My life with the Colnago E64
Friend of Saint Piran, Robert Pidgeon, explains why he’s glad that he chose the Colnago E64 as his first e-bike
Why an e-bike?
Without wishing to get into the never-ending argument about whether to embrace e-bikes or not, let me give you a little of my background and the lead up to buying the Colnago E64.
I am an "old time" cyclist. I was a keen schoolboy cyclist in the Mid Cornwall CC back in the late 1960's/early 70's (that’s when I got to know Len Pascoe and Ricci when he still used stabilisers). But the distractions of beer, women and work meant I dropped out of cycling for many years, and instead took the route of rugby, squash and running (don’t hold that last choice against me)! I now live in Suffolk and got back into road cycling about 10 years ago when I bought a Cannondale CAAD8, which I still use in the summer, and which currently lives in Watopia on Zwift. For the last 5-6 years my winter sport has been "Bikejor", which is mountain biking assisted by one or two dogs attached to the head tube.
As the years have overtaken me and as a result of my varied sporting history, I now have knackered knees (arthritis) - but the good news is that even though I have difficulty walking very far, I can cycle painlessly! Having now retired, at 66 I have decided to spend more time road cycling.
I live in Suffolk - not renowned for its hills, although there are some rolling bits - but plan to widen my horizons. The Rattler Pro Sportive in 2019, organised by Saint Piran, was a challenge to say the least and saw me walking up some of the Cornish hills.
So I decided to look at e-road bikes, to minimise my embarrassment at the 2020 Rattler ride and to increase my general enjoyment of riding. I'm interested in riding socially at a reasonable pace and for a decent distance (up to around 100 miles). I thought that an e-bike would allow me to do that and maintain my enjoyment of cycling for years to come.
The selection process
So what are the choices when it comes to road e-bikes? What follows is not a comprehensive comparison but highlights the key decision points for me.
There are two types of e-road bike.
1. Those with a motor built into the bottom bracket and with a large battery bolted to the bike’s down tube. They:
Typically have a 500Wh battery and a 60-mile manufacturer estimated range
Are heavy - typically 17kg and over
Share the aesthetic appeal of a pre-facelift Fiat Multipla people carrier (look it up!)
2. Those based on the Ebikemotion hub, with the motor built into the rear hub, and the battery hidden in the down tube. They:
Typically have a 250Wh battery and a 40-mile manufacturer estimated range. Range extender batteries are available that attach to the down tube in the same way as a water bottle and almost double the range.
Weigh around 11-15kg
Look like real bikes.
In both types of e-bike, assistance is limited to 25kph
I decided to go down the Ebikemotion route for two reasons.
First, aesthetics. I wouldn’t achieve my aim of reducing my embarrassment levels in the 2020 Rattler ride if I was riding something that looked like Yoda with mumps. And as an old school cyclist, I believe that bikes should look like bikes. Secondly, weight. Ebikemotion bikes are still light enough to be ridden without electric assistance. The alternative would be like dragging an anchor.
Here are the bikes I considered:
Ribble Endurance SLe
Colnago E64
Bianchi Aria
Orbea Gain
Price-wise they were all similar, though the Ribble offered a 105 option which was a little cheaper. Luckily, a successful PPI reclaim meant that price was not the main deciding factor. As I was buying a bike to last me for the rest of my cycling life, I wanted to get the best I could afford. (Thank you PPI!)
So how did I decide on the Colnago?
I considered the others, but Ricci mentioned that he could do a deal on the Colnago E64 and then everything happened very quickly.
On March 5th, I attended the St Piran Launch at BikeChain Bissoe. Colnago UK had brought a selection of bikes to display, including an E64 and I fell in love with it (especially in the black/white/orange colour). Unfortunately that bike was too small for me so I spent time with Ricci and Luke from Colnago and agreed that I needed a 55cm frame.
On March 6th (yes - the next day!), Colnago delivered my bike from Italy to Bikechain Ricci. I could have taken it away then, but It been set up with "European" brakes – i.e. with the front brake on the left, which was obviously not a good idea for someone with three other bikes set up the UK way! So on March 7th I took the bike home.
Yes, I didn’t test ride the bike, and that's wrong, but I knew I'd like it. Why? Well, it’s a Colnago, Ricci and Luke helped to size it and I trust Ricci’s assurances and guarantees.
Riding the E64
So, first of all, yes, it's an e-bike! However, it is not an ugly monster like some others, but could easily pass as a normal manual bike. The only difference is the Ebikemotion motor that takes the place of the rear hub. The battery is hidden in the down tube - which is no larger than that on many other bikes. Second, it's a Colnago! Modelled on the C64 and using the C64 fork, it handles and looks like a normal road bike. And third, it’s stunningly beautiful!
So what's it like?
Well it handles just like any other road bike. At 12kg, it’s slightly heavier, but not enough to really make a difference to me. If you've ever seen me and my size, then you will understand that statement. If I were a lithe young cyclist, interested in racing and time trialling, it would make a difference. But I'm not in that league.
Riding it with the motor switched off, I've not been able to detect any significant downside to having the motor and battery. This is a responsive, pedigree Colnago. Say no more!
Ultegra is a dream - smooth, accurate and almost silent shifting - but you probably already knew that.
I use Brooks c15 saddles on my other bikes and had assumed I would change the saddle supplied with the e64. So far though the Prologo saddle has been very comfortable so I’m going to persevere with it.
If I were to replace the rear wheel with a normal (non-motorised) one, I would happily still ride the E64. But why would I do that?
The key thing to remember is that the motor gives ASSISTANCE - i.e. it only engages if you are pedalling as well, and it switches off when you reach 25kph (15.5mph). Over that speed, it’s a manual bike. With the motor engaged, you get the option of three levels of assistance - quaintly named "1", "2", and "3" – selected by pressing a button on the top tube. Obviously the higher you set the level of assistance, the shorter the range before the battery runs out.
At first I thought the button on the top tube was a bit of a pain, and that a handlebar-mounted control would be better. But having done a few rides, I realise that you don’t actually change the setting very often.
The button on the top tube changes colour to indicate the assistance level selected, and the remaining battery power. It’s fairly intuitive, though it took a couple of rides to remember. Alternatively there is a comprehensive app for your phone, connected to the bike via Bluetooth, showing such things as the assistance level, speed, remaining power, range etc. It also offers navigation, though I've not tried it navigation yet. I’m using the app at the moment, but will probably go without it in eventually.
As well as enabling the assistance level to be changed, the phone app has some interesting features such as:
A "point of no return" warning
Range estimation
A "heart rate" setting where the app automatically changes the assistance level based on your heart rate. I've not been able to get this working yet!
How do I use the motor assistance?
Initially I found myself changing the level a lot, but now I set it at my expected level for the ride (either off, or at level 1 around Suffolk), and leave it until I need a bit more help. I see little point in continually changing it.
The assistance feels like you have a tail wind. Not a sudden surge, but a gradual, gentle push when you need it most. I have used level 3 on the only thing that looks like a hill round here, and it means I can ascend with ease in the saddle and mid-cassette, when I would normally be out of the saddle and labouring up it in bottom gear.
What about range?
I now set the assistance at level 1 and increase it when necessary, which seems to suit my power requirements and maximises range.
Based on that, I've done the following rides in Suffolk:
23 miles - used 34% of the battery
30 miles - used 52% of the battery.
31 miles - used 52% of the battery
So I guess my range is around 60 miles here and that would probably come down to 40 miles In Cornwall. I have asked Ricci to get me the range extender battery, which should give me easily 100 miles around here and 60 or so in Cornwall.
So what's my opinion of the Colnago E64?
In summary, I love it!
It’s a great bike, and I've not found anything to criticise.
I will avoid any embarrassment at the next Rattler Ride.
It looks like a normal bike - most people wouldn’t know it’s an e-bike.
It has effectively brought back my youth - I can now ride without worrying about whether I will complete my planned route.
I now ride (and finish!) with a smile on my face.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely yes! Either for those like me needing some assistance to maintain the level of enjoyment, or for fitter riders just wanting an excellent bike for social relaxed rides. It’s not cheap - but it’s worth it!