Well that has got to be the most inspired cycling acquisition for years!
I've commuted on it for two weeks now, and wish I'd got it a year ago when Giant launched the Road E+. I could have had a whole year's extra Saturday riding - something that has been pretty much impossible with such a high commuting workload. Now, I can guarantee getting there in 1hr 06m, even with a strong headwind and however knackered I'm feeling, and if I want to take it really easy, I only lose a couple of minutes. To do it in 1hr 06m on the non-e-bike is a major effort (impossible into a strong headwind); and taking it really easy on that bike means about 1hr 25m even on a benign wind day. So not only am I saving effort, but also time most days. Yes, it's too heavy to ride any faster, so with a tailwind I can ride faster on the non-e-bike (0hr 55m is the record), but that obviously still takes a lot of effort on a 16kg bike, and tailwinds are very rare anyway.
Impressions of the bike itself. Well, as I say, it's very heavy - 22kg before adding any mudguards/rack/lights etc. Not a problem when the motor is assisting you, but on level and gently descending roads it is pretty sluggish and there is a constant desire to drop back to a speed where the assist cuts in. Fortunately, the cut-off limit at 15.5mph is not a cliff edge - the assist fades out up to about 17/18mph, and fades back in too. It's worst when reaching the bottom of a descent and you're trying to keep momentum for the climb up the other side - in short, you can't; the boat anchor effect of the bike is too great, and you have to slow to the fade-in speed, at which point you achieve zoom-up-hill capability, and promptly scale the heights with impressive ease and speed.
This all means you ride very differently from an unassisted road bike, and it would probably make riding with unassisted companions slightly awkward if you're aiming to keep close together on the road. You'd be faster on the climbs, they'd be faster on the flats, wind-assisted gentle rises and less steep downhills, and you'd really get out of synch when going from fast descent to climbing up the other side, or accelerating away from junctions etc.
The Road E+ rides pretty well, though, and is very easy to keep straight - gliding smoothly uphill, dead straight, is a very satisfying sensation. When cornering sharply or at speed, you're very aware of the hefty battery at the front, and the motor, which create an odd weight distribution that influences cornering forces; nothing very alarming, though. Talking of the motor, it has three levels of power assist - eco, normal and sport. Eco has minimal effect, and while it may save battery life is not much use in a commuting scenario. Normal is much better, and uses a higher torque to get you to 15.5mph reasonably quickly. Having experimented with levels and recharging for my 40-mile round trip, I only use Sport mode, which gives a very satisfying shove on the hills and in stiff headwinds. I can get 2.5 commutes out of one charge using Sport - i.e. 100 miles to empty - on the hillyish route. In practical terms, that means I recharge every second commuting day (i.e. after 80 miles), to give a bit of contingency for belting headwinds in both directions. If I take the stonkingly hilly route home, that drastically reduces battery life, and only one (one-way) extra-hilly commute is possible if keeping to the two-day charging regime. The battery takes about 8 hours to charge from low.
Other points to note. Well, the Q-factor on the cranks is wider than the Amazon delta - I was rather dubious when I first saw this, but in practice, after fitting SPD pedals, I barely notice it when riding. If I think about it, there is a vague sensation of cycling like John Wayne walks after getting off his horse to drink his milk, but it's not too bad; certainly doesn't feel uncomfortable or cause any problems. The hydraulic Shimano RS685/RS785 brakes work most excellently, and are needed on such a heavy bike. The Schwalbe Durano 32mm tyres are good in terms of grip and comfort. The shop had pumped them up to about 5 million PSI, but I quickly corrected that. I certainly won't be going narrower than 32mm, as the frame is fairly stiff. For winter use, I expect I'll get some extra wheelsets so I can have different winter tyre options ready and waiting to swap in as required, just like my non-e commuter; will need to be consistent with hub/rotor models of course to reduce the risk of having to mess around moving calipers to prevent rubbing.
It's been fairly easy to achieve my usual riding position - but the seat angle is a bit steep, meaning the saddle is jammed as far back in the (decent layback) seatpost as it'll go. I much prefer drop handlebars of course, and would not have enjoyed e-bike riding with flat bars for 40 miles a day before these Giants came along (a conversion of a drop-bar bike could have worked, I suppose). The large battery, designed into the down tube, does make the bike look slightly odd, but it's fine and other than that appears reasonably normal. You can recharge the battery on or off the bike, and it unlocks with a key for security.
There are a few design flaws. For instance, the single pair of bottle cage bosses (on the seat tube) should be lower to allow fitting larger 750ml bottles, and there should be another set on the top tube so one can fit a tool case or second bottle, or bottle battery for lights. The rack fitment holes on the seatstays near the dropouts are a daft design, requiring a rather Heath Robinson arrangement of bolts and multiple washers/spacers to get working satisfactorily. The seatstay bridge has its mudguard-and-rack-fitting hole on the underside, rather than the more sensible traditional position; this means you need to fashion a special bracket to attach a rack, or even drill a hole in the mudguard - it all could have been so much easier if some common sense had been applied (i.e. dedicated upper rack bosses and usual bridge hole position). The seat tube takes a 30.9mm seatpost - given the sh*tness of road surfaces, frame designs should all be reverting to 27.2mm for a bit less rigidity. The electronic display is not quick-release, so could be vandalised or stolen (although it would take several minutes to get off). The standard 32-tooth cassette seems a somewhat non-optimal selection - with assist on (and you'd never choose to ride with it off), I can't see me (or anyone) ever needing much lower than a 23, even on the 1-in-4s of the Cotswolds. I prefer to have more ratios that are deployed in the general assist zone (i.e. 10-18mph), and so eschewed the 32 for a 25. I suppose the 32 would be worthwhile if you ran out of power in an area of very steep hills......
So, I won't be using it outside my commuting. And at the moment, it's getting rolled out on every commute because of how much easier it is to get to work at a guaranteed speed (AND less knackered) whatever the wind direction or my level of sleep deprivation and fatigue. When the novelty has worn off, and the sleep bank is more full, and the weather is warmer, I'm sure I'll revert to the 'normal' commuter for some days a week, but currently I'm more fixated on how I can actually get out on Saturdays now. Brilliant!!
In summary, if your cycle-commuting workload is so high that it restricts your capacity to ride at the weekends, and you have secure storage at work, the Giant E+ Road is a great choice. If you want to keep up with fitter/stronger riders, but it's not imperative that you stay very close to each other, and the stronger riders are happy to take it easier on the flat, then again it could be a good choice - but compromises will be needed to stay in proximity to each other. It is at its most useful on hilly terrain, where the effect of its assist on hills is most apparent, and its weight helps on descents, and where its limitations on the flat are least......but hills do reduce battery life, so 100 miles on a charge would be pushing it.
Will post some pictures in due course....after I've sorted the rack-fitting business and a couple of other things out.
By the way, having now experienced how electric-assist can deliver power to one's riding, and how it can facilitate almost effortless and smooth powerful accelerations, I'm even more convinced than I was already that
Cancellara's ridiculous acceleration in the 2010 Paris-Roubaix was done with the benefit of mechanical power assistance.
