with the other e-bikes
06:41 that we've already covered.
06:42 However, unlike Trek, Scott or BMC,
06:46 Wilier has opted for a rear hub motor,
06:48 rather than the TQ system that's concealed
06:51 in the bottom bracket area of the frame.
06:53 The Mahle X20 is comparably light
06:56 and the 250 kilowatt battery is neatly tucked away
07:00 into the frame's down tube
07:01 in a similar fashion to the others.
07:04 By locating the motor in the rear hub,
07:06 Wilier says it aids ease of maintenance,
07:08 given that it can be easily removed from the casing.
07:11 Alongside the Mahle system,
07:13 the Filante Hybrid also features a built-in power sensor
07:17 located in the bottom bracket.
07:19 This system reads the power being delivered
07:21 through the pedals and modulates the assistance accordingly.
07:24 This, Wilier claims, translates
07:26 to a natural pedaling experience with no jerks,
07:29 sudden accelerations or loss of assistance.
07:32 We've yet to ride the Filante Hybrid,
07:34 but it's an appealing proposition,
07:36 given Wilier's claims of better aerodynamics,
07:39 lighter weight and better performance.
07:42 It's offered in six build options,
07:44 Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, Shimano Ultegra Di2,
07:47 SRAM RedAXS and SRAM ForceAXS,
07:50 which starts at 9,300 euros
07:53 and top out at 12,500 euros for the RedAXS model.
07:57 (upbeat music)
08:03 We reviewed the carbon-framed Endurance SLE back in 2020
08:07 and enjoyed it so much, we gave it an Editor's Choice Award.
08:11 It's still offered for 2023,
08:13 and we've no reason to believe
08:15 that it's lost any relevance over the past couple of years.
08:18 In fact, the Hero build option,
08:20 which features Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 and Level DB35 wheels,
08:24 has a claimed weight of under 10 and a half kilos,
08:27 making it the lightest bike on this list.
08:30 It too uses the MAHLE Smart Bike System
08:33 with its 250 kilowatt battery, hub-driven motor
08:36 and three levels of assistance,
08:38 operated here by a button
08:40 mounted discreetly on the top tube.
08:42 In fact, the Endurance SLE is pretty stealthy all round
08:45 and ticks the box for those
08:47 who want their E-road bike to blend in,
08:49 rather than standing out from the crowd.
08:51 Being a ribble, it's offered in a huge range of builds,
08:54 making this also the most affordable bike here.
08:57 The SRAM RIVAL 22 equipped bike
09:00 can be yours for just under 3,000 pounds,
09:03 while the Shimano 105 Di2 option is just 3,999 pounds.
09:08 So there we have it.
09:11 That's our roundup of the best E-road bikes for 2023.
09:15 Which is your favourite?
09:16 Let us know down in the comments below.
09:18 If you enjoyed the video, then please do drop it a like.
09:21 Subscribe to the channel for more content,
09:23 and we'll see you again very soon.
09:25 (upbeat music)
09:27 (whooshing)