Afan Forest – Ebike Adventure
The current craze right now seems to be ebike’s and luckily for me having a friend, Chris Boosey, that works at Ecyle UK meant it was very easy to grab one for the day. We set off early doors and headed over to the Afan Forest to try out the ebike’s on a 23km circuit (Y Wal) around the landscape, which turned out to be more like a mountain! Luckily for us it meant we could try out the pedal assist feature as there were more than enough challenging climbs to be had. First of all I will explain the bikes we used and give you a rough idea of what an ebike actually is.
Chris Boosey used an Haibike Sduro Full Nine RC with its Yamaha Engine:
Whilst I had its hardtail counter part, the Haibike Xduro Hard Nine RC with its Bosch Engine:
Being cross country style bikes made them perfect for the track, although I think the Full Nine would have made it a lot more comfortable! I must admit having not ridden an electric bike before I was rather skeptical and I to had the more purest view of them being either a fad or ‘cheating’ when compared to conventional cycles. The first thing I noticed was the ergonomics and style of the bikes, Haibike had clearly thought about using good components such as the Rockshox suspension, Tektro brakes and shimano driveline as well as the overall styling, especially for a ‘younger’ rider. The addition of the battery and motor didn’t appear to be an after thought, rather the defining feature. With all this in mind there is of course a little added weight, however I will admit the only time you notice it is when your not ridding or pushing it up a hill, and even then you have push assist!
So how did they perform? Amazingly, I can honestly say they are worth every penny for XC riding like this as the assistance it provides is truly amazing. There are even various assist modes from eco, which is what i used mostly, to turbo, which is just ridiculous, allowing around 15mph riding uphill!
The battery life was also very good, and whilst in eco mode, last for more than enough time, something like 68km from what I remember. Obviously the higher the assist the less range they have, but can be used without assist if you ever did run out. Don’t get me wrong, a long travel bike will always be better for the rougher terrain and so if I were to get one I’d go for a 150 – 170mm version. But as you can see they are just as durable as any other, albeit a little heavier!
All in all, it was a cracking days riding and I thank the team at Ecycle UK for lending the bikes for the day. Im sure some of you have already had the chance to try them out, but if you haven’t i’d highly recommend it. Even if you do spend a good hour cleaning them!