E-Road Bikes Reviews For 2024 | Cycling Weekly
The E-bike market is exploding with sales being higher than any other category of bike. Since e-road bikes, e-gravel bikes, hybrids and cargo bikes are so popular, we have rounded up our top picks for 2024. Our Top 7 choices span all budgets, disciplines and brands with options coming from Trek, Cannondale, Specialized and Scott.
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00:00 In what is currently one of the hardest times for the cycling industry, there's one sector
00:04 of the market which is bucking the trend and experiencing a not insignificant boom.
00:09 E-bikes are popping up from all brands in multiple disciplines, so we've rounded up
00:13 some of the latest models which we think hold the most promise. Let's get into them.
00:18 The Trek Domane is a stalwart of the road bike category and has long been an incredibly popular
00:28 endurance bike. It's no surprise then that it has made its way into our top picks, because when
00:34 Trek added in an electric motor, it meant the bike would continue to serve the same market
00:39 in a more diverse way. The claimed weight of 12.15 kilos or 26.8 pounds for a 56cm top spec bike
00:47 isn't bad at all. Of course, you have to spend quite a lot of money to obtain this model, however,
00:53 if you look at the entry-level Domane Plus AL5, the added weight only totals an extra 2 kilos
00:59 or 4 pounds, and you will save quite a lot of money. That's why the Domane Plus stands to be
01:05 a great option for so many riders. The model range spans all price points, and the top-end bikes make
01:11 use of Trek's top-end OC LV800 series carbon fibre, and all of this is packaged up in one
01:17 of the most popular endurance platforms available on the market.
01:21 For those of you who are more performance-orientated, then Scott may have the bike for you.
01:32 Coming in at a claimed 10.6 kilos, the Addict RC eRide is one of the lightest e-road bikes
01:37 currently available. Scott claims that they wanted the bike to make cycling tougher,
01:42 not easier. It wants riders to use the electric system to allow them to cover more miles,
01:47 and stay out for longer. Now, whatever you choose to do with it, one thing is for sure,
01:52 it certainly does fly under the radar. When put next to the analogue Addict RC Pro, at a glance,
01:58 it's really hard to tell the two apart. It's only when you start to look much more closely
02:03 that you may be able to see that there's a little bit more going on underneath the hood.
02:07 Again, performance like this doesn't come cheap, but if you are looking for an electric road bike
02:13 which is as close to an analogue version in terms of weight, then the Addict eRide
02:18 could be the one for you.
02:19 Moving into the realms of e-all road bikes, we have the Cannondale Topstone Neo. Again,
02:31 a bike which has become a fan favourite for gravel riders, it too has the ability to deliver
02:36 on a multitude of different terrains. The Neo doesn't have the same kingpin suspension system
02:41 as other Topstone models, which means the delivery of power from the electric motor
02:46 is really felt, and can certainly be used on the road without feeling too soft.
02:51 Two models of the bike are offered, both with Shimano GRX, alloy frames, and a 47 mile range
02:59 motor. The tyres that come fitted as stock on the Topstone Neo are more suited to gravel. However,
03:04 if you were to switch these to something more road orientated, for example a Panaracer Gravel King
03:10 Slick, then you can extract all of the comfort out of a wider tyre, but without the associated
03:15 speed losses thanks to the motor. The bikes here in the UK sit either side of the £3,000 mark,
03:22 so represent decent value compared to competitors, but they certainly don't lack any versatility.
03:28 The only downside to the Topstone Neo SL is that both models have been around for
03:32 quite some time now, so should be due for an update fairly soon.
03:37 The Specialized CREO
03:42 Launched not all that long ago was the Specialized CREO. It landed at a similar
03:46 time to the latest version of the Roubaix. In a similar way that the Roubaix has looked to expand
03:52 its horizons by becoming more of an all-road bike, the new version of the CREO seems to have
03:56 gone a similar way by ditching its pure tarmac munching ways in favour of a more versatile,
04:01 gravel-grinding future. Thanks to the use of the latest 3.3 generation Future Shock and
04:07 Axis dropper seatpost on the top S-Works version of the bike, it's fair to say that the new CREO
04:12 is a highly competent bike, and much like other rigid-framed gravel-going bikes,
04:17 with a swap of tyres you instantly have yourself a very versatile and comfortable bike to churn
04:22 through the miles on, without having to deal with the abuse of pothole-ridden roads.
04:27 What's undeniable about the three CREO models is just how expensive they are.
04:32 The entry-level CREO 2 Comp comes with a fairly high entry price point of £5,000 here in the UK,
04:39 a tough pill to swallow for a bike that comes in at acclaimed 14.47kg,
04:44 and is fitted with 4th tier SRAM Apex gearing.
04:48 Moving away from drop-bar bikes, we have the Trek Oolant. The Oolant is a range of
04:57 bikes which sit within the hybrid category and has step-through and standard frames,
05:02 and comes in a whole bunch of different build options. Fitted with a Bosch Performance Line
05:06 motor and a range of up to 125km per charge from the 725Wh battery, it makes getting around town
05:15 and beyond far easier. Bosch has been in the e-bike game for a very long time now,
05:20 and supplies many bike brands with their tech. So, when you pair that with a hybrid bike from
05:26 one of the world's biggest brands, you're all but guaranteed a smooth-running, reliable,
05:31 fun-to-ride bike to get you from A to B. The price of the bikes isn't cheap by any means,
05:36 but we believe the quality you get is worth the price.
05:40 We couldn't have a round-up of the best electric bikes on the market and not include a cargo bike.
05:50 These bikes are single-handedly changing how a growing number of people across the world
05:54 are transporting their kids, shopping, and even forging the way for courier companies
05:59 to make the final step of deliveries that much easier and eco-friendly.
06:04 The Fetch+ 4 has space up front for putting children or cargo, and the adjustable seat
06:09 and handlebars mean you can ensure you're in the right position for a stable and confident ride.
06:14 The bike also features Bosch's largest capacity integrated battery, which adds a claimed 20%
06:20 extra distance to every charge, and the rear wheel locking ring ensures the bike can be parked up
06:26 safely. Again, this bike doesn't come cheap, but since for some this could be a viable
06:31 replacement for a car, the savings really could start to stack up quite considerably.
06:36 Lastly, we'd like to give special mention to the Lotus 136. While this isn't a bike we would
06:46 recommend, it does stand to be quite an intriguing one. Launched back at the start of November,
06:51 it paired the aerodynamics of the Lotus Hope track bike as used by the Team GB track squad,
06:56 with one of the lightest motors found in an electric bike. While we of course applaud
07:01 the ambition behind the project, there's one thing we have struggled to get to grips with,
07:05 and that's why have an e-bike which will stop providing assistance before the aerodynamic
07:10 shapes can actually start to be useful? In our eyes, it appears that this bike would actually
07:15 make more sense as just being an acoustic bike for races, and just branding itself as a pure
07:21 aero race bike. Perhaps, though, this bike is a sign of what's to come.
07:26 So there we have it, some of the most interesting e-bikes currently available
07:32 on the market. Let us know what you would opt for down in the comments below. If you enjoyed
07:37 the video, then please do drop it a like, subscribe to the channel for more content,
07:41 and we will see you again very soon.
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