Bianchi's New E-Omnia eMTB has... ABS?
2021 is here and Bianchi have taken their e-bike game to an entirely new level. The brand's new E-Omnia bike aims to transform, quite literally, the way people see electric-assist bicycles. According to Bianchi, "Omnia" means "Everything" and there is an E-Omnia for every type of rider.
Bianchi say they wanted to create a new e-bike platform that would meet the needs of every type of rider, from trekkers, travelers, and tourists, to urban explorers, and commuters, to experienced mountain bike riders in search of the next great trail.
The new bike line Is based off Bianchi's e-SUV line and carries over design and function elements as well as the integration. The E-Omnia platform has MTB, Touring, and City models. We're just going to talk about the eMTB platform here though.
Motor, Light, and ABS Technologies
The bike is powered by a Bosch CX drive unit which provides 250w of power 85NM of torque, and up to 340% user support. There are 500WH and 625WH battery options as well as a dual battery option.
There are integrated lights on the front, side, and rear on all bikes allowing the rider to see and be seen. The lights put out 40 Lux for a visibility range of 100 meters, allowing others to see the rider from up to 500 meters.
There is an ABS option available on selected models (FT, T, FX, and X) which enhances rider safety and control on the road or trail, increasing stability and maneuverability under braking, according to Bianchi.
Models
The E-Omnia is available in several different models but the mountain bikes are the "FX" and "X" Type.The "FT" or Full Tourer, is also full-suspension but built for touring.
The FX Type is the most capable eMTB in the E-Omnia platform. The aluminum frame has 150mm of travel and 29" wheels along with Fox or RockShox suspension, a dropper post, and Kendal Hellkat Pro tires. The assymetrical swingarm is designed to prevent chainstay damage and chainslap sound.
There are integrated mudguards on the headtube, crown of the fork, under the downtube, and along the back of the seat tube to handle muddy conditions. The bike is claimed to be able to provide power for up to 142 kilometers with a dual-battery set-up.
The bike is available with a Shimano XT or SRAM GX level build with either Fox or RockShox suspension. There's an option for an ABS front wheel to "increase safety".
The FX Type is available in sizes M-XL with the medium featuring a 65-degree head tube angle, 75.5-degree seat tube angle, and 440mm of reach.
The X Type carries over many of the same features with the same general use in mind, but as a hardtail and at a lower price point.
Bikes can be configured to suit riders' needs with Bianchi's 3D configurator on their website to give up to 8,500 different color and spec combinations between the models.
Prices on the FX start at €4800 and go up from there with the ABS upgrade costing a cool €1640.
So, is the future here? Or would you rather be caught living in the past? Let us know in the comments below.
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Looks like their road game is still dialed, tho.
Looks at the second image: I was wrong about the first image.
The aesthetics have traumatized me! I'm going to need a counseling.
the problem IMO is theyre trying to make "ebikes" look like mountain bikes. you dont need to keep a traditional "down tube" and full length "seat tube" (now with dropper posts). id love to see some industrial designers have free rein and make these E-mopeds look...better
Who wants ABS on a mountain bike?
Bianchi uses the Blubrake ABS system. Works with hydraulic brakes as well and represents another control circuit on the ebike. 1.640Euro on top of the normal price seems very high end oriented. Very valid option though for some use cases. It adds safety especially in traffic.
It was the same thing with motorcycles, people were saying "we don't want additional complexity that can break, people have been riding without ABS for many years now". Howeveronce ABS was made standard, it resulted in fewer crashes.
Id personally rather see stuff like this instead of "RADICAL NEW TRAIL(tm) BALANCED(tm) NEO PROGRESSIVE(tm) GEOMETRY" that invovles .5 degree steeper seat tube and .2 degree slacker head angle.
I do think that ABS makes sense on pavement, even for motorcycles. Sure, a pro can stop better than ABS much of the time, but most people aren't pros, so it is safer, especially in a panic situation. So as a commuting style bike, that makes sense.
But on dirt sometimes you WANT to lock the brakes, which is my main point. Sometimes you want to lock the rear wheel to pivot quickly(really useful when there is a huge layer of leaves on the ground), and what about "french turns", or anything else like that?
I've been away from dirt bikes/motocross stuff for a while. But does ABS exist for those types of motorcycles? I'd honestly be kind of surprised if it was a thing there.
In fact, some offroading vehicles have options to disable ABS for the same reason (ever try stopping on a steep sandy hill, or a dune, with ABS, you just float on top, while "manual" brakes dig in)
Sure, if you are decent rider. Most people riding bicycles are not. They are more likely to skid the brakes rather than modulate them, which can result in crashes.
Uh, no. It’s already been shown that ABS can stop as well as any pro, or better, and it can do it consistently. You can always get max braking when you need it without having to worry about the consequences.
That being said, ABS would only make sense for the front brake.
Well there we go. That's why e-bikers want this with ABS.
... I probably should've put that in lowercase, but I wanted subtlety... "abs" ... get it?
We reached out to the bicycle manufacturer, Bianchi, and they had this to say: "It is obviously a terrible situation. However, this gentleman did not purchase the option with an ABS equipped front wheel, which would have greatly increased his safety."
Do they... clap? When you hit... bumps?
If you can’t lock it, don’t rock it.