Carrera — the in-house bike brand of Halfords — has today launched the Crossroad Electric, an electric road bike that, at £999, is claimed to be “the cheapest e-road bike in Europe”.
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New 2020 Carrera Crossroad Electric e-road bike from Halfords
- Claimed to be the “cheapest electric road bike in Europe”
- £999 (international pricing N/A)
- 324Wh / 9Ah battery
- Claimed 40-mile range
- Suntour HESC rear hub motor
- Shimano Sora groupset
- Mechanical disc brakes
The Crossroad Electric’s 324Wh battery is claimed to be good for up to 40 miles on a single charge. Additional higher-capacity (418Wh) batteries will also be available as spare parts on request through Halfords.
This battery powers a Suntour HESC rear hub-based motor. Carrera has specified the premium version of this motor for the Crossroad Electric, which is claimed to have a higher torque (50Nm) and quieter operation than the standard option.
Unlike some cheaper electric bikes, which rely solely on a cadence senor to control the motor, the Crossroad Electric features a proper crank-based torque sensor. In our experience, this makes for far more responsive motor control and a better ride-feel overall.
For the groupset, you get a 9-speed Shimano cassette that is matched with a pair of Acera derailleurs. Shifting duties are taken care of by Microshift shifters and braking by a set of Tektra MD-C400 mechanical disc brakes.
While mechanical disc brakes don’t have the overall power and control of a hydraulic setup, they’ll still offer more control than most rim brakes. The 180mm front rotor — which is larger than typical for a road bike, electric or not — will also help improve overall power.
The bike rolls on a set of unspecified Kenda tyres that come in a reassuringly chunky 32mm size, which should go some way to taking the sting out of rough roads. These are mounted to a set of similarly stout 36-spoke wheels.
All of this is bolted on to a simple alloy frame and fork. The frameset has a full complement of mudguard/fender mounts, but it isn't stated whether or not this is complemented with rack mounts.
The claimed weight of the bike is 19.5kg in an unspecified size. On that note, the bike will be available in 51cm, 53cm and 55.5cm sizes.
It’s refreshing to see Carrera spec a size-specific handlebar on each different size of bike. This is fairly rare on budget road bikes.
The bike is available now online and in-store at Halfords and Cycle Republic.
2020 Carrera Crossroads Electric specs
- Frame: Carrera aluminium.
- Fork: Carrera aluminium, with steel steerer tube
- Motor: SR Suntour HESC performance motor (high torque)
- Battery: SR Suntour HESC 324Wh / 9Ah down tube battery
- Display: SS Suntour HESC LED, adjustable modes, and battery level display.
- Sensor: Crank-based torque sensor
- Drivetrain: Shimano 9-speed Acera, with Shimano Cassette and Microshift brake/shift levers
- Crankset: SR Suntour HESC Aluminium 42t
- Wheels: Aluminium rims, 36 heavy-duty stainless steel spokes, with Kenda multi-surface tyres, 700 x 32c
- Brakes: Tektro MD-C400 mechanical road discs, 180mm rear and 160mm front
- Handlebar: Carrera aluminum road. 120mm drop, width-adjusted for size (40cm, 42cm and 44cm)
- Stem: Carrera forged aluminium ahead -7 degree length adjusted for size (90mm,100mm and 110mm)
- Seatpost: Carrera aluminium, 350mm long
