Has Bosch’s latest innovation in e-bike motors revolutionised what a lightweight e-bike is? And can this 14 kg behemoth live up to the hype? Or is it a lightweight contender that falls flat?
Canyon’s latest iteration of its Roadlite series, the Roadlite ON CF, costs £2849 and is available only in the UK and the EU. Presently, it is unavailable in the US. Crucially, this bike features Bosch’s first-ever hub motor.
If you are currently asking why that is special, you might not be alone. For the past decade, Bosch has dominated the e-bike motor market as a premium, flagship manufacturer. While there is a plethora of generic, budget-friendly manufacturers, Bosch brought its traditional heavy-duty utility manufacturer legacy to lend legitimacy to the wider micromobility industry.
Just as the technology shifted, where manufacturers like Brause and bike manufacturers who design their own motors innovated, and created the rear-hub motors, users and the industry at large felt that Boisch might finally be left behind. However, the Canyopn Roadlite ON CF is Bosch’s attempt to dispel any such notion, and make a definitive statement about their legitimacy as an e-bike motor manufacturer.
For the £2849 price tag, you get a 14 Kg bike that you can easily pick up and carry, as if it isn’t even an e-bike. Some pedal bikes are heavier than this ultra-lightweight carbon fibre frame bike. You can choose between a medium and a large frame size.
Both sizes feature a 400 W rear hub that can deliver up to 45 Nm of torque. While this compares poorly to the 120 Nm of torque that Bosch’s own mid-drive hubs produce, this line of motors isn’t for heavy-duty performance; rather, it is for sleek performance at a lower weight. By integrating this motor into the Canyon Roadlite, especially without a gear system, Bosch has stamped their intention as a definitive choice for commuters’ first and last miles of transport.
Per legal guidelines in the UK and the EU, the motor fully disengages at 25 kph, meaning it's up to your leg power to reach speeds above that limit. As we briefly mentioned earlier, this bike has no gear system. In fact, it has a carbon belt drive that is quiet and grease-, oil-, and stain-free. Finally, the crown jewel of this bike is the Roadlite ON CF, an ultra-light carbon-fibre chassis that limits the bike's weight to 13.9 Kg.
However, the Roadlite ON CF does not feature a removable battery. Canyon estimates a range of 90 km for the fully-integrated 260 Wh battery. While this is a huge bonus for anti-theft measures and weight reduction, the fully integrated battery means you need to plug the entire bike into a wall outlet. If you’re someone in an already stuffy apartment or without an external power outlet, consider the inconvenience this may cause.
Dual-piston disc brakes are on both the front and rear wheels, and a 225-gram 18-cm brake rotor will help you stop effortlessly in a sticky situation on the road. The bike features 35 mm-wide, 28-inch-diameter Continental Urban Grand Prix tyres, which are grippy enough to grip surfaces in the wet, but slick enough to maintain contact with asphalt and reduce vibrations.
Apart from these notable features, this bike also has front & rear lights, Bluetooth connectivity. Motor customisability via the Bosch app, 40 mm fork instead of suspension, a smartphone mount, a kickstand and a bell, all out of the box.
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