Ridley has expanded its Grifn all-road mannequin vary with the addition of three new fashions. One of those is the brand new E-Grifn electrical bike which sits alongside the Grifn RS and Grifn A.
Cyclingnews attended the Grifn RS and E-Grifn launch not too long ago. You can learn a full breakdown relating to the brand new bikes in our information piece, in addition to my first trip overview of the Grifn RS.
It appears Ridley needs to maintain issues fairly pure feeling with the brand new E-Grifn, its first e-bike. The model thinks the E-all-road bike was the appropriate class to launch its first e-bike in for them, slotting right into a freer area throughout the saturated e-bike and e-MTB market.
In quick, Ridley did not need an e-bike that felt like a bike. This is a nimble, extra natural-feeling light-weight e-bike bike that gives digital help however retains the Grifn trip really feel and DNA. It makes use of the Mahle X20 drive system which contains a customized tuning for the E-Grifn. I used to be in a position to check the E-Grifn in each street and gravel setups, the identical as I did for the Grifn RS on the launch of the brand new Grifn fashions in Spain final month.
The E-Grifn shall be out there in three street configurations and 4 gravel guises. Prices begin at €5,499 and run by to €7,999. Road and gravel choices can be found with carbon wheels from Forza and DT Swiss and a mixture of digital and mechanical Shimano and Sram groupsets.
Design and Aesthetics
I actually preferred the look of my Grifn RS street and gravel bikes. The downtube is likely one of the most slender I’ve seen on an e-gravel or street e-bike. Certainly extra slender than the Specialized Turbo Creo 2 I examined final 12 months and it ties into the delicate general e-aesthetics. I would not be shocked if the very fact that is an e-bike went fully unnoticed by some rider’s if this bike was amongst a bunch of bikes. This is not to say there is a want for e-bikes to not appear to be e-bikes (I refuse to say acoustic bikes, people), there’s completely nothing incorrect with it. But it is a testomony to what can now be achieved with drop bar e-bike builds, they will look very clear and unobtrusive.
So to the E-Grifn, you get the identical geometry, however a number of particulars change on the body as a result of inclusion of sure e-features. The prime tube and down tube mounts are eliminated, as a result of I consider the inclusion of the down tube mounted battery and prime tube mounted management unit. You can run a 1x or 2x drivetrain setup in electrical and mechanical and also can nonetheless match mudguards, a useful possibility.
Electronics-wise, as talked about the battery is mounted within the down tube, and there is a management unit within the prime tube which you employ to show the system on, toggle modes and examine battery life. It additionally options machine studying and AI expertise to adapt to the rider over time. Then there are handlebar-mounted e-Shifters which let you scroll by modes, I discovered myself utilizing these more often than not. Think Shimano dash or Sram blip shifters however on your e-modes.
The drive unit which takes the place of the rear wheel’s hub is wi-fi due to the AMC – computerized motor connection – which implies a clear look, and no plugs or wires. The hub engages with a ‘plug’ on the non-drive facet dropout which is definitely achieved. The hub is suitable with all freewheels and groupsets as much as 13 speeds. Mahle additionally provides a entrance hub to maintain issues matching, which I actually like. Purely for the very fact they’ve taken the difficulty to make sure riders’ hubs will match up. It’s a small element however tells you a bit of bit concerning the model.
At the launch occasion, Ridley defined that it ‘did not need a motorbike’. In easy phrases, it did not need to find yourself with an e-bike that felt prefer it was taking you for a trip. This will be the case on some drop bar e-bikes, particularly when in turbo mode. The purpose for the E-Grifn I consider is for riders to nonetheless really feel like they’re making an effort when using the bikes.
I examined an E-Grifn in gravel type which featured a Rival AXS 1×12 drivetrain, Forza carbon wheels and 35mm Terreno Dry Endurance tyres. This bike additionally featured the identical Forza Cirrus Pro built-in handlebar as on the Grifn RS and I bought together with it nicely.
My roadgoing E-Grifn check bike featured an virtually equivalent setup however as a substitute was constructed up with an Ultegra di2 groupset and used 28mm Corsa Pro tyres.
Performance
The Grifn supplied strong efficiency within the time I spent using it and I shortly bought the impression that it is a very succesful all-road bike. I’ve mentioned this a part of the platform in my Grifn RS first trip overview so will concentrate on the extra e-specific traits right here.
To kick off, pairing my bike with the Mahle app, linking my Strava account and even pairing my coronary heart fee monitor have been all accomplished easily and shortly. The most time-consuming half was figuring out which was my bike on the app as I used to be surrounded by Grifn e-bikes all popping up within the listing. The app provides map customisation for various terrains and quite a lot of evaluation, although I did not have sufficient time to discover every little thing I’ve included a number of screenshots beneath.
In the bike presentation, the texture of the X20 system was described as ‘like somebody is pushing you from behind’ and I feel I’d agree with this. In my time using the bike I discovered the system to offer help in a clean, supportive approach. It’s significantly clean on the street using in a bunch and a bit of extra noticeable using off-road. Accelerating out of a gradual gravel flip, as an illustration, you are feeling the system kick in and provide help to out, which places a smile in your face, however on the street with much less spiky accelerations, except you are actually going for it or accelerating from very gradual velocity, issues are very clean.
Indeed it was disarming at instances, particularly using in a bunch with others on e-bikes. It was exhausting to note the help at instances such was its smoothness till I turned my system off using with a rider on a typical street bike uphill. Then the trouble is introduced residence to you. If you need an e-road, or gravel bike however nonetheless need it to really feel like a daily street bike and for the digital help to not drown your effort out, you’ll just like the X20 system.
I’m testing a burlier, extra aggressive e-gravel bike in the intervening time and when using at 15.5mph + with out motor help (the restrict within the UK) I do really feel a bit of drag and the additional weight. I can not say I felt this as a lot on the E-Grifn, significantly on the street. It brings me again to that phrase once more; Natural. On flat sections of street carrying velocity off a descent, our using group have been all using at velocity, over the system help restrict and it was exhausting to really feel a lot further drag from the system holding you again.
On the street, my bike was geared up with 160mm discs and I achieved far sooner speeds on the downhills than on our gravel trip. I felt it took only a fraction longer to begin slowing the bike down as a result of further weight and thought if there was an possibility or the flexibility to suit 180mm discs I might most likely look into it. I’ll have felt this extra keenly as a result of using 4 completely different bikes again to again in a brief area of time nevertheless it did stand out for me.
Elsewhere neither bike put a step incorrect within the time I spent using them. Shifting was predictable and clean from each Shimano and Sram groupsets and every little thing labored because it ought to. I rode a small E-Grifn off-road and a dimension Medium on the street merely as a result of bikes that have been out there and who was using what. The small fitted me higher and serves as a reminder that if bikes include an built-in bar and stem it should pay to do your sizing homework. Consult your native vendor or the model in the event you want help as doubtlessly having to swap bars and stems additional down the road shall be a bit extra concerned and doubtlessly expensive, although the Ridley customized configurator does supply some sizing choices.
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Early Verdict
After a trip apiece on the street and gravel variations of the E-Grifn I felt it was one of the vital pure feeling e-bikes I’ve ridden and this appears to be consistent with what Ridley needs for the bike.
The bike seems to be, for need of a greater phrase, ‘regular’ at a distance. I feel most riders would battle to identify it was an e-bike, not that that is a foul factor. But it actually helps retain the drop bar aesthetic.
Natural is the phrase I might use to explain the ability supply supplied by the Mahle X20 system. It’s undoubtedly there if you want it however does not overpower the general trip expertise.
The Grifn is a extremely succesful platform and the addition of an e-motor system now opens it as much as riders who want some extra help or who simply need to have enjoyable on an e-bike.