E-Gravel Bike…Looking for Advice

Cybersnow

Cybersnow

Active Member
Region
USA
My current type 2 stepthrough E-Bike is too heavy and is not much fun to ride. Since we do most of our riding on dirt and gravel roads, oh and a lot of poorly maintained asphalt roads, i am thinking of going to more of a gravel bike set up. I first thought of a full suspension mtb but now I am thinking that is definitely a bit of overkill. Any suggestions or recommendations?
 
Can you still buy a Specialized Vado SL (unequipped)? I mean Gen 1. I can tell you how fantastic that e-bike is as a flat handlebar gravel e-bike.

An e-MTB is a big NO for the discipline. I will elaborate when back from my ride!
 
Do you want flat bars or drops? I'm assuming flat bars since you were looking at emtbs? What sort of assist are you looking for? A lot of the traditional e-gravels are much more to the e-road side of the spectrum (small low assist motor and small battery but a very light bike). Are you good doing a lot of the pedaling yourself, or do you want more assist?
 
@Cybersnow:

Gravel bikes are defined by these criteria:
  • They need to be fast on asphalt, gravel, and in the forest
  • They need to be lightweight because there are numerous situations during which you would need to lift and carry the bike
  • They need to be able to ride for long distances.
e-MTB meets none of these criteria:
  • It is designed to be ridden off-road, at best in the mountains, at best on technical singletrack, strongly uphill and strongly downhill
  • An e-MTB is sluggish like snail on paved roads and is too slow on gravel
  • The e-MTB weight is the farthest from gravel cycling requirements. It is too heavy
  • The e-MTB is made to complete several climbs uphill and then bombing gnarly descents in a day but not for a long ride such as over 100 km.
Having said above, the e-bike that is the ultimate gravel thing is Specialized Creo 2 (carbon or alloy), a drop bar gravel e-bike. It is fast, it is improbably lightweight, can travel for long distances (Range Extender batteries) and has multiple bosses for bike-packing equipment. It also has a wide clearance for wide gravel tyres.

I said I converted my Gen 1 Vado SL into a flat handlebar gravel machine, and completed as many as three gravel races on it.

1747772320861.png

Finishing a 263 km gravel race on a Vado SL.
 
jabberwocky said:
Do you want flat bars or drops? I'm assuming flat bars since you were looking at emtbs? What sort of assist are you looking for? A lot of the traditional e-gravels are much more to the e-road side of the spectrum (small low assist motor and small battery but a very light bike). Are you good doing a lot of the pedaling yourself, or do you want more assist?
Click to expand...
I can live with either. About 10 years ago I had a decent gavel bike with drop bars and rode it for almost 4 years until my son asked to ride it (now it is his bike). I am looking for at least a 750 watt/85Nm power source and enough (easily swapped out) battery to get me at least 50 miles.
 
Stefan Mikes said:
@Cybersnow:

Gravel bikes are defined by these criteria:
  • They need to be fast on asphalt, gravel, and in the forest
  • They need to be lightweight because there are numerous situations during which you would need to lift and carry the bike
  • They need to be able to ride for long distances.
e-MTB meets none of these criteria:
  • It is designed to be ridden off-road, at best in the mountains, at best on technical singletrack, strongly uphill and strongly downhill
  • An e-MTB is sluggish like snail on paved roads and is too slow on gravel
  • The e-MTB weight is the farthest from gravel cycling requirements. It is too heavy
  • The e-MTB is made to complete several climbs uphill and then bombing gnarly descents in a day but not for a long ride such as over 100 km.
Having said above, the e-bike that is the ultimate gravel thing is Specialized Creo 2 (carbon or alloy), a drop bar gravel e-bike. It is fast, it is improbably lightweight, can travel for long distances (Range Extender batteries) and has multiple bosses for bike-packing equipment. It also has a wide clearance for wide gravel tyres.

I said I converted my Gen 1 Vado SL into a flat handlebar gravel machine, and completed as many as three gravel races on it.

View attachment 194051
Finishing a 263 km gravel race on a Vado SL.
Click to expand...
You have defined what I am looking for. I will go look at and find a Specialized Creo 2 to test. A friend of mine just purchased a Salsa Tributary (I think that is the model). What motor and drive set should I be looking for?
 
Cybersnow said:
What motor and drive set should I be looking for?
Click to expand...
Different gravel e-bikes are equipped differently. For instance Creo 2 has a SL 1.2 motor and a 320 Wh internal battery that can be supplemented with 160 Wh Range Extenders. Another renowned gravel e-bike is Canyon Grizl:ON (there is an EBR thread on that!) I looked at the Salsa Tributary and decided it was a way too heavy e-bike for the "gravel" definition (it is my own view).

All good gravel e-bikes have a 1x drivetrain and it usually is 12-speed one, Shimano or SRAM.
 
Cybersnow said:
You have defined what I am looking for. I will go look at and find a Specialized Creo 2 to test. A friend of mine just purchased a Salsa Tributary (I think that is the model). What motor and drive set should I be looking for?
Click to expand...

The Creo and Tributary are basically opposite ends of the e-gravel space. Creo is very much the lightweight racy bike for someone who wants something as close to a non electric gravel as they can get. The Tributary is closer to an emtb, much more relaxed geometry, more powerful motor and larger battery, but considerably heavier.

Theres a lot more options in the flat bar world, just because the bikes seem to have a wider market appeal. And really you can quite easily ride a hardtail MTB on gravel as long as you aren't worried about being as efficient as possible.
 
Specialized Vado does not advertise the SL1 Gen1, they do offer a broad range of current Vado models, but I honestly am not literate enough in E-Bike motors, etc. to see which one is best for my needs.
 
DaveMatthews said:
What dealers are close to you, and what do they carry? Most brands have a gravel type offering...
Click to expand...
I live in a very small town in the mountains of Idaho. There are three bike repair shops in town and two of them sell bikes. None of them have a very big selection, but I will take some time tomorrow to visit them and find out which linesof bikes they carry and if any of them have e gravel bikes. The closest city from me is a 2.5 hour drive and is Boise Idaho. Given that a trip to Boise and a visit to a large number of bike shops requires a 5 hour round trip, I really need to be to the point of looking at only 2-3 bikes and prepared to buy one.
 
Cybersnow said:
I live in a very small town in the mountains of Idaho. There are three bike repair shops in town and two of them sell bikes. None of them have a very big selection, but I will take some time tomorrow to visit them and find out which linesof bikes they carry and if any of them have e gravel bikes. The closest city from me is a 2.5 hour drive and is Boise Idaho. Given that a trip to Boise and a visit to a large number of bike shops requires a 5 hour round trip, I really need to be to the point of looking at only 2-3 bikes and prepared to buy one.
Click to expand...
Sounds good. Just wanted to make sure you check out any/all viable options. There's a lot out there these days.
Happy hunting!
 
Cannondale Synapse Neo Allroad. It's "only" 55Nm assist but 600 peak watts. If you really want 85Nm, those motors are at least 2 pounds (1kg) heavier, at least with Bosch. The Performance Sprint motor is a high cadence, progressive assist motor meant for aggressive riding and racing. You can ride it like a kitty cat, but when it's time to go, it goes.
 
At 79 years old not looking for a full race bike, thanks! Rather looking for a 45-55 lb e gravel bike capable of pulling a trailer with 2 small dogs up a 15 degree hill without getting a hear attack. I love bike riding and don’t intend to quit as my age numbers continue to climb.
 
I was getting worried... The monthly " need ebike advise" thread was running late.
Is this reiteration 10 or 12? 🙃
 
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