Road / Gravel e-bike for under 3k

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Hi All,

So this week I started that long road to buying my first e-bike. Having been cycling avidly about 100 miles a week for the past 11 years and now in my mid 40's I have found myself avoiding hills at all costs which in the area I live in does some what limit your options! I love the views at the top and coming down like most folk but the effort getting up is proving too much, especially since being diagnosed with CFS last year and this then in turn limits your motivation to get out in the first place.

I'm potentially looking for a gravel setup as we have a lot of tracks or 'crappy' roads around and it would be nice to go an explore that bit further but I wouldn't be too upset to just stick to the roads as I do now.

So far I have come across the Ribble AGR AL e, Boardman ADV 8.9em Cairn E-Adventure 1 and the Canyon Endurace ON 7.0 all within my budget which was great but then I start looking at which motor is best - should I go for Fazua or for ebikemotion?

Then I start seeing some bikes from 2020 currently been sold for less then RRP like an Orbea Gain D30 & D31 and a Focus Paralane 6.7 & 6.8 and a Whyte Winchelsea! So I'm getting more perplexed by the minute when the Giant E+ comes along also being sold well below 3K but then do I need a motor this powerful and bike this heavy!!??

Any help and advice would be much appreciated,
Thanks!
 

SWSteve

Guru
Location
Bristol...ish
Can’t help you with much sorry, but at a take away coffee stop a couple of weeks ago I started talking (socially distanced) with a bloke who said he was 80 and had recently gotten an e-road bike. He said it had given him a new lease of life, and meant that the 50k rides he used to do are now an option, and he said something along the lines of ‘I feel young again’.

Whilst I can’t help you with any of the technical stuff, that was enough of an endorsement For me to think of them for the future...
 

PK99

Legendary Member
Location
SW19
I'm in much the same position, but age 65 & I've looked at most of what you mention.

A mate is a new bike obsessive. Always researching in great detail and often (sic, he is an N+2, at least) builds his own. He has 3 tandems! And an uncountable number of recent road bikes.

He has settled on the Fazua system and has a Boardman as a gravel bike and something fancy I can't recall road bike. He seems to be considering disposing of much of his non- e-bike stable.

I've more or less settled on the Whyte Winchelsea.
I like:
It's essentially the very well thought out variation of Glencoe Road Plus with a Fazua motor add on.
(For an e-bike) lightweight
Simple x1 gearing - If I've got e-assistance I don't need to obsess about matching cadence to gear for max efficiency
Will cope well with road, towpath, forest trail. moderate singletrack.
Fazuza motor and battery demountable/replaceable ie more future proof
Can be ridden without the weight of motor or battery for local flat rides.
Fazua motor is self-tunable using the provided app.
Tours/long rides can be accommodated by carrying an extra battery!
Tubeless tyres
I've got a Whyte dealer within walking distance, I've used them for MTB for years, I trust them more than Halfords/Boardman.
 
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Drago

Legendary Member
The Giant is a claimed 80NM of torque.

Id take that with a pinch of salt. Firstly, you have transmission losses on top of that. Second, thats almost as much torque as some small cars (Peugeotm107 is only 92NM), and seeing as neither the cycle manufacturer or motor manufacturer are disclosing how they came by that measurement you can take that with a large dose sodium chloride. Certainly no one is getting anywhere near these figures on a dyno, so the prevailing thinking is theyre claiming a mathematical output based upon input power, motor efficiency and gearing, rather than an actual physical power output that rhe rider can utilise. Don't believe the headlines.

At legal power levels there isn't a great deal of difference between motor systems. Im a whisker under 19 stones and a claimed 60NM assists me up hills with ease.

Your bigger problem is finding a bike that suits you as an individual. Only you can be the arbiter of that. Ordinarily I would say go and ride a few but thats difficult at the moment with ebikes in relatively short supply - even demonstrators are quickly finding their way off the shop floor, such is the demand.

Take a step back and decide what type of riding will be your primary type - little point going for a gravel machine for a mile of trails, only to have a 20 mile round trip on tarmac to get there. Think carefully about the type of riding you do, and select that accordingly.

Then decide what features are essential.

Then decide what features are desirable.

Then decide what ancillary considerstions are important, like warranty, proximity of a dealer for repaits and maintenances, etc.

Then make your shorlist, and go speak to some retailers. If you can in any way do so try and get a test ride - you wouldn't drop that ampunt on a car without trying it, so why would you do so on a bike? As aforementioned, that msy be difficult, but it should still be your goal.

I can understand the thought processes at work, but what suits me personally as a 19 stone, 6'4" mesomorph, with limited shoulder motion and one arm full of titanium, is unlikely to be very relevant to you.

Best of luck. Let us know how you get on.
 

gzoom

Über Member
I've had my Boardman Fauza hybrid for coming up to a year, I use it mainly for commuting and haven't ridden any hub powered bike.

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The main things I like about the Boardman is the fact Fazua has updated the software in the last 12 months to allow for user programmable support levels - mine is set at 100watts on minimal support, and 300watts max. There is also zero resistance at speeds over 15mph, and if the rear wheel develops an issue than sorting it out should be easier than for a hub powered one. At just over 15kg its also not crazy heavy, so quite easy to ride with no motor support which I do quite a lot as my average speed on the bike is around 16mph, so just over the motor cut off.

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Stuff I dont like is the battery has to turned off/on at the main switch after 8hrs. The battery lock mechanism could be easier to use but not a massive issue as I use it every day. The current Fazua bikes have got an easier to use lock mechanism and I believe the battery can now power on/off without going to the main switch.

Given you'r cycling experience I really wouldn't worry about power provided by any eBike. I took my Fazua up the biggest hill in Leicestershire recently, the powersetting was only on minimal so 100watts and I would say 80% effort, and this is what it did to my climbing time versus going all oiy max attack on my sub 8kg road bike!!

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You have to take Strava power estimates as a guess, but it is interesting to see the estimate for my Fazua supported efforts was almost exactly 100watts more than unsupported! - Fauza also gives you real life power readings, so you could do a FTP effort on it if you really like numbers.
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Ultimately I wouldn't get too bothered about what motor system the bike has, just pick the best bike you like the look of!! My max budget was £2k and I got my Boardman on sale at just under that amount, if given the choice again I would have liked to spend a bit more on a drop handle version.

Still over the winter months I've loved having an eBike. Having electric support or even just knowing its there, is the difference between going out on the bike vesus taking the car when its -5 degrees windchill and laziness sets in!! I've spent far more time in the saddle this winter than any before, having an eBike is a big reason :smile:.

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NowAvoidingHills

New Member
Thanks all for the replies. It is particularly good to see the comparison of times Gzoom along with the data you supplied! :smile:
I'm still undecided at the moment although I've just established with discounts I can get a Boardman ADV 8.9e for £2165 from the RRP of £2699 which is mighty tempting to save some cash! Just not convinced on some of the finishing kit and the groupset?

Do I go for this, be able to get a bike pretty quickly (very unlikely for anything else at the moment) or spend more, wait a bit and get some improvement on parts? My head now hurts!!!
 

gzoom

Über Member
Just not convinced on some of the finishing kit and the groupset?

The finishing kit on the Boardman is the weakest part of the bike, but mine is a commuter, so I don't mind.

If cash wasn't an issue this would be the frameset/groupset I would happily pair up with Fazua.....Infact am amazed I haven't bought one already....the £7K price tag aside :laugh:

The Cayon Roadlite:ON looks very good for you're budget.

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NowAvoidingHills

New Member
The finishing kit on the Boardman is the weakest part of the bike, but mine is a commuter, so I don't mind.

If cash wasn't an issue this would be the frameset/groupset I would happily pair up with Fazua.....Infact am amazed I haven't bought one already....the £7K price tag aside :laugh:

The Cayon Roadlite:ON looks very good for you're budget.

View attachment 568499
Oh yes very nice! If only the budget stretched that far!

Now busy comparing the Canyon Endurace ON 7 to the Orbea Gain D30 1X. Both very similar in spec, just a question on the motor preference I guess?
 

gzoom

Über Member
Now busy comparing the Canyon Endurace ON 7 to the Orbea Gain D30 1X. Both very similar in spec, just a question on the motor preference I guess?

Rightly or wrongly one of the reasons I picked the Boardman is because the Fazua motor is same as what you will find in a Pinarello Nytro, infact the 2021 Domane+ LT 9 comes in at a shade over £10K, which makes the sub £2K I paid for the Boardman seem like bargain!!

Though the Orbea tops out at just under £8K, so realistically I think you will be happy with either. I got into cycling watching Armstrong on Trek road bikes, so my next bike purchase has to be a Trek - am flipping between the Domane + motor and the Emonda SLR.

The bike my Boardman replaced was actually a Carrera Gryphon. So cheating Americans and Halfords specials is what does it for me interms of bikes :smile:.
 

T4tomo

Guru
Thanks all for the replies. It is particularly good to see the comparison of times Gzoom along with the data you supplied! :smile:
I'm still undecided at the moment although I've just established with discounts I can get a Boardman ADV 8.9e for £2165 from the RRP of £2699 which is mighty tempting to save some cash! Just not convinced on some of the finishing kit and the groupset?

Do I go for this, be able to get a bike pretty quickly (very unlikely for anything else at the moment) or spend more, wait a bit and get some improvement on parts? My head now hurts!!!
groupset - SRAM APEX hydraulic what's not to like?
finishing kit - tyres are consumables, seat you normally end up changing for something that suits your bum anyway? what have missed?
i wouldnt order a canyon, with brexit, their usual extra long delivery times will be even longer....
 
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NowAvoidingHills

New Member
groupset - SRAM APEX hydraulic what's not to like?
finishing kit - tyres are consumables, seat you normally end up changing for something that suits your bum anyway? what have missed?
i wouldnt order a canyon, with brexit, their usual extra long delivery times will be even longer....
I've no experience of SRAM to be honest as I've always ridden with Shimano 2 x Groupsets and currently with Ultegra. Isn't APEX the most basic of their range? Anything I've ever read about it says its clunky and GRX is much better?
 

T4tomo

Guru
Yes it is "bottom" of the range, but that's not like bottom of Shimano being 2300 or Claris. Its roughly Tiagra level, i.e. very little difference, mainly cosmetic, to Rival / 105 and above. it comes with hydraulic brakes too so its not like its missing out on anything major. It changes and stops things as good as its more expensive cousins. Also GRX has Tiagra, 105 and Ultegra equivalent levels (400, 600, 800 resp)

Back in the day higher groupset got you things like internal cable routing and trim function on the front D and 10speed at the rear. Nowadays all that has trickled down to the supposed lower group sets and your extra £££ just buys you a bit of weight loss and the odd bit of carbon. (and I have an Ultegra equipped bike in my stable so I'm pretty unbiased). you're better off spending extra £££ on upgrading wheels and tyres than a more expensive groupset.
 
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NowAvoidingHills

New Member
I guess a lot of this comes down to aesthetics. The Orbea Gain is a really nice looking bike, especially now they've incorporated all the cabling and tidied up the cockpit. The built in lights are a nice little feature only with the new display so if I was only looking at Mahle powered machines I'd be in there like a shot!

Its a question of 200 quid between these bikes or would have been until I found out I had the 10% discount with BC and I can also get 10% off e-giftcards at Halfords! That just through a multi spanner into the works!!! :wacko::sad::rolleyes:
 

gzoom

Über Member
I think you will be happy with either, my colleague has the Orbea, his is a summer machine, so always clean and shiny versus mine :laugh:

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In the summer I had aero bars on the bike looked pretty decent for a commuter bike. Fully internal cables would be nice, but its not a deal breaker.

x1 Drivetrain is not an issue on these eBikes with more support, my current road bike is 105/Ultegra and I'm actually thinking about x1 setup for the road bike as not having the front mech to faff with is quite nice.

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Location
South East
I was looking at this mid last year, and liked the Fazua kit, and the Cairn would have suited me, but I went non-E bike in the end as I coulda get the C2W for the full value.
It looks like a great bike, but good luck with what ever you choose!
 
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