Giant has increased the travel on the Full-E+ 1 SX Pro this year to 160mm, fitted 2.6in plus tyres, a dropper post and a wide 800mm handlebar.

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Giant Full-E+ 1 SX Pro need to know

• Battery: 500wh
• Motor: Giant SyncDrive Pro
• Power: 250W
• Torque: 80Nm
• Clean and easy to understand Control Unit
• A tubeless conversion kit is included in the box
• Walk assist helps propel the bike if it’s just too steep or technical to ride
• Clutch mech and chain device provide ultimate security
• Price £4,249

With 80Nm of torque, the Giant’s Yamaha motor really surges forward, while the wide-ratio cassette means you’ve always got the right gear to hand.

Riding up a climb on a e-bike you feel invincible and for that new riders that can be pretty seductive but the problem you often have a fast and technical descent soon after. Giant’s tweaks to the new Full-E+ ensure you stay on it.

Delivering a really jolt on those short sharp hills and muddy bog sections is an in-house Giant SyncDrive Pro drive unit, which is produced by Yamaha and is based around the company’s PW-X unit. Giant also brands up the lithium-ion battery battery pack but it’s actually produced by Panasonic and features cobalt manganese cells, which are long lasting and charge quickly. To improve the handling, the battery is mounted externally just above the motor but you can also drop a few more grams by purchasing a lighter 400wh unit. This sells for £350 and can easily be stuffed in a back pack, perfect for extending the bike’s range.

The Giant display links to a remote control unit next to the grip. There’s an accurate battery life indicator and five power modes to choose from.

Giant RideControl Evo display unit is in two parts – a push button control on the grip and a readout on the stem. By toggling the control you can access five ride modes – eco, basic, active, sport and power – and also walk assist, which pushes the bike along when you’re walking uphill. There are also a couple of handy features on the display like ride time, distance and cadence.

The Full-E+ 1 SX Pro features a conventional crank – in this case a cold forged Praxis Works. It’s fitted with a 36t ring with a narrow/wide tooth profile but to all but eliminate chain loss there’s also a Shimano XT clutch mech and MRP 1X chain device. To deal with the extra torque from the motor and ensure you don’t have a long trudge home, Giant also includes a e-bike specific reinforced KMC chain.

The Panasonic 500Wh battery is integrated into, but not fully enclosed by, the down tube, so is easy to remove. There’s also a 400Wh version that is an ideal range extender.

You tend to charge everywhere on an e-bike and pinch flats can be a problem, but the Full-E+ 1 SX Pro come with reinforced Maxxis Rekon 27.5×2.6in tyres and wide 35mm alloy rims. There’s even a tubeless kit included in the box.

Like all e-bikes the Giant Full-E+ 1 SX Pro makes light work of the climbs but it’s supportive suspension, neutral handling and high front ensures you’re just as confident dropping back down.