2020 Giant Explore E+ 4 GTS Review

To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This review was sponsored by Fullerton Bicycles. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased, this video and written review are not meant to be an endorsement of Giant products.

Brand new for 2020 is the Giant Explore E+ 4 GTS, an all purpose mountain ebike with a list of possibilities that can be matched only by the syllables in its name. I say possibilities because this could feel at home during light trail riding or even in the street as a commuter because it comes with rear rack bosses, fender bosses, kickstand provisions, and even extra threaded eyelets in the back for a cafe lock. The bike comes in 4 frame sizes and each is pretty lightweight for an ebike… for example, the medium size frame we are testing today came in at just 49lbs. To round off that all purpose feel, it has these 700c x 45 studded tires, so kind of a good balance between efficiency and capability. I did notice a quick release in both the front and the rear, this is awesome for not just maintenance or flat tire repair, but also if you need to take the wheel off to move it around in a trunk or truck, really cool. A bit of comfort here too, like the 60mm of travel RST fork with preload adjust. I also see these large sized locking ergonomic grips which are Giant branded. A lot of really high quality parts over all, and I love that everything matches and is well balanced weight wise. Another great feature of this bike is that it doesn’t scream “Hey, look at me! I am an electric bike!”. Mostly because of the sleek frame integrated battery and the very minimalist display that you might miss if you even blink for a moment. Other features include bottle cage bosses for adding accessories of your own and a clear sticker slap guard.

Driving the bike is a Yamaha PW series motor that has been rebranded by Giant as SyncDrive Sport. This is a 250 watt mid-drive motor with 80nm of torque that measures both pedal torque and pedal cadence. It uses square spindles and while it may not be as high performance as some of the other motors in the Yamaha lineup, it is still very quiet, efficient, and best of all, reliable. It is ever-so-slightly heavier and offers 350% pedal support vs the pro version which has 360% support. Mechanically, it has a really nice 9 speed Shimano Deore setup with 11-36 tooth cassette and a 42 tooth chain ring in the front with an aluminum alloy guard. Stopping the bike is a nice set of hydraulic disc brakes. These are Tektro brakes and you get a 180mm disc brake rotor in the front combined with a 160mm rotor disc brake in the rear. Don’t let the staggered setup fool you, this is pretty common, even in some high end mountain bikes. The reason for this is that the front wheel takes most of the brunt force of breaking due to weight dynamics, so having a larger rotor in the front is a good thing.

Powering the bike is a 36v 11.3ah battery. Not the largest capacity I have seen, but for a mid-drive without a throttle, it gets the job done with no real problems. I love that it tips out from the side when removing, that way you don’t bump or scratch the frame as easily as some other battery setups. It is secured via lock and key and even has an LED charge level indicator. The battery weighs about 7.7lbs, so not too bad, and the charger itself weighs about 2lbs. I noticed that charging while on the bike is done near the crank arm, so do be careful not to snag that cable by rotating the pedals when parked. I love that they included a 3amp charger, typically, I see 2amp chargers on bikes like this, so the 3amp should get you out of the house a bit faster than the slower 2amp. To really care for this and other lithium-ion packs, I have heard that storing in a cool dry location vs. extreme heat or cold will extend the life and try to keep it about 50% full when not using for long periods so you won’t stress the cells. Try not to let it run down to zero, because that’s really hard on the cell chemistry.

Controlling the bike is super simple and straight forward. That is because the bike is using a minimalist display that really only tells you 1 of 3 things. It is an intuitive rubberized pad with 5 series of dots on the right and on the left. The 5 dots on the right indicate battery charge level, while the 5 dots on the left indicate what mode of assist you are in. Oh, there is also a middle light that indicates if your lights are on (however, this bike doesn’t have any) if applicable. The display can be swiveled, but it lacks USB device charging and also is not removable. However, it does have a walk mode, and even an integrated smartphone app. The app syncs up nicely, and you could even mount your phone on the handlebar to use it as a more detailed display. They have things like route planning and even settings to optimize the drive system. Normally, I would be a little harder on such a basic display, but I really think its good they hid the electric aspects and you can still get extra functionality through a smartphone app, pretty slick.

The Giant Explore E+ 4 GTS is a great all around “do anything” kind of bike. I also think the high quality components (Yamaha mid-drive, Shimano Deore derailleur, etc) are an awesome deal for a $2,500 bike. But no bike is without tradeoffs. In the case of the Giant here, I would have to say not having shift detection is kind of a missed opportunity. Granted, that is more of a Bosch motor thing, but it works good on applications like this. There are no battery integrated lights in either the front and rear, something that the minimal display reminded me of now and then. And that display itself, may not be for everyone. It lacks some detailed information and cannot be removed. However, the smartphone app pairing may be able to give you some of the extra features you crave. All in all, the bike seems great and I love that you get a 2 year warranty and dealer support. After all, Giant is one of the big 3 (Trek, Giant, and Specialized), so you know you are getting quality product. I want to thank Fullerton Bicycles for letting me check it out and I look forward to you guys sharing your experiences with it.

As always, I welcome questions and feedback in the comment section below. Whether you own the bike, have taken a test ride, or are brand new to the space, my goal is to provide an objective and honest resource. You can also join the Giant ebike forums and share your own photos, videos, and review updates to help others! Have fun out there, and ride safe :)

Pros:

• A great all around “do anything” all purpose mountain ebike with possibilities for not only light trail riding and off-roading, but as a commuter setup as well
• Can double as a commuter because it comes with rear rack bosses, fender bosses, kickstand provisions, bottle cage bosses, and even extra threaded eyelets in the back for a cafe lock
• Uses a heavier Yamaha motor and front suspension, but it still a lightweight bike, for example, the medium size frame we are testing today came in at just 49lbs
• To facilitate that all purpose feel, it has these 700c x 45 studded tires, so kind of a good balance between efficiency and capability
• I did notice a quick release in both the front and the rear, this is awesome for not just maintenance or flat tire repair, but also if you need to take the wheel off to move it around in a trunk or truck, really cool
• Good comfort from the 60mm of travel RST fork with preload adjust, also these large sized Giant branded locking ergonomic grips
• Another great feature of this bike is that it doesn’t scream “Hey, look at me! I am an electric bike!”, due to the sleek frame integrated battery and the very minimalist display that you might miss if you even blink for a moment
• Uses a Yamaha PW series motor that has been rebranded by Giant as SyncDrive Sport, 250 watts with 80nm of torque that measures both pedal torque and pedal cadence, very quiet, efficient, and best of all, reliable
• Comes with a nice 9 speed Shimano Deore setup with hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotor in the front combined with a 160mm rotor in the rear
• 36v 11.3ah battery tips out from the side for easy loading/unloading, has an LED charge level indicator, and is secured via lock and key, comes with a 3amp charger which is faster than the 2amp you see often
• Minimalist display is very straight forward and easy to use, can be paired with a smartphone to do things like plan a route or even settings to optimize the drive system
• High quality components backed by some of the best names in the business (Giant, Yamaha, Shimano), a 2 year warranty, dealer network, and is a great value at $2,500

Cons:

• I noticed that charging while on the bike is done near the crank arm, so do be careful not to snag that cable by rotating the pedals when parked and charging, something to be aware of
• I would have to say not having shift detection is kind of something I miss here, granted, that is more of a Bosch motor thing, but it works good on applications like this
• There are no battery integrated lights in either the front and rear, something that the minimal display reminded me of now and then
• The minimal display may not be for everyone, it lacks some detailed information and cannot be removed, however, the smartphone app pairing may be able to give you some of the extra features you crave
• Minor gripe here, and you see it a lot with high brand name bikes like this, but there is no kickstand included, just kickstand provisions, so make sure to source on if that is something you want on your bike