Given the fact that some upper-range ebikes can travel pretty fast, it's definitely important that they don't skid uncontrollably when braking. That's why a new model from Stromer is one of the first such bicycles with frame-integrated ABS.
For starters, it should be noted that Bosch does already offer an ABS system for ebikes. It incorporates a module that's mounted beneath the handlebars, however, so it isn't fully built into the bike. This was even the case with a Bosch concept ebike, that was designed specifically to accommodate the system.
Instead, the Swiss-made Stromer ST5 ABS utilizes a stealthier antilock braking system created by Italian company Blubrake. The setup is already utilized in the rather over-the-top Trefecta RDR ebike, along with a few others.
Back in 2016, Blubrake teamed up with Pinarello to develop an ABS-like system that warned riders of impending skids by causing the brake levers to buzz – it didn't actually stop the brakes from locking up, however. Such is not the case with the newer system.
In the case of the ST5 ABS, it incorporates an electronics module inside the bike's top tube, an actuator connected to the front hydraulic disc brake, a wheel speed sensor on the front wheel, and a top-tube-integrated display which confirms that everything is functioning properly.
If the system detects that the front wheel is ceasing to turn while the bike is still traveling forward, it intervenes by continuously modulating the hydraulic pressure on the front brake, keeping it from locking the wheel up. The system is likewise able to detect if the rear wheel starts lifting under heavy braking, and responds by adjusting the front braking force accordingly.
As far as its non-braking-related basic specs go, the ST5 ABS also features an 850-watt bottom bracket motor (650 watts in the US), a 48V/983-Wh battery that reportedly provides a range of 180 km (112 miles) per 5.5-hour charge, integrated head- and tail lights, and a top motor-assisted speed of 45 km/h (28 mph). More details can be found at the first of the source links below.
The Stromer ST5 ABS should be available beginning next June, with prices starting at US$9,999.
