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Cortina enters the high-end section of e-bikes with the E-Silento Professional and achieves a powerful rating in our opinion. Whether or not it’s also the ‘e-bike for you’ relies upon purely in your goal of utilizing the electrical bicycle.
Had requested me years in the past what Cortina stood for as a model for me, and I’d have mentioned: bicycles for younger individuals. The Dutch firm due to this fact primarily sells bicycles meant for schoolgoers. You’ll discover this, amongst different issues, within the hip(er) design and the eye paid to the ‘bastard-proof’ content material of his bicycles. If we then take a look at the E-Silento Professional, we really see one break with that picture. The electrical bicycle shouldn’t be essentially frivolously designed, however is admittedly aimed on the energetic by way of design.
While you first see it you’d begin to suppose it’s a mountain bike – though that’s primarily as a result of Large Ben tires with a wider than common tread. Design is one factor: what issues in the long run is how the electrical bike behaves once we hit the street. And I did that usually. In slightly below two weeks, the Shimano on-board laptop registered a distance of 250 kilometers. Greater than sufficient to inform whether or not the bike is advisable or not (trace: it’s endorsed, however that is determined by who you’re).
Not an ‘unusual’ metropolis bike
Even earlier than you sit on the Cortina E-Silento Professional, you’ll discover that the electrical bicycle isn’t just a metropolis bicycle. The bike has a sporty look with a kink within the horizontal bar that makes the design look very fashionable and sporty. The forward-angled steering wheel, the paint colours supplied and the fats Large Ben tires actually add to this sense. For my part, it is a bike that you wouldn’t shortly label as unattractive.
What I seen in the course of the take a look at interval was that the bike even attracted fairly a little bit of consideration on the street scene. The darkish blue paint of the bike might have contributed to this to some extent, as did the moderately thick decrease body tube that homes the battery. In case you are not so keen to face out, then you’re in all probability higher off with the darkish brown / copper paint colour. We is not going to choose the latter colour – now we have not been in a position to see it in actual life.
Talking of the paint, in our opinion it isn’t fairly as much as customary for this worth level. We noticed small imperfections within the paint in just a few locations. That is in all probability the results of Cortina’s selection for a matt lacquer layer, through which small errors are extra shortly revealed. Nonetheless, for a bicycle price greater than 3,500 euros you’ll be able to count on a (nearly) flawless paint layer, one thing that we’d even say with bicycles of round 2,000 euros.
Sporty sitting place
The general design of the E-Silento Professional focuses on you bending ahead. For individuals who have already ridden a mountain bike or biking bike, it is a acquainted feeling. It ensures that you just journey with a extra arched again. Nice if you wish to catch as little wind as potential, however actually additionally one thing to concentrate to if consolation is extraordinarily vital to you. I do not discover essentially the most snug sitting place to take a seat bent ahead when biking, particularly within the sharp angle of the E-Silento.
That’s how I really feel about it myself and due to this fact actually not a fault of the E-Silento Professional. You have got a unique bike for each kind of bicycle owner, and this electrical bike is clearly extra geared toward sports activities fanatics who need an e-bike for quick every day journeys to and from work (or different locations). For that purpose it’s also extraordinarily vital to check out bikes like this your self before you purchase them: regardless of how a lot I say in regards to the sitting place, in the long run it’s important to sit comfortably on it.
One factor I count on everybody will expertise on longer rides is the uncomfortable Selle Royal Elevate saddle. Cortina determined to decide on a more durable saddle as a result of it must be extra snug on an extended experience. Nevertheless, observe confirmed that after two hours of biking I now not knew easy methods to sit on the saddle. As an ex-cyclist I’m considerably used to arduous saddles; this one is much more snug, however because it stands now it’s best to both not expertise any buttock ache, or restrict your rides to 1 or a most of 1.5 hours.
Chic biking expertise
So far as I am involved, an (electrical) bicycle will need to have a powerful look, sit properly and … sure: good biking. Whether or not this e-bike can stay as much as that? Let’s begin with the dealing with. That’s merely elegant. The vast tires present greater than sufficient grip, even in case you go to the seashore. What can be very good is the suspension fork. In the course of the take a look at interval I overcame fairly just a few bumps and that with out (insufferable) burden from my shoulders, as is usually the case with non-suspended bicycles.
Particularly in locations with cobbled roads or many thresholds, suspension is a luxurious that you just shortly take without any consideration, nevertheless it does make a significant contribution to biking consolation. However even in case you make a visit with out many cobblestone roads, it ensures that the panorama feels extremely easy and the body of the E-Silento Professional doesn’t expertise any pointless vibrations. As for the body itself, I can say that it’s extremely stiff and it’s a actual pleasure to make tight turns; in case you prefer to make quick turns, you’ll be able to’t cease having fun with the E-Silento. You may as well cycle with out fingers with none issues, if that’s one thing you love to do.
All in all, the premise – with out even contemplating {the electrical} system – could be referred to as elegant. What I can not neglect is that I’ve by no means examined such a quiet bike earlier than. You progress silently by way of town or nature. Sadly, the brakes began to squeak, however in line with Cortina that’s as a result of supplier’s ‘breaking-in process’ and due to this fact can’t be taken under consideration in my take a look at evaluation.
In depth pedal help
If we do take {the electrical} system of the Cortina e-bike under consideration, then little will change in that opinion for me. The Shimano E-Steps E6100 mid-motor is just a really good specimen. With the drive and rotation sensor, the bike is not going to instantly shoot to its most velocity with out you ‘indicating’ that you just need to attain that velocity. This implies that you may cycle very naturally and don’t shoot ahead like a wild rocket whenever you begin pedaling.
Particularly whenever you simply get on at a visitors gentle, it’s a aid that you just do get the specified help, however on the similar time you’ve the reassurance that you may hold the bike beneath management. Bikes that solely have a rotation sensor are very unpredictable and infrequently present one hundred pc of their energy whenever you begin pedaling. It’s possible you’ll get away with it quicker, however the drawback that biking feels very unnatural is usually a bit extra harmful.
Furthermore, the help ranges of the E6100 are very cheap. Even within the lowest setting (Eco) you get sufficient help to hit 25 km/h on flat roads. If it’s important to climb a hill, you’ll be able to seamlessly change to Regular or Excessive to get a bit extra help. For the velocity demons amongst us, excessive is an actual pleasure: you’ll be able to simply stand up to 30 km/h in that place (please put on a helmet at these speeds).
The one factor that happy me rather less – and I seen that much less strongly with Bosch motors, amongst different issues, is that the top of the pedal help when the utmost help velocity (25 km / h) is reached is sort of emphatically felt within the pedals. It seems like a brief kickback within the drivetrain to me. When you at all times cycle round 25 to 27 km/h, that’s one thing that may get boring shortly.
Comrade for lengthy distances
At such speeds you’ll be able to cowl an extended distance fairly shortly. The query is after all whether or not it’s best to fear in regards to the battery of the E-Silento Professional. Luckily, that’s not the case: it simply lasted us as much as 150 kilometers within the ‘Regular’ mode of the SC-E7000 on-board laptop. When you change to Excessive, it will run again to 100 kilometers, with just a few % of battery juice left within the tank on the finish.
For an e-bike of this dimension, with its appreciable energy and always-on lighting, that may be a very acceptable vary. The truth is, it’s a vary with which you’ll be able to simply get by way of the week for commuting with out having to recharge it each time. When you prefer to go on lengthy journeys, the E-Silento Professional can be properly geared up for that. I’d go on a visit to the Ardennes for per week with none worries, supplied I can prime up the battery there.
Reloading takes some time. Cortina says it takes about 8.5 hours to recharge. With the provided residence charger, this took me simply over 7 hours. You will not win velocity races with it, however in case you put it on the charger at evening – for this you’ll be able to go away the battery within the E-Silento or take it out – you’ll after all not be bothered by this.
!!beeld: Cortina E-Silent Professional – 4
Eindoordeel: E-Silence Professional
For 3 weeks we drove round with the E-Silento Professional from Cortina and we actually favored it. It’s really a pleasure to hit the street with this e-bike. The saddle actually bothers me after an hour and that might forestall me from buying this bike.
On the similar time, that’s one thing very private, similar to the sitting place of the bicycle itself. Much less private is the elegant dealing with as a result of stiff body and the suspension fork, the extraordinarily good vary, a high-quality mid-engine from Shimano and the superb end of the bike.
We should after all additionally think about the worth: you pay 3,599 euros for the E-Silento Professional, which brings it into Gazelle Avignon C8 territory. So far as we’re involved, it has a barely extra refined end and an excellent Bosch motor. On the similar time, it is a bicycle that has a extra ‘customary’ design, a much less energetic sitting place and presents barely much less torque. So far as we’re involved, you can not go mistaken with the E-Silento, however do exit with a number of bicycles earlier than finalizing the acquisition.
Remember biking just like the Cowboy of Vanmoof, which are sometimes loads cheaper and supply the identical sporty sitting place. We now have to say that we all know from manufacturers like Cortina and Gazelle how their bikes will maintain up in the long run. Cowboy must show himself on this within the coming years.
