It’s not often that a company will launch an e-bike into three markets at once, and it’s even more rare that it will be the same bike for all three. But that’s what Orbea are doing with the new Keram e-bike. Available in Asphalt, Comfort and MTB builds the Keram is a cross-platform bike that comes in a wide range of builds. The Keram has been in the Orbea range before but the new bike is much redesigned.
“Among KERAM’s features is a geometry designed for pedaling in a more comfortable and safer position than on traditional-style bikes”, says Orbea. “This is possible thanks primarily to the motor that will do part of the work of pedaling. To design an e-bike well, it is important to start with its features. KERAM is also an extremely easy product to ride, thanks to the agility of its steeply sloping frame and steering angle (among other factors) that make riding especially stable and safe.”
The frame is alloy, with the battery integrated into the underside of the down tube. The Keram bikes use the Bosch Active and Active Plus motors but not the PowerTube internal battery; this is a standard PowerPack semi-integrated into the frame. Orbea has also added the option of a second battery mount above the down tube in the standard position, meaning you can have up to 1,000Wh of capacity for longer adventures. If you’re not using the secondary mount you can fit a water bottle cage or an Abus lock mount on top of it.
The sloping top tube design gives a compact frame design which should make it easy to move around the bike when tackling technical terrain off road, and also hop on and off in urban environments. The frame is available in four sizes from small to extra large to cover all riders.
Three mountain bike specs are available. The Keram Max (£2,799) gets a Shimano XT drivetrain, an Active Plus motor, a 500Wh battery and a 120mm RockShox Recon RL Air Remote fork. Below that there’s the Keram 15 (£2,599) with a downgraded Rockshox fork and a lower-spec Shimano Deore transmission. The cheapest of the MTB builds, the Keram 20 (£2,299) has a very similar spec to the Keram 20, but with a less powerful Active Line motor and a smaller 400Wh battery.
In the Asphalt range there are two models. The Keram Asphalt 20 (£2,799) Has the more powerful Active Line Plus motor and a Shimano Deore transmission while the Keram Asphalt 30 (£2,299) gets more affordable Shimano Altus components and the Active Line motor. Both bikes have integrated Spanninga lights, full mudguards and a kickstand that integrates seamlessly with the frame rather than just being bolted on. Both bikes get an integrated rear wheel lock too.
The comfort bikes – Keram Comfort 20 (£2,799) and Keram Comfort 30 (£2,299) – are specced similarly to the Asphalt models but with the addition of Suntour suspension forks and adjustable stems for a more comfort-oriented position and ride.
