New Bosch Tour + Mode

Akiwi

🐸 Kermit Elite 🐸
Feb 6, 2019
986
1,292
Olching, Germany
Yeah what he said 1.1.5.0
I did a ride on Saturday and used Tour+ a bit more.
For saving battery it is definitely a plus.
However, it was HOT, and steep and I when I changed from Eco into Tour+, unless I was really pushing with my legs, I didn't get the relief I was expecting. Occasionally on long climbs you need a breather and the old tour gave that. However, you tend to get lazy and leave it in tour for longer than you need, and therefore use more battery. I found myself switching to EMTB or even Turbo where I would have been in Tour with the older version.

I tend to do long adventure rides with mostly over 1000m vertical where battery saving is important, so for that I think it will be good. But it will force me to use my legs more than I am used to. When I do the really long days with over 2000m vertical (charge somewhere along the way) I hope I can handle it.

Conclusion: definitely where I used to switch between eco and Tour, you can now just leave it in tour, and probably use less battery.
However, when you are knackered and need a bit of relief, you now have to go up to EMTB or Turbo for that little bit of extra power from the motor.
 

Zimmerframe

MUPPET
Subscriber
Jun 12, 2019
14,025
20,802
Brittany, France
Ahh ok, so charging along the way. Makes sense.
He did something similar a couple of years ago. Bloody impressive !


Evening charges and sometimes a quick lunchtime top up when possible, still some incredible distances and terrain covered.
 

Akiwi

🐸 Kermit Elite 🐸
Feb 6, 2019
986
1,292
Olching, Germany
Did I read this correct? Single charge?!
As already said, 1 battery but multiple charges.
In the planning you check out where it is possible to stop and plug in.
Sometimes a couple of short stops for a coffee, or a good 1 hr lunch break.
The first trans alp I only had the 4A charger, and never ran out of charge. Came close a couple of times.
Last year I had the 6A charger. But I ran out one day that we ended up biking over 3000m vertical.
We took a wrong turn once and blasted down the wrong way. so had to climb about 300m back up, then later it turned out the hotel we booked was 480 vertical meters above the town it said it was at!! Big mistake.

The route I am planning this year is this.
Based on this

WhatsApp Image 2021-08-03 at 11.57.36.jpeg
 

Giff

Active member
Subscriber
Oct 14, 2019
459
127
Cheshire UK
I have the Tour+ and my software version is 4.0.2.0. I updated the Kiox software from the eBike app on my phone before the LBS did the Tour + upgrade .
It has two new icons. One small clock / meter and another to tell you if your phone or GPS unit is connected.

I don't like Tour + though and am going to get it taken off. On Tour there is a noticeable jump from Eco to Tour. In Tour + nothing happens until you increase the cadence. I'm sure some people love it....preferences!
 

Rahr85

E*POWAH Master
Sep 6, 2020
495
1,058
nottingham
I got mine updated to tour+ today. Weather isn't looking favourable this weekend for a fair test but we shall see.
 

Hobo Mikey

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Subscriber
May 22, 2020
1,022
2,773
Where ever
Just dropped my bike off for service and new tyre etc and the bike mechanic said did I want the tour + so I said yes and if I don’t like it he will put it back to what it was. will post how it is when I get it back next week. (y)
 

EchoLima21

Member
Jan 8, 2021
62
55
Surrey, Uk
I think Tour+ is excellent. Better dynamically than Tour in every way; easy enough uphill and down trail. This pic is from a recent Surrey Hills ride on my 2021 E-160 S. I’m 12st dead plus kit.

51892F6B-7954-4B9F-9084-65D3F14046B2.jpeg
 

Flyfisha

New Member
Jul 27, 2021
33
32
Australia
I have had the tour+ for a few hundred km now . My impression is for my style of riding on bike paths that are smooth but hilly is I will definitely be keeping it switched on. As I often do the same 3 hour circuit around the same smooth bike path I feel I have a good understanding of how the battery performance is affected. I see a very slight increase in range with a lot less switching between modes . Tour+ offers assistance that is economical but does not offer the assistance of full turbo mode without manually switching modes.
 

sunstoner

Active member
Aug 2, 2020
173
102
Nottinghamshire
I have had the tour+ for a few hundred km now . My impression is for my style of riding on bike paths that are smooth but hilly is I will definitely be keeping it switched on. As I often do the same 3 hour circuit around the same smooth bike path I feel I have a good understanding of how the battery performance is affected. I see a very slight increase in range with a lot less switching between modes . Tour+ offers assistance that is economical but does not offer the assistance of full turbo mode without manually switching modes.

It is supposed to offer Eco thru to Turbo depending upon how much you stomp on the pedals.
 

nixo

Member
Jul 7, 2020
6
5
Sunshine Coast
I'm struggling to see how a mode that has more assist than the one it replaces can be more economical? Unless you mean it's more economical than EMTB mode?
I think because it uses eco, tour and turbo modes it can land up being more efficient and still delivering better power when it's needed. This article claims the moustache one (bosch's own tour+ must be similar) gets a small efficiency gain over the old tour - which must mean that when you're just using tour, you're over powering in some places (flats).

I'm only using Tour+ now (was just using eMTB before), but I must admit I'm not sure when Tour+ is kicking into turbo as it doesn't feel like it does even on the really steep sections of my ride (steep t the point you need to put the seat down and lean well forward to get up without doing a flip).

 

nixo

Member
Jul 7, 2020
6
5
Sunshine Coast
I have had the tour+ for a few hundred km now . My impression is for my style of riding on bike paths that are smooth but hilly is I will definitely be keeping it switched on. As I often do the same 3 hour circuit around the same smooth bike path I feel I have a good understanding of how the battery performance is affected. I see a very slight increase in range with a lot less switching between modes . Tour+ offers assistance that is economical but does not offer the assistance of full turbo mode without manually switching modes.

My experience is the same - seems to me turbo is not being engaged even on really steep sections. So it turbo is not working on really steep sections where you'd think you'd need it, where is it being engaged?

You can see from this graph (this the moustache magic tour mode, but Tour+ you'd think would be very similar) that the turbo does kicj in but only right at the end when it senses maximum effort... but I really don't think I'm getting that. Before Tour+ I rode the steep section in eMTB and can feel that extra power over the Tour+. Would love to see some real world tests and graphs to see what power level is being applied when.

 

sunstoner

Active member
Aug 2, 2020
173
102
Nottinghamshire
This article claims the moustache one (bosch's own tour+ must be similar) gets a small efficiency gain over the old tour - which must mean that when you're just using tour, you're over powering in some places (flats).

I only use Tour no matter what im riding on, so surely at times in Tour+ you're overpowering too with its extra assistance possibly?!

As Eco is the default state for Tour+ and many of us ride enough less demanding flatter sections its no wonder theres a small increase in efficiency from a battery point of view.

What are bosch gonna do next, offer 'super-Eco' which has zero assistance and amazing battery life?. We'll be back on analogue bikes before long to feel good about ourselves for not needing any assistance at all.

Ultimately the options are there to have what suits us best whether its Tour or Tour+ and TG for that.
 

nixo

Member
Jul 7, 2020
6
5
Sunshine Coast
I only use Tour no matter what im riding on, so surely at times in Tour+ you're overpowering too with its extra assistance possibly?!

As Eco is the default state for Tour+ and many of us ride enough less demanding flatter sections its no wonder theres a small increase in efficiency from a battery point of view.

What are bosch gonna do next, offer 'super-Eco' which has zero assistance and amazing battery life?. We'll be back on analogue bikes before long to feel good about ourselves for not needing any assistance at all.

Ultimately the options are there to have what suits us best whether its Tour or Tour+ and TG for that.

I was responding to this comment from Doomanic:

I'm struggling to see how a mode that has more assist than the one it replaces can be more economical?

...just trying to explain why it's possible that Tour+ could have 'more' assistance and yet still deliver better battery life. Think is it's not actually more linear assistance... see the curve of MagicTour (Tour+ would have to be close). So you're getting less assistance at the bottom end, but more assistance at the top. Personally, I like the Tour+ mode a lot. I'll probably leave it on that 99% of of the time now.

Moustache-Magic-Tour-Modus-2021_E-MTB_News_1.jpeg
 

Akiwi

🐸 Kermit Elite 🐸
Feb 6, 2019
986
1,292
Olching, Germany
I only use Tour no matter what im riding on, so surely at times in Tour+ you're overpowering too with its extra assistance possibly?!

As Eco is the default state for Tour+ and many of us ride enough less demanding flatter sections its no wonder theres a small increase in efficiency from a battery point of view.

What are bosch gonna do next, offer 'super-Eco' which has zero assistance and amazing battery life?. We'll be back on analogue bikes before long to feel good about ourselves for not needing any assistance at all.

Ultimately the options are there to have what suits us best whether its Tour or Tour+ and TG for that.
For the types of rides I do, that would be quite good. If it's flat I normally have the motor turned off.
 
Jul 30, 2021
59
32
Wales
I think Tour+ is excellent. Better dynamically than Tour in every way; easy enough uphill and down trail. This pic is from a recent Surrey Hills ride on my 2021 E-160 S. I’m 12st dead plus kit.

View attachment 69505
Could you please tell me what tour looks like on the purion? I’ve just had my bike back after a battery fault and they reckon they’ve updated it but it looks exactly the same as before.
 

EchoLima21

Member
Jan 8, 2021
62
55
Surrey, Uk
Could you please tell me what tour looks like on the purion? I’ve just had my bike back after a battery fault and they reckon they’ve updated it but it looks exactly the same as before.
I asked my LBS the same question - it replaces the Tour software but not the mode display. Pedal it for a bit on the trails and you’ll realise it’s quite different.
 
Jul 30, 2021
59
32
Wales
I asked my LBS the same question - it replaces the Tour software but not the mode display. Pedal it for a bit on the trails and you’ll realise it’s quite different.
Thank you!! I’ll give it a go later on. They’ve had my bike for a month so hopefully I’ll remember what tour felt like before ?
 

GrahamPaul

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Nov 6, 2019
1,127
1,088
Andalucía
I asked my LBS the same question - it replaces the Tour software but not the mode display. Pedal it for a bit on the trails and you’ll realise it’s quite different.

Totally agree. Had mine updated yesterday. As the LBS know that I'd be querying where Tour+ was, given that I had specifically asked for it ;), they gave me this screenshot of the update software confirming that "Tour" on the display now equals "Tour+":

1630004691018.png
 

GrahamPaul

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Nov 6, 2019
1,127
1,088
Andalucía
First ride out this morning with the new Tour+ Mode. Very impressed. It really is a keeper.

Where I would expect to be using Eco, I switched down from Tour+ and back up and there was absolutely no difference. However, with gradients, I just kept my cadence and pressed a bit harder and just kinda glided up. Chap I was with was busily switching through Tour/MTB/Turbo over the same rises. Certainly gave the heart a workout until the last climb home, where I switched into Turbo proper for the boring bit.

Next thing is to try some technical climbs to see how predictable it is. I find EMTB too easy to spin out the back wheel. Hopefully this new mode surges a little less and is more controllable.
 

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