Dropbar ebike for commuting?

[mstateglfr]

Anyone have one that looks relatively classic/normal?
I am guessing it has to be rear-drive in order to have a more traditional appearance.
So steel or aluminum frame, rack and fender mounts, drop bar drivetrain, 40mm or so tire clearance, etc.

My wife, who rides like 300mi in a good year, brought this up to me yesterday- she asked why there aren't more drop bar ebike in the ebike commuter category and I had absolutely no idea.
Part of why had no idea is because I don't own an ebike and don't geek out on the ever-changing tech.

I saw Salsa has a 1x and 2x aluminum frame drop bar ebike that is rear-drive. And Google shows Ribble has an ebike drop bar CGR in aluminum that could handle a rack.




Anyways, why isn't this a more popular style for commuting?
So many commuters I see week to week are on leg powered drop bar bikes. My metro isn't a big bike commuting mecca by any measure, so maybe what I see is skewed and there really isn't a large overall market for drop bar commuters?

[.RJ]

Originally Posted by mstateglfr

Anyways, why isn't this a more popular style for commuting?
So many commuters I see week to week are on leg powered drop bar bikes. My metro isn't a big bike commuting mecca by any measure, so maybe what I see is skewed and there really isn't a large overall market for drop bar commuters?

They're out there. I assume commuter = rack mounts?

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/b...olorCode=black

And maybe people just prefer flat bars for e-bike commuting, i dunno.

[drsmile]

There are a bunch that all have a similar top tube button (Mahle I think) system. like the Scott Addict eRide , BMC Roadmachine AMP One, Bianchi Aria E-Road, Cannondale SuperSix Evo Neo 2 etc. They typically only have 250 watts of assist so you're not going to take it grocery shopping.

If you do any ebiking at all you realize pretty quickly it's not really about biking (or even exercise), it's about car replacement. The sales pitch of assisted exercise is just bogus. I doubt these drop bar ebikes sell well.

[mstateglfr]

Yes Thanks- forgot to mention the Domane ebike. Yes this is another that would qualify.
I think it really was the 2 I mentioned and this Domane that were all I saw that would fit the parameters mentioned.


Maybe it is a small group of options simple because flat bar is preferred- could be.
Hoping people more plugged into commuting and/or ebike might have some opinions.

[mstateglfr]

Originally Posted by drsmile

There are a bunch that all have a similar top tube button (Mahle I think) system. like the Scott Addict eRide , BMC Roadmachine AMP One, Bianchi Aria E-Road, Cannondale SuperSix Evo Neo 2 etc. They typically only have 250 watts of assist so you're not going to take it grocery shopping.

If you do any ebiking at all you realize pretty quickly it's not really about biking (or even exercise), it's about car replacement. The sales pitch of assisted exercise is just bogus. I doubt these drop bar ebikes sell well.

Yes, I figured the car replacement part might be more popular with some of there are more drop bar ebike designed for commuting.
I really don't view bikes like that Bianchi Aria eroad or the Cannondale superSix Aevo Neo 2 as commuter bikes- they are carbon frame and fork and performance road geometry.

[Alistair]

The commuter market is mostly flat bars. My wife has a Turbo Vado SL - reasonably light, looks normal, takes a rack. She likes it. Uses it for gravel too.

[Alistair]

If I were looking for a e-assist drop bar bike, it would just be for a tiny extra kick on climbs or end of very long days. The 45+lb offering don’t appeal because if the battery dies, that’s a lot of mass to pedal home.

[Derosid]

A year ago I bought a Specialized Turbo Creo SL for commuting. It’s fantastic for this use. It is drop-bar and looks very close to a standard non-assist bike. It is a pedal-assist with the torque motor in the bottom bracket. It has a relatively small motor and battery, but it is relatively light (about 35 lb) so it still rides similar to an NA (Normally Aspirated!) bike, and it is light enough that I can carry it up 6 flights of stairs to my office.

I’ve been commuting about 75 miles per week with the Creo SL, and I like using the assist on the way to work so I can get there quickly, almost as fast as when I drive, and I can get a nice aerobic workout without working up a lather. And when headwinds or rain is a problem I can dial the assist up slightly to still get in to work in a state that lets me go right to a meeting. On the way home I can turn the assist down or off and get a better workout if I wish.

I put Specialized fenders on the bike and added a pannier bag, and this makes my all-weather commuter, with the exception of ice and slush conditions, for which I decided the risk of crashing or trashing the bike outweighed the fun of cycling.

I like this bike enought to get a second one for my wife, so we can ride together on the weekends, me on my NA bike and her on her Creo.

[buddybikes]

https://upway.co/products/trek-cross...BoC1AQQAvD_BwE

go mid drive and forget what it looks like, its the function

[eddief]

I think the new Salsa should be a strong contender:

https://www.salsacycles.com/bikes/ebike/Confluence

Or Trek aluminum. Not sure whose motor they're using:

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/b...xoCntMQAvD_BwE

Maybe Orbea Gain but in my hood dealer network and support is thin:

https://www.orbea.com/us-en/ebikes/r...d50-20mph-2023

[d_douglas]

I saw the flat bar salsa e-bike at the shop where I bought my wife’s ebike (maiden voyage today) and it is a very nice and slick looking bike. I would ride that!

[Spdntrxi]

I'm partial to gravel capability...

Have the Pivot e-vault.. I was to get a bike today it would be Ventum ES1G

[Nomadmax]

When you have a motor, you don't need drop bars, especiially for commuting. I have a little experience with hub drive vs mid drive e bikes and the mid drive is the way to go. If for no other reason than the mid drive gets to use the gear ratios, hub drive doesn't get leverage gears afford because it directly drives the rear wheel. Just think if you had all that weight and only one gear, that's a hub drive.

I'm actually thinking of getting one of these to replace motor vehicle trips.

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/b...nt-8s/p/30265/

For 3500 bucks it'll keep up with a road bike @ 28mph, has a big removable battery that can be charged in a space that isn't a living space, has fenders and is pretty much ready to roll.

[572cv]

As an, ahem, slightly older forumite, I am dabbling in the e-bike sector. One thing I have realized is that, with a long road bike history, I am more comfortable with drop bars. They allow me to move my hands about comfortably, changing positions with the changing demands of the topography, and allowing for more familiar control on downhills. I like the brake grip position too. It suits my experience, and the muscles in my grip. So. LeMond is making a drop bar e-bike that looks appealing. In France, I have had some reasonable experience with the LaPierre e-sensium 5.2, a fine handling bike with quite good range. And in the lower 48, some experience with the Orbea Gain. I’ve tried the upright LeMond, and some other upright e-bikes, but the drop bar is more comfortable.
To my surprise… small surprise if I think about it, what you are used to can make a significant difference in what you might be satisfied with on an e-bike. If I were more of a mountain bike guy, I’d see things differently than I do now, I am sure. For me, a road e bike with drop bars, reasonably light weight ( for me, in the mid and up twenty pound range) good handling, and very good range proves to be a good balance. I love riding my ‘real’ bikes, but in my early seventh decade, e-bikes have given me a jump start to a season with more rides, longer rides in the early season. Maybe that’s partially Vermont, but hey, its all about keeping up the riding. My 2 cents.

[Mark Davison]

Another possibility is to take a traditional drop bar bike that would serve well for commuting and have it converted to e-assist with a kit. I just did that with my Davidson touring bike, using components from Grin Technology in Canada. This conversion uses a front hub motor, with the battery in a handlebar bag, the control panel on an accessory bar above the handlebars and the "high" voltage motor controller on a bracket which squeezes in behind the fork crown, just above the fender.

The advantage for me was that there was no need to purchase a new bike, or worry about fitting, or come up with suitable racks and luggage.

Also the conversion is completely reversible, as there are no components built into the bicycle.

Bike Friday creates their e-bike versions in a similar fashion, also using components from Grin Technology.