THE RIDE

We started out riding the bike with the motor turned off. Other than feeling the weight of the motor and battery, there’s no discernible drag from the system. The bike rides really nicely. 

The motor is turned on from a button located on top of the battery. It works, even while you’re already riding. To power it up, it starts with the motor power off. When you change to one of the five power modes, it engages immediately. 

Again, the Energy is intended as a Class 1 bike, but if you feel the need for speed, they’ve built an Easter egg into the system. The light switch that’s on the display isn’t connected to a light. Instead, it disarms the Class 1 speed limit, at which point it’s no longer a Class 1 bike and technically not even a Class 3 (28 mph). We tried it on a stretch of protected bike path with great visibility and a few hills, and the word “thrilling” isn’t enough to describe it. We felt unstoppable!

We carefully passed other cyclists in our group like they were standing still. For those who want to ride with car traffic, this is definitely the setup for you. When we rode the Favaloro Excalibur a couple of years ago, we’d mused that a road bike really needs a 28-mph motor. 

Currently, the market for Class 3 e-road bikes is on the slim side, so the Favaloro was a welcome addition. It’s worth noting that the bike can easily be built up with flat handlebars for anyone in search of a more upright position.  

On long rides, the bike was comfortable, lively and made us want to keep riding. We took it off-road, and handling is just as good. The fairly high-volume tires helped make the bumps feel less bumpy.

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