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TECH NEWS

Vivax Veloce e-bike gets lighter

Updated e-bike with integrated Gruber system now weighs 9.5kg

E-bikes continue to advance at a steady pace, and the latest is the new and improved Vivax Veloce. A new carbon frame and water bottle battery, plus a wireless start button, has reduced the weight down to 9.5kg.

That’s a reduction from 9.7kg for last year’s version, which had an alloy frame. A move to carbon fibre for the frame material has allowed them to bring the weight down, and they’ve worked with an Italian frame manufacturer to develop this specifically for their demands.

A significant change has been the relocation of the battery from the saddlebag to the water bottle, mounted to the seat tube, which looks much cleaner.

Inside the seat tube is a Gruber motor that works by means of a bevel gear that engages with another one on your Hollowtech cranks. It’s a very simple design and means the bike looks like a regular bike, something that can’t be said for most e-bikes on the market at the moment. The battery and motor adds a claimed 1.8kg to the bike.

A push of the start button delivers a 200 watt power increase, designed to assist you on the hills and flats. Running time is a claimed 70 minutes under full loads.

The Vivax Veloce costs from €5,499 and it’s available in five sizes with a Shimano Ultegra groupset. So if you want an e-bike that looks like a road bike with a small weight penalty, here you go.

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

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9 comments

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mattbibbings | 11 years ago
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Well put Steve

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Cooks | 11 years ago
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Lovely design.

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Steve Worland | 11 years ago
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Gruber motor assisted road bikes are great for less able riders. They only give a small boost to pedal power but that can be enough to allow the less able to enjoy the rides of the more able rather than staying at home wishing they could. I know older riders who have given up altogether simply because they feel they can't keep up with their mates any more

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Angelfishsolo | 11 years ago
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This will now be my excuse for being beaten by the older rider. "It was one of those e-bikes"  3

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Al__S | 11 years ago
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I can understand why people want e-bikes. My mum's on her second one. I can't for the life of me get why you'd want a "road e-bike" though. I could almost unserstand if it was a slightly more upright touring bike with all the attachment points for racks and mudgaurds, but surely otherwise the only point of a road bike is something that you use for exercise/racing?

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Mr Will replied to Al__S | 11 years ago
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Don't know but I can now picture your mum flying up box hill on one, furious MAMILs being left in her wake...

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Mart replied to Al__S | 11 years ago
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Al__S wrote:

I can't for the life of me get why you'd want a "road e-bike" though.

Strava KOM's will fall....

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faqibg replied to Mart | 11 years ago
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rjfrussell replied to Al__S | 9 years ago
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Al__S wrote:

I can't for the life of me get why you'd want a "road e-bike" though.

Not sure I agree- I ride a fair bit; my wife much less. It would be nice if we were able to ride together more.

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