The Haibike Lyke might only have 140mm travel at both ends and a mid power motor but it feels far more capable than the numbers might suggest.
Under a scorching sun at an Accell dealer event, Pete managed to slip out on a Haibike Lyke CF11 on Comrie Croft’s Natural Gold for some hot laps.
Photos by Pete Scullion.
Key features:
- Fox 36 Float Performance 140mm fork
- Fox Float Performance DPS EVOL shock
- Shimano XT/SLX 12-speed drive
- Fazua Ride 60 motor
- Fazua PowerTube 430Wh battery
- Shimano SLX 4-piston brakes
- Mavic E-Crossmax wheels
- Haibike.com
Haibike’s Lyke CF11 sports a full carbon fibre frame offering up 140mm travel via a Horst link driven by a small swing link. Power is delivered by a Fazua Ride 60 motor fed by a Fazua Powertube 430Wh battery. Fox Performance 36 and DPS EVOL dampers handle the bumps, with a Shimano 12-speed XT and SLX mix dealing with the drive. 4-pot Shimano SLX brakes keep things in check. Mavic e-Crossmax wheels are shod with Maxxis Dissectors front and rear.
Three Lyke models are available with the CF11 being the middle of those three. The Lyke CF SE tops the charts at £9,999.00, the CF11 seen here is £6,499.00 and the CF10 comes in at £5,699.00.
Geometry
The Haibike Lyke is available in S, M, L and XL sizes.
Reach on the M is 452mm with a seat tube of 440mm. Head angle is 65 degrees with a seat tube angle of 77.3 degrees. Chainstays are 450mm across the sizes with a wheelbase on the M of 1227mm.
Opening moves
This wasn’t technically my first ride on a Haibike Lyke, having ridden the CF SE briefly in Germany and was suitably impressed by its abilities. Whilst the CF11 might have some sizeable spec differences to the SE, mostly in dampers and drivetrain, its certainly no stinker and Comrie Croft’s trails are far more familiar than rattling blind through the wild garlic in the woods around Schweinfurt.
With the dampers being the base models, set up was swift and after sorting the brake levers it was off onto the trails. Being a sub-20kg ebike with a 60kg rider aboard, the Fazua motor felt like it had plenty of power to whizz me to the top. So much so I rarely opted for ‘Rocket’ mode as it simply wasn’t required. Range was impressive as a result too with it seemingly difficult to use any bars despite multiple full length laps.
My slight concern about the front Dissector was unfounded, but then I was mostly riding on rock and dry root. Speed with a double Dissector is high and indicates the intentions of the Lyke. When the weather returns to normality, I suspect on, if not both, Dissectors would give way to something a little spikier. They were in their element at a bone dry Comrie Croft, however.
Despite the basic dampers, running them fast on the rebound side meant there was plenty of pop to the bike and it felt far more lively than 20-odd kilos should. Speed rose gradually in the sun and dust and the first thing than jumped out is that the bladed spoked Mavic e-Crossmax wheels are particularly noisy. While they definitely flex under load in faster corners, even a strike on a rock that doesn’t compress the tyre to the rim sounds like you’re on the inside of a church bell at the hour mark.
Whilst this in itself isn’t a massive issue, it gives the impression that you’re starting to dismantle the wheels as you go, and has a negative effect on confidence in the rough. The only other issue I found with the Lyke also stems from a similar part of the bike. The 4-pot SLX anchors are generally excellent stoppers and the front brake, with a 203mm rotor, has ample bit and power. The rear brake comes fitted with a 180mm rotor and suffers as a result.
These minor issues aside, the Haibike Lyke CF11 is just shy of being a rapid trail ebike that can handle more chunder than the geometry and travel numbers would suggest. The rear rotor is easily upgraded and whilst the forks are solid, they also use the same chassis are their more expensive counterparts, so a damper and bleed valve upgrade are possible too.
