Gravel e-bike: a multi-talent for all roads | simplon.com

The number of gravel bikers is steadily increasing. That's not surprising, as gravel bikes are perfect for asphalt as well as gravel roads. At the same time, e-bikes are increasingly gaining in popularity, even amongst ambitious cyclists. If both trends are combined, completely new possibilities open up – long distances on varying terrain can be mastered with ease.

Many e-bike opponents claim that this type of bike goes against the idea of cycling as a sport. Julian Gessenauer, a passionate cyclist himself and author at RCDE, proves these critics wrong. Equipped with the Inissio Pmax gravel e-bike by Simplon, he cycled across the Splügen Pass from Bregenz to Como.

Find out how the gravel e-bike performed and which advantages became readily apparent!

Start of the gravel bike tour: Off we go – powered by our own strength!

The first day's stage starts in Bregenz at Lake Constance. The itinerary includes 262 kilometres of cycling and 3,200 metres of elevation gain. At the beginning, the electric motor remains off, because the route leads Julian along perfectly paved cycle paths into Switzerland. When not in use, the motor separates from the drivetrain and is thus only present as additional, but hardly noticeable weight.
The road conditions cry out for a road bike, but the gravel bike doesn't dampen the enjoyment in the least.

The road becomes steeper and the excitement rises

In Chur, the first climb awaits, followed by countless uphill-downhill passages. Finally, the motor of the gravel e-bike gets to prove its merits: It harmoniously joins in the ride and provides more or less support depending on the gradient.

The look of a road bike, the character of a mountain bike

The bike's appearance is a source of confusion, especially for oncoming cyclists. The bike, which looks more like a road bike, performs exceptionally well on the passage that is actually intended for mountain bikers. In places where a road bike would usually reach its limits, the gravel e-bike continues without any problems. To keep up with the speed of sportier companions, all you need to do is activate the motor.

A bike for all occasions

On the tour, the advantages of the gravel e-bike became readily apparent. On steep climbs, when going downhill and on uneven roads, the gravel e-bike does exactly what it's supposed to – to the delight of its rider.

With the hybrid between road bike and (e-)mountain bike, extended cycling tours with varying riding conditions are no longer reserved for ambitious pros. Thanks to the motor, long distances become feasible even for less in-shape cyclists, and they won't have any problems keeping up with their fitter peers.

Do you want to give gravel riding a try now? Discover the Simplon gravel bike and set out on your first adventure on a hybrid bike! And have a look at the full article and the author's point of view about the tour on the RCDE website!