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01 Cover2.indd 1 11/03/2011 11:46
01 Cover3.indd 3 12/06/2011 10:22
ON TEST: Ezee Grace Torq MX
fork and wide bars doing most of the
work. Trying to hop the bike sideways
was more of a task – doable, but lighter
riders might find it harder.
The belt drive just worked: I
couldn’t detect any lack of directness
(through stretch) and it didn’t seem
to mind at all getting muddy. The
LEFT: A basic bottle
dynamo powers the LED
front light and a rear LED
cluster tucked below the
saddle.
HIGH POINTS:
Bosch assist, belt drive
and NuVinci hub are
a uniquely effective
combination for off-road
Top quality parts
Great styling and build
quality
LOW POINTS:
High price (but you
get lots of technology
for it)
Heavy for a mountain
bike (but not for an
electric one)
GOOD FOR:
Well-heeled MTBers
Quality minded buyers
Off-roaders looking
for a low maintenance
assisted bike
Available from:
Grace UK & Ireland
and their dealers: Tel
01590 681553 or see
www.gracebikes.co.uk
for details.
‘gearless’ hub felt a little strange at
first without distinct steps, but it’s
easy to get used to and being able to
shift without moving the pedals is a
bonus if you get caught in the wrong
ratio. The range was well chosen: low
enough to get you up almost anything,
high enough to pedal faster than the
electric assist cut-off speed of 15 mph.
Riding to and from trails on tarmac,
the bike buzzed along (on those
knobbly tyres) well enough. There’s
a lockout for the front suspension if
you have a long way to go on the flat,
but for short trips it was more fun to
aim for the potholes instead!
» SUMMARY
The Grace MX is a serious bit of kit,
and felt like a serious contender
off-road, too. It’ll power you through
and up routes which otherwise
require out-of-the saddle heaving
and a helping of good technique. The
NuVinci drive and crank drive assist
were a really effective combination,
making it easy to shift down when
you’re almost stopped and then, with
the electric assist running through
that nice low ratio, to use the
resulting low-speed torque to pull you
out if trouble.
There’s much to like aside from
the electric assist, too. The brakes
are superb and the suspension is top
notch. And the whole bike has a huge
visual appeal.
Downsides Well, the price must
be a consideration, but you do get
a lot for your money in terms of
technology, and Bosch bikes don’t
tend to be cheap to start with. The
weight, which although reasonable
for an electric bike with long-travel
suspension forks, may shock those
used to non-assisted MTBs weighing
around half the MX’s figure. This does
affect the ‘chuckability’ of the bike,
but the MX has other virtues which,
for most riders contemplating such a
machine, will more than compensate.
It’s a mountain bike which
combines new technology (electric,
belt drive, NuVinci hub) with highend
components to produce a very
effective, and to date unique, package.
Peter Eland
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