Gravel riding is no longer an “emerging” niche; it has established its own following among not only hardcore endurance racers lining up for events like Dirty Kanza, Grinduro, or Crusher in the Tushar, but also road cyclists looking for a smoother ride on harsh pavement with gravel bikes’ larger-volume and more forgiving tires.
Now, epic days mixing up pavement and dirt or heading out strictly on long gravel or dirt roads are in reach for more of us with the wave of electric-assist gravel bikes that bicycle industry brands have embraced. Here are five electric gravel bikes—all with different makes of motors—we hope to score some saddle time on soon.
The Dyodo Grevil uses the Ebikemotion lightweight rear hub drive found on new electric road bikes from such brands as Colnago, Wilier, Orbea, and Bianchi. The bike is the electric version of Pinarello’s Grevil gravel model, and tips the scales at a trim claimed weight of 26.5 pounds. A 250Wh battery concealed in the gorgeously shaped Toray T700 full carbon frame powers the 250W Ebikemotion X35 drive out back, with 40Nm of torque available. A battery range extender that fits into the seat tube bottle cage is also available to add 204Wh of juice to your ride. Spec includes a full Shimano Ultegra mechanical 2-by-11 drivetrain and hydraulic disc brakes, a tubeless-ready Vision Trimax 30 wheelset, Vittoria Terreno 35c tires, a unidirectional carbon aero seatpost, and Pinarello’s Most stem, handlebars, and saddle. We just got this Italian beauty into one of our testers’ hands, so look for a full review in the coming weeks. MSRP: $7,000.
The Grinder EVO Lite gets its pedal assist from the lightweight 255W Fazua Evation mid-drive system, which we’ve tested on the Fantic Passo Giau—albeit programmed for the European 25 kph (15.5 mph) L1e-A ebike standard rather than the 20 mph Class 1 standard here in the States. It’s a lower-torque system (60Nm max) than many of its competitors, but Evation is light enough for Bulls to build the Grinder EVO Lite to a commendable 36.5-pound stated weight (28 pounds with the motor and 36V/7Ah battery unit removed). The gravel ebike has an aluminum frame, with the motor and battery integrated into the downtube, and a carbon fork. It’s dressed up in a Shimano 105 2-by-11 drivetrain and hydraulic brakes, an FSA compact crankset, DT Swiss E1800 Spline 23 wheelset, 1.5-inch-wide Schwalbe G-One Allround RaceGuard tires, and Bulls-branded cockpit components. MSRP is $4,499. The Grinder EVO Lite is due for release this spring.
The Revolt E+ Pro gets its get-up-and-go from Giant’s Syncdrive Pro motor, based on Yamaha’s PW-X2 mid-drive, and—Giant says—supplying 80Nm of torque and 360 percent pedal assist. Six sensors automatically calculate how much power the rider needs based on factors including torque, cadence, slope, and speed, Giant states. The drive is housed in a somewhat low-standover ALUXX SL aluminum frame (mostly 6011 alloy) with a sloping toptube, and is powered by a 375Wh/36V Giant Energypak lithium-ion battery integrated into the frame’s downtube. The mixed-surface rig is decked out in a carbon fork with a 12-millimeter through-axle; Shimano’s gravel-specific GRX 1-by-11 drivetrain and brakes; and Giant-branded cockpit components, tubeless-ready aluminum wheels, and 45c tires. Then there’s that Metallic Army/Olive finish on the frame and fork…Noice! MSRP: $4,200.
We loved the Creo SL Expert EVO when we reviewed it in October. But let’s be frank: That $9,000 price tag is out of reach for most of us. The Creo SL Comp shaves $2,500 off that MSRP and gets you the same FACT 11r carbon frame and Specialized SL 1.1 proprietary motor, Future Shock 2.0 suspension built into the steerer tube, flared Specialize Adventure Gear bars, X-Fusion Manic dropper post with 50 millimeters of travel, and 38-millimeter-wide Specialized Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss Ready tires. You’ll give up Shimano Di2 shifting and Ultegra hydraulic brakes in favor of the component maker’s GRX 1-by-11 mechanical drivetrain and hydraulic stoppers—a minor trade-off since you won’t need to worry about charging anything other than your motor’s battery. But the budget considerations are really a thin excuse for wanting to ride the Comp Carbon EVO; we just want more time on Specialized’s amazing electric road and gravel platform. The Creo SL Expert EVO retails for $6,500.
The Synapse Neo SE is the only bike in this wrap-up that rolls on 650b wheels and high-volume road-plus tires (47-millimeter-wide WTB Byway TCS skinwalls here), delivering extra cushion over rough terrain. Cannondale equips the four-mode Bosch Active Line Plus mid-drive with its own road-oriented software to get a claimed range up to 93 miles out of the 500Wh Bosch PowerTube battery tucked into the downtube of the Synapse Neo SE’s aluminum frame. The system is controlled by Bosch’s compact Purion display conveying essential information: current speed, riding mode, range, trip distance, total distance, and charging status. Shifting and stopping duties are handled by SRAM’s Apex 1-by-11 drivetrain with a wide-range 11-42T cassette, and Apex hydraulic disc brakes with 160-millimeter Centerline rotors. Cockpit components are all Cannondale with the exception of the saddle, which comes from sibling Dorel Sports brand Fabric. MSRP: $4,500.
