Rented E Bike Vs Super Bike: The GCN City Challenge!

In recent years E Bikes have taken the city streets by storm, so much so that you can now rent them in some cities, such as Bristol in the UK. But are they really better than the superbikes our ex-pro presenters are used to riding around town? Conor and Manon find out, as they race around Bristol!
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[@gcn]

Which bike do you think is better for the city? Let us know in the comments below!👇

[@LUCYDIAMONDBOXER1]

A bus

[@apm9507]

Manon should be Queen of the Cobbles by now!

[@apm9507]

Manon Queen of the Cobbles even took a break for a wardrobe change!

[@apm9507]

Theft is a big risk to cycling in a city. I have a single speed cruiser brake bike and an Amsterdam bike that I lock up at the bus station. The bikes are about $200 each, and the spot has video surveillance, and nobody would expect a bike where I park it, and I have two locks and two cables on the bikes. I still feel relieved to see my commuter bikes every day after work. If I had Connor's Canyon bike it would likely be in a plexiglass locked case at home, only to be used in perfect weather without traffic. Never a commute.

[@888johnmac]

rental bike .. purely for the use it , then park it & walk away aspect .. if someone does nick it not your problem

[@ViveSemelBeneVivere]

@2:11 Manon steps _over_ that step-through bike, she's a born and bred road biker. 😄

[@guilhermeazevedo1250]

I just loved Connor playing the "you're the sprinter" last kilometre game! "I'm not talking to you!" He is always in the mood for a great funny ride. I love every video he is. Love you Connor! ✌️😎

[@petewillmot]

Conor and Manon are genuinely the most comedic pair!! They are like the kid brother and sister of the GCN crew! With old man Dan as their dad 😂😂😂😂

[@simonsepic]

It's called sexual tension. Cos Mason is smokin

[@tommyphillips8547]

@@simonsepic calm down mate she's already engaged/married 😂

[@simonsepic]

@@tommyphillips8547 oh I know that, I didn't think I was being particularly strange. She's hot

[@simonsepic]

Pmsl I just noticed my auto correct typo, manon

[@pranavprashant3915]

@@simonsepic I guess you haven't seen genuinely beautiful women in ur life

[@dougfromsoanierana]

Interesting that the e-bike is single speed. In Washington DC the Capitol Bikeshare e-bikes have CVT drives, which are roughly equivalent to the range of 3-speed bikes.

[@jamesbland8919]

Connor and Manon are the dynamic duo of GCN! There is such great energy with those two on the screen.

[@h31sman]

Connor getting rejected 10 feet up the hill was hilarious 😂

[@ninaphilippe]

Loving your support for Big Issue! Nothing epic.. Just Human. ❤️

[@whatwelearned]

Low key lovely transition at 6:38 there Mr Editor

[@justinbouchard]

Manon describing the details of the bike while riding with one hand, not even pedaling, and having Conor in the back drilling it on the drops is simply amazing.

[@jaredjames7990]

Go Mannon!! looked like a fantastic bike ride, beautiful location.

[@urszuladonigiewicz]

"Grace and style" at 11:48 - hilarious! Proper comedy gold.

[@primatearmy]

Great seeing my home town, has given me some ideas to take a route around town myself, and yea that totterdown hill is a killer

[@nickpatten5263]

Very entertaining and also interesting video. What a great team. Seeing the pros and cons of each bike was an eye opener given the differing road conditions. Some of those hills though 😳

[@smc528x]

Im just here to see Manon in jeans

[@mracer8]

Not often you see somebody crash a borrow Canyon SuperBike going backward! That scratch was there when I pick it up this morning. 😉

[@Snaily]

I think 11:42 might be the first time I've ever seen anyone actually stall on a bike.

[@slipperman61]

Right as Connor sets off on the pier, those rail tracks caught my attention. I've had my worse crashes getting crossed up on those steel rails.

[@edwardsihler]

I need to turn the audio of Manon going down the cobbles into a ring town.

[@Crotal_Karma]

Loved this video, very entertaining! And Manon is beautiful! Good job, both of you! ❤️

[@Alphard_adventures]

Need to get Ollie going up that steep street 😂

[@ViveSemelBeneVivere]

@11:42 I've heard residents nonchalantly use climbing ropes and karabiners to move around.

[@rickcoyne7845]

GO MANON!!! Another Stellar Video!! I can't wait to see the end!!

[@catha86]

Ebikes are the future for sure. This just shows it. More fun and more useful in the long run

[@zeemon9623]

Reflectors and lights are pretty nice to have on a commuter bike, especially in the winter.

[@andreasleucht]

It was really brilliant what you did there. Great entertainment...thank you

[@TheSpaceBrosShow]

I see Conor got his computer mount fixed since the last cobble video LOL

[@avoirdupois1]

It's so impressive that Manon never got really left behind by Conor, even though he had what seemed like vastly superior kit. Goes to show that "good enough" makes a big difference.

[@MarkusFolkesson]

I stil wait for the clip when they compare a superbike with some £500-700 citybike (or maybe an E-bike for like £1000). Why do I suspect you can't let the superbike loose?

[@Dom-dy4nn]

Great video as always. But how much did the rental cost? Would have been good to know how much. 👍

[@davidsnow1481]

Ok does anyone else make that noise going over cobblestones. I do because it’s funny and all my riding friends just look at me as if I’m 8 years old. I think for around town the E bike rental is great idea because you have a network of them around. Just grab one and go then return it shop or eat then get another one. But I love the Canyon super bike not for town use because you have to lock it up and hope everything is safe with it when you come back after shopping or eating. Keep up the good work and stay safe out there.

[@CarlosParadaP]

11:44 Connor should try to climb that using "el alto"

[@gcn]

👀

[@MegaAadhar]

well, forget the video. I'm happy a got a tour of bristol.

[@cliffordromina3527]

To make a more relatable situation, put "the eurobike" against the rental e bike

[@JasonTrew2018]

In some cities (like Chattanooga with Bike Chattanooga) you have to rent a bike for an hour and have to exchange to rent another bike for another hour until the pass expires

[@pwood5733]

Enjoying manons jeans tbh

[@nickwilliams1953]

Anther great fun video by GCN. I really enjoyed that, very funny.

[@gcn]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@katherinelangford981]

At least here its $20/hr to rent an ebike. So while more affordable that a Superbike, it's for sure better to buy a decent bike even your own ebike than to rent our ebikes. $2000 for an ebike here would be 100 hours or about 3.5 months of 30 minute commutes to and from work or if you go for groceries and do other errands or rides. I guess depends how long your commute is. But if you just occasionally rent here it's not crazy bad.

[@MrDavejkings]

Great video, but Connor should of been made to carry the same bag as Manon and a bike lock to even it up. This was a commute race after all. 🙂

[@bjmullan]

That was funny, keep up the good work.

[@bikeskimawk670]

Bristol looks like San Francisco. Ride to the level of your smile.🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️😃😃

[@foxyboxi9028]

Feels amazing to pass a E bike user on my non e bike, idky.

[@EVDaysOut]

Brilliant. Maisie wins for me - a lot cuter and a basket on the front! Definitely going to find a rental e-bike when we are next in Bristol. Not attempting that hill though !

[@carlom6353]

Did the ebike run out of power at the hill? Arn't they made especially for hills?

[@Syn741]

now do it on mountain bikes! haha! going up hills would be so much easier with the gear ratios hahaha

[@gcn]

Conor could definitely have done with easier gears!!

[@Syn741]

@@gcn i thought he was on the lowest gear haha. i guess he under estimated the wall 😂

[@sebastianeschenbacher5856]

What size is the frame?

[@Todd66]

Some cargo ebikes are cool af.

[@stvnsanders7]

I had an anxiety attack when I saw Manon's phone in her back pocket as she initially took off 😅😅

[@gcn]

Could have been an expensive mistake

[@01FozzyS]

Did Manon buy new kicks just for this shoot? lol

[@bladerr900]

Live in Sydney Australia best city on planet Earth and we have them here, some Aussie city’s have electric scooters as well all for hire with your smart phone 📱

[@ianmangham4570]

You're a Bogan right!

[@The1trueDave]

Seems like a great idea for a hire bike, putting a mid-drive in then just going for a single speed - let the motor handle the torque, why not? The gearing choice seems odd though ( 0:36 ) - given that these things top out at 15.5mph you'd think that a ratio of 2:1 or perhaps a little more might be adequate. The gear they have on there looks more like 3:1 (obviously no way of telling exactly) but the point is, the lower the gear the higher the pedal rpm for a given power and gradient and better the mid-drive motor will cope with it. If they'd geared it so you were doing 80-90rpm at 15.5mph it would have more grunt going up those steep hills...

[@The1trueDave]

@Colin Deal I'm not sure the market is entirely 'non-cyclists', a good chunk of it will be people who just don't currently have their bike with them for whatever logistical reason. I take your point about clothing but take the lower end of that range, 80rpm is not out of sight especially with mechanical assistance. Also, while that 10-12kg weight penalty is significant, it's only 10-15% in terms of the 'system' (bike+rider) weight. If you're trying to do electric on a budget that's just the price you pay.

[@tutorialsepeda]

Is the best guys

[@paolocruz8392]

The tortoise and the hare 🐢🐇

[@matthewlewis2072]

Cor, Pamela Neave agency staff is still going!

[@atomiccat2002]

Do a real test, Ebike vs Super bike on an actual road course or bike trail , I am pretty sure the ebike will only go like 20 KPH so the super bike will most likely win unless super steep

[@hogroamer260]

Apparently the public works crews on the UK are allowed to drink on the job?

[@uweclaunitzer7170]

Some of those steep roads rather looked like the Eiger northface...

[@matthewlewis2072]

PS in case people don't know, Bristol is a bit hilly

[@jaredlash5002]

I see Connor found a new Wahoo mount.

[@rudolphpyatt4833]

Evil hills in Bristol.

[@colinmartin2689]

I was surprised that the ebike struggled on the climbs, I was going to convert a bike due to be retired to an ebike.

[@gabrielcollazos6258]

That ebike was single speed, just add some gears and no problem

[@ihavetowait90daystochangem74]

Just go for a self conversion 1000w police don’t care 🤷‍♀️

[@MrIanD1]

Who checks the tire pressure?

[@bezlistosnypozeraczkebabow6513]

Did u get KOM there 12:15

[@edwardebel1847]

I think it must be mandatory to go "AHHHHHHHHH" when riding over cobbles...someone always does it...just sayin'

[@matthewlewis2072]

😂😂😂 Vale St 😂😂😂😂

[@dagobaker]

people stop at red lights and stop signs? lol yea right

[@sandiegocyclingnutz]

Red lights = The great equalizer

[@chrisbspear]

Couldn't stop laughing at this silly video. Makes sense, if you ride in the city, ride a city bike. I just moved to a city, and miss the back roads of my old home. Time to get bike n+1

[@Niffty974]

In reality he could thrash that crappy 250w ebike in a race,could average way above the top speed even with the hills.

[@suriyavlogs3957]

Thatve bike needs throttle

[@cyclingadventure9]

Of course the Canyon is going to win. They are not going to let one of their sponsors lose to some ebike right? Although this is not a paid promotion but you get what I mean,

[@hoebertrabeck1621]

can i have a manon plushie?

[@feedbackzaloop]

Shooks, I was wondering what excuse would Ollie come up with not to ride this time. Guess, we'll never know

[@timotius]

Yeah.... We will never know 😂😂

[@GeeFunk84]

Part of the reason I love these videos because I used to live in Bristol a decade ago and it's great to see some of the familiar places on this channel. Heck, I used to live in Southville, like a five-minute walk from the harbour that is consistently featured here.

[@zogthewelk]

Yep "turbo island" made me smile.

[@tomrachellesfirstdance7843]

Mannon should be an expert on the cobbles with how many videos she has been in recently😂

[@chrisridesbicycles]

Can we please have one of the race commentators making a voice over for this cracking race.

[@oliviant2235]

We need the brother in law to do it…..Nigel!!

[@jonburnell532]

I've seen loads of hires bikes around but I'd never heard of The Big Issue bikes, but I 100% want more of these in the cities if it helps out the homeless 👍

[@mamadjun]

Your video above all shows how unenjoyable riding in a city is when compared to rural areas. I used my bike to commute across London for over 25 years but having moved to a semi-rural place almost 10 years ago, I realise how much more fun and less dangerous it is to ride outside urban areas.Time for the Gov't and the local authorities to make biking in cities and populated areas safer.

[@magnuswobser8414]

unfortunately you are still right in many cities. Let us work on changing that though and make cycling enjoyable with good infrastructure!

[@mamadjun]

@@magnuswobser8414 Amen

[@3stone1]

I hope that some day more cities are as nice to as most of the cities in the Netherlands 🇳🇱

[@tonym6633]

I've embraced the danger and now attack my ride to work like an MTB downhill course.

[@appa609]

The opposite. With some rare exceptions, I find biking downtown to be far safer and more comfortable than biking in rural or suburban areas. The drivers look for me, see me, and know how to go around me. I have a bike lane most places and when I need to ride in the middle of the road the drivers are accomodating and I can keep up with traffic speed. Most rural areas the road is 2 lanes unmarked with no shoulder and rumble strips on the edge. The drivers rip down at 55 mph and are either spooked to see you, outright hostile, or entirely unaware. The Bow River Parkway is beautiful. It's the best road I've ever ridden. But it's like that because it's a cycling tourism hub and most rural areas are not like that.

[@elmichaelz]

I truly enjoy these lighthearted, banter-filled, fun challenges. These two are awesome. Great job! 👏

[@mathewemden2068]

HOLY *&%$ that was a steep hill. Mannon was at a 20-degree angle to the pavement!

[@dida0824]

I want to see Ollie do a hill climb challenge on that hill in Bristol.

[@colinmartin2689]

he already did with Blake from GMBN, that video is a good watch too

[@chamfly5783]

Such a fun segment! Loved Manon whistling along coming into the finish!

[@kyled121]

I'm all for e-bikes in cities. More of them, less cars!

[@magnuswobser8414]

yess!!

[@grahambowes756]

Great fun. I use a Gocyle for my London commute and it is perfect for that. And room for a big bag on the front. Like you say, wouldn't want to take my road bike to work. Some days I do laps round Richmond Park to mix my training and surprisingly lap time can be as quick as a road bike with the push it gives on the hills averaging speed out. Though it is very easy to spin out with its lowish gearing. Still I can get a decent workout on it as over the 25kph assist speeds it's 10Kg more than my road bike.

[@nightsfalling]

This was so fun to watch. Connor and Manon are very funny and I think hey also enjoyed this challenge.

[@JoeBManco]

Conor and Manon in a challenge video is always going to get an up vote from me. E-bikes are awesome!

[@knudsenstephen]

Doesn’t need Lycra because skinny jeans work just as well.

[@Bravesdarrell8552]

I’ve been looking forward to this episode. After seeing the short of Connor killing the hill climb !! 😂🤣😂

[@99mrdragon99]

look at that hill 11:42

[@gcn]

a bit steep

[@dirkrousseau462]

The sounds of a super bike scraping down blacktop is really painful.

[@ZOB4]

10:07 - that bus very nearly crunched that van! Glad Connor had made it through that little gap before the bus got there.

[@BIIIKES]

hahaha that was close!!

[@rob-c.]

The van driver had their ‘park anywhere’ lights on

[@Darsithis]

Manon’s little “ow” as she hit the first set of cobbles had me giggling

[@madmanlee1]

Don’t be a pansy. Jump those red lights like a proper race.

[@110markb]

Connor talking about his super expensive bike then promptly slides it down the road trying to climb that hill.......classic

[@simonm1447]

These bikes are optimized for high speed. They don't offer low gears like a MTB does, which would have made the steep section without problems

[@Mububban23]

On a road bike, your speed varies from 45kmh on a rolling section, to 10-15kmh up a hill. With an ebike, you really do max out around 25-30kmh as they're not built for speed (except pricey e-road bikes), but assuming you have some gears, you'll still be doing 20kmh+ up the hills. So the ebike will have a true "average" speed with minimal variation, whereas the roadie will see your speed rising and dropping much more based on terrain. Both brilliant in different ways.

[@samvilla6290]

Stoplights: the great equalizer

[@richardharris8538]

I woulda looked after Conor's bike, if he'd asked me. But he'd never see it again. 😏 I dunno though. A bike that fits the Jolly GCN Giant wouldn't work for my 5'-5".

[@Anybloke]

I think Manon would've won if she'd had an e-bike with gears.

[@nathanfelsenfeld328]

This is perhaps the greatest ever GCN challenge.

[@hristivoje]

Manon must be traumatized by all the cobbles she's had to tackle lately.

[@chrisc7262]

Great video! Has something for all levels of cyclists. Love it guys! 👏👍 Nice banter 😁