Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1257026
2020 GIANT FASTROAD E+ EX PRO R I D E R E V I E W P86 per hour on my gravel bike. The Giant SyncDrive system provides a very natural feel and supplements your pedal load. On the higher power settings, it offers more assistance than lower settings. We found that it rewards a smooth, consistent cadence, which is good practice for riding any kind of bike. E-bikes are polarizing among cyclists, as some feel that rid- ing one is cheating, but I believe there are several good reasons for choosing an e-bike, even for somebody that rides for fitness. First off, they are just plain fun to ride, so you may be more likely to get out and ride. You can still get a great workout but cover more miles faster. I monitored my heart rate like I do on every ride and could match the intensity level achieved on a regular bike. They also allow riders of different fitness levels to enjoy riding together, just like my wife and I do regularly. What is the range? The range for the Giant Fastroad varies widely based on the power mode selected, the number of hills, and how hard you ride. With a hard effort, I used up the bat- tery in as little as 25 miles and an hour of riding. On the opposite end, I put in a 50-mile ride with 2500 feet of climbing over three hours. Just like your own energy supply, you can plan out your efforts and rides to utilize the battery capacity to the fullest. The display indicates how much bat- tery you have by percentage and estimates the remaining range to help with this. For that high-speed 18-mile ride to work, I used up 70% of the capacity, so I car- ried the charger in the paniers to recharge it for the journey home. Giant also offers an auxiliary bat- tery pack that can extend the life and range. How long does it take to charge the battery? The bike comes with a Smart Charger, which charges a completely drained battery in about three and a half hours. Ride Control App The Giant Ride Control App is designed for their e-bikes and provides a lot of cool features. You can tune the bike, monitor rides, setup fitness goals, use navigation and set it to display notifications (such as emails, text, etc.) on the handlebar display. Since I already use Strava for cy- cling, I did not spend a lot of time with the App, but it provides a lot of great features, especially if you are new to cycling. Conclusion A lot of research led me to buy a Giant Stance E Mountain bike for my wife, and we are still just as happy with that bike after a year and a half of regular riding. Two months of riding the Giant Fas- troad E+ EX Pro commuter bike has me hooked. It is well built, works amazing and gets me to ride and commute on days when I do not feel up to it on my regular bike. CN 2020 GIANT FASTROAD E+ EX PRO SPECS ($3500) FRAME: ................................................................................................ ALUXX SL aluminum MOTOR: .......Giant SyncDrive Pro, 360% powered by Yamaha. Pedal-assist up to 28 mph BATTERY: .......................................... Giant EnergyPak 375, 36V Integrated Lithium-Ion DISPLAY: ...........................................................................................Giant RideControl EVO DRIVETRAIN: ..............................................................................Shimano Tiagra, 10 Speed BRAKES: ..................Shimano BR-MT200, Hydraulic Disc, 180mm front / 160mm rear WHEELS: ...................................................................................... Tubeless Ready 27.5 inch TIRES: ............................................................................. Kenda Kwick Seven.5. 27.5 x 2.4 EXTRAS: ................................. Lighting, Rack, Fenders, Kickstand and Battery Charger