Engineering the perfect ride: Inside our new E-bike and E-road bike fleet

Just as details make the difference when it comes to the hotels we stay at and the experiences we craft on our trips, sweating the small stuff was the top priority for the team who designed our custom fleet of bikes.&nbsp;This year we launch our new <a href="https://www.butterfield.com/our-bikes">E-bike and Carbon Performance E-Road bike</a>, both top-of-the-line performance bikes found only in our fleet and available only to ride on <a href="https://www.butterfield.com/how-to-travel/small-group/biking">our Biking trips</a>. Their design was overseen by Tim McDermott, B&amp;R’s in-house bike aficionado, who says the goal was to design gear that would offer the same sort of luxury experienced in every other part of our adventures.&nbsp;&nbsp;“One thing I love about working with the team is that we want to make sure we give our travellers the highest-end experience, whether it's a meal, hotel, transfer or bike,” he says.&nbsp;&nbsp;Tim’s knowledge of bike design and understanding of the B&amp;R way of travel run deep—he launched the bike program at Mountain Equipment Company, Canada’s leading outdoor retailer, and has been working with B&amp;R in various capacities, from guiding trips to repair work in our atelier in Beaune, France. In other words, there was no one better suited to ensure our new bike fleet would be the best it could be.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>The Soul of the Ride: Designing an E-bike That Feels Effortless and Natural&nbsp;</h2>What Tim is most excited about with our new E-bike is the heart of the system—the Bosch SX motor. “It drives everything about the feel of the bike,” he explains. Often E-bikes have a kick, a rapid but brief acceleration that riders aren’t always prepared for. But with this Bosch motor on B&amp;R’s model, the acceleration has a gentler arc and momentum a much more natural feel that makes ever ride a smooth journey. “The Bosch SX motor is designed to give our new bikes a much more natural pedalling feel than traditional E-bikes, while still giving plenty of assistance,” he adds.&nbsp;Another decision he and team made was to place the controls at a more accessible and ergonomically sound spot on the handlebars. Sitting within easy reach of the rider’s left thumb, “you don't have to take your hands off the handlebar to use it,” Tim says. This helps every rider maintain control as they cycle through the levels of boost to choose their optimal ride, as well as access their speed, cadence and distance.&nbsp; &nbsp;Together with the bike’s other specs—a lightweight step-through aluminum frame, alloy seat post and carbon fork that dampen shock, and an adjustable stem that allows for riding position to be adjusted to each rider’s preferred posture—this is a covetable and comfortable ride for cyclists of all abilities.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2>The Great Equalizer: A High-Performance Carbon E-Road Bike That Brings Riders Together&nbsp;</h2>The other new addition to our fleet is the Carbon Performance E-Road bike, which uses the best design elements of our pedal road bike while adding in the assist from battery power. “The full carbon fiber frame is great because it's nice and light for the road. Another big advantage is that it has superior vibration damping for a smoother, less fatiguing ride while offering efficient power transfer,” Tim explains. &nbsp;Drop handles ensure riders are in a more performance-focused posture to tackle their rides. &nbsp;And complementing pedal power is a motor from Mahle. The brand-new X20 hub-drive system offers a meaningful assist without the torque that comes with typical E-bikes.&nbsp;&nbsp;Riding at pace, cyclists will still be working—and feel it. But for hills in Tuscany, for example, the assist is there to be used at each rider’s discretion. “It’s really going to help travellers on hills or help on longer days,” Tim explains. He calls the bike model “the great equalizer,” and predicts groups with riders of various skill will appreciate the ability to ride together no matter the terrain. &nbsp;“If you're a group of travellers, and a couple are really experienced cyclists, and couple are a little bit new to it, everyone is going to be able to keep up,” he says. “If there's a hill, they can all ride together and have a little bit more in the tank towards the end of the day.”&nbsp;

<h2>Six Years in the Making—and 60 Years of Luxury Active Travel Behind It&nbsp;</h2>These new bikes have been almost six years in the making. “It was 2019 when we first started talking about the motor,” Tim says. But, he adds, “it’s really been 60 years of doing luxury active travel that has led to the new bikes.&nbsp;“I think that every single person who arrives on day 1 of their B&amp;R trip and looks at their bike is going to think, ‘Oh my gosh, this is going to be a fun week because I get to ride this bike.’”&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.butterfield.com/our-bikes">Dive deeper into our fleet’s specs and features here</a>.&nbsp;

Discover how our custom-designed E-bike and Carbon Performance E-Road bikes elevate luxury active travel—featuring Bosch and Mahle motors, refined comfort, and effortless performance. 

Engineering the perfect ride: Inside our new E-bike and E-road bike fleet

By Butterfield & Robinson

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