Why Avinox are stopping me from buying a bike
I thought I’d already made up my mind. After my first rides and adventures aboard the new Avinox M2S, there was only one thing I wanted: a new bike. Then EUROBIKE came along, and Avinox unveiled the MG Concept, another potential game changer that could make the conventional derailleur drivetrain a thing of the past. From a technological perspective, it’s fascinating. But for someone like me, who was ready to buy, it’s mainly one thing: incredibly confusing. Is the bike industry heading towards a point where innovation itself is becoming a reason not to buy?
As far as I was concerned, the decision had already been made. I needed a new e-mountain bike, and not at some point in the future, but as soon as possible. It wasn’t just the excitement of getting something new that convinced me. More than anything, it was my first experience with the Avinox M2S. I first rode the motor in the Atherton S.170E, the winner of our major e-mountain bike group test, before riding the Amflow on my own home trails.
And yes, the difference was obvious.
But it wasn’t because it suddenly offered more torque or power. It was because I got off the bike after every ride with a huge grin on my face, already thinking about the next one. Suddenly, the ideas were back. Trails I wanted to ride again. Technical climbs that had so often forced me to get off and push had become challenges I was genuinely looking forward to. Not because I’d somehow become a better rider overnight, but because the motor gave me exactly the extra reserves I’d been missing. Of course, you can argue about how much power an e-mountain bike really needs. For me, though, the answer has become a far more personal one.
Perhaps that’s simply part of getting older. I often ride with younger friends, and I’ve noticed that I have to manage my energy very differently today than I did a few years ago. I don’t want every ride to be an all-out effort. Zone 2 training may be the latest buzzword, but for me it genuinely makes sense. The fact that the M2S can monitor my heart rate and support me accordingly is something I really appreciate.
At that moment, I realised I didn’t actually want to buy the bike because of its motor. I wanted it because of everything I knew it would enable. A new bike wasn’t just another piece of kit. It was the key to new adventures and new possibilities.
I had more than enough reasons to justify buying a new bike, even to myself.
The decision was made: I wanted a bike with the Avinox M2S.
Ready to buy, but where are the bikes?
So I sat down and started looking at which models were available. And sure enough, it seemed as though another exciting bike was being announced almost every week. A Pivot here, a Thömus there, along with new models from ROTWILD, Atherton and plenty of other brands.
The problem is that many of these bikes simply aren’t available to buy yet. Some models weren’t even ready in time for our major group test. Others have been announced but still haven’t reached dealers. With some brands, delivery times already stretch into late summer or even autumn. Order one today, and there’s a good chance your dream bike won’t arrive until a large part of the riding season has already passed.
In itself, that’s nothing unusual. New motor platforms take time. Manufacturers have to develop new frames, integrate batteries, fine-tune the software and ramp up production. At the same time, demand for the M2S appears to be exceptionally strong.
For anyone who’s ready to buy, however, this creates a difficult situation. The new technology is already here, but the bikes built around it are not.
Even so, I was just about ready to make my decision. I wanted to ride one or two more bikes, compare the geometry, check the specifications, and then place my order. After all, a high-end e-mountain bike isn’t an impulse purchase. If you’re spending a five-figure sum, you want at least the confidence that you’ve chosen the right platform.
Then EUROBIKE began.
Good morning, here’s the next revolution
While customers, dealers and manufacturers are still waiting for bikes equipped with the M2S, Avinox have already unveiled their next potential breakthrough: the Avinox MG Concept. It’s a fully integrated motor and gearbox unit that does away with the conventional cassette and rear derailleur altogether. Instead, it uses a continuously variable electronic transmission housed directly inside the motor, allowing gear changes without load peaks, reducing wear, and improving weight distribution through a lower centre of gravity. It even promises regenerative braking, recovering energy while riding.
Wow. From a technical perspective, it’s genuinely fascinating. The underlying idea isn’t entirely new, though. Pinion have already demonstrated the advantages of combining a motor and gearbox in a single unit with their MGU, and other manufacturers are also working on integrated drive systems. At the same trade show, for example, the Chinese-developed Gobao X1P is attracting plenty of attention as another electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (e-CVT) system.
But because Avinox have already shown just how quickly they can turn a concept into a production-ready product, it’s hard to dismiss this as just another far-off trade show prototype. And that’s exactly where my problem begins. Yesterday, I was ready to buy. Today, I’m wondering whether I should wait.
Why Avinox are putting me off buying a bike
Just a few days ago, I would have placed my order without a second thought. Now I’m considering waiting until next season instead. What if Avinox strike gold again with this concept? What if the more centralised, lower centre of gravity really does make a noticeable difference to the bike’s handling? What if the lower unsprung mass at the rear wheel allows the suspension to work even better? What if the continuously variable transmission delivers even more traction and control on technical climbs?
What happens if this system makes the conventional derailleur drivetrain look like a relic from the Stone Age as early as next year?
The e-bike industry seems to be heading towards the very same trap we’ve already seen in the smartphone market. At breakneck speed, we’re moving away from being a sport built around durable products and towards becoming a hyperactive consumer electronics industry. Development cycles are becoming so rapid that the industry’s structures can barely keep up. No sooner has a cutting-edge product reached the market than the next announcement begins to undermine its perceived value.
The price of progress
The result is that we’re starting to think exactly the way we do when buying a smartphone. Should I wait a little longer? Is the next model just around the corner? Will my eye-wateringly expensive bike already feel outdated tomorrow? That might be an acceptable way to think about smartphones. But when you’re spending €8,000, €10,000 or even €12,000 on an e-mountain bike, it’s a very different story.
A bike like this shouldn’t be a short-lived consumer electronics product. The frame, suspension and components should provide years of enjoyment. In fact, some manufacturers even offer a lifetime warranty on their frames. I still ride my 2018 Focus SAM² Pro with its Shimano E8000 motor, as well as my third-generation Specialized Levo from 2021. Both are still outstanding bikes and get ridden regularly. Neither has become a bad bike simply because more powerful, lighter and smarter motors have since come onto the market. Even so, I can’t deny that the M2S really caught my attention.
From a strategic perspective, Avinox’s approach is entirely understandable. At a trade show, you want to demonstrate technological leadership and show that you’re keeping pace with emerging competitors such as Gobao. From a sales perspective, however, revealing the MG Concept this early could become a problem. The current M2S bikes are no less capable than they were before EUROBIKE. Yet Avinox have achieved something no manufacturer wants to trigger in customers who are already ready to buy: last week, I couldn’t wait to order a new bike. Today, I’m thinking I might be better off waiting.
It’s also a bitter pill for bike manufacturers to swallow. They’ve invested millions in developing frames around the current generation of motor systems, and now they have to explain why those bikes are still the right choice this autumn, even as the next era is already being teased. Dealers, meanwhile, find themselves in the absurd position of having to justify cutting-edge products on the shop floor while customers are asking about automatic gearboxes and regenerative braking. Suddenly, the key question is no longer which bike suits me best, but whether a conventional drivetrain is still a future-proof choice.
That said, it’s important not to lose sight of one fact: at the moment, the Avinox MG is still a concept. There are no final figures for its weight, power output, price or even its real-world usability. Admittedly, working prototypes from several bike manufacturers already exist, suggesting the project is far more advanced than a simple design study. Even so, a brief test ride at or around a trade show doesn’t answer the questions that really matter. How does the system perform on long, steep and technical climbs? How efficiently does it operate in real-world conditions? How well does it manage heat? How natural does the continuously variable transmission feel out on the trail? How reliable is the system after several months of use? What happens if something goes wrong? And ultimately, how much will the complete bike cost?
New technologies almost always sound convincing on a trade show stand. The real challenge comes afterwards, when they have to prove that they’re not just more innovative, but genuinely better in everyday use. Perhaps e-CVT systems really will become the next major leap forward. Equally, they may remain an interesting alternative for specific types of bikes, at least for the time being.
Either way, the unveiling of the MG Concept has changed my perspective. I went from being someone who was all but certain to buy a new bike to someone who’s decided, at least for now, to wait and see. And I doubt I’m the only one.
Innovation needs more than speed. It needs timing.
In an incredibly short space of time, Avinox have achieved what many established manufacturers have spent years trying to do. They’ve shaken up the e-bike motor market, raised the benchmark for performance and forced the competition to respond. That deserves recognition.
But technological leadership isn’t just about developing new products faster than everyone else. It’s also about introducing and communicating innovation at a pace that customers, dealers and bike manufacturers can actually keep up with. When the next revolution is announced before the current one is even widely available, speed can become a problem.
Avinox risk taking the wind out of the M2S’s sails. Not because the motor has suddenly become any less impressive, but because the company has already shifted everyone’s attention to what appears to be something even better.
Perhaps the MG Concept is still several years away from being widely available. Perhaps it will end up being significantly heavier or more expensive than expected. Perhaps a conventional derailleur drivetrain will remain the lighter, more direct and ultimately better solution for performance-oriented e-mountain bikes. If that’s the case, it would be a real shame to miss out on an entire summer of riding on what is already an outstanding bike today because of a vision of the future.
Then again, perhaps the integrated motor and gearbox really will be so convincing that I’d regret buying an M2S-equipped bike as early as next year.
Perhaps. Perhaps not.
I never wanted to buy my next bike because of a list of specifications. I wanted it because of the experiences it would give me. Because of the time I’d spend out in the woods and the excitement of riding great trails. Right now, that sense of anticipation has been completely undermined by the relentless pace of innovation.
Last week, I couldn’t wait to order my dream bike. Today, I’m going to wait and see. From a technological perspective, the pace of progress is breathtaking. But from a customer’s point of view, I have just one request: stop outpacing yourselves.
Words: Erik Bötzle Photos: Diverse
