Giant Road-E+ Review

A road bike like no other, the Giant Road-E+ has an ALUXX SL aluminium frameset that is strong and lightweight. The crank drive Yamaha motor, that has been tuned by Giant sits central and low where the bottom bracket is, maintaining an optimum weight distribution. The battery is integrated into the downtube, keeping the lines smooth and stylish.

Internal cable routing keeps everything nice and neat and a rubber frame protector under the downtube prevents harm from coming to the battery or motor. A tapered headtube couples with the tapered steerer on the fork, utilising Giant’s Overdrive system for greater stiffness. Both bikes have a carbon fork, helping tame road vibrations while giving quick and direct steering. Finished off with a 12mm bolt through axle up front, further increasing stiffness, while not compromising convenience.

With a fully integrated electric assistance system, the Road-E keeps the addition of a motor subtle. Both the Road-E+ 1 and Road-E+ 2 come with the Giant SyncDrive Pro, the most powerful system offered by Giant, featuring a Yamaha motor putting out a maximum 80Nm of torque from the 250W power with up to 360% assistance. The Giant RideControl EVO manages how much power is given to assist pedalling input. Five modes are available: Eco, Basic, Active, Sport and Power. A screen attached to the handlebars shows all the information you need to know, including battery power, mode and speed. It even has a USB output for charging your devices no the move.

Both bikes have a large capacity 500 Wh battery, giving a range up to 130 Km using Eco mode in average conditions. Both are recharged with a fast charger to speed up times when the juice is low.

Both Road-E+ models get Shimano road gearing, with the Road-E+ 2 sporting a 2x11 105 drivetrain. It has a wide 11-32T cassette so there’s no lack of gearing options. The Road-E+ 1 gets Ultegra components for a higher end shifting experience.

Braking duties are not short-changed, with hydraulic disc brakes on both models. The Road-E+ 1 gets Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc brakes with 160mm rotors for efficient stopping power. The Road-E+ 2 gets Shimano’s 105 hydraulic setup. These give massive stopping power in all conditions, boosting confidence on descents.

Giant’s in-house wheels adorn both models, keeping it in the family while still offering a stiff and lightweight ride. The 700c road wheels are fast rollers, offering little resistance to get you moving in no time. The entry-level model gets the Giant GX28 wheels, which are disc specific and responsive to the extra electric assistance. The wider than usual tyres offer fast rolling and extra comfort for the weight addition of the electric motor and battery.

The higher end model gets Giant’s PR-2 wheels. They are lighter weight, yet just as strong. They are also disc specific and also feature 12mm axle compatibility in front. The hero of the wheelset is the tubeless ready Maxxis re-fuse tyres that are equipped to both bikes. This wide and large volume 32c tyre still rolls like a traditional road tyre but add so much comfort and traction to the ride. They work very well at less than rock-hard pressures while still rolling efficiently. We found the ride quite comfortable on dry bridleways and smoother forest trails.