Bike Review: Haro Double Peak I/O
HARO DOUBLE PEAK I/O
Haro has fully embraced the electric mountain bike market and offers everything from the more hardcore, full-suspension Shift Plus i/O 9 all the way down to this bike, the Double Peak i/O. Though this is ostensibly an entry-level bike, it offers plenty of versatility as a cross-country fun bike that could also very easily be a fun commuter and more.
THE BIKE
The Double Peak i/O features an aluminum hardtail frame with a tapered head tube and a diamond shape. The SunTour XCM34 Boost fork offers 100mm of travel and a 15mm thru-axle. A reasonably relaxed 69-degree head tube is fairly forgiving. Sizing of the frame is made to fit anyone from 5-foot-1 to over 6-foot-3, and there’s a chart on their website for sizing. We always recommend going to a shop and being properly fitted, as that will best ensure a better riding experience.
Unlike most mountain bikes, the Haro comes stock with a kickstand bolted onto the back of the chainstay. Of course, riders can take this off with a hex key, but we had no issues with it popping down even on some bigger drops.
THE PARTS
Though this is an inexpensive bike, it has plenty of creature comforts. Touch points include a WTB Volt Sport Wide saddle and WTB Weirwolf grips. Shimano components abound, including the Shimano Deore rear derailleur and a RapidFire+ 10-speed shifter. Haro opted for a KMC e-specific chain for durability. The 170mm Shimano cranks are on the short side, but do help curb pedal strikes off-road.
Shimano MT-201 hydraulic disc brakes provide the stopping power with 180mm front and 160mm rear rotors. Kenda Honey Badger tires have less-than-aggressive knobs that offer lower rolling resistance when you’re on the road, but we found them plenty grippy off-road. The Weinmann U-32 rims are tubeless-ready.
THE MOTOR
This is the first bike we’ve ever had with the Shimano STePS E6100 motor. It’s a smaller, lighter motor than the E8000 we’ve enjoyed on many bikes. At 6.35 pounds, it’s light and coupled with specially designed Shimano crankarms that offer a very narrow Q-factor. The unit is weather sealed, and is 20 percent more efficient than the E6000 and boasts 60 N/m of torque.
For this bike, Haro chose the E8000 battery that offers 504 Wh for extra range versus the stock 418-Wh E6000 battery. It has a claimed range of up to 105 miles. There’s no spec that shows what their conditions are, other than just using Eco mode.
“This bike is as at home on the road as it is off.”
The display is nothing like the diminutive one that comes with an E8000. It’s the size of a small smartphone, and is a monochrome LCD that can display a fair amount of information on screen. Functions include speed, distance, trip time, clock, estimated range based on power mode, battery level and more.
It mounts above the stem, and it’s compatible with the e-Tube app to allow some personalization of power settings. You can also pair it, via ANT or Bluetooth, with your smartphone or a third-party display, such as Garmin
or Sigma.
WHO IT’S MADE FOR
The Double Peak is aimed at beginner to intermediate cross-country riders who don’t need or want full suspension. It’s a great bike for riding dirt trails in the hills and even singletracks, or even as a fun daily commuter that is very capable to go off-roading on your way home.
THE RIDE
This bike is as at home on the road as it is off. We rode over a variety of surfaces, on bike paths and bike trails, over fire roads and singletracks. It’s comfortable, and even with the lack of rear suspension and the smaller 2.2-inch tires that buck the trend of plus-size tires on the market today, it’s a fun ride that inspires confidence.
The E6100 responds well to out-of-the-saddle pedaling with enough torque that’s better than some of the more powerful motors on the market. The gearing range didn’t allow quite enough for really steep climbs, at least without going into the top power level. There are three power levels, Eco, Normal and High. It’s an interesting departure from the E8000’s Eco, Trail and Boost. There’s a definite difference, especially comparing Boost to High. We’ve always found Boost so powerful that we almost never use it, only on the steepest of steep hills. High mode from the E6100 is much more usable.
One of our test riders was fascinated by the information available via the display and that the ability to see range based on all three power levels all on one screen was a really nice feature. It does let you plan accordingly for the rest of your ride, on the fly.
The SunTour fork, even for an entry-level model, was solid. The preload knob actually worked, and the lockout knob’s functionality was more robust than expected. As it is dialed clockwise towards lock, it slightly increases the compression so you can stiffen up the travel to make the fork more progressive with minute adjustment through the knob’s rotation to full lockout. And, the lockout will provide a small blow-off so you still have some suspension when hitting an unexpected bump, a nice feature for off-road.
The geometry actually felt nice and compact, which was more encouraging for recreational-level riders. Long top tubes and short chainstays are more for the aggressive riders. Being upright on the Double Peak felt natural for its intended purpose.
The smaller, lighter motor helps keep the weight down, as does the lack of rear suspension. The bike is easy to maneuver, and the head tube angle is a little sharper than most e-MTBs we ride in the 65–67-degree range. The tires never slipped on any surface, and Haro’s choice of the Honey Badgers was definitely a good one.
THE VERDICT
This bike wins in both price and performance. A trusted, brand-name e-MTB that rides well for 2700 bucks? It’s a good deal. There’s plenty of power from the E6100 motor, the tires were better than we expected, and the external battery is fine in the era of integrated frame batteries. It’s a handsome bike that performs well.
SPECS
HARO DOUBLE PEAK i/O
Price: $2699.99
Motor: Shimano STePS E6100 mid-drive, 250W, 60 N/m
Battery: Shimano STePS E8000 503 Wh battery
Charge time: 4.5 hours
Top speed: 20 mph (with assist)
Range: 20–45 miles
Drive: Shimano Deore 10-speed, 11-42T cassette, Shadow Plus derailleur
Brakes: Shimano MT-201 hydraulic disc, 180mm/160mm rotors
Controls: Shimano STePS E6100
Fork: SunTour XCM-34 Boost fork, 100mm travel
Frame: DP Comp I/O X6 alloy frame, tapered head tube
Tires: 27.5” x 2.2” Kenda Honey Badger XC Sport
Weight: 46.13 lb. (medium)
Color choice: Black/neon red
Sizes: 14.5, 16, 18, 20, 22
