Review | Bergamont Contrail C MGN E-Trailbike
Cryptic acronyms that make up the final part of a bike’s name should hint at certain technologies or innovations. And when it comes to the Bergamont Contrail C MGN, the Hamburg bike company have made it easy: MGN stands for “Mehr Geht Nicht”, or “More Isn’t Possible”, signalling that their engineers have pulled out all the stops in order to create the ultimate bike. We’ve put their top model, the Contrail C MGN, through exhaustive testing in the hope of finding the answer to our question: is more possible?
The Bike
With the Contrail C, Bergamont have matched 120 mm of travel with 29″ wheels and packed the whole thing into a tidy-looking aluminium frame which strongly resembles its non-motorised namesake. Details have been added such as the X-Link pulley wheel, which gives it a cohesive overall look, as if it’s speaking one uniform language. The pulley wheel doesn’t only allow for increased frame rigidity, but it appears to lengthen the top tube as it flows into the seatstay.
When it came to colour choices, Bergamont went down the understated route. Despite black being the dominant colour, the flashes of red on the frame and components add a touch of casual nonchalance to the model.
One thing’s for sure as soon as you hop onto the 21,25 kg Bergamont Contrail C: it’s definitely made for long rides. Given the long 434 mm reach (size M), a rider of 180 cm is agreeably stretched out, and the steep 73.5° seat angle makes exerting force on the pedals easy.
Thanks to its powerful Bosch mid-drive motor, the Bergamont is a veritable mountain goat. As a 29er with grippy Schwalbe Nobby Nic tyres, there’s masses of traction, so no need to let technical uphills deter you. An 1×11 drivetrain with a wider range of gears, like the one found on the motorless Contrail MGN, would be the only positive addition to performance.
For the e-version, Bergamont have opted for Shimano components, brilliantly mixing the top-of-the-range XTR rear derailleur with the shifters and cassette from the XT groupset, with no loss of performance. Responsible for stopping the bike, the Shimano XT brakes do their job powerfully and sensitively, making modulation easy for you.
We searched in vain for minus points when it came to the setup. From the RockShox suspension to the SUNringlé wheels and the stock dropper post, we approved of everything. Naturally, lighter and more expensive options do exist, but at the very fair price of € 4,999, we have to give Bergamont due respect: more isn’t possible!
But what use are all the best parts if the bike doesn’t handle well? Again, no worries on that front. The Hamburg based firm have done their homework and teamed the parts with exactly the right geometry. To compensate for the super-long 490 mm chainstay, designed to suit the large motor and 29″ wheels, Bergamont gave the Contrail C a steep 69.5° head angle to ensure sufficiently agile handling. This loses some superiority on truly rough sections, but with 120 mm travel it was never really going to be at home there anyway.
The RockShox Pike fork and the RockShox Monarch shock are sensitive, comfortable, and deliver great feedback. Thanks to the wide bars, you’re always king of the castle, and tight sections can be wiggled through. With its big wheels, the Bergamont will never be a super agile bunny, but that’s never been its aim.
The sole criticism from the test riders was the difficulty in reaching the remote lever for the dropper seatpost. In combination with the settings for the motor, it’s out of reach. Plus points, however, came in the form of the tidily integrated battery and the meticulous cable routing.
Specification:
Frame: 29″ E-MTB Bergamont Contrail from 6066 Aluminium Super Lite Tubing
Shock: RockShox Monarch RT3
Fork: RockShox Pike RCT3
Brakes: Shimano XT
Drivetrain: Shimano XT/XTR-Mix
Price: 4699,00 €
Weight: 21,0 kg
Conclusion
Instead of just ticking off what the Contrail C isn’t, it’ll be much easier to define what it is: a genuine trail bike with well-mannered riding characteristics, ideally suited for long rides and a show of strength on uphills. It’s really well specced and comes at a fair price. More isn’t possible!
More Information at bergamont.de.
Words & Pictures: Christoph Bayer
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