E-Gravel Bike…Looking for Advice

[DaveMatthews]

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.

Curious to know what bike/step through you bought. I would recommend something with a mid drive with 15 degree hills, especially with a full trailer.
I run a Giant mid drive EMTB and regularly encounter 15 degrees. From what I gather, a hub drive wouldn't fit the bill.

 

[Gionnirocket]

Still trying to figure it out. Tired of wasting money on a stable ofve-bikes in the barn that aren’t getting ridden. Thinking about donating them.

I know... but it's my job here.

Take advice with a grain of salt. Everyone is hard for what they ride.
At this point I would just test ride as many different bikes/motor systems as reasonably possible.

 

[BlackHand]

I don't think the bike you describe is really available yet in the US.

There are rumors about upcoming gravel bikes with the DJi Avinox motor. That motor should be plenty powerful for you and is lighter than all the other full power drives.

Their emtb, Amflow, is only 43lbs with a 600wh battery and 46.5lbs with the 800wh battery. A hardtail or gravel version of that bike would be close to the weight of some SL ebikes, but more powerful than all the major drive systems at the same time.

Amflow PL Carbon Pro & DJI Avinox eMTB | Dissected

We are here to share some more details on the Amflow PL Carbon Pro eBike powered by the DJI Avinox drive unit

theloamwolf.com

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I reconsidered it. Vado SL might be too weak for your needs even if it can be still "found in store" (a button in the page).

Canyon Grizl:On has a 55 Nm motor. It is an online purchase only.
Creo 2 has a 50 Nm motor. Has to be "found in store".
Canondale Synapse Allroad? Maybe.

However, these points are valid:

• No gravel e-bike is designed to tow a trailer
• No e-MTB is designed for a trailer.

Sports e-bikes are not utility e-bikes You won't find one with a kickstand, for instance, and you'd even be unable to find a kickstand for a sports e-bike. AMFLOW or whatever.

Cybersnow, you need to make up your mind. Do you want:

• A gravel e-bike, or
• Yet another heavy e-bike?

Well, perhaps the Salsa Tributary is not that bad for your needs as I though.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

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.

With those requirements if you prefer drops that Salsa Tributary looks good. If you prefer flat bars as Jabberwocky said there is probably more choice and often better value. With gradients that steep and pulling a trailer you are right to go for a full power motor I think and worry less about the weight. But yes check out what is available locally (or at least within driving range) and see if you like the feel of the shop as well as the bikes on offer because if the motor fails you'll need decent back up for warranty claims and repairs, and test ride if possible. If there are good options in Boise maybe also take a look at the cargo bikes now on offer, might be worth a test ride as well.

 

[stompandgo]

When I think "gravel bike", I think carbon frame, carbon fork, light weight, drop bars. Add assist, and it's light assist with a small battery, 35-40 pounds.

The game changer is the trailer. You need a big, powerful motor to tow it and a big, powerful battery or set of batteries to power it, and you want it between 44-55 pounds without the trailer, with a range of 50 miles. We could have saved two pages of useless info if you just stated that up front.

As of today, you're probably best with either a mild offroad-capable city/active bike like my Tesoro or Stephan's Vado, with knobby tires, or if speed isn't an issue, an e-MTB.

 

[Gionnirocket]

Curious to know what bike/step through you bought. I would recommend something with a mid drive with 15 degree hills, especially with a full trailer.
I run a Giant mid drive EMTB and regularly encounter 15 degrees. From what I gather, a hub drive wouldn't fit the bill.

I believe he has a Zen Photon with a 1000w Bafang Ultra / Rohloff /Gates Belt.
IMO he's not geared properly and there is another long discussion on here about it. The scholars here convinced him to go with 50t chainring equivalent and I believe he's now lugging the motor and himself. He went from one extreme to the other switching from a 40t equivalent.
I have a somewhat similar bike and they are heavy. Mine is 77lbs. But with a 44t chainring that bike will climb anything as well as reach 28 mph quickly and easily. And though not the most nimble of bikes.. if used as an SUV as he describes his needs are.. it's more than capable. He's coming from a previous high power bike, a Bafang BBSHD build which he said he liked a lot. So switching to something less powerful imo he's going to be disappointed again. Nothing wrong with a nice gravel bike.. but that doesn't seem to be his needs.
Now his motor is the CANbus version which doesn't allow for much end user adjustment. Mine is the UART version which I have tuned to my exact needs so that may be the difference. For reference my motor is tuned down from the stock settings and from what I understand his version is more aggressive out of the box... but power seems to be what he wants and needs. Just review his other 10 threads on advise requested.
Sorry I have no stock photo that I paste at the end of every discussion to show me riding the best bike ever.

 

[Cybersnow]

After reading all the great posts here (THANKS!) it looks like keeping the Zen running as the trailer puller solves that issue. The Zen is plenty powerful and I ended up only making a minor change to the gearing. However it is still a very heavy bike and rides about like my Tundra pickup. I will give up on the trailer idea, but still looking for a more fun bike to ride.

 

[Gionnirocket]

After reading all the great posts here (THANKS!) it looks like keeping the Zen running as the trailer puller solves that issue. The Zen is plenty powerful and I ended up only making a minor change to the gearing. However it is still a very heavy bike and rides about like my Tundra pickup. I will give up on the trailer idea, but still looking for a more fun bike to ride.

Can you post a photo of the Zen. Curious to which handlebars are on the bike.
The bike is heavy and does tend to plow forward. But everything is a trade off and if you need climbing and towing you need to compromise.
I ride mostly paved MUPS and putting a more street oriented tires on it gave it a new sport'er feel. But I don't think that'll work for you.

I don't pull/climb anything with my Corvette.. and I don't expect my SUV to take the turns at speed.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

I don't know where some of you get your information on bike trailers.

If you get a trailer that connects to the axle and you use a special through axle you can pull a trailer with a substantial amount of crap in it with a very light acoustic bike.

Like this expensive Burley Coho XC:

Coho® XC

The Coho XC single-wheel bike cargo trailer brings durability and thoughtful design to gear-hauling for bike camping, touring, and singletrack riding.

burley.com

And its matching through axle:

Coho® Thru Axle

Find new horizons and discover new trails when you hitch your bike to a Coho XC® cargo trailer using the Coho® Thru Axle. Designed for bikes with 12mm thru axles, the Coho Thru Axle is available in multiple thread pitches and lengths to accommodate a wide range of bikes. Use the Coho Thru Axle...

burley.com

Also, if your e-bike doesn't use a through axle in 2025 I'd consider a different bike. Well perhaps if it has an IGH then a QR skewer is acceptable.

 

[Gionnirocket]

I don't know where some of you get your information on bike trailers.

If you get a trailer that connects to the axle and you use a special through axle you can pull a trailer with a substantial amount of crap in it with a very light acoustic bike.

Up hills? On rough terrain? @ 80 years of age?

Like this expensive Burley Coho XC:

Coho® XC

The Coho XC single-wheel bike cargo trailer brings durability and thoughtful design to gear-hauling for bike camping, touring, and singletrack riding.

burley.com

And its matching through axle:

Coho® Thru Axle

Find new horizons and discover new trails when you hitch your bike to a Coho XC® cargo trailer using the Coho® Thru Axle. Designed for bikes with 12mm thru axles, the Coho Thru Axle is available in multiple thread pitches and lengths to accommodate a wide range of bikes. Use the Coho Thru Axle...

burley.com

Also, if your e-bike doesn't use a through axle in 2025 I'd consider a different bike.

Well perhaps if it has an IGH then a QR skewer is acceptable.

Whooo.. Thanks for the exception. I was just about to roll my bike off a cliff

 

[Cybersnow]

Can you post a photo of the Zen. Curious to which handlebars are on the bike.
The bike is heavy and does tend to plow forward. But everything is a trade off and if you need climbing and towing you need to compromise.
I ride mostly paved MUPS and putting a more street oriente tires on it gave it a new sport'er feel. But I don't think that'll work for you.

I don't pull/climb anything with my Corvette.. and I don't expect my SUV to take the turns at speed.

The trailer I am considering is a lightweight trailer designed to tow a small child or in my case two small poodles. This is for when we decide to make a 50+ mile ride with an overnight stay, not for a couple of hour joy/ exercise ride. Handle bars are flat and I have changed every bike that came with drop bars to a flat bar configuration. The Salsa Via was my favorite bike (powered by BBS02) but the frame would not allow tires wider than 1.5“ and that resulted in a couple of dangerous falls when riding on dirt roads. Maybe my “dream bike” isn’t possible and it sounds like a true “gravel bike” is not what I am looking for. I definitely do not want to buy another bike on-line. I certainly do not need a 1,000 watt/120Nm bike for a joy ride. I would like to stay in the 45-55lbs range but with 2+” tires.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Up hills? On rough terrain? @ 80 years of age?

A decent trailer is a pretty efficient way to haul stuff, so up hills even at 80 years of age shouldn't be a problem if the rider can easily make it up those hills without the trailer.

And "rough terrain" is a pretty relative and subjective thing. From my standpoint what this guy is riding isn't particularly janky terrain so it should be fine. My own opinion is that most riders on this forum don't really know what a "steep" hill truly is and have never experienced one.

The limiting factor with any trailer is where it connects to the bike. Connecting to a through axle is the strongest and most secure way to do it.

 

[Gionnirocket]

The trailer I am considering is a lightweight trailer designed to tow a small child or in my case two small poodles. This is for when we decide to make a 50+ mile ride with an overnight stay, not for a couple of hour joy/ exercise ride. Handle bars are flat and I have changed every bike that came with drop bars to a flat bar configuration. The Salsa Via was my favorite bike (powered by BBS02) but the frame would not allow tires wider than 1.5“ and that resulted in a couple of dangerous falls when riding on dirt roads. Maybe my “dream bike” isn’t possible and it sounds like a true “gravel bike” is not what I am looking for. I definitely do not want to buy another bike on-line. I certainly do not need a 1,000 watt/120Nm bike for a joy ride. I would like to stay in the 45-55lbs range but with 2+” tires.

Sounds like you need two bikes.
One lighter weight for riding spirited and having some fun.
One for long excursions and a bit more capable
I don't think you want to pull a trailer and slam the trail at the same time

 

[Cybersnow]

Wh

Sounds like you need two bikes.
One lighter weight for riding spirited and having some fun.
One for long excursions and a bit more capable
I don't think you want to pull a trailer and slam the trail at the same time

When we ride longer trips it is usually on a semi finished surface. For example a well traveled dirt road or a rails to trails type surface. The trailer will not be used on single track or rough surfaces…we like the dogs too much. Ok, then I guess I am looking for that second bike now.

 

[DaveMatthews]

I believe he has a Zen Photon with a 1000w Bafang Ultra / Rohloff /Gates Belt.
IMO he's not geared properly and there is another long discussion on here about it. The scholars here convinced him to go with 50t chainring equivalent and I believe he's now lugging the motor and himself. He went from one extreme to the other switching from a 40t equivalent.
I have a somewhat similar bike and they are heavy. Mine is 77lbs. But with a 44t chainring that bike will climb anything as well as reach 28 mph quickly and easily. And though not the most nimble of bikes.. if used as an SUV as he describes his needs are.. it's more than capable. He's coming from a previous high power bike, a Bafang BBSHD build which he said he liked a lot. So switching to something less powerful imo he's going to be disappointed again. Nothing wrong with a nice gravel bike.. but that doesn't seem to be his needs.
Now his motor is the CANbus version which doesn't allow for much end user adjustment. Mine is the UART version which I have tuned to my exact needs so that may be the difference. For reference my motor is tuned down from the stock settings and from what I understand his version is more aggressive out of the box... but power seems to be what he wants and needs. Just review his other 10 threads on advise requested.
Sorry I have no stock photo that I paste at the end of every discussion to show me riding the best bike ever.

Yeah, I consider my Stance E a SUV style machine. Around 55lbs or so, motor 70nm. It takes the 15 degree hills easily but I'm not towing a trailer with ??? more lbs in it. That would be easy for any bike on the flats or mild hills, but 15 degrees? I dunno about that, never tried.

 

[Gionnirocket]

Yeah, I consider my Stance E a SUV style machine. Around 55lbs or so, motor 70nm. It takes the 15 degree hills easily but I'm not towing a trailer with ??? more lbs in it. That would be easy for any bike on the flats or mild hills, but 15 degrees? I dunno about that, never tried.

Very nice bike and I'd guess a bit more nimble than my Zen tank.
The Zen is no doubt an SUV and at 77lbs w/FS/rear rack it's capable of most anything. Very comfortable but it doesn't excel in any one area as it's more of a Swiss army knife. I take it on/off road and long MUPS rides as well as quick trips to the supermarket/ home depot. With 1000w/160Nm and the low gearing of the Rohloff, this thing can climb just about anything I'm not too áscared to try. 21Ah battery gives me all day range and when I'm feeling good and doing my part I can easily get 10wh/mi out of it with a lot of hills. One ride I was feeling particularly froggy and it delivered 7.5wh/mi so it can be efficient too if you're not too achy breaky.
I'm not going to bs. The weight does suck... but more when manhandling than riding so it is manageable.
But maybe I need a second bike too

 

[DaveMatthews]

Very nice bike and I'd guess a bit more nimble than my Zen tank.
The Zen is no doubt an SUV and at 77lbs w/FS/rear rack it's capable of most anything. Very comfortable but it doesn't excel in any one area as it's more of a Swiss army knife. I take it on/off road and long MUPS rides as well as quick trips to the supermarket/ home depot. With 1000w/160Nm and the low gearing of the Rohloff, this thing can climb just about anything I'm not too áscared to try. 21Ah battery gives me all day range and when I'm feeling good and doing my part I can easily get 10wh/mi out of it with a lot of hills. One ride I was feeling particularly froggy and it delivered 7.5wh/mi so it can be efficient too if you're not too achy breaky.
I'm not going to bs. The weight does suck... but more when manhandling than riding so it is manageable.
But maybe I need a second bike too

Yup, similar use case here. Stance goes anywhere/everywhere. Jack of all trades, master of none. All good by me.
As a 29er it may be slightly less nimble in tight spots in the dirt than my Fathom was with 27.5, but the ability to take curbs, potholes, roots/rocks etc. is a lot nicer.
Not gonna lie though, like you I find it fun to wrestle into the work stand, or onto the car rack. That said it could be worse I suppose, and yeah... a nice light road ebike would be a blast.

 

[Gionnirocket]

My $175 Park bike stand is collecting dust.
Best $20 I've ever spent and the straps work so much better than just hooks

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001EUL2DO?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1&psc=1

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

If your dogs had their own bikes, you'd have a lot more options for yours. Just sayin'.

;^}