E-Gravel Bikes

The e-gravel bike is the fastest-growing segment in European cycling and has been gaining serious ground in the Netherlands since 2024. The proposition is seductively simple: the drop-bar comfort of a road bike, 35 to 45 mm tyre clearance for unpaved surfaces, and an electric motor that makes hills and long days accessible. The result is a bike just as at home on the Lekdijk as on a gravel route through the Hoge Veluwe national park — exactly the mixed terrain the Dutch landscape serves up.

Motors are usually tuned for natural pedal response rather than raw power: Bosch SX (55 Nm, just 2 kg) is popular with weight-conscious brands like Scott, while Bosch Performance CX (85 Nm), Shimano EP8 and Yamaha PW-S2 appear where pulling power and range matter more. Batteries range from 360 to 750 Wh, good for 60 to 120 km of realistic range in Eco mode on mixed terrain. Carbon frames dominate the upper tier, aluminium the €3,500 - €4,500 class. The EU class-25 km/h regulation applies in full: pedal assistance cuts at 25 km/h, no throttle, no licence plate.

In practice the e-gravel bike is the logical choice for the Dutch weekend rider commuting Utrecht to the Utrechtse Heuvelrug across mixed paths, klinkers and forest doubletrack, for the commuter who'd rather not be caught on slick MTB tyres on a busy fietspad, and for the touring rider linking Drenthe sand roads or the Limburg hills without ending the day wrecked. Popular brands include Cannondale Topstone Neo, Giant Revolt E+, Cube Nuroad Hybrid, Scott Solace eRIDE, BMC Kaius AMP and Specialized Diverge SL. Prices run from €3,500 for an aluminium entry model to €7,000+ for premium carbon builds.

An e-gravel bike calls for its own accessory stack. Frame bags and bar bags replace traditional panniers — drop bars and gravel buzz mix poorly with classic pannier mounts. The Apidura Expedition range and the Ortlieb Frame-Pack are the standard recommendations. Two bottle cages (Topeak Modula or SKS Topcage) belong on the frame for the longer rides where Dutch gravel routes will happily run 60 km without a café stop.

Lighting needs to be stronger than on a city bike — rural roads in Brabant or Drenthe are properly dark after sunset. A Busch & Müller IQ-X (run from dynamo or e-bike battery) plus a bright rear is the minimum. For navigation a GPS bike computer like the Garmin Edge Explore or Wahoo Elemnt Roam is essential — gravel routes often follow tracks Google Maps doesn't know. Round it out with gravel-friendly mudguards (SKS Bluemels), a tubeless repair kit (Schwalbe Tire Booster) and gel-padded gloves for the long days.