Vaast E/1 Rohloff
€8,749 Absolutely everything included
Weight 35.7kg Frame Aluminium Fork Suntour Brakes Shimano Wheels Rohloff E-14 Speedhub rear, Shimano front Ebike system Bosch Gen 4 motor, PowerTube 500 battery Finishing kit Racks, kickstand, Schwalbe Super Moto-X tyres, Selle Royal Forum saddle
VAAST TOOK THE cycling world by storm with its magnesium-framed A/1 gravel machine. Now the Ohio-based brand’s sophomore effort brings the very smoothest of rides to the urban ebike.
The design, with its step-through frame, 110mm-travel fork and steady geometry, is well thought-out. The riding position is upright and it offers the smoothest ride I’ve ever experienced from this type of bike.
The key factor is the 100mm-travel rear suspension, which maintains a constant distance between the pedals and saddle, even as you navigate kerbs and steps, though the air suspension does need careful set-up to get the most from it.
With ebikes, it can be tricky to get the balance between your pedalling, the motor and the compliance in the system – but there’s no bobbing about on this. In fact, the E/1’s smoothness borders on overkill, especially when combined with the fork’s 110mm of travel. For the relatively wellkept roads, towpaths and byways I used the E/1 on, it was barely challenged.
There’s one penalty for this comfort, and that’s the E/1’s near 36kg weight. It’s also a big bike. And, while the motor and battery are neatly contained in the centre, leaving the suspension independent, it means you can’t use the saddle to lift it. But despite the Vaast’s vast weight, I was still able to manage an impressive maximum distance of 74.87km/46.52miles, which took in a substantial 537m/1,762ft of climbing.
The bike’s also very well equipped, with lights, racks and a substantial kickstand – but it really needs a dual under-bottom bracket stand, as it was an issue getting it close to bike-parking rails to lock it.
I’m not sure Vaast knew where to stop when it came to kitting out the E/1. The mid-mounted Bosch CX 85Nm motor is a favourite of mine, with a smooth power delivery and plenty of oomph – but it just doesn’t need Rohloff’s 14-speed hub. That’s too many gears and the lowest is far too low. From a standing start, it was a race between my thumb pushing up through the gears and the Rohloff trying to keep up – and with the motor adding assistance, my legs became a cartoon-like blur.
I admire what Vaast has achieved with the E/1, but perhaps the flagship model could be toned down a tad. I’d consider the cheaper Enviolo hub-equipped version, with its constant variable transmission, or even the simpler 12-speed entry-level bike.
Verdict
Super-comfortable and well-equipped suspension ebike – but weighty and expensive
“The riding position is upright, and the E/1 offers the smoothest ride I’ve experienced from this type of bike”