Electric E-bike
Haibike XDuro Electric Mountain Bike
Recently I had the pleasure of test riding a Haibike Xduro electric mountain bike. I was thoroughly impressed by its innovative engineering and functional versatility. Haibike has been around for awhile and they are one of the pioneers of the electric mountain bike. But they aren’t satisfied with creating a “decent product” then resting on their laurels. Their engineering team has continued to make groundbreaking improvements on what was already an award-winning product.
ePerformance Biking
When you visit the Haibike website, you’ll notice a phrase you’ve probably never seen before: ePerformance Biking. The Xduro bicycle series is the pioneer of ePerformance biking world. Each component on the Xduro bicycle series is top-of-the-line. The list of unique or high-end bike components on a Haibike Xduro is extensive but to paraphrase Julie Andrews, “these are a few of my favorite things:”
Intuvia E-bike Display
- Bosch Drive System: Haibike Xduros come standard with one of the best e-bike motors in the business. The Bosch electric motor provides ample and reliable power to this well-designed electric bicycle.
- Bosch Onboard Computer/Display: I loved how easy it was to view and use the Bosch Intuvia Multifunctional Display and the accompanying “remote” (separate) control pad. The display pad is easy to read in all lighting conditions and the control pad is easy to use without the need to release the handlebar. The display shows the four electric motor speeds: eco, tour, sport & turbo.
- Battery: The battery is an integral part of the any electric bicycle, and the Xduro ebike is no exception. The Bosch Li-ion 36 volt, 400@h capacity battery can last up to 109 miles in Eco mode under ideal conditions. Of course, I have seldom encountered “ideal conditions” while biking, but I was able to ride over 55 miles on the US 36 Bikeway into Denver and back for a quick “city trip.” I noticed, on the Haibike website, that the newer Xduros feature the Locked Powerpack which blends and attaches nicely to the bicycle down tube for a sleek and functional system that works as well as it looks. In addition, the battery weighs only 5.5 lbs and can be fully charged in 3.5 hours.
- Pedal Assist – As with most European designed electric bikes, the Xduro comes with a pedal-assist system. Basically this means “no pedal – no power.”The Haibike pedal assist system blends smoothly with the Bosch motor to provide the added boost needed to power up tough hills and through persistent headwinds. But the pedal-assist means that riders will still get at least a minimum of exercise and can choose to ride without the motor at all, when wanted or needed. This system also makes the bike legal on certain trails that require functional pedals on ebikes.
- Full Suspension – Going electric doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice mountain bike suspension. The Haibike Xduro electric mountain bike comes with a high quality front and rear suspension. This provides a comfortable and stable ride on multi-use bike paths as well as single track mountain bike trails.
Xduro by Haibike
Haibike Electric Mountain Bikes on Trails
The ebike by Haibike is a great choice for riding on trails of all types. Although the beefy suspension makes it a natural choice for single track mountain biking, it’s also a great choice for many other trail types and trail surfaces. I tested it on single track dirt trails, cement bikeways, packed gravel community trails and multi-use asphalt paths.The Haibike worked equally well and was equally comfortable on all the above mentioned trail types. Keep in mind that, unfortunately, the rules for electric bikes on trails vary greatly, and you may want to check into the rules on your local trails. It would be nice if I could say that the rules will be prominently posted or sensibly administered, but that is not always the case.
Electric Bike Suggestions
As with all Trailsnet product reviews, I like to end with suggestions for improvements or future product development. Since the Haibike Xduro electric mountain bike is such a well built and nicely designed ebike, the following suggestions are geared more toward the electric bicycle industry in general rather than just the folks at Haibike:
- Include lights, kickstands & USB outlet as standard equipment on most ebikes including electric mountain bikes: Since weight is slightly less of a factor when it comes to ebike accessories, the added ounces are less consequential. Plus, ebikes have a built-in power supply making them ideal for lights & device charging outlets. And since ebikes can be fairly heavy and prone to tipping over easier than regular bikes, kickstands are needed more than on non-electric bikes.
- Haibike and other ebike manufacturers should begin working together to standardize certain components such as batteries. Such a system would make it much easier to implement some sort of battery trade-in program that would promote long-distance ebiking for touring and commuting.
- Electric bike companies should also work together to promote standardized and inclusive rules regarding the use of Personal Transportation Vehicles (PTVs) on trails in the United States and worldwide. (Most European countries already have sensible rules regarding the use of electric bicycles.)
If you are one of the many electric bike critics out there, I encourage you to take another look at both the products and the people using those products. Electric bikes provide for a much more inclusive biking experience. I believe that everyone should try e-bikes, but they are especially useful for bicycle touring, bicycle commuting & leveling the biking field for those who may not be able to join in the fun of bicycling in general and/or trail biking in particular.
