Giant Road E +1 - Anyone know of it?

[stu0001]

Hi all, new here so saying Hello, or rather Hallo I commute daily into Köln (Cologne) and back home and have done for the best part of 10 years now. Approaching 40, i've decided to go the e-Bike route to save the legs abit since the traffic in Cologne sucks big time, you cannot use a car (Its Germanys #1 jam city!) and also the ~350km per week is anyhow a lot. I ride a road bike, and train and race on one also and would like to stay with a road bike as they are anyway fast and have found this wonderful Road e bike coming out next March 2016 in the UK from Giant called the Road E+1, link below. Funny that it will not be sold in Germany, popped into a Giant dealer last week here, they know of it but confirmed that there is no market for it here, very odd i thought and joked "is it RH drive or something?" ;-)) Anyhow, not much info on it on the webpage, pics show an Ultegra twin crank but spec sheet says FSA custom!!? Also the pics are CAD generated and not real. Looks like an amazing machine, hope they bring it out. Anyone know more, more about the Giant Ride control LCD etc, about the Yahaha motor, i guess it will be 250W which is only allowed in the UK but i guess it can still be pimped to above 45kph / 350W right? Any info, much appreciated, thanks!!

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-ie/bikes/model/road.e.1/25099/90807/

 

[RobF]

You train and race on a road bike which means any ebike will be a very odd experience for you.

You may not like it, and a standard restricted one would slow you down.

Before looking at specific bikes, I think you need to try a couple of ebikes to see what you make of them.

There are not many roadie ebikes - for the reasons I've alluded to above - but a narrow tyred hybrid ebike would give you a good idea of the experience.

The Raleigh Motus is such a device, and is more widely available than most ebikes so tracking one to try ought to be possible.

 

[flecc]

Although Giant make excellent quality bikes, they have made several mistakes in e-bike designs, only really getting it right with the 2001 to 2006 series of Lafree bikes but then getting it wrong again afterwards. That led to models that dealers couldn't shift being sold off at daft low prices, undermining owners who had bought one.

So the market learns and becomes suspicious, hence that German reaction. However, Giant have learnt too and their very recent models have now been well designed and that Road E+1 looks as though it will be perhaps the best to date. If you can cross into The Netherlands you'll find plenty of Giant dealers there since the Dutch do like the marque for its build quality, and of course Giant's European base is in The Netherlands.
.

 

[Will Tinker]

Although Giant make excellent quality bikes, they have made several mistakes in e-bike designs, only really getting it right with the 2001 to 2006 series of Lafree bikes but then getting it wrong again afterwards. That led to models that dealers couldn't shift being sold off at daft low prices, undermining owners who had bought one.

So the market learns and becomes suspicious, hence that German reaction. However, Giant have learnt too and their very recent models have now been well designed and that Road E+1 looks as though it will be perhaps the best to date. If you can cross into The Netherlands you'll find plenty of Giant dealers there since the Dutch do like the marque for its build quality, and of course Giant's European base is in The Netherlands.
.

I wouldn't necessarily say they're all well designed. The 2014 Prime I owned had numerous design flaws. The 2015 model was an improvement but again, I could list faults that are by design.

I'm sure that's still an improvement over the dark ol' days I keep reading about, but still... I wouldn't class it as being particularly good.

 

[anotherkiwi]

You want a bike you can ride in work clothes without sweating up to 25 kph?

Frankly electric assist to 25 kph on a trekking bike I understand but on a road bike? Lots of hills? You are wearing your suit?

Please explain

 

[stu0001]

Thanks all. Let me expand. I've been riding road bikes now for 26years, the last 10 as i said, also commuting which is great for fitness. My ~30km commute (Its actually 26km min, 31km max) is ~60% countryside with hills the other 40% is city which is flat., ~200hm in and ~300hm return, i wear full road race clothing...lycra at its best, for a commute of this distance, a suit / jeans is of course a no no . Showers i have at work but i don't tend to sweat much to be honest, charging is also not an issue (Bike stands in office).
I ride with a local Köln club every Sunday (The famous Schmitzebud in Köln), its more like a race, if you can't hold on, you are dropped and they don't wait. I very rarely get dropped, but the legs often feel the +400W efforts on Monday mornings ;-) It is this i want the e-bike Road bike for........recovery riding, an effort from my legs of say 200W and an effort from the motor of 200W for example (I ride with a STAGES power meter daily so i monitor my efforts). The bike will be chipped to 45kph of course (Bikespeed.de do something), unless i decide to buy the Haibike XDuro Race (Bosch motor) which assists already to 45kph from the box. Plan is to continue to use the bike daily (Rarely rains much here, and then its only water so not bothered, and top clothing makes a big difference i've learnt) but at lower efforts when i wish, and when not i can turn the assist setting down. I can ride with no wind at 40kph but i require at least 300W from my pistons to do this, aim is to reduce this effort by using the Motor assist. I heard from the Giant UK HQ yesterday that this Road E+1 is actually a 2017 model, being released in March 2016, details will be updated in the next months on that webpage as they only have prototypes running ride now. I think that covers everything, thanks for reading and replying but i'm pretty sure a Road E Bike is what i need, problem is, they are rare on the market.

 

[mike killay]

I find it hard to understand why they think that there will be a market in the UK, not known for cycling and none in Germany.

 

[stu0001]

Yes, for sure, i was also very surprised to hear that. I would imagine you could market it everywhere.

 

[stu0001]

Oh, forgot to say, if the Giant Road E+1 does not become available for some reason, i will consider this 2015 model from Haibike which is already 'pimped' to 45kmh from the box
http://www.haibike.de/produkte_detail_de,,18875,detail.html

 

[anotherkiwi]

I really have to get back on a road bike to see what I have left in my legs... I am pedalling my 26" MTB/Hybrid to 37+ kph before spinning out because of bad gearing. I can't imagine why I would need a motor on a 700C road bike except for hills.

PS I always ride in jeans or ordinary old shorts and whatever shirt is ironed...

 

[stu0001]

I have decided not to wait for the Giant e+1 and have instead ordered this S-Pedelec from Haibike, the XDuro Road, should be here next week.....will be fun

http://www.haibike.de/produkte_detail_de,,18875,detail.html

 

[Yamdude]

Wow !.... That Haibike XDuro Road looks the dogs danglies, but not sure i can bring myself to splurge £3K on a roadie Ebike.

 

[stu0001]

Looks great huh. I spent 6 grand on my TCR and that was without a 350w motor so in fact i think the XDuro Race is exceptional value for what i paid (3520 euros new from Autrian bike company Bike Palast inc postage to Germany))

 

[stu0001]

All, i ordered the Haibike XDuro Race S-Pedelec, x display model with 44km on the clock for 3500 euros, a whole 44% cheaper than the list price. It came on Tuesday, could only ride for 50km as they forgot to send the charger (Here now) so will test ride further on the weekend. A ride on Wednesday was fun leaving the village up hill past some kids doing 40kph Will be fun, great quality bike too.