Video – A 180 km trip on an electric bike: lightness vs. comfort

The world of cycling is sometimes presented as torn between muscle enthusiasts and electric aficionados. But, even within the world of the VAE, dissensions exist. Two visions clash: on the one hand, those who seek comfort and assistance when cycling and, on the other, those who consider that a motor is good, but that you should not not that the cycling experience is distorted. Deciding not to position ourselves on the best of the alternatives, we chose to compare them over a 180 km journey.

A distance traveled in half a day by the riders of the Tour de France but that we did in three days. We opted for a route starting from Apt, in the Vaucluse, and arriving on the Var coast, in Saint-Tropez. A choice carried by the variety of ground which one meets there – and a little by the beauty of the places, let us not hide it. Thus, we crossed the Luberon, the plains of Provence and the Massif des Maures, marking two stages in Vinon-sur-Verdon and Cannet-des-Maures.

To help us cover the distance, we therefore opted for two very different models of electric bikes. On the one hand, a Winora Sinus 9 cut out for hiking with its many comfort features: suspension seatpost and fork, Schwalbe Marathon Almotion tires with a comfortable width of 2.15 inches and a rather wide saddle. Above all, its Bosch Performance Line motor and its 85 Nm of torque provide very solid assistance to face most situations without shedding a drop of sweat. The icing on the cake, a 625 Wh battery housed in the frame of the VAE which promises high autonomy.

Opposite, we called on Specialized and its Turbo Vado SL. An electric bike, yes, but above all a bike. Here we are talking about light electrification, because the Specialized 1.1 engine only shows 35 Nm of torque. Also, the battery only has a capacity of 320 Wh. However, by being more favorable to pedaling beyond its electric assistance, this hybrid VAE promises an interesting autonomy despite everything. We chose an EQ version, that is, a model of the Vado SL with a luggage rack and mudguards, which is important to face three days of travel.

Once our Thule panniers were filled with gear, we set off. Direction Saint Tropez. We let you discover our impressions and our conclusions on the use of these electric bikes which both arrived at their destination, but not without a hitch.

This trip was an opportunity for us to test several accessories. To start, we wore the Sena Evo helmets and their Mesh Intercom technology, which allows an unlimited number of cyclists to be linked to continue chatting, even several hundred meters from their companions. We were won over by the pickup quality of the microphones and the range of communications.

A Garmin Varia RTL515 radar also accompanied us throughout the journey. A little gadget that proved to be very useful in warning us of the arrival of vehicles from behind when we were driving on portions accessible to cars. The Tooo Cycling DVR80 dashcam, for its part, had our backs covered by filming continuously to easily identify any speeder who had the bad taste to hit us (a situation which, fortunately, did not happen).