Testing Superdelite for ebike touring - review of a very high end option
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
- I spent 4 days testing the Riese and Muller Superdelite eBike to see how suitable it would be as a touring ebike. It's much more of a luxury option than my usual ride which meant that this was the first time I had experienced full frame suspension or electronic gear shifting (the configuration I rode came with the Rohloff E-14 gears).
It uses the Bosch Performance Line CX motor which is 85nm against my bike 40nm so I was very interested to see how much the extra power might help on steep hills (a lot). So I took it up the Wicklow mountains via the Featherbed to Kippure to give it plenty of steep ascent tests and some very rough and boggy off road riding.
I end the feature review with a discussion of the negatives, the close on 10,000 euro cost and the 32kg weight. The cost I conclude is an inevitable feature of the high end components and I demonstrate how the weight can re reduced by removal of the batteries to make it possible if not enjoyable to lift over canal barriers
Greenaer lent me the bike for the 4 days but there's no sponsorship or payment involved and no requirements as to how or indeed if I produced a review. There page for this bike is at
Riese & Müller Superdelite 2023
www.greenaer.i...
My Instagram page carries current news & travels / ebiketouringlife
I own the single battery version - Delite. I’ve had it for over two years. This electric bike has transformed my life. I use it every day. It’s my transport. It’s also a pleasure giver. I see things I wouldn’t have seen and go on paths I couldn’t have driven on, and make journeys I wouldn’t have taken.
The running costs are effectively non existent and as it lasts for ever, depreciation is negligible. The time it takes from A to B in towns is faster than a car. I also pack wet/cold weather gear at all times for contingency and two locks for security insurance, I’ve got anti puncture tyre liners, it’s got great lights brake lights and mirror so it’s safe and I’m not inconvenienced. This bike is smooth, reliable, comfortable and a real pleasure to ride and own.
Yes, it’s a significant investment, but you get the point, ‘buy cheap, buy twice’, but when you make a change to one car plus eBike, your total transport costs are significantly reduced. I would heartily recommend investing in one of these bikes.
27:58
Thanks for the detailed response, it’s certainly the case when you consider them as car replacers even expensive eBikes are suddenly comparatively cheap. We are still awaiting sufficient volume for a comparable 2nd hand market
So good to meet you tonight at the Riese & Müller store here in Dublin bud. Your story was great craic. I'm so excited to do my tour next year.
I bought one of these in 2021. My only regret was not to have opted for the E14 Rolhoff variant as it has a very wide range of gears, ideal for hills. The Enviolo hub works fine but not great on hills so I find I have to compensate by shifting up through the assist levels more often than I would like, but then it is a heavy bike. that said, it's very comfortable thanks to the rear suspension.
Great review, thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
The ability to drop the saddle (the dropper post) is found on most mountain bikes to allow you descend more quickly as it lowers your centre of gravity.
Yes thanks I’d a friend message me to explain that - I’ve never ridden a MTB but the lower CoG makes sense
I brought my emtb to Switzerland and a dropper post was 100% necessary not so much here in flanders (antwerp)
Yep, the idea is that you press the button on the handlebars, with your weight on the saddle at that time, then the seatpost compresses and the saddle drops, then you take your finger off the button so the saddle stays in the lower position. If you do that while riding offroad over some jumps, drops, rocks, etc., then it allows you to move your bodyweight around more easily, e.g. extend your arms and almost touch your bum on the back tyre (easier when there's no rear rack!) so that your centre of gravity is both lower and much further backwards, setting you up for descending a very steep and bumpy section or a dropoff. Check out other videos on MTB dropper posts if interested. I am a mountainbiker and for that type of riding, a dropper post is transformative! Some people would say that they can just use a traditional seatpost when mountainbiking, but leave it in a lower position. However, the magic of a dropper post is that you can easily return it back to a higher position again when climbing on smoother terrain, which is hugely important for pedalling efficiency and enjoyment. Simply stand up off the saddle and press the button again.
Thanks for a great and interesting review. And finally we're beginning to see power sufficient for long range/holiday (trailer?) use (although my wish is for 1,5-2 KWh battery capacity). Next wish: a plug enabling charging on the go by a solar panel mounted on a trailer or the like. And an add-on brake system for a trailer easily weighing 15-30 kg - a lot of additional weight to brake downhill on two wheels. I do hope you'll get the opportunity and interest in doing reviews of other ebike makes with a view to power consumption under various conditions and scenarios, and particularly long range/holiday use in remote areas, like up the Nordic hills.
I think with batteries we are waiting for a technological leap to give a big range/weight improvement as even with this bike adding extra wh is starting to hit a point off diminishing returns because of the extra weight, A trailer setup (with brakes) would indeed address that although at the cost of off road usage so this is probably the wrong bike for it.
Have looked in to buying the Supercharger, however price has made me think twice.
Currently, ride a 2017 Corratec e-power 29er with the Alfine 8 gear hub.
My Brother has the Kathmandu 750 Cube with the down tube battery, and found the knack to putting the battery back in was to turn the key when replacing, like you do when taking the battery out.
Thank you for a great channel.
Yep a couple of people have now suggested the locking mechanism may be the ‘key’ to battery insertion
Excellent review. Have to say crazy price though. Hard to justify
Great review. I think the Supercharger is a more practical bike for long range adventure touring although for the same money you could buy a half decent second hand camper van, I can dream though.
I've friends who recently upgraded their half decent camper to a fancy one and yep that's about what they are hoping to see their old one for. It's certainly a 'choices were made' purchase
This past summer I cycled 3000 kilometres on my supercharger two on a trip through southern BC!
Discovered just how much of a dream machine the bike really is!
Great review, I have an R&M charger4 for my commute which is a similar bike but I might get a delight/superdelight in a few year because even with the fork suspenstions and the thud-buster under my seat the Dublin roads are still a bit too rough for me. The baterty also took me ages to put in at first but once I figured out the magic trick to it it became no big deal. As for luggage you missed a trick because there are a lot of optionswith thre mik-hd compatible carrier. I only have basic basil panniers for work but I believe specialised have all sorts of fancy stuff you can clip in.
Yes I figured the battery insertion should get easier with practise and because you can run on the 500wh top bar one alone it's not all that critical anyway. Hard to fully judge maximum load without the front carrier but the amount of clearance the rear has would allow for large panniers
i would be curious how long the battery works in real life setting. I assume that it is a fairly heavy bike. Have been thinking of using an ebike to commute from Navan to dublin 1/2 a week to work as im finding ever increasing the buses are unreliable. Its a nightmare to drive in Dublin.
Check my gear playlist for a good few real world experiences - TBH though I’d expect the 200km on eco mode from Navan to Dublin to hold true - I’d get 100km no problem from a 500whr on my Raleigh Motus Tour.
The Superdelite would be overkill for a commute (to put it mildly) and yes too heavy at about 32kg depending on configuration. You’d probably be able to get a 22kg bike with a 625whr battery that would be more suitable and give you there and back range
For that huge amount of money I'd still want my full suspension 45kph "Speed" e-bike. [Moustache FS27] Though that may not be an option in Ireland. My down tube battery has a loose plastic tray. Which you remove first and lay on the ground to hold the battery and protect it from scratches. Then you turn the key for one click. The battery drops slightly downwards at the top. There is a button at the top which releases the battery fully. Again at the top. To fall into your waiting hand.
Reversal is to turn the key first as you use the battery's own weight to click it back into place. Let go of the key and apply more pressure to the top of the battery until you hear a second click and the key automatically aligns with the frame. You have to locate the bottom of the battery in the frame first. The bottom location tabs take most of the battery weight. As you pivot the battery top upwards into the frame. It takes only seconds to swap Bosch 625 Powertube batteries on mine. The spare goes on the rear rack in an Ortlieb Top Tube bag. It fits perfectly with a foil covered camping mattress sleeve. To protect it from heat and vibration.
From memory I think there may be a fast motor variation although I’m generally much more concerned with range. Thanks for the info on the battery reinsertion issue, I did reckon more practice would make it easier
@@Ebiketouringlife I think the law in Ireland is pretty much the same as the UK and most of the EU. You are limited to 25.5 km/h for assistance. If you want faster than that then it is treated as a moped - so helmets, licence, insurance, number plates etc.
@@andyleighton3616 And thats a good thing.
Battery installation is not hard at all. Great bikes.
I would like to know how you experienced the rear suspension compaired to an ebike without rear suspension, I am thinking of buying a full suspension ebike in future but i am in doubt if it is worth the extra money you spend on it
I can only compare with my 1/4 price Raleigh which is not good at all on rough surfaces - check my Spain vlogs where I hit them a lot and was stuck at 12-14kmh for long distances. I do want to test a fancier front suspension only one to see the difference as I’m not convinced the weight/cost is worth the usage I have
you should use clipless pedals.
are they kidding with that kind of prices ..... ! this is exacly why the cycle industry is failling and has so much stock these days.
I’d prefer to see more focus on more affordable bikes but I suspect the margins are probably higher on high spec ones and of course for retailers they take up the same space etc. but certainly a useful experience for me in seeing what money can buy as I’d never really understood the riding advantage of suspension previously
Great video nice bike bit expensive for me.
indeed - I wasn't't 100% sure initially it made sense for me to review it because of that cost however I decided I should at least be aware of what is possible and in retrospect I'm glad I went ahead as I learned a lot I probably would not otherwise have had an opportunity to. And as I say at the end I would consider it as a retirement lump sum purchase
yeah its some machine couple guys i know have them and love them.i can see you buying one with the amount of cycling you do sure you'll be dead a longtime ,buy one and enjoy.
Almost zero noise from the motor
Perhaps it’s the bike I will get when they eventually take away my driving licence…….meanwhile my Specialized Vado 4 will just have to do.
what is that white thing on the rear rack🤔
that's my selfie stick that has a tripod base. Whenever theres a clip of me cycling past the camera its shot using that
Gates belt drives will last 30,000km.
I’d seen the 10k figure on a bike shops review of this bike but I’d imagine it would also depend on type of usage?
I have the supercharger in fact its almost the same bike ...for me the engine is too weak to make it a speed pedelec even the bike cost a 9000 euro and the bike is too heavy .
My preference is definitely for a lighter bike although I think if you’d a holiday home in a rugged rural area this would be great to have at it because of the range and remarkable off road handling