In case you’ve been holding out for an inexpensive electrical bike with a Bosch mid-drive motor, your wait might lastly be over. Raleigh has simply launched a brand new model of its Captus electrical bike, and it delivers the holy trinity of name-brand parts, comfort-focused design, and a surprisingly low value.
At simply £1,899 (round $2,400 USD), the Captus is among the most inexpensive methods to attain a Bosch mid-drive-powered electrical bike.
Positive, they get through the use of the Bosch Energetic Line motor system, probably the most budget-friendly of the bunch. But it surely’s additionally the identical clean, torque-sensing mid-drive that’s been featured on higher-end commuter e-bikes for years.
You get a fairly respectable 40 Nm of torque from the motor, a 400Wh PowerPack battery, and a top-assisted velocity of 15.5 mph (25 km/h), which retains it street-legal beneath UK and EU laws.
Raleigh seems to have constructed this bike with simplicity and practicality in thoughts. The low-step body makes it simple to mount and dismount (although there’s additionally a mid-step model), and the 9-speed Shimano CUES transmission offers you a strong vary for cruising metropolis streets or mild suburban climbs.
The inflexible fork on the mid-step model isn’t going to clean out tough roads and potholes, however at the very least the included mudguards, rear rack, and lights imply this factor is commuter-ready proper out of the field. And the step-through does get a 50 mm suspension fork, so there’s that.
These are pretty first rate elements, although in fact not anyplace close to Raleigh’s higher-end fashions. That is, in spite of everything, a price range play to make a extra accessible e-bike that also bears the Raleigh badge.
Consolation appears to be dialed in right here. Along with the upright geometry, Raleigh features a Selle Royal Essenza saddle, ergonomic grips, and 50mm broad tires for a plusher journey really feel than you’d get from usually narrower city tires. The entire setup is designed for informal riders who desire a dependable e-bike with out breaking the financial institution or getting overwhelmed by a dozen motor settings.
And talking of settings, the Captus retains issues easy with a Bosch Purion show – simply the fundamentals like battery stage, help mode, and velocity, with out turning your handlebars right into a spaceship cockpit.
For beneath £2k, it will get riders into the Bosch mid-drive world with out breaking the financial institution, even when it rounds a couple of small corners to get there.
Electrek’s Take
It’s truthfully refreshing to see a widely known bike model ship a no-nonsense, name-brand mid-drive e-bike for beneath two grand (in kilos, at the very least). Most Bosch-powered bikes are nonetheless sitting nicely north of there, and that’s earlier than you even get primary equipment (although there are a couple of manufacturers which have made nice strides right here – you, Gazelle!)
Look, I get it: for those who’re a elaborate sufficient model to place a German motor in your e-bikes, you’re most likely going to place different good (i.e., costly) elements on there, too. However some individuals simply need the fundamentals in relation to parts, although they need their powertrain to be name-brand.
I’m not an enormous fan of rack-mounted batteries so I’d most likely go for the mid-step (although I like a great step-through for ease of mounting), however that’s simply me.
And I wouldn’t say that the Captus goes to be profitable any bike lane races, or that the 400Wh battery is constructed for long-distance touring, however for every day commuting, informal using, and flat-to-rolling terrain, this factor checks all of the bins. In case you’re after a reliable, comfy e-bike from a good model with out blowing your price range, Raleigh might have simply hit the candy spot.
