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Haibike NDURO PRO eMTB Electric Bike Review

A local ride on the Haibike NDURO PRO 26 2014 - Review

By Martin Brown |

I’ve been riding mountain bikes for many years and had never considered adding an electric bike to my stable of rides. I thought I had no need for 1 as the old body was still working okay.

 

2014 Haibike Xduro NDURO Pro 26 Gen 2 Bike UK Delaer

So when Martin at e-bikeshop offered me a test ride on the Haibike NDURO PRO “e-MTB” I was very curious and welcomed the chance to try one out on the local trails near to e-bikeshops new premises in Farnham, surrey.

Thankfully I picked a sunny and dry day. However the trials were very wet and muddy after week’s of rain so this was going to be an interesting first ride for me on the electric bike.

The Haibike NDURO PRO was so easy to ride and the power assistance from the Bosch motor comes in quickly and smoothly to assist you as soon as you flick the power button on to Eco mode. I was soon easily cruising along at 15mph in eco mode. It was easy to change assistance levels whilst riding using your left hand on the control buttons. Come to a steep climb on or off-road and up the assistance mode all the way to Turbo and off you go.

I had to remember to keep pedalling to keep the assistance going so no pausing for a quick breather. You can pedal as hard as you like on the eBike, just the same as on a normal bike, so you are still getting as much of a workout as you want. Climb in a lower assistance mode and the heart rate will still rise up nicely.

Muddy Haibike Electric Bike

The electric bike is really exciting and so much fun. Point it downhill and it’s off like a shot, but no need to panic about walkers or horses because as soon as you stop pedalling and brake then you can stop on a sixpence with the very powerful SRAM XO brakes.

The best thing for me about the eBike is the ability to cut through even the deepest muddiest trail without stopping or really slowing to the usual pace of grinding through the mud. It’s a lot easier on the knee’s as you up the assistance mode and cut straight through the mud.

I was having so much fun on this ride that I just aimed for the middle of each mud section rather than the normal route of trying to skirt round one side or another in a vain attempt to avoid the mud and keep going.

The gears on this eMTB are excellent with positive shift’s coming from the SRAM X1 lever. With 11 gears on the rear you never run out of gears either at the top or bottom of the range. You have enough gears to climb the steepest gradient and then gears high enough to help you fly along at speed.

Climbing on an electric mountain bike eMTB Climbing on the eMTB is so much fun!

Even when full of mud and splattered by endless puddles the gears were really positive and precise through the whole range.

The suspension is amazing and soaks up all the bumps for a smooth, controlled and positive riding experience. The short stem and wide bars add up to spot on assured handling. Add in the dropper seat post for those tricky drop-off’s and descents and this electric bike is the whole complete package.

Don’t forget the whole time I was having so much fun I was still getting a good workout. Ride everywhere in ECO mode and you can feel you are working.

Another great thing about the bike is it’s off-road climbing ability. Just aim it uphill and flick the assistance into Turbo mode and off you go. Your own skill level will dictate what you can climb but you will be able to climb gradient’s you never thought possible before on a normal bike. You still need to balance and keep your weight over the front as you climb but it’s amazing.

The Haibike handles really well in all modes of assistance and it is also a good ride with no assistance helping you, which is often the case when you are flying along the flat or going downhill. These times of no assistance will also increase the length and time of your ride that you will then have available in power assistance modes.

Cow Licking the NDURO PRO Mavic Tyres The local bull calves also thought the new Mavic tyres were very tasty!!

I was out for 3 hours and still had some battery power left at the end. I was covered in mud and so was the bike but I’d had the most fun on a muddy bike ride ever.

If you’ve never considered an electric bike then think again. If you’re in to riding for fitness and fun and want to ride all year round, then this would make a great winter bike. I guarantee you will go out and ride a lot more as it’s so much fun.

If you’re not sure then buy one for your partner or best buddy and go out riding with them. You’ll work so hard trying to keep up with them that you’ll be so fit, you will be in the Tour de France next year!

Electric mountain biking equals fun, fun, fun. It will put a massive smile on you’re face. I think that’s reason enough to join the club and buy one. Don’t you?

To view the full specification of the bike being ridden, please click here - Haibike NDURO PRO 2014 eBike

Martin Brown at E-Bikeshop.co.uk
About Martin Brown

Martin has been in the electric bike industry for over 15 years & has helped it grow from the start. Promoting eBikes across the UK at events & offering the very best advice, tech articles, blogs & videos. In particular Martin is a major player for progressing the use of eMTB's, today owner of e-bikeshop.co.uk - The UK's largest eBike supplier specialising in Bosch, Yamaha and Shimano, good quality European eBikes.

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