At The Bike Factory, we’ve recently started selling models from the German ePERFORMANCE specialists, Haibike. But just what is this brand about, what is this Flyon system you’ve heard so much about, and what exactly is ePERFORMANCE?
Who are Haibike?
Well, Haibike have been around a long time – since 1995 in fact – and they have been one of the leaders in the development of e-MTB, bringing the eQ XDURO to market in 2010. This machine, although it looks kinda outdated now, actually sold out incredibly fast and would become the grandaddy of all modern electric-assist mountain bikes.
It may have taken them 15 years to make that first true e-MTB, but they haven’t looked back since, rapidly developing their technology and changing the way the world sees the category. The XDURO name remains prominent in the Haibike range to this day.
What is Flyon?
They’ve been making electric-assist machines for a while, but Flyon is Haibike’s first full proprietary e-bike system. The focus was on delivering a riding experience ‘how it should be’, with 50% more torque, up to 200% more assistance and an increase in range of about 25%. Those are some massive improvements, we’re sure you’ll agree.
The system begins with the motor, which is designed by a company called TQ who build motors for satellites – among other things – and it can pump out 120Nm or assistance of 820%. Haibike has also created a special Flyon battery with a frankly ridiculous capacity of 630Wh helping to deliver that huge range increase. And then there’s the carbon frameset that incorporates lights, bottles, lock, toolbags, all of which can be either built into or connected modularly to the frame.
The ride experience is improved yet further by the detail-focused cockpit that Haibike have created. The colour display sits neatly on top of the stem and is easy to read regardless of light conditions – so no losing sight of your data because the sun is hitting it a certain way. You can access live riding data from the unit too, like speed and distance, as well as your training metrics like HR, calories burned and cadence.
If you’re tearing down a particularly challenging section of trail, you might not want to move your hands from their position on the bars to fiddle with the display. Luckily, there’s a remote fitted to the underside of your bars to help you make adjustments on the fly. Another cool feature that is going to extend the use of this bike is the integrated front light, which can throw out a massive 5,000 lumens should you wish to take your riding nocturnal.
What does ePERFORMANCE look like?
In real terms, the Flyon system is going to be a feature of most of Haibike’s flagship machines going forward. In our current catalogue you’ll find a number of Flyon-enhanced models, including the All-Mountain 10.0, the NDURO 10.0 and the ALLTRAIL 6.0.
The All-Mountain 10.0 is exactly what it sounds like: a bike to take you all over the hill! It has premium SRAM XX1 Eagle 12-speed, with a DT SWISS fork and rear shock each throwing down 150mm of travel. The front wheel is 29” while the back is 27.5” giving you good speed-carry over obstacles and agility in the back.
The NDURO 10.0 is – you guessed it – designed for enduro style riding, so it shreds on the downhill. It packs all the Flyon whistles ‘n’ bells we mention above, plus a SRAM EX1 8-speed groupset and FOX Float Factory Air fork with an off-the-scale 180mm of travel.
The ALLTRAIL is about packing versatility into a trail-ready machine. It employs a Rockshox Revelation RC Lockout fork with 140mm of travel, plus SRAM GX Eagle groupset and Maxxis Minion DHF wheels.
Want to say ‘hi’ to Haibike or simply learn a bit more about one of the freshest faces in our stores? We’re ready and waiting to field your queries online, by phone, or in person at our Chester store.
