SPARKY SPORTS BIKES

E-road bikes have seen a big jump in tech recently. We take three of the latest and greatest lightweight models out for a ride...

- Warren Rossiter

Trek Domane+ SLR 6
£7,850 This endurance classic gets an all-new powerful TQ mid-motor

Weight 12.56kg (58cm) Frame OCLV carbon Fork OCLV carbon Gears Shimano 105 Di2 (52/36t, 11-34t) Brakes Shimano 105 hydraulic disc Wheels Bontrager Aeolus Pro 37 Carbon Motor system TQ-HPR50 300W motor, TQ 360Wh battery, LCD display, hood-mount remote controls Finishing kit Bontrager RCS Pro stem, Bontrager Pro IsoCore bar, Domane carbon seatpost, Bontrager Verse Short Elite saddle, Bontrager R3 Hard-Case Lite 32c tyres

THIS IS THE THIRD ITERATION OF the electrically assisted Domane+, and the motor system has changed yet again. The original model used Bosch's CX motor, which gave the bike a hefty 17.5kg weight. Next was the Fazua system, which reduced the weight to 13.8kg (58cm). The new TQ Harmonic pin-ring mid-mount motor and integrated 360Wh battery weigh just 1,800g, however, giving a complete bike weight of just 12.56kg (58cm). The Q-factor (the distance between the outside faces of the cranks) of 135mm is around the same as a standard road bike so it feels similar to ride. The frame retains Trek's IsoSpeed decoupler, a maintenance-free way of cushioning the rear end of the bike.

Endurance style