With one of the most unique frame designs for an electric road bike that I’ve ever seen the Xduro Superrace seduces at first glance then shocks when you see the price tag… That is, unless you’re accustomed to the higher prices of normal road bikes that often sell for $10K+ (depending on components and frame materials). Haibike is known for delivering high-end ebikes and the Superrace 28″ is no different. Its sturdy aluminum frame is built to handle the added stresses of Bosch’s newest centerdrive system, putting out 350 watts of power right at the bottom bracket. It lets you climb harder and accelerate faster than almost any other ebike system around!
The centerdrive system on the Superrace contains a 350 watt geared motor in addition to a torque sensor and cadence sensor. Providing even more feedback to the system is a wheel speed sensor mounted on the port side chain stay that gets feedback from a small spoke mounted magnet. All of these signals are computed on the fly to determine whether the motor should activate (and with how much power) or shut off. It does such a great job that it can even tell the motor to ease up when you shift gears and this saves a lot of mashing and wear on the cassette. What’s really great about the Superrace is that it comes with an 11 speed cassette in the rear so you’ve got a wide range of gears to choose from in order to maintain a comfortable cadence. There aren’t any rings up front because that’s where the motor sprocket connects and additional rings would likely stick out or become difficult to shift with.
Ultimately, since you get to choose which gear the motor is working with (by shifting as you ride) it can operate more efficiently – using less energy. The official Haibike specs say this thing gets between 25 and 35 miles per charge but I think that’s very conservative given the light weight and pedal-assist only system. The motor won’t activate unless you’re pedaling but when it does, the thing really gets you going! Aside from efficiency and speed, the drive system on this bike makes servicing the rear wheel much easier than a comparable hub drive. Changing a flat is no problem, it’s as easy as with traditional road bicycles.
The battery pack in use here is a removable design that mounts directly to the downtube. You can charge it on or off the bike (and that makes the bike easier to lift or mount on racks) but it does take up the spot where a water bottle cage might otherwise live. There are lots of options for aftermarket bottle cages, including those that mount behind the seat or those that fit near the stem, you just have to get creative. Delivering 36 volts of power and 11 amp hours of capacity the battery pack is plenty powerful and quite large for its size thanks to the energy dense 18650 Lithium cells contained inside. They should last for 1,000+ charge cycles if cared for and the pack comes with a two year warranty. If you do need a replacement (or decide to get a second pack) Currie Technologies offers one for ~$600.
The control interface on the Haibike Xduro Superrace is the same as all other Bosch systems for this generation. It shows speed, distance traveled, battery capacity remaining, timer and range estimation for each assist level. It’s really neat to see (on the fly) just how far the bike thinks you can go because it empowers you to plan accordingly and pop the battery off for a quick charge at the office or a friends house. I love that in addition to the backlit LCD screen, there’s also an external control pad mounted right next to the left grip. This makes changing modes in pedal assist and interacting with the display easy and intuitive. With a bit of practice you can change assist levels without even looking down. To activate the lights however, you’ll have to press a button on the main console (in the middle).
There’s a lot to say about this bike and you get an amazing ride if you’re willing to pay for it. The hydraulic disc brakes are large, smooth and powerful. The front and rear LED lights are bright and beautifully designed (following the curves and colors of the frame). The drive system is responsive and relatively quiet (though a bit louder than a direct drive hub motor would be). It’s light, extremely well balanced with weight low and centered on the frame and it feels like a road bike should. The tires are fast, the deep dish carbon rims are aerodynamic, the body position is aggressive and the cranks and pedals are stiff. There’s a version of this bike in Europe that has drop style handlebars but unfortunately not in the US at this time (and they would be very hard to add). Still, there’s really nothing I would change about this bike and with five frame sizes to choose from, it will fit right and feel amazing at high speed on the tarmac. Because it’s a speed-pedalec design, the bike can hit 28 miles per hour assisted which is perfect for this application. For a more in depth look at the LCD display panel from Bosch called the Intuvia, you can watch this short video overview I created along with the official manual.
Pros:
- Light weight frame and components, well balanced drive system (motor and battery low and center)
- Includes integrated front and rear LED lights with custom matching design that look awesome
- Bosch drive system is efficient, smooth and powerful with removable battery for convenient charging
- Stiff cranks, decent pedals, rigid frame for good power transfer when riding
- Impressive 11 speed cassette with quality SRAM X0 components for comfortable cadence at many speeds
- Great customer support and warranty from Currie Technologies in the US (part of Accell Group which owns Haibike)
- Five frame sizes so the bike will fit and feel great (50cm, 53cm, 56cm, 59cm, 62cm)
Cons:
- The battery pack takes up the space where a water bottle cage might otherwise mount
- Narrow tires and lack of suspension can feel stiff and uncomfortable… like a road bike
- This is an expensive electric bike but it’s got high quality components and is priced on par with regular high-end non-electric bikes
- No drop-bar option for those who really want to go aero with a full forward position (would be difficult to add your own)
- All aluminum frame is sturdy but doesn’t dampen vibration the way a carbon fork would
- No throttle mode, this bike only uses pedal assist (like all Bosch powered systems)
Resources:
- Official Site: http://www.haibikeusa.com/
- More Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/vmAdFLA6XkNdnVJQA
joepah says
Not trying to be cranky or anything, but aren’t the prices of these bikes getting out of hand? Not sure exactly what you’re getting for $8000 that you can’t get for 4000?
Court Rye says
I hear you, this is definitely an expensive system but the price is on par with the Specialized Turbo, Stromer ST2 and other super high-end electric bikes. The components and Bosch drive system must add a lot because they aren’t produced directly by Haibike – only the frame is. Also, sometimes products are priced at a level people will pay, not necessarily what they cost to make and it does look amazing… In the case of the Superrace I’d imagine they are making fewer of them which means they have to sell for more vs. if it was mass produced which would bring prices down. It also comes in five sizes which is more expensive to do. I really like the E3 Dash if you’re looking for a more affordable ebike, but it doesn’t have centerdrive and won’t go as far.
Fay says
Court, is your comment above a typo:
“No pedal assist mode, this bike only uses pedal assist (like all Bosch powered systems)”
I saw one other – giong for going – but I dont mean to nit-pick
Court Rye says
Thanks for the help Fay! I’ve fixed the “giong” typo and changed the “no pedal assist” to say “no throttle mode”
Skip Reese says
What an awesome review but it was kind of like a long story about a complex operation but at the end, the patient died. Only a fool would purchase a product like this because it has no throttle. What are they thinking? Please save use the time in the future by telling us that up front. Unless, is there a way to add one aftermarket? I can’t find a single ebike with a Bosch system that has a throttle.
Court Rye says
Hi Skip, you’re correct about the Bosch electric bike systems not having a throttle. Almost all European electric bikes lack this type of functionality based on their laws. A couple of great brands that do offer assist and throttle are Easy Motion and IZIP sorry this point wasn’t mentioned until later in the writeup. I also call it out in the video review. If you have specific questions about which bikes fit your needs feel free to post in the forums about it and I’ll chime in to help you out :)
Alex says
while this bicycle is a great leap forward in electric bike technology, I will chime in myself as a “performance” cyclist (the market where I think this product is aimed at) to tell you that, at this price point, most cyclists interested in speed and performance (myself included) will seriously look at a cervelo p5 dura ace, which will essentially cost the same. the difference is that the cervelo won’t be speed limited to 28 (easy to reach if you are in decent shape) and doesn’t require batteries while weighing a fraction of the superrace. if the super race wasn’t speed limited and if it included an aerobar i might look at it a bit more closely. as it stands though, if i am going to buy an electric bicycle it is for commuting only and therefore i feel that the manufacturers need to realize this aspect and create something at a $2000 price point with an all-weather, bullet-proof, 4 season design. while it is great in theory, i just don’t get that sort of vibe from this bike
Court Rye says
Great feedback Alex. The performance space seems tough for ebikes to address because theres an emphasis on athleticism vs. transportation utility. I could see the Superrace being popular with an injured road cyclist who wants extra support. Even for fully conditioned cyclists it’s fun to ride but as you’ve said, quite heavy compared with the Cervelo P5. Future iterations of the Haibike Superrace may have drop bars. We’ll see… thanks again for your input!
ItIsn'tSpeedLimited says
The bike isn’t limited to 28mph, however the e-assist motor will no longer apply any voltage->watts->torque to the crank->wheels. You can most definitely go over 28mph on this bike, even on their mountain bikes which I have done myself many times.
Baiju says
Hi Court Rye… I was looking to buy this great bike, do you have any idea where can I buy this bike?
Court Rye says
Hi Baiju! I guess it depends on where you live. I’d recommend finding a local Haibike dealer because you’ll get an officially assembly job and ongoing warranty support. Habike is sold by Currie Technologies in the USA and they have a dealer locator tool here. Let me know what you end up with. There are some dealers who will ship nationally and I could try to connect you with one I know and trust if you need further assistance :)
Baiju says
Hi Rye, Thanks for your prompt reply.. :) Well, I live in United Arab Emirates and I buying this bike for my Boss, he need 5 units of this bike…here in UAE they don’t have a dealer and I was looking to buy online but it didn’t work out, it seems they don’t have stock..as you said can you introduce any of the dealer over there who can ship internationally?? The exact requirment is like this: 2 x xDuro Race 28 (with curved road bar) , 56 cms and 3 x xDuro Superrace (with straight bar), 53 cms Thanks.
Court Rye says
Hello Baiju, I was going to recommend speaking with Long Island Electric Bikes because they are in New York USA and that seems the closest to United Arab Emirates. The thing I realized is that no shops in the US have curved road bars (I have heard that is only available in Europe right now). You may be able to get some of the straight bar versions but inventory here can be low because the bikes are very new and in limited supply. I hope this helps you get a start! Maybe you could contact Haibike directly through their website here.