The legendary Italian brand Colnago has joined the e-road revolution with the launch of the e64. Based on their classic C64 race bike, the e64 incorporates a 250 watt hub-based motor courtesy of Ebikemotion into a sleek and lightweight frame, with the full bike plus engine weighing in at just 12kg.
Review: Orbea Gain
Stealthy assisted speed: eBikes that look like road bikes
We're fans of the Ebikemotion system for its light weight at just 3.7kg for the whole unit, and the fact that the motor slots into the rear hub means there's nothing too lumpy to add bulk to the frame like mid-motor systems - just the battery in the e64's down tube in this case, which Colnago appear to have integrated perfectly. The Ebikemotion system supplies 250 watts as standard, and Colnago will soon be offering the additional power pack available from Ebikemotion that can kick out an additonal 250 watts to increase your range, which just replaces a bottle cage on your seat tube. You can't remove Ebikemotion unlike the Fazua system that appears on Pinarello's Nytro, but when the bike weighs this little it's a pretty negligible issue if you do want to go for an unassisted spin. The only mainstream e-road bike with a 250 watt motor we know of that claims to be lighter is the 11kg Ribble sLE at the time of writing.
There are three levels of assist controlled via a button on the top tube. You can also download the Ebikemotion app to gain access to additional metrics, and control the assist according to your heart rate when paired with a heart rate monitor.
The design of the e64 is "inspired" by the C64 according to Colnago, with the signature 'sloping geometry' that they say is lighter, stronger and stiffer than their rivals. The full carbon monocoque frame is also designed and made in Italy.
The e64 comes in two colourways - grey/black/yellow and black/white/orange - and is built around a full 11 speed Shimano Ultegra mechanical groupset. The e64 comes in two colourways - grey/black/yellow and black/white/orange - and is built around a full 11 speed Shimano Ultegra mechanical groupset. The price for the full bike is £5,199.95, head over to the landing page on Colnago's website for full specs and details.
