Estarli E28

A slick and efficient commuter or flat bar road bike with a diminutive rear hub motor and frame-integrated battery

A large part of the Estrali’s sleek appearance is thanks to its captive internal 375Wh battery and integrated handlebar display. There may be a few cables bundled in front of the bars, but the bike is generally quite handsome.

The large wheels give a stable yet speedy ride, while a flat bar adds to the sporty feel of the bike. The drive system is in tune with these aims, with a small hub motor making it easy to pedal on the flat or up slight inclines, giving you exercise while extending the range. The eight gears should help you up all but the steepest of hills, even if the motor isn’t in the same league as beefier mid-drives. The in-built battery also means you’ll need to get the whole bike within range of a socket to recharge it.

The E28 makes the most of its drive system by featuring a torque sensor at the bottom bracket to maximise its range. This means the rider decides when to deliver the power because the motor responds to pressure on the pedals and not simply the fact that they’re turning. In short, you can’t just turn the cranks as if ghost-pedalling and get the motor to do all the work. You still have to put in a bit of effort yourself. This helps make the ride feel sportier and more like that of a road bike.

There’s also an additional movement sensor that comes to the fore in the top two power levels. Estarli says this gives a more responsive power pickup without needing so much physical input from the rider.

The bike has a hardwired front light and a battery-powered rear light as standard. You can also pay extra to have the E28 fitted with an interesting-looking front suspension fork, a rear pannier rack and uprated Schwalbe puncture-resistant tyres. In other words, upgrading this speedy bike into a serviceable all-weather commuting or errand-running machine is dead easy.

It’s also reassuring to see that all Estarli’s e-bikes are assembled in Hertfordshire, so you’ll have Uk-based backup in the unlikely event of a fault or failure. ▶ From £1,550

▶ estarli.co.uk