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ON TEST: Ezee Grace Torq MX Grace is a German bike maker, and UK availability was announced only last year, with Wisper Bikes handling the import, distribution and servicing. The bikes are now available through a range of specialist dealers: see the website or contact them for details. There are two frame sizes for the MX, Medium and Large, but that’s about it as far as factory options go. Of course at this sort of price level, dealers will be happy to add accessories or change particular components as you wish, within reason! As tested, the Grace MX has a recommended retail price of £2995. But the 2013 production model, which should be available in late April, will cost £3295, using the larger capacity 11 Ah Bosch battery and complete with integrated B&M LED lighting system and side stand. » ON THE BIKE The MX is an imposing bit of kit, there’s no doubt about that! In stealth black throughout, the angular contours of its frame and the bulk of the downtube all give it an almost military look. There’s a certain logic to the layout. The Bosch motor is tilted upwards so most of its bulk lies along the line of the downtube, ensuring there’s plenty of ground clearance. Then the battery extends along this same line, protected by the ‘shell’ of the split tube. This keeps the wheelbase short compared to bikes with the battery behind the seat tube: this is generally a good thing for manoeuvrability and grip when climbing off-road, as more weight is on the back wheel. The downside is a weight bias somewhat towards the front of the bike. This is noticeable mainly when carrying or lifting it, and it also makes lifting the front wheel deliberately a little harder. Anyway, the battery is certainly well secured within the downtube: it slots in from below and locks in place. There’s a substantial hinged alloy plate which backs up the battery lock, and this latches using spring-loaded alloy blocks which engage bolt heads on the downtube sides. I found it a tad awkward to close, but very secure once in place. At 36 V, 8 Ah (288 Wh) the standard Bosch battery isn’t huge even for a crank drive bike, but it does charge Specification Weight overall (inc batteries): 25.0 kg Battery weight: 2.51 kg Bike only weight: 22.49 kg Charger weight: 1.05 kg (inc. mains cable). Battery type: Li-Ion. Battery capacity: 288 Watt hours (8 Ah 36 V). Gearing: Belt drive: 50T ring, 26T sprocket. NuVinci N360 CVT hub. Ratios 25-91". Brakes: Avid Elixir 5 hydraulic disks, front 180 mm, rear 200 mm. Lighting: Dynamo (updated version for 2013). Other accessories fitted: bell. Price as tested: £2995 quickly (they say it’ll charge to 100% in 2.5 hours, or to 80% in an hour and a half) so half-way charging may well be possible on long trips. The charger, incidentally, is nicely styled with the typical macho Bosch look and essentially silent in operation. Because off-road riding is so varied, Grace quote a range figure of 15-40 miles per charge: I’d guess it’ll be towards the lower end of that for ABOVE: The Bosch charger continues the tough styling theme. RIGHT: The battery pack is well protected within the split downtube. It’s held in both by a key lock and by the spring loaded alloy catches visible here towards the top of the pack. more technical, hilly riding. Bosch have announced an 11 Ah version of their battery for 2013, in the same casing, so users who do need extra range could upgrade to this or buy one as a spare: in the UK the 11 Ah packs are £545 each. Spares for the 8 Ah version cost around £415. The Bosch drive itself is pretty much concealed within the frame. More visible is the control unit, which Issue 6 Electric Bike 11
+ON TEST clicks neatly into its socket on the handlebars, and offers four power modes with three levels of assist in each – overly complex perhaps, but if you’re like me you’ll leave it on full blast mostly, anyway. The display is good and clear, with the usual speed, battery status and distance displays. The Bosch drive is fitted with a pulley for the Gates belt drive system, which runs without oil or grease lubrication back to the rear hub. It’s almost unaffected by mud, and won’t go rusty like a chain which gets wet, so it’s a promising choice for an MTB. The belt is also lighter than a chain, and Gates claim excellent durability. It’s especially good for a crank drive e-bike, as these can be hard on chains. The hub which it drives is the NuVinci N360. NuVinci are the only manufacturer of continuously variable drives for bikes – unlike conventional gear systems, there are no steps between ratios. Instead, you can vary the ratio continuously, by twisting the handlebar grip, over a range of 3.6:1. This is about the same range as a single-chainring derailleur system. The clever display on the handlebar control shows instantly which gear you’re in via a line that goes flat (for high gears) or hillshaped (for low ones). The technology is now well proven, and after several years of production these hubs have a reputation for toughness, even on cargo bikes and other heavy duty applications. Good for off-road use, then. The only question mark about the NuVinci is efficiency: reliable numbers are hard to come by but it’s generally thought to concede only a little to a clean derailleur drive. The hub is mounted in heavy duty adjustable dropouts (for setting belt tension) which, like the rest of the frame, look solidly made to withstand some off-road abuse. One rather minor criticism is that there are no bottle cage mounts provided. The rest of the equipment on the MX is high quality stuff. There are SRAM Elixir hydraulic disk brakes, a good set of suspension forks (Rock LEFT: The Bosch drive system is neatly built into the frame, and is fitted here with a pulley for the belt drive rather than a conventional chainring. BELOW LEFT: The belt drive needs no lubrication and is almost maintenance free. Note the sliding dropout system, clamped with two bolts, which allows you to adjust belt tension. BELOW: The control unit clicks into place with a quick twist, and provides a clear readout. Shox Sektor RL), and wheels shod with grippy 2.4"-wide Continental MountainKing tyres. One jarring detail was the dynamo lighting system, a quirk of the German road traffic regulations, which make such things compulsory for bikes over a certain weight. This is clearly something of a token gesture here, with a basic bottle dynamo. 2013 bikes will have a neater system fitted, anyway. The dynamo system may also account for some of the difference between the weight quoted (23 kg) and what we measured: 25.0 kg, both including the battery. It’s rated for an impressive 140 kg maximum rider weight. » OFF THE ROAD If, like me, you’ve not ridden off road for a while, the first ride on the MX will be quite an eye-opener. Setting off up a rough, muddy track it was quite remarkable how those fat, knobbly tyres both grip through the muck and cushion the ride. The wide handlebars provide the leverage to hold the bike on course even as the front wheel is slipping around over ridges and tree roots, with the suspension forks smoothing the worst of its impacts. With all this going on, I’d almost forgotten the Bosch power assist: it was adding to my leg power smoothly and unobtrusively. As a ‘torque sensor’ type drive it measures your effort and adds to it, so it feels like your legs are supercharged, without any sense that it’s taking over. So you retain the ‘feel’ and ability to finesse the power delivery to manoeuvre the bike around obstacles. What it does remove is the pain and effort, leaving you to concentrate rather more on your technique (in my case, staying upright!). Obviously this is the case on hills, but also for those short bursts of power which you need to restore your momentum or regain balance. The drive does have a slight buzz to it, especially if you spin the pedals, but it’s not enough to disrupt the off-road experience. Nor did I find the bike’s extra weight much of an issue when descending – as a fairly cautious off-road novice I wasn’t exactly pushing the boundaries, of course, but it seemed to hold its line well down singletrack trails, with the suspension 12 Electric Bike Issue 6
Page 1: +ON TEST Grace MX German brand Grac

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