New Scott Electric Gravel Bike: The Solace

The Solace Electric Gravel Bike range from Scott is a new drop bar electric bike range that uses the TQ HPR550 motor, one of the quietest and most compact motors on the market. The Solace is not exclusively a gravel bike; it’s available in electric gravel and road bike framesets - in the gravel bike specification, it’s Scott’s first-ever electric gravel bike. Prices for this bike start at £5,499, and there’s also the Conessa Solace Gravel eride 15 for women-specific geometry and features.

Scott has had plenty of time to understand the electric gravel bike market before launching the Solace, and it’s clear that a lot of thought has been given to the bike's design - and, importantly, its useability in the real world. The four main aims for the Solace were for the bike to be light, silent, compact and comfortable. The bike's lightness is not only for performance reasons; the bike has been designed to be light enough to be carried over obstacles and loaded onto racks and into cars. The quiet and compact motor of the TQ system allows the bike to run quietly, and the bike is designed to be comfortable - and the bike's geometry has been redeveloped to be as comfortable as possible - in the early designs of the Solace, the head tube was too stiff, so this was re-engineered for increased comfort. As you would expect, the bike's frame is made from carbon fibre for stiffness, performance and weight saving.

The Solace uses 700cc wheels and can take 50mm tyres without mudguards and 45mm with mudguards. The frame uses HMX carbon fibre and provides similar stiffness values to the Addict Gravel. The result is a bike that feels as agile as a non-electric gravel bike.

All of the Solace range bikes, whether road bikes or gravel bikes, use the same frame but with different specifications. Solace bikes look incredibly neat and tidy - with an integrated bar stem that keeps all hoses hidden away. Those familiar with the Addict Gravel will instantly recognise the geometry of the Solace. However, there are a few differences - including a 1mm increase in the stack and a 10mm increase in the length of the chainstay.

We have now had our hands on the Solace Gravel for a while, so will be uploading a review of the bike shortly.