Let’s face it: the generic touring or commuter eBike is still conceived as a standard bike with bolt-on tech, with ergonomics and aesthetics obviously a lower priority than profitable production scales. If it’s up to Sven Cycles, that equation will get flipped.
Sure, Shimano’s STEPS system is still a bolt-on system requiring a purpose-built frame, but that’s where the custom frame builder again has an advantage over the mass market: a handmade steel STEPS frame retains integrity and the quality of design.
Sven has previous experience in this field, an example of which we’ve seen before. But this one is a ‘full-dresser’ tourer with all the bells and whistles, built for a lifelong club rider and cyclotourist who will take it to the Outer Hebrides for its maiden voyage.
The team at Sven make a special point of building an eBike for the discerning rider and their intentions, which seems to run contrary to the current wave of offerings from the high street bike shop — and manage to keep the price in the same ballpark.
The client, whilst being a long-term cyclist, has osteoporosis but wants to get back up to his 7,000 mile-a-year standard. The Reynolds 853 frame’s geometry was designed with loaded and electric-assisted stability in mind, as well as his limited rotational flexibility.
Hence there are little touches like a rear light mounted on the carbon fender linked to the Garmin’s traffic sensor, rearview mirrors, as well as custom stainless steel guards around the dual SON dynamo headlights.
While it may not be as nimble as a traditionally-powered bike, it takes the benefits of an eBike and gives it the beauty of a bespoke build. Who wouldn’t want to ride it around the Outer Hebrides?