Liv, the female specific portion of the Giant brand, have just launched a female specific city e-bike, the Liv Amiti E+. We were invited out to the beautiful city of Innsbruck, Austria to get the first look at this new line of bikes.
Liv take the line 'dissolve the barrier between you and your passion to pedal the journey', this bike is all about getting women on bikes where they might not have the need or desire to cycle previously. The Amiti E+ is aimed at busy people as a means to make their life easier or more enjoyable, with the motor Liv say you can explore further and in relative comfort too. Rachael from the off-road.cc team managed to grab a ride on the new city bike one gorgeous sunny morning in Innsbruck.....
It's a commuter or city hybrid through and through with the riding position and geometry to suit. I'm 5'4 (160cm) so chose to ride a medium sized bike. The dropped top tube provided adequate stand over as you would expect and the reach allowing a comfortable upright riding position.
The Liv Amiti E+ range is powered by Giants Sync Drive Sport motor and a 400W battery pack. The motor is powered by Yamaha and generated 80Nm or torque which it makes available to the rider in three different modes - Eco, Normal or Sport, each providing 80, 180 or 300% pedal assistance respectively. For pedalling the hilly streets and gravel roads above Innsbruck I selected the Sport mode in order to appreciate the most assistance, this meant an easy and sweat free ride as the motor propelled me up hills and over looser terrain.
The power is delivered smoothly and predictably from the motor with the control panel on the left-hand side of the bars easy to locate and reach. Liv's engineers say the battery is expected to last about 5 hours given an average amount of use over all three modes. This is variable depending on factors such as use, ride conditions and rider weight. Liv have also provided 'walk assist' which can be handily put into action by your left thumb as you hold the grips.
The Liv Amiti E+2 that I rode is priced at 2,399 Euros (UK pricing to be announced shortly), for this price you get SR Suntour NEX E25 HLO forks with 63mm travel, a Shimano 9-speed drivetrain with Shimano Alivio Shadow rear mech and Tektro M285 hydraulic disc brakes with Schwalbe Smart Sam tyres adorning the wheels. The rest of the bike is specced with Giant own brand parts to include rear rack, mudguards and kick stand.
Liv have included integrated lights at the front and rear which are powered by the battery and light sensitive meaning they come on automatically once they sense darker conditions. The head tube of the bike also features a 'day light' that is on permanently, a neat safety feature.
The easy to read display in the centre of the handlebars shows the rider information such as power mode, speed, trip distance and battery power remaining.
The UK will receive the Amiti E+ 1 and Amiti E+ 2, the only difference between the bike I rode and the less expensive Amiti E+ 2 (2,399 Euro's) is a 400W battery rather than the 500W and the lack of rack, mudguards and lights.
The Amiti E+ range appears at first look to be a reliable practical choice for the city rider or town commuter if comfort and style are higher on the agenda than flat out speed.
For more information go to www.liv-cycling.com
