I've found my future ebike

Captain Slow

Well-Known Member
After selling the Creo I haven't had an ebike for a while but I've seen the ebike I plan to buy in the future.


Under 40 lbs, with an IGH and Gates carbon belt for really low maintenance. I'll be able to put huge miles on this bike and generally not do maintenance. I'm sure I'll go through brake pads like crazy, but the drivetrain will hardly require any maintenance.

It will take a while before these are available in Canada, but I'm not in a rush. It will be more of a retirement bike for me as it will be an errand runner and commuter.
 
Well, a nice e-bike, at least on paper.
Not very much different from Vado SL 5.0 (only the motor is stronger and the battery has a tad more capacity). Yes, the carbon drive belt and IGH for the City version, derailleur/chain for the Pro version.

Any word on a Range Extender capability? (The RE is what makes SL e-bikes so good!) Any word on Bosch SX motor noise?

I do not think the electronics/software is as good as the one on Specialized e-bikes.
 
Yes, as it's a Bosch system there is a 250 wh range extender battery available.

I am unlikely to purchase the RE though. As it's a commuter and errand runner I doubt I would ever come close to using the capacity of the battery. If I'm going to do a 100 km+ ride then I'll likely ride the Aethos or whatever road bike I have.

The ebike will be used for things like running to the grocery store and buying food. So the motor and additional torque will be appreciated for that.
 
Under 40 lbs, with an IGH and Gates carbon belt for really low maintenance. I'll be able to put huge miles on this bike and generally not do maintenance. I'm sure the drivetrain will hardly require any maintenance.
I checked the website but did not see what IGH Cube is using. I bought a shimano Alfine SG-7001-8 IGH and was dismayed to discover Shimano required it to be sent to the dealer yearly for replacement of the lubricant. There is no drain or fill port. The end comes off with some sort of patented pattern wrench. The lubricant is Shimano special part number, also. No suggestion as to how many miles shimano expects in a year. I have stored the Alfine in the garage as being a useless and heavy toy. I do not own a motor vehicle to haul my bike to a shop. If I rode and left it there the walk home is 3 hours or up to 3 hours on the bus.
 
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Canyon just released a Grizl:On gravel bike that I believe has an equipped version in Europe with fenders/rack/lights.
The trouble with Canyon is the brand is more proprietary on their solutions than Specialized. Would you imagine this?
If something specialized breaks in your Spec bike/e-bike, the LBS is to order the parts and help. With Canyon, you are left alone.
 
I checked the website but did not see what IGH Cube is using. I bought a shimano Alfine SG-7001-8 IGH and was dismayed to discover Shimano required it to be sent to the dealer yearly for replacement of the lubricant. There is no drain or fill port. The end comes off with some sort of patented pattern wrench. The lubricant is Shimano special part number, also. No suggestion as to how many miles shimano expects in a year. I have stored the Alfine in the garage as being a useless and heavy toy. I do not own a motor vehicle to haul my bike to a shop. If I rode and left it there the walk home is 3 hours or up to 3 hours on the bus.
Joe, you seem to be the self-reliant type. Because of that, if you do some research on google, you can find the procedure on how to take apart and lube your IGH.

Worse case scenario, possibly that bike shop or another one would be agreeable to you sending your rear wheel asssembly via FedEx or other shipper & having them do the maintenance work and shipping the assembly back to you.....
 
I checked the website but did not see what IGH Cube is using. I bought a shimano Alfine SG-7001-8 IGH and was dismayed to discover Shimano required it to be sent to the dealer yearly for replacement of the lubricant. There is no drain or fill port. The end comes off with some sort of patented pattern wrench. The lubricant is Shimano special part number, also. No suggestion as to how many miles shimano expects in a year. I have stored the Alfine in the garage as being a useless and heavy toy. I do not own a motor vehicle to haul my bike to a shop. If I rode and left it there the walk home is 3 hours or up to 3 hours on the bus.
They are using Shimano Alfine - 8 speed for one model and 11 speed for another model.

I have seen youtube videos where people service the IGH themselves and someone said they used grease instead of oil with good results.

Even if I can't service it myself, going once a year to the shop isn't a big deal compared to how often I'm cleaning chains now.
 
After selling the Creo I haven't had an ebike for a while but I've seen the ebike I plan to buy in the future.


Under 40 lbs, with an IGH and Gates carbon belt for really low maintenance. I'll be able to put huge miles on this bike and generally not do maintenance. I'm sure I'll go through brake pads like crazy, but the drivetrain will hardly require any maintenance.

It will take a while before these are available in Canada, but I'm not in a rush. It will be more of a retirement bike for me as it will be an errand runner and commuter.
That's a nice find and pretty close to what my dream bike would have too. Sub 40, IGH, and belt. A cross between this and the Grizl ON would pretty much be an ideal ebike.


Actually, the analog Editor is a pretty sharp looking bike too. 25lbs
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Heard it described as middle of the road compared to other motors. Quieter than CX, louder than the standard Performance Line.
Just got the Grizl:ON in the US. Had high hopes for a near quiet motor but alas, while climbing it sounds like a swarm of flying insects.
On the flat is much better and it is hardly noticeable.
But when you slow down while climbing and spin faster it whines pretty loud.
The motor is rather punchy at highest assist level and is satisfying when on an uphill grade in a headwind :)
And, spin you must to get the full boost from the motor. It is factory tuned so slow forceful revolutions do not apply as much oomph as cadence of 70 or above.
Still in the 30 day window for approval so not sure what I'm going to do.

Additionally, Canyon dropped the ball on a few items with this bike.
1) no handlebar remote for shifting assist levels. Bought the mini remote and it works fine but no ebike info
2) Bosch systems are "closed" and do not share with Garmin - bummer.
3) the rear lights on the seat stay are ALWAYS ON! Can't turn them off. Makes me feel conspicuous when on the path during but is appreciated on the road. This bike is marketed as a light trail / gravel / road bike so who wants to ride a light trail with bright red lights?
4) I have 2 older Specialized bikes with the Brose full size motor and they are near silent. Newer Brose and the SL are another issue altogether.
 
Just got the Grizl:ON in the US. Had high hopes for a near quiet motor but alas, while climbing it sounds like a swarm of flying insects.
On the flat is much better and it is hardly noticeable.
But when you slow down while climbing and spin faster it whines pretty loud.
The motor is rather punchy at highest assist level and is satisfying when on an uphill grade in a headwind :)
And, spin you must to get the full boost from the motor. It is factory tuned so slow forceful revolutions do not apply as much oomph as cadence of 70 or above.
Still in the 30 day window for approval so not sure what I'm going to do.

Additionally, Canyon dropped the ball on a few items with this bike.
1) no handlebar remote for shifting assist levels. Bought the mini remote and it works fine but no ebike info
2) Bosch systems are "closed" and do not share with Garmin - bummer.
3) the rear lights on the seat stay are ALWAYS ON! Can't turn them off. Makes me feel conspicuous when on the path during but is appreciated on the road. This bike is marketed as a light trail / gravel / road bike so who wants to ride a light trail with bright red lights?
4) I have 2 older Specialized bikes with the Brose full size motor and they are near silent. Newer Brose and the SL are another issue altogether.
The SL 1.2 in my Creo 2 sounds like that unless at very low cadence. Clearly audible at all times otherwise. I’m also in the 30 day window and finding myself avoiding using the assistance for that reason. One of the reasons I bought is consensus was it was “silent” and Specialized even said it was the quietest e-bike motor on the market in their promo vid. At the 30 minute mark on rides it gets grating. They let me ride it for about a mile on the test. Awesome, awesome bike otherwise. It’s so comfortable to ride.

Yeah the Brose is super quiet. My Bosch Performance Line is too. Put around 1500 miles on that bike. I’m in my 30s, which I think is relevant since high frequency hearing drops significantly with age.

Great write up on the Grizl! Seen a couple Grail:Ons around and they look pretty sweet.
 
Just got the Grizl:ON in the US. Had high hopes for a near quiet motor but alas, while climbing it sounds like a swarm of flying insects.
On the flat is much better and it is hardly noticeable.
But when you slow down while climbing and spin faster it whines pretty loud.
The motor is rather punchy at highest assist level and is satisfying when on an uphill grade in a headwind :)
And, spin you must to get the full boost from the motor. It is factory tuned so slow forceful revolutions do not apply as much oomph as cadence of 70 or above.
Still in the 30 day window for approval so not sure what I'm going to do.

Additionally, Canyon dropped the ball on a few items with this bike.
1) no handlebar remote for shifting assist levels. Bought the mini remote and it works fine but no ebike info
2) Bosch systems are "closed" and do not share with Garmin - bummer.
3) the rear lights on the seat stay are ALWAYS ON! Can't turn them off. Makes me feel conspicuous when on the path during but is appreciated on the road. This bike is marketed as a light trail / gravel / road bike so who wants to ride a light trail with bright red lights?
4) I have 2 older Specialized bikes with the Brose full size motor and they are near silent. Newer Brose and the SL are another issue altogether.
Appreciate the update. I've been eyeing the Grizl:ON as well.

Doesn't surprise me too much that you can hear it. Supposedly it is basically a CX with 1 of the internal gears removed (that's why the support range is in a tighter cadence range).

Do you find the Flow app useful? I think it gives you much of the info you would like on the Garmin?...
 
very nice looking bike! that's one of the best integrations of a mid drive into the frame that i've seen.

not so sure about the drivetrain choices... haven't heard great things about the alfine. 38lb is great for a 400wh battery. there's a real need for bikes in between the 25-30lb 250-320wh category and the 60lb 600+wh category, which is really not necessary for most urban use.
 
That Alfine looks really nice! He mentions reliability issues with old hubs made until 2017, and some sponginess under hard pedaling at low cadence (climbing out of the saddle)? 5-7% less efficient than a lubed derailleur in dry weather.

Otherwise it's $200, has an electronic shifting upgrade option, and is quieter than the Rohloff. That sounds pretty amazing. Rohloff at $1500 makes sense for extreme conditions, but seems superfluous for typical bike use.
 
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