2020 GIANT FASTROAD E+ EX PRO
R I D E R E V I E W
P82
Rather than doing a test on a
mountain bike, which seems to be
the most common crossover among
motorcycle riders, I decided to try one
for commuting to the Cycle News of-
fice. I have an 18.5-mile door-to-door
commute, with some dirt sections to
make it more interesting. I have done
it on my gravel bike, but the need
to transport my laptop, clothes, and
lunch in a backpack makes it a bit of a
pain. It takes me about an hour and 10
minutes each way.
I chose the Giant Fastroad E+ EX
Pro, which includes a rack and com-
fortable mountain bike-style handle-
bars and ergonomics. The rack
allowed me to add Giant's optional
soft panniers to carry all my stuff
and still have room to transport other
random things that come up when
you are commuting. It also includes
full fenders and large front and rear
lights to improve daytime visibility to
distracted drivers or get you home
in the dark. The 27.5-inch diameter
wheels with 2.4-inch-wide tires are
extremely versatile and work well on
the road and gravel. The Fastroad
has a bit of an industrial, or some
would say "grandpa" look to it, but
the functionality trumps looks for me.
Details
The Giant Fastroad E+ EX Pro utilizes
an aluminum frame and aluminum
fork. Like most Mountain Bikes now,
it uses a single front sprocket and
has 10 sprockets on the rear. The
shifting is managed via a Shimano
rear derailleur. Shimano also sup-
plies the front and rear disc brakes.
Giant produces most of the rest of
the components, including the seat,
seatpost, handlebars and stem.
E-bikes can turn a
boring commute
into a fun rip on two
wheels. I chose a
route that included
some dirt sections,
and the MTB style
handlebars and large
tires work great in all
conditions.
