Dawes Spire 2.0 (2024 – ) review

Fundamentally the Dawes Spire 2.0 is your classic, diamond-framed ‘roadster’ style bike with flat handlebars and a relatively all-round, upright stance. You’ll notice the main frame tube running down from the bars to the pedals is rather chunkier than average, though, this being the neat internal storage for the Samsung-supplied battery pack. While it’s still removable for remote charging it is a lot neater than the external battery packs used by cheaper e-bikes, including the more basic Discover-E further down the Dawes range and gives the Spire a more upmarket look. Upgrades over the cheaper but fundamentally similar Spire 1.0 include a bigger battery for increased assisted pedalling range (42 miles, rather than 28 miles) and nine- rather than eight-speed gearing. A step-through frame option is also available if you don’t want a crossbar.

Although it has a mountain bike style sloping top tube the Spire’s frame is quite lofty, so if you’re at all put off by the idea of swinging your leg over it that step-through frame might be worth considering. Once up and running the riding position is nicely neutral, which is to say low slung enough to stretch out but still upright without being too sit-up-and-beg. A quick release seatpost with plenty of length helps you tune the height quickly, and if you want a more upright position a more angled stem would be a quick and affordable swap from your local bike shop.

Whether you want to use it for commuting, popping to the shops or just longer days out exploring the lanes the Spire 2.0 comes with everything you need straight out of the box. This includes full-length mudguards, wired-in lights running off the main battery pack and a rack on the back onto which panniers or other bags can clip straight on. The fact you can ride it in all weathers without getting covered in road grime is a big bonus on the basis you can just ride in your normal clothes and not have to factor in a change when you get to the office. The weight is the only real mark against it in practicality terms, this being a common issue with all e-bikes and difficult if you have to get them up a set of steps or load them onto a bike rack. If you are going to carry your Spire on a car that heft means a tow-bar rack or similar fixed carrier is the minimum, on the basis it’ll be too heavy for a roof rack or ‘clip-on’ style one.

There are two main types of e-bike – those with the motor integrated into the hub of the rear wheel and those where it is built into the frame and drives the pedals directly. The Spire 2.0 uses the former, on the basis it is generally an easier and more affordable way to electrify a bike, though not always as quick to respond as motors built into the frame. Like all e-bikes the continuous power is capped at 250W by law but, without wishing to get too technical, the more important stat to compare is torque, usually listed in Newton Metres or Nm. The Bafang motor’s 32Nm is reasonable but not the most powerful out there, and it actually struggled on some of the steeper hills we tried it on, to the point where we had to stop and catch breath. Getting going again on a steep hill is then a struggle, because you have to put a couple of pedal strokes on your own with on what is a very heavy bike before the motor kicks in. On less hilly terrain the assistance is smooth and effective but if you do live somewhere especially steep we’d suggest paying a little more for a bike with a frame-mounted motor. No complaints about the brakes, though. A heavy bike like this can take some stopping but, thankfully, the Tektro hydraulic disc brakes are both powerful and dependable.

Dawes has struck a sensible middle ground here, with a riding style that is neither too laid back nor too sporty, meaning it will work for riders both casual and committed. Weight is always the dominant consideration compared with equivalent non-electric bikes, and while the Spire disguises it well on the whole you feel it when you smack into bumps. The suspension fork up front helps a little, but it’s on the crude side so pings back faster than we’d like and the weight of the motor in the back wheel can send a thump through the saddle over potholes.

One advantage hub motors have over frame equivalents is their relative simplicity and ease of maintenance, and fact they put less strain on chains and other ‘consumable’ parts. The sight of Shimano gears and other bits is also confidence inspiring on the basis they should last well, and the general simplicity of the design means service needs can be handled by any competent bike shop.

After our review of the similarly powered Claud Butler Wrath (both brands are part of the same group) Dawes contacted us to reassure us the Bafang motor is a well-respected unit, even if the brand is perhaps less well known than the likes of Bosch or Shimano. We’ll have to take its word on that, but the simple design of hub motors should bode well for reliability, and the rest of the components on the Spire are of decent if not dazzling quality. How well they last will very much depend on upkeep, so if you ride a lot (say, for commuting) it will be worth staying on top of basics like oiling the chain to maximise the life of the parts.

It’s not unusual for e-bike manufacturers to have a slightly longer warranty for motors and batteries than the standard year you’d expect from the retailer, but unfortunately there’s no such luxury with the Dawes. We’d balance that against the simplicity of the system being less likely to throw up issues. But even if it’s at the affordable end of the e-bike spectrum we’d prefer a little more of a guarantee.

We like the fact the Dawes Spire 2.0 comes with all the things you’d need, especially the mudguards, lights and rack so useful for commuting. You can stick a pannier bag on the latter with a change of clothes if you need but the fact you’ll be less sweaty on an e-bike anyway and, if it does rain, you won’t get covered in spray and road grime is a good thing. The Spire also comes with a large LCD screen with various information and riding stats, including battery charge and range. Useful, but it’s quite a big and cheap-looking unit standing proud on the bars and is, perhaps, a little vulnerable.

If you want an e-bike you can just get on and ride without feeling the need to dress up in Lycra cycling kit something like the Dawes Spire 2.0 is just the job, and great for commuting, popping to the shops and for just getting around as much as making a lifestyle statement. The integrated battery means it looks a lot neater than many other budget e-bikes, and the parts used are of decent quality. For this money, however, we’d be looking at bikes with frame-mounted motors like the Raleigh Motus Grand Tour tested previously for the fact the electric assistance feels smoother, more powerful and faster to respond than the hub motor on the Dawes.