Cairn e-Adventure 2nd generation e-gravel bike review
As part of the small British cycling business The Rider Collective, Cairn has a distinct advantage in product development.
Not only is the Rider Collective run by cyclists, but it also has a loyal following of riders willing to give feedback. Nor does it hurt having Hunt Wheels as a sister company considering its reputation among the UK’s road and gravel riding fraternity.
With access to so much rider input, it was only a matter of time before Cairn took a close look at its already successful first-generation e-Adventure and update it with some thoughtfully chosen upgrades and designs.
The most obvious of these is the choice of wheel size. For those who mainly ride on paved surfaces the 700c wheel size of the first generation, e-Adventure is retained, while for those who are more adventurous there’s now a 650b wheel option.
However, to simply assume that it is one bike with different-sized wheels would be an underestimation of how carefully Cairn designs its bikes. It is not just the wheels that differ between the two options – it’s also the rider contact points.
Given that the 650b will see more off-road action it gets flared drop handlebars from Cairn’s own range in place of the Ritchey Butano Comp S on the larger-wheeled road-orientated model.
Similarly, the saddle is dependant on the chosen wheel size, while the 650b version of the e-Adventure also adds a dropper post into the mix. Until you’ve ridden with one, you won’t appreciate how beneficial it is being able to drop the saddle out of the way on off-road descents.
One thing that remains unchanged from the first generation of the e-Adventure is the overall geometry of the bike’s aluminium frame.
However, there are small but subtle changes: lower overall stand-over height, controls for the Favua drive system moved to the frame’s top tube, and a removable seat stay bridge to offer slightly more compliance at the rear of the bike.
All you have to do now is decide which wheel size is the one for you. Choose your own e-Adventure!
Cairn e-Adventure 2nd generation specs
| Stated weight: | N/A |
| Frame material | 6061 T6 aluminium |
| Motor | Fazua Evation (with Black Pepper updates) |
| Battery | Fazua |
| Stated range | 50km (30 miles) |
| Groupset | Shimano GRX |
| Saddle | 700c Fabric Scoop Elite Shallow/650b Cairn E-Adventure Saddle |
| Bars | 700c Ritchey Butano Comp S/650b Cairn Adventure 20 Degree Flare |
| Wheels | 700c Hunt x Cairn E-Gravel/650b Hunt Adventure Sport Disc |
| Tyres | Vittoria Terrano Dry 700 x 38c or Vittoria Mezcal 27.5 x 2.25in (F) and 2.1in (R) |
| Contact | cairncycles.com |
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