We take an exclusive first look at updates to the new Yamaha electric bike system for 2018. Yamaha has been working on new updates to appear on some 2018 eBikes. We previously blogged about the introduction of Yamaha PW-X series systems to high spec electric mountain bikes for 2017, exclusively for Haibike eBikes. Moving forward, Yamaha adds to the current setup for Yamaha PW and PW-X series. Whilst bringing a new motor type to the line up for 2018 code named - Yamaha PW Series SE. Yamaha PW Series SE 2018 The new PWseries SE will run alongside the PW-X line up, inheriting many of the features from the standard PW series, but expands on the features and assistance available. The PW SE will have revised cadence, from the previous 100 rpm it will now cover up to 110 rpm. This raises the support to the rider in higher gears and at a higher cadence. Like the PW series, the PW SE offers 4 support levels: - Eco+, Eco, Std and High. With rider assistance starting at 50% and up to 280% assist. Torque is offered up to 70Nm. Interestingly the motor will come preprogrammed by the bike manufacturer in one of two software versions depending on the style of bike. The Black & Green spec is as follows: Black Spec: Powerful feeling from the off, designed for sporty style eBikes. Green Spec: Moderated power when pulling away & at low speeds. Designed for city eBikes. Yamaha has also added extra communications from the motor. So Bluetooth® connectivity is now possible. Although nothing concrete has been confirmed yet regarding use, we expect a smart phone app or device to follow soon offering extra functions to the user. You'll likely see a UI offering speed and assistance mode controls on the fly. With statistics logged like speed, distance, average speed & cadence. Although the PW and PW SE series look the same on the outside, it's the internals that change. The motor is clearly defined by using a Red logo on the PW SE and White on the PW series. Yamaha eBike Display 2018 The Yamaha PW SE will only come specified with the later compact LCD control panel which is shared with the Yamaha PW-X line up. The compact LCD display offers 4 levels of assist. With Bluetooth® connectivity, a USB power supply and a separate control unit to the left to navigate the assistance levels and scroll. The compact LCD display offers on the fly bike parameters. These include- Speed, Battery capacity, Average bicycle speed, Maximum bicycle speed, Trip meter, Odometer, Range, Battery Capacity (%), Cadence, Clock and a Stopwatch. The standard PW series will be offered with either the basic LED control panel (pictured left) or the LCD multifunction display (pictured on the right). The bike will be specified by the manufacturer with either display, depending on the model spec and price. The LCD multifunction display sits in the centre with a control panel to the left. It includes data for the rider such as- Speed, Battery capacity, Average bicycle speed, Maximum bicycle speed, Trip meter, Odometer, Range, Battery Capacity (%), Cadence and a Clock. The LED control just 3 assistance modes - Eco, Standard & High. It shows speed in Km/h, Range and Battery Capacity. It's a more basic control, sitting to the left on the handlebars. Yamaha eBike Battery 2018 The Yamaha battery system will be the same moving forward across all PW, PW-X & PW SE series systems. Completely interchangeable between bikes. All using the newer charger which came out last year, which is lighter in weight and overall more compact. It will be available on bikes in both frame and rack mount versions, but we'd expect most will be frame mounted, even on the unisex versions. Bikes will continue to be specified by the manufacturer with either 500 or 400Wh batteries depending on the model, spec and price. When is it available? Technically, both the PW series and PW-X are already in motion on current 2017 bikes moving forward. The PW SE will likely be released onto some MTB bikes for 2018. It's also likely Haibike will, again, be exclusive for PW-X through the course of 2018 and we'd expect news soon on the PW SE coming onto 2018 Haibike's too. View the full range of Yamaha powered eBikes here - Yamaha Electric Bikes.
Let's take a first look at the 2018 Raleigh Mustang eRoad bike. With drop handlebars, all terrain tyres and fully equipped with the Shimano Steps eBike system. Drawing on the success of the Mustang, Raleigh has paved the way for the future of Adventure bikes with their new Mustang Electric road bike. The Mustang eBike boasts all the same features that make adventure bikes popular. Giving you the ability to ride both on road & off-road but with the added benefit of electric assistance. Think less road bike and more ultimate drop bar do everything bike! Who's the Mustang best for? The Mustang Electric is the perfect companion for the every cyclist that enjoys a bit of everything but wants to maintain the speed and stamina of a younger rider. Maybe you want to commute without getting hot and sticky, then head out for a bit of off road fun at the weekend? The Raleigh Mustang eBike is designed for the real world of getting to work or grabbing some fun at the weekend. Capable on the road or on the trail, it gives you the versatility to go where you like. Take the towpath or the short cut through the woods, deal with the potholes and 'in-different tarmac of the British roads'. Powered with Shimano Steps The 2018 Raleigh Mustang E is powered by Shimano’s E6000 STEPS system and using SRAM’s proven Apex 1 gearing this drop bar eBike is at home on all terrain. Electric bikes are currently limited to a maximum of 15mph which a reasonable road rider could easily do, but take your bike onto a trail or cycle path maintaining 15mph isn’t so easy! Raleigh consciously chose to equip Shimano motors as they have virtually no drag. Meaning that if you are going faster than 15mph the motor won’t slow you down when it’s not working. Something particularly important for keen riders with this type of bike. Why is it the 650B wheel size? How does this smaller yet also larger tyre benefit your ride? Easy - Traction & comfort. While a 650b x 42c tire has roughly the same outer diameter as a 700c x 30c tyre, it also has a much wider footprint. That equates to a much larger contact area with the terrain that you’re riding on and therefore, more traction. On the comfort side of things, these high-volume tyres can be run at much lower pressures than their traditional road counterparts. This lower pressure easily absorbs bumps in the road and creates a much more comfortable and supple ride quality. To sum up the Raleigh E-Mustang? The new 2018 Raleigh Mustang offers the most versatility to your everyday rider, utilising a powerful system & lightweight Kinesis frame. Comfort comes from the tyres & carbon fork. With a full array of gears and available in 3 sizes, the Mustang takes on a whole new level of cycling. You can view the full electric bike specification here - Raleigh Mustang Electric Bike.
On Sunday 25th June we visited Friston Forest for an E-Bikeshop Owners Club Ride around Alfriston and the surrounding area of the south downs on eBikes. We all met in the village of Alfriston at 10:30am on a Summers June day. Around 12 riders joined us for a great summer ride on electric bikes. The weather was cloudy but warm with temperatures just into the 20's. Perfect riding weather! Resident E-Bikeshop Club member Gary led this one as it's located at his favourite riding spot. We all had a brief and set off with a big climb to the top of Windover Hill onto the downs, with views to die for. This then followed into Friston forest where we had a day of singletrack, bomb holes (including the famous 'Bomb Hole Challenge!') and then onto more technical terrain. Later in the day the group split, some to tackle some more serious downhill runs and some for slightly more novice terrain. For a moment we did get lost and the 2 groups ended up splitting. Luckily we managed to make contact and Gary darted off to reunite the group. Here's a map of the route we took: All in all a great day out full of fun thrilled riding and great people. We did have a couple of minor falls, but fortunately, the guys got straight back up smiling! We covered approx 22 miles with over 2584 ft of elevation with in total about 4 and a half hours ride time. Special thanks to Gary for leading this fantastic ride! Everyone is agreed it's one of the best. The next ride is up and live now on the Owners Club page. So take a look and click ‘Join’ to confirm attendance. We will, of course, publish all the photos of this ride on the ebikeshop club page in the next few days, don’t forget to tag yourself in them. The E-Bikeshop Owners Club is a closed group of riders, if you have purchased an eBike from us and want to get involved, please get in touch.
It's great to see a dedicated dirt bike magazine as prestigious as Dirt Bike Rider, swapping out throttle power over to pedal power with the Haibike electric mountain bike. Can a power assisted off-road bicycle offer up as much fun as a full on petrol powered dirt bike? This August Dirt Bike Rider Magazine jumped at the chance to test out the all new Haibike sDuro electric mountain bike. To achieve this Dirt Bike Rider Magazine have all been using the Haibike as frequently as possible for day-to-day tasks like nipping to the shops as well as going on lengthy rides both off-road and on. The Haibike sDuro All Mountain bike, powered with a Yamaha eBike drive system, bridges the gap between mountain bikes and the more traditional off-road machines Dirt Bike Rider Magazine is used to seeing. Unlike a motorbike, there's no throttle as such and the Yamaha motor that the Haibike sDuro AllMtn 6 is equipped with only comes in when you are pedalling. On the full power setting the Yamaha motor offers up to 280% assistance, meaning climbing hills become a breeze and building speed up on off-road trails is effortless & a whole lot of fun! Quote from dedicated mountain bike nut, Tom Butcher:- I rode places I have never ridden before simply because I could. The energy you save for the real fun bits is priceless. The joy that was summoned from deep within is something few bikes give me. Ready to get powered up with a new eBike? Check out the featured Haibike sDuro AllMtn 6.0
We take a look at what's to come for Bosch electric bikes in 2018. Some new eBike innovations and fresh system updates due for early 2018. Keep reading to learn more. Bosch stays ahead of the game year on year by listening to their ever growing customer base, innovating new systems and ideas. Many of the Bosch eBike software advancements are backwards compatible. Good news for current Bosch electric bike owners. Let's take an early look at what's to come for Bosch eBikes in 2018: Bosch Active Line 2018 The Bosch Active Line was designed for riders seeking comfort whilst touring, commuting and leisure riding. It's specifically developed to offer a smooth power delivery, for city and country areas alike. For 2018 the Bosch Active Line gets re-worked, with a new motor designed to deliver moderately dosed support for riders. The new motor design has reduced the overall size by 25% by going back to a big sprocket externally compared to being internally geared. This allows less resistance and brings the size of the unit down for better integration. The weight has seen a reduction too, weighing in at just 2.9kg. By moderating the power, electric bike battery ranges are also increased further. Bosch Active Line Plus 2018 As well as the new Active Line version, Bosch has also created a sportier version - The Active Line Plus for 2018. This agile drive system offers more punch than the standard Active 2018 setup, with torque up to 50Nm and weight in at just a little over 3kg. A best in class system for leisure and sportier riding, the Active Line Plus improves handling due to its reduced weight and size. The motor noise and resistance are also significantly reduced too, due to the new gearing set-up. New eMTB Mode For Performance CX The Bosch Performance CX system still remains the market leader in the eMTB category, the perfect balance of torque and assistance for more sportier Mountain Bike riders. With assistance up to 300% and 80Nm of torque, the Performance CX can dominate any hill in any conditions. New for 2018 is an eMTB mode, which replaces the current Sport mode, switching between Tour and Turbo depending on the terrain you are riding. The Bosch system detects which mode will support you best and alternates giving less fuss to the rider and more time looking at the trails! This mode will come on 2018 eBikes equipped with the Performance CX motor. It will be available as an update from your Bosch eBike dealer for all current CX users of 2016 and 2017 models. This update should be available from the end of July. Bosch PowerTube 500 2018 Battery For the first time, Bosch announces the PowerTube 500. This sleek 500Wh battery allows bike manufacturers to integrate the tube shape battery into electric bike frames. Until now most batteries fit externally. This new PowerTube battery for 2018 can be mounted horizontally or vertically, combining modern design with high quality Bosch technology. For 2018 a clean and seamless look can be provided, still allowing the user to drop the battery out for charging if required. When unlocked the battery can pop out of the frame. A safety catch prevents the battery from falling out if not properly locked in. By mounting within the frame, the internal battery is also fully protected from knocks and the elements. Bosch eBike ABS 2018 Support Bosch brings further safety to electric bikes with a launch of Anti-Lock Brake Systems (ABS), enabling controlled and stable braking under even severe conditions. More suited to city and trekking electric bikes, this ABS system has 2 specific tasks: ABS For The Front Wheel Wheel speed sensors monitor speeds of both front and rear wheels. If the system anticipates locking of the front wheel the front brake pressure can be regulated under harsh braking, stabilising the bike to a controlled stop, increasing overall stopping power, control and safety. Rear Wheel Lift Control The Bosch eBike ABS system will intelligently control rear wheel lift. This significantly reduces the possibility of the rear wheel lifting under heavy braking when braking on the front is applied forcefully. Overall this allows much more efficient use of the front brake where tests have shown over 70% of your stopping power comes from. Although we are announcing it now, this update will likely be tested on particular bikes in 2018 with an official launch onto production bikes for 2019. It'll be limited to the standard Performance line in combination with the Intuvia display on city and trekking bikes. Further development of brake technologies will come from world renowned brake suppliers Magura. Other Updates For 2018 As the Bosch eBike system is so adaptable and also fully updateable we also see a host of other stability and performance updates for the system itself. With the addition of eShift, a clever setup that allows integration of hub gears from manufacturers like Shimano, NuVinci and new for 2018 - Rohloff hubs too. Bosch eShift is available for Bosch Performance CX, Performance Line, and the newer Active line / Active Line Plus motors too. For 2018 eShift may also be available for derailleur gears from Shimano specifically for electronic shifting on eMTB's too. Other updates include revised Bosch Nyon features and user interfaces. From new maps to route planning features, Bosch has updated Nyon to be more user-friendly. Neat options like altimeter previews and battery usage come too with future updates. Keep Me Updated Be the first to hear and stay up-to-date with all 2018 enhancements. Input your email address below and we'll keep you updated throughout. Subscribe You can view all of our Bosch powered electric bikes here - Bosch E-Bike Range
Let's take an exclusive look at the full drop bar road electric bike from Haibike. It's based on the Haibike xDuro Urban bike with drop handlebars for road riding and the famous Bosch eBike system. For many years, we've had customers requesting a drop bar road bike. Something that until now has not been included in the range. When looking for a new electric bike there are many points that tick the boxes. In particular to top 5 points, you are looking for should be:- Drop Handlebars | Fast Wheels | Road Gearing | Bosch System | Long Range That's why we have chosen the Haibike xDuro Urban with fast rolling wheels, tarmac tyres, uprated gearing for speed and the Bosch Performance eBike system with a 500Wh battery. We do a full drop bar conversion specified by the customer to either Shimano 105 or Ultegra. We'll spec it to your preference - be it carbon bars or deep rim wheels the options are endless. Check out the standard Haibike Urban. Contact us to discuss the options on your new eBike.
Ever wondered where Lapierre eBikes are made? Last month we were invited to visit the home of Lapierre bikes based in Dijon, France. Including an inside look at the assembly line and complete factory for Lapierre electric bikes. Having been working with Lapierre bikes for many years now, it was an opportunity we quickly snapped up when offered to visit the factory in France. It all began on an early morning before the sun had come up, we had been staying in a lovely place situated within miles wine field's, of course, what Dijon is also famous for (aside from mustard and bikes!). On arrival, we had an introduction by Gilles Lapierre himself and a welcome presentation by Aurelien Boeuf, Lapierre's second in command. This was to follow with an inside tour by Florian Robin, Lapierre's export manager of the headquarters and electric bike assembly line. Inside the main meeting room, one wall was lined with signed jerseys from various team riders across all aspects of cycling - A nice touch! Inside Aurelien's office was past memorabilia from a previous role, lined up neatly on one wall for inspiration. The factory tour started in the wheel assembly section, where each wheel is handbuilt then laser true'd before being checked again at the other end by a human eye. The wheels are then stored ready for assembly into the bike further down the line. The next stage see's a technician getting each set of handlebars ready with brake levers, gear levers etc installed onto the bar and stem. Lastly, the grips go on ready for the next stage. The previous picture set shows the road handlebars neatly lined up in size order. The factory had just received a big order of Yamaha batteries in (first picture), ready to be installed into the eBikes. The neatly stacked frames and parts then go onto a dedicated technician to build the complete bike. We spotted some Lapierre Overvolt frames ready to be built up next. Then at the far end of the factory, Lapierre had a load of batteries fully charged for us and a mixture of carbon Bosch electric mountain of bikes prepared: 'Just pick one' - they said. After a nice lunch, we left the factory in the heart of the city and were quickly climbing up the tracks between the vineyards up to the peak to find the singletrack down the other side. Mr Lapierre's son rode with us along with one of the team riders. It was a great chance to test the bikes in real conditions. The singletrack was rocky in places with quick drops into sudden climbs, a perfect setting for the Lapierre Overvolt electric mountain bikes! Other areas of Lapierre's headquarters include the top secret quality control and testing areas which photographs are forbidden. Along with the back office team, guys in product testing, design and the support department. It's clear that Lapierre as a whole is built around the bikes and it's the people that make it all work. Born in Dijon in 1946 and is still based here today, generations of dedicated people pass down the secret to what is Lapierre. The city is at the heart of production. All in all, a great trip with fantastic people and amazing bikes. Thanks to the Lapierre team for being so accommodating and the true hospitality - Keep up the good work guys. Learn more about the Lapierre Overvolt electric mountain bikes here - Lapierre eBikes.
On Sunday 30th April 2017 we all met in the Surrey Hills for an E-Bikeshop Owners Club ride around Peaslake. Located in the heart of the Surrey hills for an electric mountain bike ride. We did something different for this ride, 17 riders met in the main carpark for a briefing and then we split the groups into intermediate and advanced riders. Everyone had the option of going in either group. Our team leaders for the day were established club members, Chris and Ken who know the Surrey hills like the back of their hand. We set off in each group straight onto the trails. Whilst Chris led the intermediate group onto some of the famous UK trails such as 'Barry Knows Best', 'Yoghurt Pots' and 'Telegraph Poles'; Ken led the others including me onto what only could be called 'Off Piste' singletrack through the woods that you'd have never found if Ken wasn't leading! Half way through the day, we all met back up at the Peaslkae village stores for a pit stop, cup of tea and quick natter before returning back to the trails. In total, we covered around 18 very strenuous miles including lots of climbing and of course descents. Throughout the day most stayed upright and no mechanicals, however, Paul in the intermediate group did suffer a puncture which was rectified on the trails. All in all a great day out and thoroughly enjoyed by all, despite aching the next day or so! Big thanks from everyone to Ken and Chris for leading such a great ride, it was planned very well and really worked for a bunch of mixed riders. Well done guys! The next ride is up and live now on the Owners Club page. So take a look and click ‘Join’ to confirm attendance. We will, of course, publish all the photos of this ride on the ebikeshop club page in the next few days, don’t forget to tag yourself in them. The E-Bikeshop Owners Club is a closed group of riders, if you have purchased an eBike from us and want to get involved, please get in touch.
The new Gocycle Connect smartphone application has been released today via the Google Play Store & Apple AppStore. The new Gocycle app brings a whole host of cool features. The previous Gocycle application allowed the user to view their Gocycle bike odometer, trip distance, battery capacity and adjust assistance modes. It was a pretty simple setup but was more than capable of doing the job. As of last night (Friday 5th May 2017) all Gocycle users new and previous can download the new V5.0 application to Apple or Android devices. Why hit the upgrade button? Here's why. New Gocycle Live Dash The Gocycle Live Dash allows you to affix your smartphone to the dash of your Gocycle and use it as the interface for your Gocycle eBike, reading out all the necessary parameters in a funky new Gocycle user interface. These parameters include your current speed, average speed, motor vs pedal power gear selection and battery state. You can also view and adjust your assistance level and daytime running light high / low beam on the fly. There's also some handy new features including cadence, calories burned & equivalent MPG. Behind the Scenes Improvements Obviously, the new UI is very fancy and far superior to the previous application design but behind the scenes, there are lots of other improvements too. Including bug fixes, there's also simple 'how to' videos for when new users register their bikes with the application. This includes how to set up the bike and how to get the most out of your Gocycle. The new update also brings a new platform for the Gocycle HQ to work from, so it opens up many future opportunities which can include more functions in further updates. Remember the beauty of the Gocycle and its connectivity is that it's an open platform, so Gocycle is always receiving feedback and working on new features which are fully up-date-able further down the line. You can update the bike as a consumer, ultimately making the bike future proof to any changes. How do I get setup with Gocycle V5? To get your Gocycle setup, just follow these simple steps. We've included a video tutorial below to help too. Before you actually update yourself, please read this article in full as there are some important details to note further down regarding speed and assistance modes. 1) Make sure you have your Gocycle smartphone mounts. If you don't already have the mounts, we have them available to purchase - Gocycle Smart Phone Mounts. 2) Download the new Gocycle V5 smartphone app for either Android or Apple devices. Click the links for either of the 2 devices for a direct download link to both the Apple Store and Google Play Store. 3) Run the app and follow the setup instructions. At this point, you will be prompted to setup your location details. Here is a quick video helping you to set this up:- IMPORTANT: If you have already previously registered your Gocycle you need to make sure the email address entered in the setup process is the same one that was used to register on your original registration. 4) As part of the new setup for the V5 application, you will be prompted to update your Gocycle to the latest v83 firmware update via Bluetooth. 5) Your Gocycle and smart device are now set up to operate the v5 application. Please Note: After the firmware update, the Gocycle will have ‘forgotten’ any previously programmed mode and will default to City Mode (Mode 1 = 25kmph (15mph) max speed, pedal motor control only). You may also need to select Custom Mode to re-define your preferences for the custom ride mode too. Important On setting up your Gocycle V5 application, the app will prompt you to select the firmware for your region. These regions are defined by the following 3 groups:- - North American Type 1: max speed 20 mph (pedal motor control only) - North American Type 2: max speed 20 mph (pedal and throttle motor control) - European EPAC: max speed 25 kph (pedal motor control only) Electric bicycle regulations relating to speed, motor power, pedal and throttle controls vary throughout the world, therefore it's important you select the correct region to comply with your location regulations. If you select European then your previous modes for throttle and assistance speed above 15.5mph will be lost and are irreversible. If selecting 'North American Type 2' the throttle can mode will be active and the maximum assistance speed will be set to 20mph instead of 15.5mph. Downloading V5.0 will not allow you to revert to V4 and your existing Gocycle settings including maximum speed will conform to one of above location configurations. We hope you enjoy the new application and many of its new features. It's certainly a big step forward. Not yet got a Gocycle? Read all about the latest Gocycle G3 eBike here.
A common question relates to how long does an electric bike battery take to charge? We discuss the 3 most popular systems including Bosch, Yamaha & Shimano eBikes. Modern lithium batteries on eBikes recharge in a matter of hours, rather than having to leave them overnight. The charge time depends on how flat the battery was when you put it on charge, sounds obvious, right? Most newer style batteries have a BMS (Battery Management System) on board that controls lots of parameters in the cell. In most circumstances, if the battery is partially charged and you just top it up, it will top up really quickly. Whereas, if the battery is completely flat it could do an 80% fast charge and leave a slower trickle charge for the last 20% to condition the eBike battery. How long does a Bosch battery take to charge? Bosch batteries will charge in 4.5 hrs on a 500Wh and 3.5 hrs on a 400Wh battery from flat. This is using the standard 4A charger. Bosch also offer a compact charger which offers a slightly smaller shell and overall lighter build, this charger in on a 2A system so batteries will take a little longer to charge, about double the time in most circumstances. Expect a 500Wh battery to fully charge in around 7.5 hrs and a 400Wh to charge in about 6.5 hrs. The same applies to Bosch's travel charger which is designed for 12v systems (i.e car cigarette lighter), also running on a 2A system you can expect similar times as the compact charger. How long does a Shimano battery take to charge? Shimano electric bike batteries recharge from flat in 5 hrs. The partial charge terminology we mention at the start of this article also applies to Shimano eBikes, in fact on the E8000 system, Shimano quote: Charging: 80% after 2,5 hrs / 5 hrs from 0 to 100%. The Shimano E8000 batteries only come in 500Wh but are offered in 2 styles depending on which bike you purchase, one is integrated into the downtube and the other is mounted externally. Although different shapes, both styles offer the same capacity and thus take the same time to recharge. How long does a Yamaha battery take to charge? Like Bosch, the Yamaha electric bike batteries come in 2 sizes 400Wh and 500Wh. The system just uses one type of Yamaha charger. The 500Wh battery will recharge in 4 hrs and the 400Wh battery will charge in approx 3.5 hrs from flat. The Yamaha battery can be charged both on and off the bike. It uses the same charger port in both circumstances. Again the Yamaha battery will top up much quicker as it doesn't need to do a slow part charge when not charging from completely flat. To Conclude Electric Bike Battery Charge Times Both Bosch, Yamaha and Shimano all offer similar charge times on the same capacity cells. Bosch is the only one to offer different charger types. But based on the standard charger this table highlights the charging times: Bosch Yamaha Shimano 500 Wh 4.5 hrs 4 hrs 5 hrs 400 Wh 3.5 hrs 3.5 hrs X You can learn how to extend your battery life in our dedicated electric bike battery care guide. Or alternatively, learn more about preserving life and charging in our extended battery care article here. Want to learn how far an eBike battery can assist you? Use our simple eBike battery range tool here.
To kick start the season, the E-Bikeshop owners Club visited Bedgebury Forest trail centre. For an action packed day of trail riding on electric mountain bikes on 26th February 2017. This was the first ride of the season and a good turnout for a cold winters ride. We had 15 riders in total to ride Bedgebury forest trail centre. We've visited this site once before about 12 months ago and it was great, so decided to include it in the 2017 calendar. After a short de-brief, we hit the trails, although it had been raining the night before the trails are well drained, which made for great riding and fast flowing trails. In total, we completed a full lap including both Red, Blue and a little Black section. We also had a break in the middle with a short stint of messing about in the bomb holes and did the famous 'Cake Run' a couple of times before committing to the cafe for hot drinks and cake! The next ride is up and live now on the Owners Club page. So take a look and click 'Join' to confirm attendance. We will, of course, publish all the photos of this ride on the ebikeshop club page in the next few days, don’t forget to tag yourself in them. The E-Bikeshop Owners Club is a closed group of riders, if you have purchased an eBike from us and want to get involved, please get in touch.
We take a look at the 2017 electric mountain bike ranges & select the top 5 best looking eMTB out there for the year. Not taking into consideration spec or price, just pure looks! Following a visit to EuroBike it's clear every manufacturer is now on board with a Bosch powered eBike. Selecting the range for 2017 was about summing up many different characteristics including specification, price, components and the also important - Visuals! In this article, we sum up the top 5 best looking (in our opinion) Bosch powered electric mountain bikes for 2017. So spec, use, and price aside here goes: No 1: Haibike xDuro DownHill 9.0 An electric assisted downhill bike? Yes! Now you can forget the uplifts and get back to the top quicker, ready to come back down. More ride time = more fun! With slack angles, triple clamps and DH specific components, the xDuro DownHill 9.0 remains at the top of the list for looks! No 2: Moustache Samedi Race 8 The Moustache Samedi Race 8 for 2017 get's big hits as they are the only manufacturer to fully integrate the battery into the frame. The 'Hidden Power' setup has already received prestigious awards to date and gets voted no 2 on our list. It looks, feels and rides great! No 3: Lapierre AM 700+ Carbon Lapierre took a totally different approach for 2017 on the AM 700. Their GLP system brings the battery centrally within the eBike & lowers the overall centre of gravity. As we are going by design, it looks amazing & the carbon frame brings out the smooth lines with no welds. Nice! No 4: Haibike xDuro FullSeven Carbon What could you not love about the xDuro Full Carbon 10.0? This full suss, fully carbon XC bike is well spec'd but looks the part too. The wheels really set this bike apart. It's the ultimate boy's toy! Ride it or hang it on your wall and don't stop staring, either way, it's great! No 5: Scott E-Genius 700 PLUS TUNED The brand new Scott E-Genius 700 TUNED has certainly gained a lot of momentum for 2017. It's sleek lines, internal cable routeing and high spec components make it look sweet. If that's not enough, the Factory FOX Kashima coated gold components really finish it off! Conclusion Have eBikes become sexy for 2017? You decide! What we do know is, there are some great looking electric mountain bikes out there, with lots of different designs and styles. Many of the above models have also been backed with prestigious awards including the EuroBike Awards and the more recent Design & Innovation 2017 awards. Ready to ride longer, harder & faster? Click to begin your eBike journey now »
We blogged about the Lapierre Overvolt Carbon 2017 eBikes on release when they won the Eurobike award. Now the model wins the prestigious Design & Innovation Award 2017. What Makes Lapierre? For over 70 years, Lapierre has combined technological innovation, aesthetics, attention to detail and its experience in racing to offer the most beautiful and efficient bikes. Whatever your ride, road or MTB, competition, leisure, sport or fitness, you will find the bike of your dreams in the Lapierre collection, be it a mountain bike, road bike, city or all-road bike, designed and created in France. Already the leader in high-end MTB on the French market, the Lapierre brand is conquering the rest of the world. For 2017 Lapierre completely went back to the drawing board with the Carbon Overvolt eBike range. Rather than adapt a MTB to be an eMTB, they decided to start again and built an electric mountain bike around its heart - The Bosch Performance CX system. Developed in-house by 10 times world champion Nico Vouilloz to offer a Bosch eBike 500Wh battery at the lowest possible point in the centre of the Overvolt frame. Lapierre's GLP (Gravity Logic Project) centralises the mass in the eBike frame and allows for greater manoeuvrability and handling. Also now on an even lighter full carbon chassis for 2017! Following on from the Eurobike Award received in late August 2016, the Lapierre Overvolt AM Carbon 900+ has once again been recognised as an outstanding innovative E-Bike. Design & Innovation Award 2017 This time by the 40 leading industry experts, journalists and engineers who gathered in San Vigilio, Dolomites to put outstanding products through their paces. Some of those products that rise above are awarded the Design & Innovation Award. The judges said:- When Lapierre set about developing the Overvolt AM Carbon, they were adamant: no compromises. Consequently, as a bike’s centre of gravity is a decisive parameter on how it handles, the French brand took a radical, new approach with their carbon lay-up to create a wholly unique frame. They were able to split the downtube and house the battery between the two sides, essentially directly above the motor, which has knocked off a full 600 g whencompared to its predecessor. In its fifth year, the Design & Innovation Award brought together over 40 industry experts, journalists & engineers to celebrate the most ground breaking innovations within the industry. Design & Innovation Award 2017 | Highlight Video from Design & Innovation Award on Vimeo. This year the Design & Innovation Award returned to Kronplatz/San Vigilio – Dolomites, and was bigger, better, more exciting and more varied than ever. With new categories and a pioneering industry congress with decision- makers and opinion leaders from within the world of cycling, it’s actively shaping the future. Lapierre Awarded Design & Innovation The judges concluded:- The battery is removable, but can also be charged while on the bike. The Overvolt’s geometry is bang on point, allowing the bike to hurl confidently down trails with composure and great suspension. While the aesthetics did split opinion, the spec list reads promisingly and doesn’t disappoint when riding, making it a win-win for functionality. Following an interview with Gilles Lapierre (CEO of Lapierre Bikes), he stated:- We are delighted to receive another award for the Overvolt Carbon, especially from the rigorous judges of the D&I Award. This recognises the hard work put in by our R&D team to develop an electric bike that stands out from the competition. By rethinking the design around the Bosch motor we have revolutionised the ride feel and the judges recognised that. We are lucky enough to have the full range of 2017 Overvolt Carbon eBikes in stock now.
Between Christmas and New Years, the E-Bikeshop Owners Club re-visited Swinley Forest in Bracknell. A great day out riding electric mountain bikes around UK trails. We've been to Swinley Forest a few times over the years with the E-Bikeshop Owners Club. It's one of the favourites amongst fellow owners. Every time we visit it has trails changed, diversions and something new to offer, this time was no exception. We met on Friday 30th December 2016 in the main car park at 10:30am. Once everyone was huddled together and following a short briefing we set off onto the Blue trail. It was good to see so many out on a cold December between Xmas and new years, including some new faces and some new riders with fresh bikes, keen to put their new eBike through it's paces. It was a misty morning, but fortunately completely dry and not windy, almost perfect conditions for riding. The trails were tacky and thus not dusty or dry, it kept things fast & smooth! Following from the Blue we entered the Red route with a break in the middle to take advantage of some of the downhill runs in the middle of the trail centre. Some new sections of the Red proved to be exciting. In all, we covered around 15 miles of riding, with a couple of mechanicals along the way. Unfortunately, we had 2 punctures and one chain problem during the day. All rectified promptly! The next 6 rides have been published on the Owners Club page. So take a look and join up to whichever ones you can attend. This year we will be skipping January to start the season end of Feb for our first ride out. We will, of course, publish all the photos of this ride on the ebikeshop club page in the next few days, don’t forget to tag yourself in them. The E-Bikeshop Owners Club is a closed group of riders, if you have purchased an eBike from us and want to get involved, please get in touch.