Trek Powerfly+ 5

We recently received a range of Trek, Bosch equipped electric bikes. We are no stranger to electric bikes in the shop but we have never really stocked electric assist mountain bikes.

Yesterday I took out the Powerfly+ 5 which retails for £2000. This is Treks entry level hardtail mountain bike, it still has the 400Wh battery as do all the Treks but it has the lower torque Active Cruise motor rather than the Performance Cruise on the higher models, but I still had a blast on the bike!

The Trek marketing strapline is:

‘Powerfly+ lets you expand your boundaries. It combines the dynamics of 29ers with the reliable propulsion of RIDE+ electric bike technology, turning every mountain into a hill and every ride into pure enjoyment. End of the trail? Not for you! Especially if you’re searching for a bike with extra power to let you go even further. With its universal range of application, the Powerfly+ takes you everywhere – and a little beyond.’

A spec overview of the bike

• Frame. Alpha Gold aluminium 29er frame w/semi-integrated head tube, shaped and formed tubing, independent seatstays and balanced geometry
• Front Suspension. RST Aerial 29 RL w/air spring, w/remote lockout, TnL cartridge, custom G2 geometry w/51mm offset, 100mm travel.
• Deore shifter, SLX shadow rear mech.

But the really interesting part of the bike is the electrical components

• Battery. Bosch Power Pack 400Wh, down tube battery
• Controller. Bosch Intuvia Active w/remote
• Motor. Bosch Active Cruise

After fully charging the battery the head unit reads 89 mile range in the Eco mode, Eco is the most efficient setting offering a little assistance followed by Tour, Sport and Turbo. As each level is selected the range is adjusted to reflect in the increase in power usage but obviously it can then differ according to the amount of power you put into the pedals and then of course once you throw in some hills!

I wanted to test this bike out as a mountain bike and not be precious about the electronics.

I also wanted to test the range on the bike using a mix of the different assistance levels after 30 miles I took some pictures of the head unit and selected the different assistance levels to give me a rough range figure.

The assistance levels are on the right of the screen with the estimated range levels on the lower half of the screen.

I must admit to using to turbo mode to blast up hills and to get up a technical ascend that normal catches me out, I was pleased with the amount of power still left in the battery. The motor unit measures your pedalling up to 1000 times a second, measuring cadence, speed and the power you are putting into the pedals and decides how best to support your pedalling. Its not like the electric bikes of old that as soon as you start pedalling it pushes the bike forward. I found it easy to forget I was riding an electric bike, at times I switched off the assistance to make sure it was still working.

Its an amazing bike. I was genuinely blown away buy how intelligent the assistance was. There was a section on the trail where you have to go through a gate and I found myself scooting along with one foot clipped in and the other on the ground. You would think that the Bosch drive would be trying to urge you on but it just doesn’t. I assume its because of the sensors not picking sufficient speed or cadence.

The Powerfly+ is a versatile bike, I think it will help riders who aren’t fit to get out and have fun. Trail centre riders to do another lap, riders who want the confidence and comfort to ride on the road with a mountainbike but don’t want a knobbly tyre robbing them of speed. It really does make you think differently, it opens up the possibilities. Want to get to work on your bike but you feel its just a little too far? Mornings can be a rush at the best of times so when you are rushing to work use Turbo and on your way home put it in Eco.

I live 12 miles from the train station and this will be my new ride to get me to the train on time. I can carry loads of kit with me, laptop, change of clothes, lunch and not worry about all the weight because the Bosch assistance will be gently helping me along.

The speed is limited to 25 KPH which is roughly 15.5 MPH.

When I have a few more miles done I will update this blog, but the first ride has left me wanting to get back out there and tackle some of my favourite trails on it.

This is a link to the Powerfly+ 7 as Trek don’t have an image yet of the 5 that I tested. We are the first shop in the UK to get hold of these bikes.

http://cyclecentreuk.co.uk/m7b0s221p15574/TREK-Powerfly%2B-7-2015

Tony.

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Trek’s 2014 bikes – sneak preview part 2

Continuing on from the last post, our ninja spy shares some more of his Trek trade show highlights.

Trek bring entry level womens road bikes to the range

Cycling is the fastest growing sport in the UK right now. So it was nice to see Trek taking entry level road bikes for women seriously. These are going to be very popular!

Carbon frames for women

There’s even a range of carbon versions for those ladies taking their cycling a bit more seriously. This end of the range even includes the trick Domane frame design.

Time Trial from Trek

The business end of the Speed Concept

2014 Speed Concept cockpit showing headset design with integrated aerobars

Affordable cyclocross bikes from Trek

The two Crossrip bikes were some of our best selling 2013 bikes. So it’s good to see that Trek have kept them in the 2014 line. The new Shimano Claris group set appears on the first model and a lovely new paint job differentiates the 2014 Elite from the 2013 model. Both still feature great cable disc brakes, suicide brakes and an all-rounder frame.

There’ll be more spy photos from the trade show ninja in our next blog post, coming soon to a browser near you!

Review: Trek DS hybrid

We gave our Family Bike Guy one of our Trek DS series hybrids to test ride for the weekend. This is a popular class of bike for customers of the Cycle Centre so we were keen to see what he made of it. 

What is a DS Hybrid?

Trek’s range of bikes is a bit bewildering to the uninitiated, I don’t mind admitting that I’ve been confused more than once trying to figure it out. The DS (Dual Sport) range is aimed at those looking for one bike to do it all on. The “ultimate hybrid” as Trek would have us believe. Part city bike, part road bike, part trial bike, part tourer. All bikes in the DS range have 700c wheels with road and track capable tyres, an aluminium frame with mounts for a rack and mudguards plus capable suspension forks on all but the base model.

The range is quite broad with six models (in the men’s frame style) starting at £400 for the 8.1 and rising to £1000 for the 8.6.  I was testing the cheapest model to have suspension forks, the 8.2 that retails for £450.

Trek meets Tyne

As the DS range is aimed at people who only want one bike to do a lot of different types of cycling on I thought it would be a good idea to take it on the sort of ride that fits in with this ideal. The Cycle Hub do a guided ride on the second Saturday of every month along the National Cycle route 72, either out to Wylam or to Tynemouth. This would be a perfect test for a hybrid as route 72 offers a nice mix of surfaces with the odd hill too. The route on the day was out to Tynemouth, about a 21 mile return journey.

suspension fork on Trek DS 8.2

I was keen to test a few key things on the DS 8.2. First off, could it actually cope with road and track type riding. Second, was it an easy bike to ride. Thirdly, was it value for money and lastly did I really think it was a do-it-all bike?

Does it Dual Sport?

The DS 8.2 is, on paper and to look at, exactly what the marketing fluff from Trek says it is: the suspension forks and chunky aluminium frame look like a mountain bike, the big wheels make it look like a 29er. The narrow tyres make it more like a city bike or tourer. I was initially a bit concerned that Trek had just stuck all these components together on a frame from their MTB range and hoped for the best.

After the initial ten miles of riding I began to think that Trek might have a winner on their hands as far as creating a good all rounder.

The gearing, tyres and riding position meant it was easy to cycle at a steady pace and keep up with other folk on faster bikes over the bumpier tarmac of Route 72. The solid frame, forks and reassuring v brakes meant that I had enough confidence to leave the tarmac and find the odd bump, bunny hop pot holes and generally not worry about coming off when things got a bit rough.

Shimano Altus rear mech and cassette with huge 34 tooth big ring.

As we reached Tynemouth, I became more aware of the main component that perhaps is the 8.2’s week point, the forks, They were a bit vague and too soft for my liking. I then had to remind myself of the price the 8.2 sells for. Suspension forks on an all aluminium hybrid with off-road capability for less than £500 is actually quite impressive and certainly wouldn’t have been available a few years ago.

The group set is an eclectic mix of Suntour and Shimano components but they all worked well together regardless of what the pressure I put on the drive chain. The most interesting bit from my point of view was the massive 34 tooth cog in the rear cassette (my road bike’s front inside cog has 36 teeth!) This coupled with the 28 inside ring on the crank made for a super low ratio that demolished any steep climb and would certainly be a bonus for a rider carrying panniers over any distance.

The view one’s derriere will get of the DS saddle.

One advantage hybrids normally have over a road bike is that the riding position and contact points are more comfortable. The DS, I’m pleased to say, was no exception to this general rule. Although, I did the Hub ride in cycle shorts I did put in a few miles without padding between me and the saddle and it is more than comfortable enough for commuting or leisurely sunday spins.

So what did I think?

The ride out to Tynemouth was a gentle pace with barely a sweat broken. 10.6 miles in about 95 mins isn’t going to worry any pro cyclist that’s for sure. However, I needed to get back to the Hub in a hurry, so I left the group enjoying coffee and cake and heading off on my own. This time I put my foot down. Just 32 mins for the route back, certainly got closer to testing the limits of the DS 8.2 with my 82kg on it. When ridden hard the Trek DS coped admirably. Nothing broke, I didn’t scare myself by passing the limit of the brakes or tyres.

For a budget of £450 and assuming you only want/need/have room for one bike and you want that bike to be able to a lot of different things (or you’re not sure what sort of cycling your going to want to do) then the Trek DS 8.2 is a hard bike to beat. I rode the 2013 model, which inevitably will be replaced shortly by the 2014 range. This means you’ll be able to (if you’re lucky) snap up a  2013 model at a bargain price or wait for the 2014 model that is almost certainly going to be a little bit better.

A Dual Sport hybrid, it turns out, is actually quite a good idea. For the DS 8.2, the compromises in component quality are more than made up for by the low price and all round capability of the bike. It definitely gets my recommendation.

Disclaimer: No payment was received for the testing of this product and the product was returned afterwards. 

New Kink and Trek Bikes 2013 Have Arrived!!

We are really excited about the new Kink and Trek bikes for 2013!

• Kink

Now in store are the 2013 Kink Curb, Gap, Launch and Whip:

Kink Curb

Kink Gap

Kink Launch

Kink Whip

And also the Subrosa Range:

Subrosa 2013

More information about these models is available at http://www.kinkbmx.com.

Although there isn’t an online store for Kink, the 2013 models are available from Cycle Centre now.  Call us for more info on 0191 2651472.

We were so excited about their arrival that we have had a new stand built in our showroom.

Here is our joiner Alan enjoying a days work at Cycle Centre!  (I think we may have snapped him in between thoughts, lol!)

“When’s it time for a tea break?”

But all joking aside, it’s coming along great thanks to Alan’s handy skills.  Thanks Alan!!

 

• Trek

We now have in stock the 7.2fx and 7.5 fx.

The new features of the 2013 Trek Hybid, Road / Off Road bikes include a redesigned, lighter frame and improved gear system, giving an all round faster ride.

Also in stock are the new 2013 Trek 3 Series Mountain Bikes 3500, 3700 and 3900.

http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/bikes/mountain/sport/3_series/3500/#

http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/search/results?q=3700

http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/search/results?q=3900

With good suspension, a wide gear range and disc brakes, they make off roading a lot of fun!

Coming soon are the new Trek 2013 Road Bikes, including the 1.1, 1.2, and 1.5.

And, we are also looking forward to receiving the new Giant 2013 range next month.