Allant+ 8 for touring

[Old Fart At Play]

Touring is my favourite kind of cycling. For years I rode a steel tourer, with racks front and back to mount 4 panniers. I like the weight distribution front and back, and I have a lot of stuff as I camp. When I started looking for an ebike (the hills had become less appealing), I struggled to find anything suitable. Most ebikes seemed to have suspension forks, which aren't great for loaded panniers. Some bikes with rigid forks were carbon, again no good. In the end I could only find two bikes suitable for touring, with rigid alloy forks. These were the Koga eworld traveller and the Allant+ 8. The Koga looked too much like my old bike - I wanted a change of style too after so many years. The Trek clinched it because my LBS is a Trek dealer.

I'm posting these pics for anyone in a similar quandary. I have now added the Tubus Tara lowrider to the Trek. This is the same rack that I used for many years on my old bike, so I knew it was bomb proof and my Ortlieb panniers would

fit it just fine.

Very happy with the result. Although the tyres are 2.4" there is still ample clearance - I didn't go for the big Apple version of the rack. Because the wheel is only 27.5" it doesnt extend into the narrowest part of the rack. The Tubus is rated for 15kg, the same as the rear rack that comes stock on the Allant+ 8.

 

[gringo]

Nice bike! I agree that there are some benefits to the rigid alloy blade fork on the Allant 8. The braze-ons and capability to mount a front rack is a great benefit.

I didn't know that koga made an ebike. It is also a nice looking bike. However, two additional benefits I see that would tip the scales toward the Trek for touring purposes are:

1. Capability to add second battery to increase range
2. Bosch gen 4 motor. I could not confirm in the specs, but the photos of the Koga show it with the older generation CX motor. This is also a nice motor with 75Nm torque, but I found it to have some noticible drag when pedaling unpowered. Whereas I can pedal the gen 4 unpowered all day with no noticible drag. If I ran out of battery while on tour it is nice to know that you can pedal a bike just like an analog bike to get back home or at least to the next power outlet.

 

[Old Fart At Play]

Bosch gen 4 motor. I could not confirm in the specs, but the photos of the Koga show it with the older generation CX motor. This is also a nice motor with 75Nm torque, but I found it to have some noticible drag when pedaling unpowered. Whereas I can pedal the gen 4 unpowered all day with no noticible drag. If I ran out of battery while on tour it is nice to know that you can pedal a bike just like an analog bike to get back home or at least to the next power outlet.

Good point, that lack of drag is a real plus point!