Exclusive First Review: Moustache Samedi 29 Game with Bosch Performance CX 2020 motor

The all-new Moustache Samedi 29 Game 2020 is the most capable bike in Moustache’s “Saison 9” model range for 2020. We visited Moustache Bikes and their new headquarters in the Vosges Mountains and had the opportunity to go for a first ride on the top model Samedi 29 Game 10 with two-time Olympic champion and multiple XC World Champion Julien Absalon. You can find all information about the bike, the new headquarters and the innovative features here.

The new Moustache Bikes headquarters – this is where the ebiker’s heart beats faster

We were at the brand-new headquarters of Moustache Bikes near Epinal in the Vosges Mountains and got some exciting insights into the new factory as well as a glimpse into the future of the French ebike brand which produces exclusively powered models, in all categories from eMTBs to trekking ebikes, apart from their kids’ push bike. The previous headquarters had grown over the years and was starting to burst at the seams, so it was high time to open a new location. Just in time for the launch of the Saison 9 models, Moustache found a new home in the production halls of a former automotive supplier in Thaon-les-Vosges. Moustache Bikes counts their model years in seasons (french: saison) with the company founded by Grégory Sand and Emmanuel Antonot nine years ago.

Moustache want increase production to 100,000 bikes at the new location as well as start manufacturing their own components such as the wheels. Bringing that in-house to France should improve quality control and increase flexibility. Currently, Moustache Bikes use slightly more than half of the 10,000 square meter corporate building. For comparison, the old premises had only 2,000 square meters. With 100 employees currently and recent additions to the sales and marketing team as well as creating a new in-house training centre for bike shops, the French brand wants to accelerate its growth over the next few years.

Currently, between 150 and 200 bikes are produced every day in individual production – providing a satisfying and fulfilling working environment is a key part of Moustache’s company philosophy. For the time being Moustache won’t set up monotonous production lines that will inevitably be less satisfactory for the workers. “More flexibility, more sense of responsibility and more fun are the three arguments for the individual production” explains Moustache founder Grég. The heavily automated warehouse currently accommodates 2,500 framesets and 2,500 bikes. Every week, around 800 Bosch motors are shipped to the facility for assembly. Semi-assembled framesets are shipped from Taiwan to France to be finished with the Bosch system and all the other components. There is a separate, specially secured warehouse for the weekly 800 Bosch batteries. Moustache bikes rely exclusively on the Bosch system.

Moustache Bikes Saison 9 – a complete new product range for 2020

For the 2020 model year, the French team have updated their entire model range. Unsurprisingly, that’s largely because of the new Bosch motor generation. In this context, they have also restructured their model range, with new names and new options in terms of suspension travel and wheel sizes for the 2020 bikes. Up until now, Moustache Bikes have integrated an external 500 Wh Bosch PowerPack, called Hidden Power Integration, which has given the bikes a very low center of gravity and excellent riding characteristics. However the new 625 Wh batteries are only available in the internal Bosch PowerTube configuration. Hence, Moustache had to switch to the Bosch PowerTubes as well, which are generally a bit heavier and usually result in the centre of gravity moving upwards. Bus as you can imagine, the Moustache engineers have found some very clever solutions for the integration of the Bosch components!

What’s new with the Moustache Samedi 29 Game?

In short: everything. To date, Moustache hasn’t offered an eMTB with 29″ wheels for aggressive trail. The Moustache Samedi 29 Game replaces the misleadingly named Samedi 27 Race, indicating more clearly that this bike isn’t about racing, but built for maximum trail performance.

Fork FOX FLOAT 36 FIT4 Kashima 160 mm
Rear shock Moustache Magic Grip Control 160 mm
Motor/Battery Bosch Performance CX 625 Wh
Drivetrain Shimano XTR 12-fach, 11–51T
Brakes Shimano XT 203 mm / 180 mm
Seatpost Moustache, 100/120/150/170 mm Hub
Wheels Moustache JUST Carbone
Tires MAXXIS Assegai 29 x 2.50”
Weight 23.0 kg
Price € 7,499

As the name implies, the Moustache Samedi 29 Game comes with 29″ x 2.5″ wheels and 160 mm travel front and rear. For the motor, the French company relies on the brand new 75 Nm Bosch Performance CX motor, an integrated, 625 Wh Bosch PowerTube battery and, depending on the model, a Bosch Purion or Kiox display. You can find detailed information about the new Bosch models in our big Bosch 2020 special.

In order to lower the centre of gravity, Moustache have completely redesigned the mounting system for the Bosch PowerTube so that the battery sits closer (and so lower) to the motor. With the overall length of the bike increasing, the Moustache team claims that the centre of gravity has actually been improved over the previous Samedi 27 Race models.

In addition, Moustache have an exclusive adapter for smaller PowerTube batteries, so you can fit a 500 Wh PowerTube in a downtube that was designed for the PowerTube 625. That’s especially helpful if you mainly ride shorter loops or are a lighter person, where a smaller battery can provide enough capacity and allows you to save some extra weight.

The standard Bosch spoke magnet is in an exposed position so Moustache have integrated the speed sensor in the rear dropout which reads a magnet on the disc brake rotor.

Other highlights include the revised rear end kinematics and the new Moustache Magic Grip Control air shock that is supposed to offer a great rebound control for more traction. The shock size could be dimensioned larger, and thus the air volume increased thanks to the Trunnion Mount design. Initially the Moustache Samedi 29 Game was to be specced with a coil shock, but during final testing, the French engineers were convinced by the performance of the newly developed air shock.

Moustache Samedi 29 Game 10 – Weight, Specs, Sizes, Geometry, Availability

The Moustache Samedi 29 Game 10 is the top model in the new Samedi 29 Game range and costs € 7,499. The suspension consists of the previously mentioned in-house Moustache Magic Grip Control air shock and a FOX FLOAT 36 FIT Kashima suspension fork, both offering 160 mm of travel.

The drivetrain is mechanical Shimano XTR with an 11-51 cassette. Due to dealer demand, Moustache now fits Shimano brakes on almost every bike in the entire 2020 range.

In the case of the Samedi 29 Game 10, there are Shimano XT disc brakes with a 203 mm rotor in the front and a 180 mm rotor at the rear. In contrast to the three cheaper Samedi 29 Game models, the top model uses a Kiox display integrated next to the stem, instead of a Purion model.

The French company uses its own Moustache JUST Carbone wheels with asymmetric 33mm wide rims fitted with MAXXIS Assegai 2.5″ wide tires. The Moustache Samedi 29 Game is available in four sizes (S, M, L, XL) and has size-dependent dropper posts between 100 and 170 mm stroke.

Size	S	M	L	XL
Top tube	570 mm	600 mm	625 mm	650 mm
Head tube	100 mm	110 mm	130 mm	140 mm
Head angle	65.7°	65.7°	65.7°	65.7°
Seat angle	74.2°	74.2°	74.2°	74.2°
Chainstay	460 mm	460 mm	460 mm	460 mm
BB Height	356 mm	356 mm	356 mm	356 mm
Wheelbase	1,177 mm	1,209 mm	1,236 mm	1,264 mm
Reach	400 mm	427 mm	448 mm	470 mm
Stack	611 mm	621 mm	635 mm	648 mm

All Moustache Samedi 29 Game models are expected to be released in December 2019. An overview of the other Moustache Samedi 29 Game models with weights checked by us can be found on the next page after our first ride impressions.

Exclusive first review: Moustache Samedi 29 Game 10

During our company visit, we were able to test ride a pre-production model of the Moustache Samedi 29 Game 10 together with the two-time Olympic champion and five-time world champion Julien Absalon in the Vosges Mountains. Trust us, we had a hell of a lot of fun riding the natural single track filled with roots, drops and jumps!

Our 178 cm test rider found the size L to fit perfectly right away. Compared to the previous size L Samedi 27 Race, the new bikes have become a bit more compact, with an XL size added for the model year 2020 as an additional option. Positioned centrally and comfortably, we hit the trails. As expected, the new Bosch Performance CX motor impressed with first-class performance, a lot of power and perfect control on the uphills (you can read our full test report on the new Bosch motor here). The central seating position in combination with the sensitive rear suspension ensured maximum traction and a big grin on technical climbs. Despite this, the suspension doesn’t wallow or pack down.

Julien Absalon joined our test ride on the new Samedi 27 Trail, which comes with plus size tires. Both the Samedi 27 Trail and the Samedi 29 Game can be fitted with a bottle in the front triangle.

Pointed downhill we immediately noticed the very good weight distribution – Moustache have done a very good job integrating the PowerTube 625 to tune the centre of gravity. The low drawn top tube ensures a high sense of security providing sufficient room to manoeuvre. Due to the aluminum wheels (the production version of the top model will come with stiffer carbon wheels) and the soft tune of the suspension, our test bike felt a bit undefined and imprecise. Unfortunately we didn’t have enough time during our first test ride to tune the suspension settings. We’ll eschew making any judgment about the suspension here and postpone it to a proper test with the final production model.

Conclusion

With the all-new Moustache Samedi 29 Game, the French brand has added a string to its bow which features many clever details and innovative features that we haven’t seen before to integrate the new Bosch Performance CX 2020 motor. The design is chic, the equipment well thought out and the price of € 7,499 seems fair in light of the unique features! We can’t wait to put a finalised production bike to the test!

---

For more infotmation head to moustachebikes.com