Road ebikes

Specialized Turbo Creo SL Expert Evo $10,199

With the new Turbo Creo, Specialized has combined two increasingly popular cycling themes: power-assist technology and gravel bikes. The Creo SL Expert Evo uses the same Fact 11r carbon frame as the S-works model, but adds in a lightweight motor that provides 240 W of silent assistance and a internal 320-Wh battery that will keep you powered for more than 125 km. Going super long? A range extender is available to add another 60 km. Despite the capabilities and infrastructure on the frame, Specialized says the Creo SL is the lightest ebike in its class. Its long wheelbase and low bottom bracket make for a stable platform at any speed on gravel roads. The drivetrain is a 1 x 11 Shimano Ultegra Di2. You also get Specialized’s Future Shock 2.0 damping technology and an X-fusion dropper seatpost. ( specialized.com/ca)

Trek Domane+ LT 9 $17,000

Take a quick glance at the 2020 Trek Domane+ LT and you’ll likely think it’s a traditional road bike with an overbuilt down tube. But hiding away in there is a game-changer. As with the Domanes that came before it, the LT 9 is a high-end carbon race bike built up with Shimano’s flagship Dura-ace Di2 drivetrain, disc brakes and Bontrager carbon wheels. But making this Domane different is a Fazua Evation motor and a 250-Wh battery that provide you a boost with enough juice to help get you up the steepest of climbs or hang on to your fastest friends in a group ride. The whole system is controllable via a smartphone and, if you know you won’t need the extra boost, the combined motor and battery unit can be removed and replaced with a storage cover, saving 2.9 kg from the bike’s weight. Whether the system is enabled or not, you’re getting a well-sorted, race-ready bike with fantastic handling and customizable Isospeed ride-smoothing technology that takes the edge off the bumpy roads. ( trekbikes.com)

Wilier Cento10 Hybrid $14,998

When Wilier released its Cento Hybrid ebike to the market, it was setting a new standard for what a power-assist road bike could do. Now, with the Cento10, Wilier is taking it a step further with an ultra-light carbon monocoque frame that is seven per cent lighter than the Cento that came before it. As car manufacturers have discovered, aerodynamics equals efficiency and range, so the Cento10 offers a completely hidden assist system with internally routed cables and a one-piece handlebar/stem that has the ebike controls built in. The new disc frame has a waterproof charging point for the 250-Wh battery, which powers a 250-W rear-hub motor. The spec on this build has Shimano’s workhorse Ultegra Di2 drivetrain and Ultegra flat-mount disc brakes. ( arg-sports.com)—dandakin

Easton EC70 AX Disc $1,550

Easton offers the EC70 AX Disc in 700c (weighing 1,515 g for the pair) for the modern-day adventure cyclist looking for a tubeless upgrade. They have 21-mm deep rims with internal widths of 24 mm, ideal for a vast array of gravel or cyclocross tire options. The wheels are built around Easton’s X5 Centerlock hubs, using Sapim straight-pull spokes. The hubs are available in quick release and 12-x-142-mm thru-axle configurations. ( eastoncycling.ca)

Hunt 52 Carbon Aerodynamicist $1,939

The Hunt 52 Carbon Aerodynamicist wheelset is designed to give you an aero advantage. The 52-mm deep pair (1,518 g) features a 19.5-mm inner and 27-mm outer rim profile that widens to 28.8-mm to improve aerodynamics from multiple directions because, after all, you ride outside, not in a wind tunnel. Pillar’s Wing 20 spokes with their aero profiles lace the hubs to the rims: 18 for the front wheel and 24 to keep things stiff in the rear. The hubs come stock with Ceramicspeed bearings and are available in all freehub standards. Included in the box are Brakco carbon-specific brake pads, tubeless valves and even a few spare spokes. ( huntbikewheels.cc)

Cadex 42 Disc Tubeless $4,000

Back in 1987, Cadex was the name of Giant’s first carbon road bike. Today, the massive manufacturer has resurrected the moniker for its premium aftermarket component division. The Cadex 42 wheels (named after their rim depth in millimetres) weighs 1,327 g and registers a 19.4-mm inner and 23-mm outer rim width. The carbon hoops are laced with custom straight-pull carbon spokes – 24 in the rear and 21 up front – using Giant’s dbl system, or dynamic balanced lacing, which aims for ideal tension of the wheels while they’re in motion, not in the truing stand. Hubs are offered in Centerlock disc with either xdr or 11-speed Shimano/sram freehub body. ( cadex-cycling.com)