Hydraulic disc brakes aren't really overkill on an e-bike, it's a safety thing. You really don't want to skimp out on stopping power when your heavy bike has a powerful motor.

> maybe the hydraulic part is overkill though

Not for an e-bike it isn't. In fact, I'd say if you're not rocking hydraulic brakes on an e-bike, you're asking for a bad time. I know that most lower end e-bikes don't come with them standard, but to me, it's a necessary and immediate upgrade for safety.

The $999 Lectric XP4 has hydraulic disc brakes. While uncommon at that price point, it's not unusual to see them on $1500-2k e-bikes.

My ebike has hydraulic disk brakes and a CVT, e bikes have moved forward from the bike-shaped-object era

They've moved on from the 'can maintain/repair it with basic tools' era. Soon they'll be dependent on the cloud and subscription services...

(Kind of amazed that wireless derailleurs became a thing. Replacing a simple mechanical device with complex tech requiring two batteries)

Enviolo CVT? I'm curious about how you like it. I rented a Blue Bike in Boston with a CVT and loved it.

I've liked it, not being serviceable is a drawback but it's been issue-free for 3 years now

I wish I had the automatic shifting module for SF's hills, but it's a nice to have that probably isn't as useful elsewhere

I bought complete hydraulic disc brake set for $40 on Ali Express. Mechanical brakes cannot be much cheaper.

Non-hydraulic discs suck. You get better braking power out of decent rim brakes.

I respectfully disagree. I've owned and ridden several ebikes with mechanical disc brakes. When they're properly adjusted they have just as much stopping power as hydraulics.

Hydraulic disc brakes are not overkill with a bike of that mass [0] and power. Disc brakes are very common mountain bikes or any type where there is a lot of braking as caliper/rim brakes can overheat and pop the tires, so this unit should definitely have disc brakes. Hydraulic is better than cable/mechanical as hydraulic can generate more braking power, have better feel, and stay in better adjustment. The only downside vs cable+disc is cable is more repairable in the field.

[0] (overall specs indicate a lot of weight, Rivian are not proud enough of any lightweighting to even print the weight, and their autos are also very heavy, indicating a lack of lightweight engineering discipline in that shop which may carry over to their other mobility solutions)