A view towards Robin Hoods Bay from Ravenscar on the North Yorkshire Coast.
I took delivery of this bike yesterday and thought it would be a good idea to share my first impressions to enable anyone thinking of purchasing a similar bike to make a more informed decision. This is my first foray into e-biking, so I’m unable to compare my bike with any other makes, models or specifications. My intention is to update this article as I use the bike more so that eventually I’ll be able to give a fairly informed long term appraisal.
Firstly, something about me and the reasons for choosing this particular bike. I live adjacent to the old Scarborough to Whitby railway line which is part of the National Cycle Network Route 1 and is locally known as the Cinder Track. The route takes us through some beautiful scenery with views over Robin Hoods Bay and the Yorkshire Coast. I rode the Cinder Track a couple of months ago on my old “bone shaker “ and certainly felt the worse for wear. Those who know the Cinder Track will recall just how bumpy it is in places. At the age of 70, it was a case of hanging up my bike clips or getting a better bike.
I decided on the R&M Homage because it has a step through frame and full suspension. The GT version has bigger tyres and pedals that I thought would cope with the Cinder Track better than the standard tyres and the Vario option describes the sealed infinitely variable gears. For me on the Cinder Track with all the dust flying around my thoughts were that a maintenance free sealed unit with a Gates belt drive was preferable to the standard derailleur gears. At this point, various Esteemed Pedelecs will no doubt express a view about the advantages of a Rollhoff hub gear over the Enviolo that I specified. Fair enough, but my decision was based upon my needs at the age of 70 and I certainly couldn’t justify the additional £1000+ cost of the Rollhoff. Each unto his own.
I also opted for the standard 500 Wh rather than the twin battery 1000 Wh version. Again, I couldn’t justify the additional cost and hoped that the 500 Wh battery would suit my needs. Also, in my view, the aesthetics of the bike would be spoiled by the addition of the second battery. Finally, the step through feature that I wanted could be compromised by the reduced clearance resulting from the additional battery. Form follows function.
The bike arrived yesterday and I had a thorough introduction to the controls and use at handover. This was the first time that I had even seen a Riese and Müller bike because I ordered the Homage unseen during the Covid 19 pandemic. The best advice is always to try different makes and models before purchasing but on this occasion I decided to take the risk. I felt that I already knew the bike somewhat as I had viewed a comprehensive review by Citrus Cycles at Ladysmith on Vancouver Island in Canada. The review lasted over one and a half hours and included an impressive ride through woodland tracks which included mud, gravel, tree stumps, rocks and very steep hills. The main review was of a bike with the Enviolo hub, but a later night time section used the Rollhoff. I was fairly sure from this review that the Enviolo hub used with the Vario option was suitable for my needs.
My first impressions of the bike were very positive. The bright red frame held bold lines and were complemented by the black suspension. The Bosch CX motor was, to my mind, in the right place - exactly where it is needed to provide drive support for the rider. The build quality was excellent. I had read on this forum about ‘bird poo’ welding on R&M bikes, but there was nothing like this. As a former aircraft engineer I can recognise good and bad welding. In my view, the quality of welding on the Homage is exceptional and was complemented by the equally impressive paintwork.
I took the bike out for its first trip yesterday afternoon. The battery charge indicator showed three out of a possible five bars - approximately 60% charge. I went along the Cinder Track heading south towards Scarborough with the aim of reaching Scarborough Harbour - a return trip of about 14 miles. A gentle ascent along loose gravel with a bumpy/rocky undersurface followed by some tarmac roads and including some very steep hills. A good initial test for an unknown bike and its 70 year old rider! It was a beautiful afternoon and the bike performed perfectly. The Enviolo gear change allowed easy peddling (Sport mode selected) on even the steepest hills although it may take me a little time to get used to the counter intuitive infinitely variable gear selector. A feature of Scarborough’s Marine Drive is the cobbled section that leads to so many spectacular crashes during the final sprint of the Tour de Yorkshire. The full suspension of the Homage coped with all of my initial tests. There is a section of concrete surfacing that has been covered with a thick layer of soft wind blown sand that needed to be navigated with great care. Apart from this, the tyres coped well with the dry and loose surfaces of the Cinder Track. All in all, a very positive first outing with the battery showing two bars out of five on return.
Today I decided to take the bike on a rather more ambitious journey heading north along the Cinder Track to Ravenscar, about 10 miles away with beautiful views over Robin Hoods Bay. There is a long, continuous ascent to Ravenscar following the surprisingly steep gradient of the old railway line. Again, as the name suggests, the surface is largely loose cinders and gravel traversed in places by large root systems and presenting rocky and eroded sections that can take cyclists unawares. Care is needed. The battery was fully charged the day before and showed a range of 60 miles on the display. The ascent to Ravenscar took 45 mins - a full fifteen minutes less than I had ever done before. This was in good conditions but directly into a strong Northerly - something we’re noted for on the Yorkshire Coast. The bike was in Eco mode for the entire journey and behaved perfectly throughout. On my old ‘bone shaker’ I felt it was necessary to avoid the worst bumps, tree roots and rocks but on the Homage I found that the bike’s suspension coped remarkably well. At the summit, the battery still showed 5 bars on the display but the range had now reduced to 30 miles. The return trip was performed almost without any peddling and was often at over the 15 mph supported speed of the bike. On return, the range indicator showed 73 miles and the battery indicator still showed five bars. As they say - go figure!
So, in summary, my first impressions of the R&M Homage GT Vario after it’s first two outings. Excellent build quality, as one should expect at this price. The bike’s performance, so far, has matched my expectations so all is good there. However, these are early days in my relationship with my bike and much more needs to be learned before a final assessment can be made. The next test will be to take the bike to Robin Hoods Bay to see how it copes with the very steep hill and also to see how the battery copes with the round trip. Range anxiety anyone?
My final point is regarding one of my fundamental requirements of an e-bike. It must be reliable. I don’t want the experience of pushing a heavy bike back home along 20 miles of railway track. Early days, but eventually I would expect to be in a position to express an informed opinion about the bike’s reliability. I hope you find my initial thoughts about my bike are useful and interesting. I plan to add to this thread as more knowledge is gained. I’m happy to answer any questions if you have them.
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