00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 While mountain bikes and hybrids
00:03 have been long-term adapters of electronic technology,
00:06 it's only more recently that we've seen road bikes
00:09 embrace a little assistance,
00:10 certainly in a way that allows them to retain the aesthetics
00:13 and ride quality that are an important part of their appeal.
00:17 The challenge, well, it was not insignificant.
00:20 How do you add a motor and battery to a bike
00:23 without it becoming ugly, heavy, and downright noisy?
00:26 Not the attributes you wanted associated
00:28 with a modern road bike.
00:30 For a while, it appeared the struggle
00:32 may be too great to overcome
00:33 with a number of e-road bikes released
00:36 that have left a lot to be desired.
00:38 But perhaps unsurprisingly,
00:39 given the unrelenting march of most tech,
00:42 the engineers won the day.
00:43 And over the past year or so,
00:44 we've seen several e-road bikes released
00:47 that are both lightweight and quiet,
00:49 as well as looking the part.
00:50 So here are our favorites for 2023.
00:54 (upbeat music)
00:58 Stand the Domane Plus SLR side by side
01:01 with its acoustic counterpart,
01:02 and it's hard to spot the difference.
01:05 It's only the beefier downtube,
01:06 which hides the 360 kilowatt battery,
01:09 that gives the game away.
01:10 It shares a similar endurance-focused geometry
01:13 with a high stack and longer wheelbase,
01:15 and even wider tire clearance.
01:17 The Domane Plus can fit up to 40 millimeter tires.
01:21 There's also the same ISO Speed technology
01:24 to reduce road chatter and hidden mounts for mudguards.
01:27 It's even made from the same material as the regular SLR,
01:30 Trek's top tier 8,000 series OCLV carbon.
01:35 Certainly, if you're after an e-road bike
01:37 that can be ridden on a club ride without raising eyebrows,
01:40 then this is it.
01:41 Not only is it aesthetically appealing,
01:43 it uses TQ's revolutionary HPR 50 system,
01:47 which is said to not only be
01:48 the lightest hub-driven offering on the market,
01:50 at just under four kilos for both motor and battery,
01:53 but the quietest too.
01:55 Trek claim that it's twice as quiet as its previous e-bikes,
01:59 with ambient wind noise cancelling out
02:01 any noise from the motor.
02:03 It all adds up to a bike that weighs just 12.6 kilos,
02:06 or just under 28 pounds, in a size 56.
02:10 But it also has a maximum assist
02:12 of 15 and a half miles per hour here in the UK,
02:14 or 28 miles an hour in the US,
02:17 with a range of around 60 miles.
02:19 Naturally, this level of tech doesn't come cheap,
02:21 with the entry-level SLR6 costing £8,340,
02:26 or nearly $9,000,
02:28 while the flagship SLR9 is priced at £12,900,
02:33 or nearly $13,000.
02:36 (upbeat music)
02:38 According to Scott, the Solis eRide project
02:44 was to target low weight, silence, compactness, and comfort.
02:48 Combined, it's the holy grail for all e-road bikes,
02:51 as designers and engineers seek to find ways
02:53 to add to the road riding experience
02:55 for those who want a little help
02:57 without diluting it to the point it becomes unrecognisable.
03:01 Interestingly, they've looked
03:02 to the added gravel model for inspiration,
03:05 rather than previous editions of the Solis.
03:07 It's made for a road bike that's still endurance-focused,
03:10 but one that can handle some rough stuff too.
03:12 In fact, Scott offered the Solis eRide 10
03:15 in both road and gravel configuration,
03:17 with the gravel version using SRAM's Force 1 eTap,
03:21 while the road bike is equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2.
03:24 The frame remains the same for both, however,
03:26 using Scott's proven expertise with carbon
03:29 to create a frame that's light,
03:31 as well as one that balances compliance with stiffness.
03:34 We rode the Solis both on-road and off,
03:37 and it delivered predictable and assured ride quality
03:40 on both services without ever becoming dull.
03:43 Like the Trek Domane Plus,
03:44 the Solis is driven by TQ's impeccable
03:46 HPR15 motor and battery,
03:49 which, as advertised, is almost silent when in use.
03:52 As for pricing, the Solis eRide 10s that we tested
03:55 retail at nearly $10,100,
03:58 or £9,200 for the gravel version,
04:01 and nearly $12,000,
04:03 or nearly £11,000 for the Dura-Ace-equipped road model.
04:07 You do also get a pair of Zipp 303s
04:09 and a Syncros Creston IC bar and stem,
04:12 but it remains, admittedly,
04:14 a considerable chunk of change to pay for a bike,
04:17 electric or otherwise.
04:19 Next up is BMC's newest electric road machine,
04:27 the Zero One AMP-X,
04:30 with the 01 signifying that this is designed
04:32 as a flagship model rather than an entry-level offering.
04:35 It shares plenty in common with both the Domane
04:37 and the Solis eRide.
04:39 It too is endurance-focused,
04:41 and is built around a high-end carbon frameset
04:43 that offers a more upright riding position,
04:45 as well as elements created with comfort in mind.
04:49 There's clearance here for 38mm wide tyres.
04:51 The shorter chainstays, however,
04:53 420mm compared to the Domane's 430mm, for example,
04:57 point towards improved manoeuvrability
04:59 and perhaps additional stiffness too.
05:02 Once again, the TQ HPR50 is the system of choice.
05:06 Unsurprisingly, the combined weight of 3,900g
05:10 for battery and motor is appealing to any engineer
05:13 tasked with creating an e-road bike that's lightweight.
05:16 The fact that it's compact too
05:17 and can be discreetly hidden in the bottom bracket area
05:20 and the down tube as it is here,
05:22 allows for a bike to retain the good looks
05:24 of a regular road bike.
05:26 The road machine should appeal to fans of the original,
05:28 with BMC's signature tube shapes
05:30 and drop seat stays still present.
05:33 Interestingly, BMC has opted to equip the bike
05:35 with a SRAM 1x drivetrain,
05:37 Force and rival XPLR eTap access depending on the model,
05:42 as well as Redshift suspension stem
05:44 and Pirelli gravel tyres.
05:46 It certainly points to a bike with a dual purpose,
05:48 as well as one that's designed to be pretty user-friendly.
05:52 The road machine Zero 1 AMP X is available in six sizes,
05:56 ranging from 47cm to 61cm.
05:59 The one is priced at nearly $8,900 or £8,100,
06:04 while the two retails at nearly $7,900 or £7,200.
06:10 (upbeat music)
06:12 Don't be fooled by the name.
06:18 The Filante Hybrid is designed to resemble
06:20 the Italian's brand flagship road bike,
06:23 rather than that flat bar commuter
06:25 you only ride to the office.
06:27 Certainly the tube shapes are reminiscent of the SLR,
06:30 but Wilier has tweaked the geometry
06:32 to deliver a more endurance focused ride.
06:35 Think higher stack, shorter reach and longer wheelbase.
06:38 And that's more in keeping with the other e-bikes
06:41 that we've already covered.
06:42 However, unlike Trek, Scott or BMC,
06:46 Wilier has opted for a rear hub motor,
06:48 rather than the TQ system that's concealed
06:51 in the bottom bracket area of the frame.
06:53 The Mahle X20 is comparably light
06:56 and the 250 kilowatt battery is neatly tucked away
07:00 into the frame's down tube
07:01 in a similar fashion to the others.
07:04 By locating the motor in the rear hub,
07:06 Wilier says it aids ease of maintenance,
07:08 given that it can be easily removed from the casing.
07:11 Alongside the Mahle system,
07:13 the Filante Hybrid also features a built-in power sensor
07:17 located in the bottom bracket.
07:19 This system reads the power being delivered
07:21 through the pedals and modulates the assistance accordingly.
07:24 This, Wilier claims, translates
07:26 to a natural pedaling experience with no jerks,
07:29 sudden accelerations or loss of assistance.
07:32 We've yet to ride the Filante Hybrid,
07:34 but it's an appealing proposition,
07:36 given Wilier's claims of better aerodynamics,
07:39 lighter weight and better performance.
07:42 It's offered in six build options,
07:44 Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, Shimano Ultegra Di2,
07:47 SRAM RedAXS and SRAM ForceAXS,
07:50 which starts at 9,300 euros
07:53 and top out at 12,500 euros for the RedAXS model.
07:57 (upbeat music)
08:03 We reviewed the carbon-framed Endurance SLE back in 2020
08:07 and enjoyed it so much, we gave it an Editor's Choice Award.
08:11 It's still offered for 2023,
08:13 and we've no reason to believe
08:15 that it's lost any relevance over the past couple of years.
08:18 In fact, the Hero build option,
08:20 which features Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 and Level DB35 wheels,
08:24 has a claimed weight of under 10 and a half kilos,
08:27 making it the lightest bike on this list.
08:30 It too uses the MAHLE Smart Bike System
08:33 with its 250 kilowatt battery, hub-driven motor
08:36 and three levels of assistance,
08:38 operated here by a button
08:40 mounted discreetly on the top tube.
08:42 In fact, the Endurance SLE is pretty stealthy all round
08:45 and ticks the box for those
08:47 who want their E-road bike to blend in,
08:49 rather than standing out from the crowd.
08:51 Being a ribble, it's offered in a huge range of builds,
08:54 making this also the most affordable bike here.
08:57 The SRAM RIVAL 22 equipped bike
09:00 can be yours for just under 3,000 pounds,
09:03 while the Shimano 105 Di2 option is just 3,999 pounds.
09:08 So there we have it.
09:11 That's our roundup of the best E-road bikes for 2023.
09:15 Which is your favourite?
09:16 Let us know down in the comments below.
09:18 If you enjoyed the video, then please do drop it a like.
09:21 Subscribe to the channel for more content,
09:23 and we'll see you again very soon.
09:25 (upbeat music)
09:27 (whooshing)
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