ExperiencePlus! takes great pride in the quality of our diverse fleet of premium road, hybrid, e-road, e-hybrid, tandem, mountain, and e-mountain bikes. Our team of mechanics spends hundreds of hours tuning, upgrading, and readying bikes during the off season so they are in tip-top shape come spring, and that process of maintaining the bikes does not end until late October.
Since 2023, we’ve begun a phased approach to updating our continental European fleet of premium road, gravel, e-road and e-gravel bikes. We’re excited to announce that this project is now complete for the 2025 season!
Read on to learn more about these latest bicycle upgrades.
Premium road and gravel bike fleet
We asked Dutch frame maker Van Nicholas, who customized our original titanium fleet of road, hybrid and mixte bicycles, to create a road/gravel bicycle that provides the fit and performance our travelers need for multi-day touring. We ultimately found a titanium frame design that works brilliantly as a cross-over between road and gravel. We then selected components that increase rider comfort, efficiency and safety:
- SRAM Rival AXS 1 x 12 electronic group set with a 40T chainring and 10-44T cassette
- Modern thru-axle wheel interface
- Hydraulic disc brakes
- 700 x 32 tires – premium road
- 700 x 40 tires – premium gravel
The single front chainring has become the industry standard. When triple chainrings were abandoned a number of years ago, it became difficult and then impossible to source them. We see double chainring drive trains following suit. The great news is that we have paired the 40T, 1x 12 crank with a 10-44T cassette to offer a wide gear ratio that doesn’t disappoint.
We’re especially excited about offering electronic shifting and disc brakes. Electronic shifting requires only a light touch, thereby significantly reducing strain on hands and wrists. Brake levers have an adjustable reach to better accommodate smaller hands. Disc brakes are powerful and easy to adjust. Bike stems will continue to be adjustable and rear racks will be installed on every bike.
E-road and e-gravel bike fleet
The Cannondale e-road bikes that are now available for rent in continental Europe are an improvement over the first generation of e-bikes that we offered and have now retired (although you may seem them occasionally ridden by tour leaders!). The 400Wh battery offers a range of up to 50 miles or more if managed appropriately. The percent of available battery power, which can be turned on/off and operated at three different modes, is now visually displayed on a small screen. At 39 pounds with all accessories, the bike’s weight gives cyclists the opportunity to pedal gentle terrain without needing assistance.
Similar to how our premium road bikes cross over to gravel, these e-road bikes are also available for use as an e-gravel bike on Gravel Explorer tours. We install narrower tires (700×32) for paved surface tours and wider tires (700×42) for unpaved surface tours. Regardless of tire width, the frame geometry offers an agile and sporty riding style that is complemented with downturned handlebars. The full specs for the e-road/gravel bike include:
- Carbon frame with carbon fork
- Sram Force or Sram Rival AXS XPLR 1 x 12-speed with 38T single chainring and 10-44T cassette
- Hydraulic disc brakes
- 400Wh Bosch Compact Powertube battery
- Bosch Performance Line SX 250 Wh motor (nominal power)
The cost to rent an e-road bike is $300 for 6-8 days; $375 for 9-15 days; and $600 for 16 or more days.
If you’re new to bicycle tours or are trying an e-bike for the first time, we strongly encourage you to evaluate your riding style and pedal assist needs. Our upgraded fleet of e-road bikes are simply not as powerful as our e-hybrids. As a result, they won’t make it the whole day under full power. If you’re looking for a little boost on the hills, the e-road bike is a great option. If you need constant support, consider an e-hybrid instead.
There are several variables that impact the range you can get out of an e-bike. Consult our article “All about e-bikes” to learn how to manage battery power so you can make it through every day on tour. We also strongly suggest watching this e-bike webinar featuring EP bicycle fleet manager Igor Baccini for a crash course on all things e-bike.
A note on sustainability
Although demand and enjoyment of e-bikes has steadily increased since we first introduced them in the late 2010s, the majority of our fleet is composed of non-electric road and hybrid bicycles that feature long-lasting, premium titanium frames made in Europe.
We have used titanium frames built by Van Nicholas since 2010. The material is incredibly durable and safe, provides a comfortable ride, resists corrosion, and can be recycled. Although the upfront cost for titanium is more than for steel or aluminum, the material’s properties allow us to build and maintain a fleet of bicycles that we can use for years.
For instance, throughout the lifespan of an EP road bicycle, drive trains might be changed, swapped, and upgraded multiple times – all without needing to invest in new frames every few years. This commitment to long lasting, finite materials is just one of the many ways ExperiencePlus! works to minimize its annual carbon footprint.