OUR FRIENDS ELECTRIC

The recent ebike revolution has seen cyclists gleefully embrace augmented riding and it continues apace with ebike sales expected to triple by 2023, according to a recent Bicycle Association report. Of course, ebikes come in all shapes and sizes: road, superbike, folding, urban and, for me, the ones that make the most sense for performance: e-gravel.

I’m a great supporter of e-gravel bikes for the simple reason that they overcome the limitations of the slender – by mountain-bike standards at least – levels of grip afforded by the tyres by providing a welcome 250W+ boost. This essentially means that you can stay seated and keep the rear tyre gripping, whereas on a regular bike you’d need to stand up and risk losing rearwheel traction.

In the UK, with our rainy climate, optimal dry and dusty gravel conditions are a rarity, so the understanding that most gravel rides will involve at least some bike-hiking is simply part and parcel of the experience. A good e-gravel bike will save you plenty of shoe leather but, more importantly, imbue spark and fun into a ride, particularly on the ascents.

As we head into autumn and what’s bound to be a season of mud-covered gravel excursions, I’ve selected three all-new options from GT, Kinesis and Vitus to see which e-gravel bike provides the best mix of performance, handling, assistance, value for money and, above all, fun.

MAKING THE GRADE

I’m a big fan of the acoustic Grade, having awarded it Gravel Bike of the Year in 2020. I own a custom-built Grade replete with Shimano GRX Di2 on which I spend most of my spare gravel time.

The eGrade doesn’t take its cue from the compliant carbon Grade, rather it’s constructed around the aluminium Grade, which in non-e build tops out at ?1450. However, the superb geometry of the carbon Grade is carried over, which means my large test bike gets a sporty endurance ride position of a 608mm stack and 395mm reach combined with a relaxed