When I think of electric road bikes, I think of brilliant, lightweight machines that level the playing field for many riders. I think of riders gliding over undulating terrain with smiles on their faces, legs free of lactic acid.
E-bikes have come a long way in not a great deal of time, with several disciplines, types of motors, sizes of batteries, and various standards we as consumers all have the pleasure of choosing from.
But the reality for electric road bikes is that, actually, this great deal of choice hasn't really trickled into this area of e-riding. And it's unlikely that it will in the UK without serious improvement within the cycling industry as a whole, as well as changes in the legislation surrounding e-bikes.
We all know how Covid impacted the bike industry, and how it and other unforeseen global issues continue to impact it. But has the electric road bike market been unfairly hit? And did it ever really get going in the UK?
E-road bikes can be tools for change
Specialized S-Works Turbo Creo SL electric road bike (credit: road.cc)E-bikes on the whole are great for many reasons, and suit many different types of people. And electric bike hostility often comes from two camps: people who don't use them and don't know how fun and encouraging they are, and people who don't understand what the difference between a Sur-Ron electric dirt bike and your hub motor-powered shopping bike is.
Non-cycling media has certainly not helped with the amount of misinformation being spread around electric bicycles, labelling many of these motorbikes as e-bikes (which technically, they are, but a term that has been made popular within the e-cycling world) rather than specifically, e-motorbikes. But I digress.
There's also the matter of e-bike restrictions. To be classed as an electrically assisted pedal cycle (EAPC) in the UK, an e-bike can only have a motor capable of 250W continuous power (not maximum power), and can only assist up to 15.5mph. The assistance can also only be activated through pedal power, so no throttle-only activation.
2023 BMC Roadmachine 01 AMP X One TQ front (credit: road.cc)With these restrictions in place, I fear that electric road bikes are a great idea in premise, but not so much in execution. Think about the average club run speed, or how fast you can go in the city. It's not implausible to think many riders are likely to go over 15.5mph for a fair whack of their ride, so having something with a motor that offers no drag resistance when you're riding over the limit is key; but perhaps a bike that could assist up to around 20mph - like the current legal limit in the US - would be far more beneficial?
That's not to say they're all terrible wastes of money. I know a few people who have bought various models, and enjoy them as tools for riding in hilly areas now they're a bit older or dealing with health issues.
And that's the main point of an e-road bike, isn't it? It's not really designed for the Lottte Kopeckys of the world - although I'm sure she would enjoy an active recovery ride on one.
They're ideal for taking the sting out of climbs, or for those who perhaps can't ride as far as they used to and would appreciate a bit of assistance to do what they used to - but I can't help feeling that they'd be even more attractive to more people if they, and e-bikes across most categories, were able to legally assist up to 20mph rather than 15.5mph.
Unlike the cookie monster, the UK doesn't have an appetite for, er, e-road bike cookies?
Scott Addict eRide electric road bike (credit: road.cc)Another area of concern with the e-road category in the UK is appetite, or more specifically, the lack of it. Brands are unlikely to develop new e-road specific bikes if there is no customer demand, and why would they?
And when there isn't that much choice, customers will look at other products.
If you look across the industry at the moment, brands across the globe are downsizing their offerings and becoming far more selective about what markets they target.
Ribble SLe Di2-2 (credit: road.cc)Whether that's specifically within the electric category, or across several, there simply isn't enough development in the electric road world to warrant investment in a category that won't yield much return.
My fear is that while the other categories benefit from developments in motor technology and frame design, the e-road category is being left behind. Perhaps there really won't be a market for them even if they were able to assist up to 20mph - perhaps I really am way off the mark.
But, it seems a shame to have to point people in the direction of say an e-gravel bike or an urban, flat bar bike, when what they might really want is an Italian designed, sharp edged e-road bike with drop bars and a sublime look about it.
Or maybe... I'm just talking out of my behind
2025 Pashley Roadfinder electric - Shimano 105 - button on top tube.jpg (credit: road.cc)Or perhaps, I'm being too narrow-minded, and forgetting what cycling is about. Not everyone cares about max power or torque numbers, or even what gear they've got on their bike.
Like when many people buy a car, they just want something that works, and works for what they need. So perhaps my idea of a really good electric road bike is similar to that of a car enthusiast's idea of investing in a Porsche GT3 - overcompensatory for what we need.
And I'm not saying there aren't fantastic e-road bikes out there. The previous model of the Specialized Turbo Creo was a personal favourite for tackling the gritty Yorkshire climbs. But the choices available aren't always indicative of what I think we as an industry can really do for e-road.