ToughRoad GX E+

[Kristjan]

I took possession of my ToughRoad GX E+ about 10 days ago and I am loving it!

I chose Giant simply because I live in a small city and our fantastic LBS sells them.

My riding consists of a lot of street and path riding with some dirt trails. I also considered a Quick-E+ and a Dirt-E+ but ultimately the ToughRoad ticked the most boxes for me. My wife got a Quick-E+ 2017 though.

I have the rear rack and the front and rear fenders should be in this week to nearly complete the setup. The only thing I have left to figure out is what to do about lights. Because of the display there isn't a lot of room for a light on the bars.

Pulling the child trailer sure is a breeze with pedal assist!

 

[Gator]

Hey Friend

Have you thought about using a set of these handlebars to create some room for those lights. There might be room for a few more things.

http://www.jonesbikes.com/h-bars/

 

[Nova Haibike]

Jones H-Bars would not work; the diameters of the bars are different between road and mountain bikes, so the Shimano dual control levers would not fit onto the Jones. For mounting a light, there are brackets such as this EVO Spacebar.

 

[Kristjan]

Good point Nova and thanks for the link to the Spacebar - neat idea.

I haven’t thought of lights much since it is light from 4am to 10pm right now. I’m thinking maybe mount one on the front of the frame just like the quick-e. I don’t need a super bright light, I just want to increase my visibility.

 

[Mattlow165]

I took possession of my ToughRoad GX E+ about 10 days ago and I am loving it!

I chose Giant simply because I live in a small city and our fantastic LBS sells them.

My riding consists of a lot of street and path riding with some dirt trails. I also considered a Quick-E+ and a Dirt-E+ but ultimately the ToughRoad ticked the most boxes for me. My wife got a Quick-E+ 2017 though.

I have the rear rack and the front and rear fenders should be in this week to nearly complete the setup. The only thing I have left to figure out is what to do about lights. Because of the display there isn't a lot of room for a light on the bars.

Pulling the child trailer sure is a breeze with pedal assist!

View attachment 21778
View attachment 21779

How are you liking it so far?

 

[Kristjan]

How are you liking it so far?

I still love it. It’s taken a bit to get used to no front suspension and drop bars coming from an old mountain bike but the 29ers roll over the rough stuff pretty well. There are tubes in the tires now but I plan to run tubeless when I get a chance to set them up. I’m considering seatpost suspension but haven’t decided yet.

Also my first experience with a 1x and I think it is perfect for this bike. I rarely use the highest gear - although I was ripping at 52kph with the wind at the back the other day - and I’ve yet to need the lowest gear. Kind of sucks that it is limited to 32kph - derestricted this thing would really go.

I almost always ride at the highest assist level since I’m not worried about range and I love the acceleration. I stick to 32kph on the way to work but ride above the cutoff speed on the way home so I get a bit of exercise.

I got the toughroad fenders. The front one is extremely close to the top of the tire and I only run it if rain is imminent that day. The rear one I just leave on. I was disappointed that they are shiny black and not matte like the frame colour. No big deal though.

 

[Mattlow165]

Have you tried the speedbox to unlock the speed thing with it?

 

[Kristjan]

Not yet. 32 is quick enough most of the time so I’m not in a big rush. I am looking at getting the bikespeed-RS eventually.

 

[seabass]

Hey Kristjan,
Thanks for sharing your experience with this bike. I tested out the tough road this weekend and loved it and will be buying it this week. A few questions for you :

1. Have you ridden it on any singletracks? wondering how well it might hold up to go off-road a bit.
2. what bike rack did you add?
3. how about lights? is there a way to connect the lights to the button on the EVO Control unit? I've seen some bikes light up the back one when braking as well.
4. Have you gotten the bikespeed-RS yet? I love the bike, but get to 20mph so quickly I really want to get it unrestricted!

Thanks,

Sebastian

 

[Kristjan]

1. I haven’t really pushed it in that regard. I’d say smooth and flowing yes while twisty and bumpy no. I’ve done some bumpy trails and it’s not exactly comfortable there.

2. I got the giant e-bike rack. Works fine and is super solid.

3. I haven’t got lights yet but am looking into it soon. I think lights connected to the evo would be ideal but requires some work to install. So might just stick with rechargeable battery ones for now.

4. This bike has the potential to be very fast. With a big wind at my back this spring I sustained 60kph with cadence to spare. I sometimes think I’d like the motor at faster speeds then I think I may be asking for an accident. I found the cutting out really annoying at first and was really wanting the chip but I’m quite used to it now - that said I’ll likely install one at some point.

Overall I’m still really happy with it.

 

[Kristjan]

My LBS built the tires with tubes. I recently got a puncture and switched to tubeless on the rear wheel. I need to pick up some more fluid for the front as I lost some through the puncture before it sealed. I do find it more comfortable now that I’m down on pressure a bit. I wish I started tubeless from the start.

 

[seabass]

Hey Kristjan,
Thanks for the reply. I got the bike today and rode it home about 12 miles, which is similar to what my daily commute looks like. I got a pair of Shimano A530 pedals as I like to ride with a pair of mtb shoes. Also got the rack and looking for some panniers for it. The water bottle holder fit in the middle and is not very comfy.

But those are details, riding through San Francisco and some hills over to Marin was a breeze. I did wish I could go above 20mph several times, so I'm going to order the bikespeed-rs or perhaps the blackped one. Will share more updates as I learn and play in the coming days/weeks.

Also thanks for the tubeless tip, seems like it's pretty easy to switch to tubeless then?

 

[Kristjan]

Yes, everything I needed was included. Although you need an air compressor or something that can deliver 150 psi quick to seat the tire on the rim.

Then eventually need some more fluid and the syringe for maintenance.

It took while to really seal up the puncture but it is great now.

 

[Kristjan]

Oh, I also recently got some spd pedals and mtb shoes too. I’m really liking them.

Glad to see another person posting about the toughroad. It’s such a sweet ride.

 

[seabass]

Yes, took it out today for my daily commute of around 25 miles. Battery was still at 40% when I got home and I was around 50% on Power support mode, 25/25 Normal/Eco. I set the pressure to 40PSI and with the pedals this bike rides beautifully. I also got a pair of the Ortlieb Gravel Pack Paniers, which combine nicely with the black/orange of the frame.

Tomorrow I'm going to test ride on a few local trails. I'll share some photos soon.

 

[seabass]

Took it out today for a few hours and 18 miles through some trails in the Marin Headlands. It was sweet to tackle the climbs in Power support mode and not have to get off the bike and walk it up. Also found that going downhill I can set support to ECO or even Off. Eco seems to work better when it's rolling hills to keep the pace up, also I get a feeling of more grip. I did wish I had a fork with some level of suspension, so that might be something I'll upgrade if I get more into the MTB side of this (which I'm really tempted to do).

Turning on some switchbacks was a bit challenging going uphill, I guess that's where the more upright position and flat handlebars would be helpful. But on the flats I love the drop handlebars. Also on the handlebars I find the space a bit narrow, I have a smartphone holder (which I have when exploring new routes using MTB Project app) and my light, but it feels crowded. Might have to look for a light that can go on the frame or fork somehow. Pannier stayed on without any issues. My pedals have a platform side, so many times I would not clip in, and it felt easier to balance by just standing on the platform side.

Overall an awesome experience going off-road on this bike, battery was at 40% when I got home.

 

[Kristjan]

Winter is here and I thought I would park my bike until spring but I really missed riding. I ended up buying a pair of Schwalbe Maraton Winter 29x2.0 studded tires and have been commuting to work again for about a week. I'm loving it! They suck in deep slush or deep snow but on a few inches of snow, ice, or dry pavement they are perfect.

I never did find anything great for a light - I just mounted a plain headlight on the bars right up tight to the display. It works okay but will still look for a better solution. I've ordered the Giant uniclip rear light that mounts to the seat but it seems that it is on backorder now.

I tried a pair of thermal overshoes but at -10 celsius they aren't enough even with some thick warm socks. I found some 45NRTH Wolvhammers on clearance online - they are designed for winter fat biking. They should get here next week and I'm sure my toes will be happy. I didn't want to give up being clipped in.

I am fortunate to be able to ride a multi-use path that is regularly plowed almost all the way to work - they plow it better than the roads! That keeps me away from the cars. I doubt I would do it if I had to take my chances on the roads with no bike lane in the winter.

 

[seabass]

Nice, thanks for the update. There's no snow here in the bay area, but I had to stop for a few weeks due to smoke from the Camp Fire. A few annoying things with the bike have been that the handlebar tape quickly pealed off. The little plastic cover of the battery connection also doesn't close right. And overall the handlebar space feels tight, so just with my front light on there I feel it's too crowded.

On the bright side I got the bikespeed-RS and was able to install it myself by following one of their videos on yt. Fairly simple and works like a charm. I have it always on and speeds go up from the 20mph cap to around 28mph. After that it feels like you run out of gears. But just not having the harsh cut-off at 20 makes it worthwhile. I can now cruise around 25-28 on clear flats. Totally recommend it.

 

[Kristjan]

Too bad about the bar tape - no issues with mine. I'll probably get new cables in the spring and was thinking of going with some neon orange bar tape if I can find some to match the orange on the bike.

I do think the battery flap could use some work - it's a pain to close and even more so when it is 0 C in my garage.

I peeled off a bit of bar tape in order to mount the light right up next to the display, with the cables on the outside of the mount. At first I had it over the tape and cables but couldn't get it to fit up tight - it was about an inch away. I didn't have enough room to grip the tops but now that I've moved it tight I have just enough room. It looks like you have your light mounted on the other side next to the controller so I could see how that would be crowded. This is just a cheap light to get me through until I decide on the best setup for my needs.

Speaking of light, can you plug the light into the USB on the display and run it off the battery?

I actually find myself riding the drops more now than in the other seasons - especially when I'm riding in some fresh loose snow. It just feels more secure than the hoods, especially with some bulky mitts on (I have some three finger mitts from Outdoor Research that work really well), and still have access to the brakes. I've moved the light but rarely ride the tops.

I'm glad to hear the Bikespeed-RS is working well for you. I'll do that in the spring as well. I definitely don't need it for the winter!

 

[JRA]

While I don't have an E+ TR I do have a couple of drop bar eBikes that share the same conundrum in that there isn't much available space on drops and even more so the ability to put the necessary controls close at hand.

My bikes are DD hub motor type that are throttle controlled and that was originally what led me to the stubby bar mount on the side of the right brake hood as it made the most sense for controlling that function. I also have regen capability that I use mostly as a drag brake and having the button for that close by the front brake lever also works with the same type mount. The mode buttons to switch between available watts next to it also needed to be close enough to access from the hoods.

I made a mount for my display that moved it from the bar level and that also helps keep the bars uncluttered yet still allows for viewing and access to it's various functions.

Not sure if this is any help but at the very least moving the bell as shown in the pic above to that position would seem to make sense to me.