The Long and Short of Mastering Gravel E-Bike Range

Electric car drivers discovered something unexpected when they switched from petrol: the game changed from miles-per-hour to miles-per-watt-hour, and managing efficiency became kinda fun. Watching real-time energy displays, anticipating terrain, competing with your previous best, it transformed a potential limitation into a skill worth mastering.

For gravel e-bike riders there isn't one "correct" way to ride an e-gravel bike. Whether you're planning a multi-day bikepacking tour or a high-intensity after-work blast, you can make the El Camino adapt to your goals.

What this guide covers

This article explores how you can get the most out of your e-gravel bike for both long distance and short blasts:

• Managing Your Power Budget - Understanding what you're working with
• The Long Game: Going Far - Techniques for distance and multi-day tours
• The Short Game: Going Fast - Maximum intensity and technical terrain

Managing your power budget

The El Camino's 250Wh battery might seem modest compared to some e-bikes sporting 500Wh or 600Wh power packs, but that's precisely the point. It keeps the bike light enough to lift over locked gates, load on a roof rack, and carry to your hotel room. At just 3kg heavier than the non-electric Camino, this isn't some lumbering battery-on-wheels; it's a proper gravel bike that happens to have a motor.

Here's the critical difference: the El Camino is genuinely pleasant to ride unpowered. Most e-bikes feel sluggish and dead when the assist switches off. The El Camino doesn't. The hub drive system has remarkably low drag, and that modest weight penalty means you're not fighting the bike when you choose to ride it unassisted. This fundamental characteristic opens up riding strategies that heavier e-bikes simply can't access.

Three power modes and infinite possibilities

The El Camino's Kynamic BC250 system offers three power modes, and understanding how they work unlocks your choice of riding style:

Low Power (Eco Mode) provides subtle assistance that extends range dramatically. Real-world testing shows up to 70km on mixed terrain using primarily this mode. The 250W motor delivers up to 38Nm of torque; enough to take the sting out of climbs without dominating the riding experience. You're still working, still pedalling with effort, but the hills feel more manageable.

Mid Power (Tour Mode) ramps up assistance noticeably. You'll feel it most on climbs and into headwinds, where the motor takes a more active role in maintaining momentum. Range drops to approximately 40-50km depending on terrain. It's your balanced option for consistent riding without constant mode-switching.

High Power (Sport Mode) delivers full torque support. Under constant use, expect around 20km range. Think of high power as a precision tool you deploy strategically for that single brutal climb, the loose-surface section where you'd otherwise bog down, or the technical ascent where momentum matters. It's your turbo button, not your cruise control.

Of course there is a hidden fourth mode, which is off. The El Camino can be ridden perfectly well when the motor is off, and if you are extending your range you will be doing this on the flat and downhills. El Camino is super playful and simply rewards the effort you put in.

The range extender

The 180Wh range extender fits in a standard bottle cage and adds approximately 50km to your capability. Combined with the main battery, you're looking at up to 120km of assisted riding. Both batteries charge in about 3 hours, and the extender's removability means you can charge it separately in cafés or campsites while the main battery stays in the bike. For multi-day touring, this flexibility proves invaluable.

The Long Game: Going Far

This is the riding style for distance, for exploration, for multi-day adventures where the goal is covering ground efficiently and enjoying longer days in the saddle. Riders pursuing the Long Game typically aim for 70+ kilometres per ride, using 2-3 hours of battery assistance to enable adventures that would be too ambitious on a standard gravel bike.

The Long Game isn't about suffering to conserve battery. It's about riding intelligently so you can ride longer. You're still getting a full workout, you're pedalling continuously, working hard on climbs, engaging with the terrain. The motor simply smooths out the extremes, taking enough edge off the difficult sections that you can sustain effort for much longer periods.

Core Techniques

Pedal assist

Use low power as your default setting, not because you're being miserly with battery but because it genuinely provides sufficient assistance for most terrain. The El Camino's torque sensor reads your pedalling force and amplifies it proportionally, creating a natural feeling where the motor supports rather than dominates.

Deploy mid power when gradient steepens noticeably or when fatigue starts affecting your cadence. Save high power for genuinely steep pitches or soft surfaces where you'd otherwise lose momentum completely. This becomes second nature after a few rides, mode selection becomes instinctive.

Conserving momentum

Momentum is free energy (I am not sure that is scientifically accurate), but the point is getting a 13kg bike plus rider and gear moving from standstill costs energy. Maintaining 18km/h uses far less power than repeatedly accelerating to that speed. The practical application is simple: ride smoothly.

Anticipate gates and obstacles. Slow down but try to maintain some momentum. Unclip early, push through without stopping completely if possible. In group riding, communicate terrain ahead so everyone maintains flow together. Choose lines that preserve speed, even if slightly longer.

Hybrid riding

Here's where the El Camino's light weight becomes transformative. You can genuinely switch the system off and ride it like a regular gravel bike on descents, flat sections, slight downhills, and tailwind sections. Even uphill sections are a goer. Its just a 13kg bike, and there are plenty of non electric bikes that weigh in at this weight.

This pulse riding, power on for challenges, power off for favourable sections can extend your effective range compared to constant-assist riding.

Gear Selection

The torque sensor responds to your pedalling force, so gear selection directly affects efficiency. Aim for comfortable, smooth cadence around 70-85 rpm. If you're mashing big gears at 50 rpm, the motor works harder to amplify your heavy torque input. If you're spinning frantically at 110 rpm, you're mechanically inefficient.

Shift before you need to, anticipating gradient changes. Smooth torque input through gear transitions equals smooth power delivery equals efficiency.

The Short Game: Going Fast

This is the riding style for intensity, for technical terrain, for maximum fun per hour. Riders pursuing the Short Game typically plan 30-40km rides using 2-3 hours of battery assistance to tackle challenging terrain at higher speeds and with more power than would be sustainable unassisted.

The Short Game embraces the motor's capability. You're not conserving battery, you're using it freely to ride terrain more aggressively, maintain higher speeds, and tackle technical sections with confidence. The goal is coming back with an empty battery and a satisfied smile, having covered less distance but at much higher intensity.

This isn't about being lazy or letting the motor do the work. You're pedalling hard, working intensely, getting a thorough workout. The motor enables you to sustain that intensity for longer and tackle terrain that would force walking on a standard bike.

Core Techniques

Power as default

Set your preferred power mode, often Mid or High, and ride it as your baseline. Don't overthink battery percentage. You're planning a shorter ride specifically to use full battery capacity over that distance. 20-40km at high intensity versus 70km at measured pace uses similar total battery energy, just deployed differently.

On technical climbs, power up at speed. Where you'd grind up at 5km/h on a standard bike, the El Camino lets you maintain 10-12km/h with the motor backing your effort. This isn't just faster, it's more fun, more engaging, more confidence-inspiring.

Confidence on technical terrain

The 38Nm of torque transforms how you approach challenging sections. Loose gravel climbs where a rear wheel would spin on a standard bike? The motor provides consistent drive. Steep pitches that would force dismounting? Power through.

This confidence changes choice of line. You can take the direct route up technical sections rather than searching for easier alternatives. Time saved on difficult terrain lets you extend the ride or tackle additional challenging sections.

Managing your intensity

The Short Game doesn't mean constant maximum effort. It means using power freely to maintain high average intensity. You're working hard on climbs, recovering slightly on descents and flat sections, then working hard again. The motor prevents the deep fatigue that would force significant recovery time or early finish.

Each climb is an effort, each recovery is active rather than passive, and you can sustain this pattern for 90-120 minutes of high-quality riding.

We go a bit more indepth on taking your gravel e-bike for a trail burn here.

Conclusion

Electric assistance in gravel biking isn't about making things easier, it's about making more things possible. The El Camino, with its 250Wh battery and lightweight design, gives you genuine choice in how you approach each ride.

The most important measure is simple: are you having more fun and going on better adventures? Now let's get out for a pedal.