UK-based e-bike specialist Cairn Cycles has just released the newest iteration of its E-Adventure gravel bike, this time sporting a Sram Rival drivetrain. Just like other iterations of the E-Adventure, the new model is built around a 6061-T6 alloy frame which keeps the bike relatively lightweight while at the same time keeping the price low.
Speaking of pricing, Cairn Cycles has announced a special launch offer on the E-Adventure 1.0 Rival, where it’s selling the premium e-bike for an attractively low price of just £2,789, as against its regular retail price of £3,489. As such, the bike is offered at quite a big discount, so you could use the money you saved on a bunch of accessories, as well as maybe a full set of cycling gear. Indeed, given the bike’s price point, we could be looking at one of the best value for money gravel e-bikes of this caliber on the market.
On the performance side of the equation, the Cairn E-Adventure 1.0 Rival is powered by the Porsche-owned Fazua Ride 50 system. Although it’s a generation behind the current Ride 60 system, the Ride 50 system is still an impressive bit of kit, boasting 350 watts of peak power and 58 Newton-meters of torque. It does, however, sacrifice range for a lightweight battery with a small 252-watt-hour capacity, versus the Ride 60’s 430 watt-hours of juice. At the end of the day, you get an e-bike that weighs just 14.3 kilograms in medium size.
Just like most gravel e-bikes, the Cairn E-Adventure 1.0 Rival is designed to be versatile and easily configurable to your tastes and preferences. As such, Cairn has incorporated a variety of mounts for fenders, bottle holders, as well as extra clearance on the frame for wider 45-millimeter rubber. An interesting feature is a handy bottle opener that’s built into the bike’s rear thru-axle lever. On top of all that, you can upgrade the bike’s front end with a suspension fork, allowing you to venture deeper off-road, and handle terrain that’s above a regular gravel bike’s paygrade.
As mentioned earlier, the E-Adventure 1.0 Rival rolls on an alloy frame, but gets an impressive set of Hunt x Cairn E-Gravel disc wheels. These heavy-duty wheels get a steel axle for extra durability, as well as an increased pawl contact area for longevity and instantaneous pickup when pedaling. The rims measure 25 millimeter in width, allowing a wider selection of tire choices, but the bike comes standard with tubeless-ready triple-compound Vittoria Terreno Dry tires.
