Owners of Fazua Evation-equipped bikes will already know about the system's lightness, convenience via the sleek button to change power modes and versatility with the removable downtube battery... but it's not really a patch on more powerful mid-motor systems from the likes of Bosch. Fazua now say their Black Pepper firmware update closes the gap, delivering a sharper kick in power with cadence support up to 150rpm, and a more realistic ride.
"Improved performance, full individuality and an even more natural riding experience" is how the German innovators summarise their drive system revamp, and it comes in the form of two updates: Evation Motor Software 2.0 and Toolbox Software 2.0. For Evation 2.0, Fazua redesigned the riding dynamics of the drive system to incorporate "biomechanical principles using intelligent formulas" which is what they say leads to a more realistic ride feel; although it's still evolution of revolution, with Fazua saying the fundamentals haven't changed, the drive system has just been 'honed'. Fazua's Biomechanics specialist Pascal Ketterer says:
“From a biomechanical standpoint, we’re even closer to the rider than before, and our software now generates assistance that is even gentler and more natural, all while delivering more power. With this update, we’re improving efficiency, adding more customisation, and taking the Fazua Evation drive’s unique natural riding feel to an even higher level,”
Specifically, the Evation 2.0 upgrades include better efficiency, and a far greater cadence range. Fazua 1.0 was optimised for cadences of 70rpm, meaning if you pedal at a high cadence the motor would struggle to kick in; it's now optimised for 90rpm and can deliver a constant motor output up to 125rpm, so you get the full support no matter how fast you pedal.
The improvements to riding dynamics mean the ride experience is still characterised by gentle and natural assistance, but Fazua say it now feels even more authentic. The reworked algorithms should adapt to your individual pedalling style to ensure you have the right level of assistance for each riding scenario.
The Toolbox software update means you'll now be able to customise the assistance modes (Breeze, River and Rocket) and also change the amount of power delivered when you ramp up from a dead start - selecting the most powerful setting means ramp-up can kick in with just one step on the pedal. Ketterer says: “The Max Power, Support Relation and Ramp-Up performance features can now be personally customised. The basic selection for each of these three features includes three preconfigured settings. They can also be custom-configured for each mode in the advanced setup.”
Black Pepper will come ready set up on all new Canyon e-bikes - including the new Endurace e-road bike launched today - and owners of existing Fazua-powered bikes just need to download the firmware update from the 16th April to start taking advantage of the improvements. Head over to Fazua's website for more info.
