Test: Don't feel like a mid-engine? Geero takes a different approach and relies on an elegant electric bike with a classic touch, which of course does not have to hide when it comes to handling and support. How does the Geero touring comfort perform in everyday life? We tried it.
With an e-bike, you no longer have to hide - anyone who rides one is no longer considered a lazy cyclist, but rather a clever traffic jam avoider. However, this does not mean that you have to get used to the look of the mid-mounted motors and frame batteries that characterize current electric bikes. Cyclists who appreciate the subtle look and the slim lines of old touring bikes will also find innovative models here and there that stand out from the mainstream - for example at Geero in Styria.
The company of the brothers Michael and Thomas Rath (here to our company portrait) goes its own way and relies on a compact rear engine that literally disappears behind the largest sprocket of the sprocket set. Many a supplier of this motor variant now succumbs to the temptation to mount the battery on the luggage rack, so that almost no modifications are necessary on the frame itself. Geero, on the other hand, chose the complicated path, which of course led to a really successful solution: the decently large battery with 420 watt hours is integrated into the comparatively slim down tube, so that the entire electrical system is almost invisible. The fact that the Geero Touring-Comfort is an e-bike only becomes clear at second or third glance, and this makes this bike truly unique.
Color-coordinated saddle and handles, a narrow luggage rack with a wooden plate and tensioning strap, metal mudguards in the same color as the frame and the narrow rigid fork: the Geero looks like it was made of one piece, everything fits together perfectly. And the retro look doesn't suffer under the modern components: The disc brakes ensure clarity where rim brakes are visually disturbing; Rear derailleur and sprocket are black and virtually invisible.
The function of these components is top notch: the eleven gears offer a very wide range of gear ratios, with which the Geero is armed for both fast descents and steep climbs. Of course, you can just as easily roll through the city on a bike; the upright sitting position thanks to the angle-adjustable Ahead stem and slightly curved touring handlebars is very comfortable.
One could easily forget that the bike has a support drive - even with the motor switched off, it can be moved quite quickly and with little resistance, although current mid-motors are superior in this discipline, as laboratory measurements show. But if the drive is then activated on the recessed control unit on the left of the handlebars, the driving pleasure increases squarely: the barely audible rear engine pushes powerfully and ensures surprisingly high speeds on the flat. The pilot has to be careful, especially in the strongest of the three driving modes: The fact that a lot of support can be called up with little effort could be at the expense of the range. So it is better to use levels 1 or 2, which are pushing hard enough anyway.
Geero Touring-Comfort: Light, chic - but not without flaws
This is where another special feature of the Geero comes into play, which makes for a lot of riding fun: at around 20 kilos, the bike is very light for an e-bike, and also extremely handy and agile. Especially cyclists who are used to sporty bikes enjoy this character and enjoy switching to the out-of-the-saddle position, where they can move the bike almost playfully under them.
The rear engine is convincing in terms of driving impression, but the system also has a few special features that you should know: Firstly, there is no display that supplies driving data such as distance and speed, so that everyone who values such information also have to mount a speedometer on the handlebars. On the other hand, the Geero should no longer be exposed to wintry temperatures - since the battery cannot be removed, the entire bike has to be parked in the basement or in the apartment when the temperature is below zero. If the bike is left outside for just a few hours on a winter day, there is no danger to the battery - its capacity drops at most, but this is not a permanent condition.
Since the Geero Touring-Comfort is not exactly cheap at just under 3.000 euros, the few points of criticism are a little more obvious: the side stand attachment with a clamp is not optimally solved, and the front fender is much too short. It should also be noted that you have to buy additional battery lights if you want to be on the road in the dark in accordance with the law. Apart from that, the Geero can definitely convince as an unconventional e-bike with its own character.
