Bianchi Aria E-Road review

There is no doubt Bianchi’s 12.5kg Aria E-road is a very, very light e-bike. While it may not be the absolute lightest on the market, if you see it ride by or even lift one in a showroom you would be hard pressed to tell it’s an e-bike.

Of course, a lot of this is to do with how well the Ebikemotion assist system’s battery and control electronics are hidden out of sight in the frame with the only real clue to its magic propulsion coming from the oversized rear hub. Even then, if viewed side-on the rear hub motor is hidden behind the gear sprocket so it really does look like a regular road bike.

The control button is neatly integrated into the bike’s top tube and this is all you need to change power levels and see the battery charge level, though there inevitably an app that links by Bluetooth if more info and ride settings are needed.

As the latest Ebikemotion system it is also Ant+ compatible meaning you can link up to a range of gizmos at the same time, for example a bike computer and heart rate monitor. 

The Ebikemotion system has a dual purpose. Firstly and most obviously it is there to provide some modest electric assistance for the rider up hills and into headwinds. The second less obvious purpose is to be noticed as little as possible when not in use.

This is particularly important for road riders, who may be grateful of the extra assist from the motor when really pushing their body to the limit, but over less demanding terrain and with a fresh pair of legs simply don’t need a motor so they want a bike that rides as much like a regular machine as possible. The Ebikemotion system performs in both areas.  

Bianchi’s own road racing heritage is evident in the Aria’s frame, with its aerodynamic lines made for speed and the geometry designed to give a classic crouched-forward racing position for the rider.

The use of Shimano’s Ultegra groupset, where the gears and braking components live together in harmony, fits with the racing credentials: the Ultegra may cede top spot in Shimano’s groupset hierarchy to the Dura-Ace, many reviews put its performance on a par with it – the only real downside is that it’s slightly heavier than the Dura-Ace.

This means you can expect silky-smooth gear changes and very precise and powerful braking. There’s an option to choose electronic gear shifting for even more crispness and reliability in those gear changes.

Buy the Bianchi Aria E-Road now

Alternatively, buy the Bianchi Aria E-Road 2020 now from Rutland Cycling

Bianchi Aria E-Road specs

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