The Dutch manufacturer Lovens has attracted attention with a special kind of stress test. Two employees of the company rode the Lovens Explorer e-cargo bike from Amsterdam to Berlin. A total of 851 kilometres in five days. To match, the tour just bore the working title “From A to B”.
When the record beckons
Of course, the question arises as to why the e-cargo bike went from such a distance to the German capital in the first place? The background was Lovens’ application for the iF Design Award 2022. The Explorer made it to the final round and was to face a final jury in Berlin. “What if we did it by bike?” interjected Arno Dreef, one of the Lovens employees. “The distance from Amsterdam to Berlin is quite a challenge, even more so with a cargo bike full of luggage. No one has ever tried that with an electric cargo bike from Lovens. That makes it the ultimate challenge for us.”
In Sione Gruson, a colleague was found who took up Dreef’s suggestion. She was also the one who ended up riding the Lovens Explorer. Arno Dreef accompanied her on a Dutch ID trekking ebike.
Sione Gruson works and cycles for the Dutch cargo bike manufacturer Lovens.
Across country with the Explorer
Both started west of Amsterdam in Beverwijk, at the Lovens headquarters. The cargo bike was given a major update for the occasion. Four batteries, each with a capacity of 500 watt hours, were taken along. In addition, the necessary chargers, spare tubes, various tools, a camera, a laptop, clothes for both riders and a basic supply of food. Packed full like this, the Explorer weighed a full 95 kilograms when it set off.
These were shaken up in the course of the 850 kilometres. When it came to routing, in case of doubt Lovens opted for the direct route. Smooth asphalt and well-kept bike lanes alternated with dirt roads, gravel tracks, tractor paths and cobblestones. For variety during the approximately 3,625 metres in climbs, some Lovens traders took turns, especially at the beginning of the journey. They had heard about the project, rode part of the way or handed out coffee and cookies from the roadside.
Great deal of persistence needed
After the leisurely start in the Netherlands, the first serious physical challenges awaited at the latest when crossing the border into Germany. After the Tour mode and the Sport mode, Gruson and Dreef now also used the Turbo mode of the Bosch drive more often. They cycled the stages, which were sometimes more than 180 kilometres long, mostly in sporty but comfortable clothing. In the video that has now been published, Sione Gruson can only be seen wearing a cycling shirt from time to time. Otherwise, she seems to be someone who prefers sports shoes to cycling shoes. She probably only uses click shoes for tours of 1,000 kilometres and more ?
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- On the road on a bike path
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- Stopover New Town Hall Hanover
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- Stopover at the University of Potsdam
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- Stopover at Sanssouci Palace
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- Sione Gruson and Arno Dreef at the Brandenburg Gate
What battery power does that require?
While a thorn in the tyre of Arno Dreef’s bike caused the only brief forced break on the fourth stage, the Explorer proved to be enormously reliable. Above all, the system with the Performance Line motor from Bosch and the PowerPack batteries demonstrated its durability. For those who are interested, we have recorded the battery consumption on the tour in a short overview.
Day 1
- Daily kilometres: 181
- Total kilometres: 181
- Altitude gain: 315
- Battery consumption: four, last one with 90 per cent charge left
Day 2
- Daily kilometres: 188
- Total kilometres: 369
- Altitude gain: 1,110
- Battery consumption: four, last one with 30 percent charge left
Day 3
- Daily kilometres: 133
- Total kilometres: 502
- Altitude gain: 943
- Battery consumption: three, last one with 25 percent charge left
Day 4
- Daily kilometres: 188
- Total kilometres: 690
- Altitude gain: 943
- Battery consumption: four, last one with 30 percent charge left
Day 5
- Daily kilometres: 161
- Total kilometres: 851
- Altitude gain: 314
- Battery consumption: not mentioned
Success in every respect
At the finish line in Berlin, both Sione Gruson and Arno Dreef had joy written all over their faces about what they had achieved. “I found it quite exciting. After all, most people use the cargo bike for daily transport, not for extreme rides,” says Sione Gruson. “As an experienced cyclist, I like to take on a challenge, but I’ve never ridden in these conditions before.”
Whether the jury was impressed by this performance is not known. In any case, the Lovens Explorer received the iF Design Award in the category Bicycles. Incidentally, just like the Ca Go FS 200 e-cargo bike. Probably an important success for the still quite young company. Lovens belongs to Optima Cycles Holding from the Netherlands. Since 2021, cargo bikes with electric drive have been produced under this brand.
E-cargo bike Lovens Explorer at a glance
- Variants: Lovens Explorer 65 Auto; Lovens Explorer 65; Lovens Explorer 50
- Motor: Bosch Performance Line, Bosch Active Line Plus
- Battery: Bosch PowerPack 500, Bosch PowerPack 400
- Display: Bosch Kiox
- Suspension fork: SR Suntour SF20-Mobie
- Drivetrain: Enviolo Heavy Duty Automatiq, Enviolo Heavy Duty, Shimano Nexus Inter-5e
- Brakes: Tektro Dorado
- Maximum load of the cargo box: 100 kg
- Maximum permitted total weight: 250 kg
- Price: from 5,299 euros
Pictures: Optima Cycles B.V