Hey all,
I might potentially have a longer commute starting next month. I need your advice and would love to hear your experiences on e-road bikes, especially when dealing with headwinds.
#My commute conditions
* Distance: 21km (13 miles)
* flat terrain
of which are 18km tarmac road on a curvy dike.
* hardly any traffic, only 3 traffic lights stops.
* average windspeed according to windfinder.com is ~18km/h (11mph). And according to the statistics, the wind speed is between 13km/h and 41 km/h on 35% of the time for the non-summer months).
* class 3 ebikes are not allowed on that road
So the wind will be my only enemy, therefore a few extra kg of weight on my bike don’t matter since I don’t have to climb hills.
Therefore I was planning on getting an ebike.
##My favourited ebike
[**Trek Domane+ AL5 2023**](https://www.trekbikes.com/international/en_IN_TL/bikes/electric-bikes/electric-road-bikes/domane-al-5/p/36141/)
* pedal assist limited to 25km/h (15,5 mph)
* rear hub motor (Hyena: 250W, 40NM)
* endurance geometry
* fenders and luggage carrier are possible to install
* I would use an aerodynamic bag setup (so not any pannier bags) and potentially aerobars
##What I want to accomplish:
* use the motor when facing the stronger headwinds and have an average speed of about 25 km/h so my commute doesn’t take more than 50 minutes, regardless of wind conditions
* Want to arrive less exhausted at work in the mornings
* be able to ride at a speed of 27-32km/h without motor assist on less windy days.
##So my questions are:
* (1) What are your experiences with riding an e-road bike similar to the Trek Domane+ AL5?
* (2) Am I making a good choice with this bike and setup? Or can you recommend other bikes in the same price range?
* (3) Can one reach speeds of 27-32 km/h without pedal assist or is the motor causing too much resistance even though the manufacturer claims it wouldn’t?
by ShuichiRL
1 Comment
My middle aged and overweight ass just got itself a similar allroad light eBike with Mahle X20 engine (2024 Mondraker Dusty SX R). I have a 25 km commute in a hilly region. Luckily I can shower at work, otherwise I would need a full size mid drive eBike.
I love the bike, it definitely feels heavier than a non eBike but I can’t feel any resistance that’s engine related. I’ve owned several engine systems before and this light eBike concept with rear engine drive is by far my personal favourite.
On straights there is no problem to drive above the (european restricted) 25 km/h, if your legs can do like constant 250 watts or more.
Do an extensive test drive, if possible.