Giant Revolt E+

Power and performance aplenty for mid-level off-road adventures, but with a fair helping of road bike sensibilities

Giant says its Revolt E+ model is for “rough roads to gravel, dirt and mixed-terrain adventures” – you might see this kind of drop bar off- road- capable e- bike described as a gravel bike or adventure bike. But whatever you call it, it’s effectively designed to take the road bike off the tarmac and onto farm tracks, forest roads and the like.

The spec looks top drawer. Giant is one of the largest bike manufacturers in the world and so has the capabilities and know- how to take Shimano’s hardware, in the form of its top- of the line mid- drive motor, and stamp its own software performance on them. In this case, Giant has taken one of Yamaha’s top performing motors, the 85Nm Shimano EP80, and transformed it into its own Syncdrive

Pro. Its six- sensor technology calculates and determines the exact amount of power needed for any riding situation from steep off- road climbs to fast on- road flat sections.

The battery boasts longer range and quicker charging capabilities (up to 80 per cent in 2.2 hours) than the company’s previous battery models. The Revolt E+ also comes with an optional Energypak Plus range extender, which provides an additional 250Wh of power.

Finally there is a sleek, top tube- integrated Ridecontrol Go button for changing power modes. With a press of this button the rider can choose to have the support levels adjust automatically while riding, instead of having to increase or decrease the level of pedal assist manually. Smartassist also connects via ANT+ to a bike computer, with additional controls and customisable data fields available via Giant’s Ridecontrol smartphone app. The lights on the unit also display battery level and support mode, meaning a lovely uncluttered handlebar without displays and a cockpit area that very much has a road bike look and feel.

► £4,999 giant- bicycles.com