Have eMTBs got better in 2020? Is the new Bosch motor really as good as everyone says? Where are all the batteries and why did we test an electric downhill bike? After completing our big E-MOUNTAINBIKE group test of 25 bikes, we summarised the most exciting trends and insights we gleaned from it. This is eMTB in 2020!
The developments in the e-mountain bike market are coming thick and fast. With each new generation of motor, numerous brands churn out entirely new frames. Battery capacities beyond 1000 Wh are just as common these days as motors with torque outputs which every VW Polo would be jealous of. Where will it end? If you ask us, an arms race of spec figures such as these won’t necessarily lead to better bikes. Because what really counts is not the spec sheet, but the size of your grin! We’re yet to find a scientific way of measuring this. However, we’ll tell you what we do know about the hottest bikes of 2020:
1. Everyday hero
More often than not, eMTBs go beyond sports or leisure equipment and form a part of modern everyday mobility. We used to ride to the trails with the bike in the boot of our car. Thanks to eMTBs, the adventures can now start right on the doorsteps of a lot of riders. Whether you have to navigate the concrete jungle or the downhill track to do so should be irrelevant on such an expensive bike. The ideal eMTB performs well in both situations. Some manufacturers such as Bulls and Rotwild have already thought of this with the MonkeyLink mounting system, which is connected to the ebike battery and allows you to snap on lights for the morning commute within seconds. If you want to hit the trails in you lunch brake, the lights come off just as quickly. Brands such as Trek have included a stand mount on their high-end performance eMTB. The only problem here is that we’re yet to find a suitable stand that is light, sturdy and quiet enough not to affect your riding on the trail.
2. Integration and ergonomics
In 2014, we conducted the first of our big E-MOUNTAINBIKE group tests to review the best bikes of the year and compare them head-to-head. At the time, internal batteries, integrated multitools and smart lighting systems were as much a distant dream as fail-safe speed sensors that don’t require a spoke magnet. Fortunately, those times are over – oh no, not yet! Even in 2020, many brands still fail to properly integrate the speed sensor into the frame although there are well-thought-out solutions available for all the motors. Wide handlebars, dropper post, charging sockets and powerful motors have become standard and are often fully integrated into the eMTB. Luckily, a lot has happened in terms of usability and ergonomics. Good saddles offering long-distance comfort are just as common on bikes these days as a tidy cockpit. Handlebars cluttered with cables and remotes are a thing of the past, not least thanks to wireless components or smart cable routing. Exceptions confirm the rule, the massive remote on the Haibike offers countless on-the-fly adjustments, but it makes the all-important dropper post lever hard to reach. Merida, on the other hand, show how its done: you could find the right levers even if you were blindfolded.
3. Are we too heavy for our eMTBs?
According to the bike industry, many of us are probably too fat. At least with some brands, such as Haibike, Merida, Focus or Rotwild, where the maximum payload is less than 100 kg. Although the total weight limit only provides a legal framework, it can have an impact on your guarantee and warranty claims if you exceed it. Even bikes with a very high total weight limit aren’t always ideal for riders who regularly exceed the 90 kg mark on the scales – which we would never consider as “too fat”, by the way :). The YT DECOY with a respectable maximum payload of 127 kg comes with thin-walled MAXXIS EXO and EXO+ tires and carbon rims. Here, heavier riders will have run their tire pressures very high to avoid damaging the tires or rims on the first metres down a rocky trail – loss of grip included. The Liteville 301 CE Mk1 offers a max. payload of a whopping 127 kg, but it comes with a small 180 mm brake rotor on the rear. Even lighter riders will make these glow red hot on long descents. Incidentally, Rocky Mountain don’t give a weight limit for the frame of the Altitude Powerplay Carbon. For a lot of brands, there is still a lot of confusion surrounding the subject. The Rocky Mountain has to have a weight limit for it to function properly: over a certain weight you have to exceed the maximum pressure in the shock and fork for it to perform adequately. Honestly: in that case we’d rather you give us a low weight limit at which the bike is actually able to perform on the trail.
4. Configuration options: your bike should be as unique as you are
Let them talk all they want: you think neon yellow, dark brown and purple is a cool colour combination? Then order your bike in exactly these colours. Orbea’s online configurator, MyO lets you freely choose and combine the colours for the frame and the decals. Trek will also be offering the Rail in their Project One configurator from December 2019, allowing everyone to have a unique paint-job for their bike. Even if you’re not that bothered with the colours of your bike, we still recommend taking a look at the bike configurator, if available, such with the Simplon or Liteville. Besides componentry such as the fork, brakes, tires, etc., the bike can also be adapted to your body size. Given the right frame size, you can often choose the right coil weight or the length of the dropper post. That way you get the best performance out of your bike from the start. Everyday accessories such as fenders or a high-quality lighting system are often available as optional extras as well. Without tape and cable ties – mostly.
5. Optics question in the command center
The trend with displays is clearly going… in no direction at all. As in the group tests of years gone by, the test field included everything from minimalist solutions without a display to high-resolution displays on which every 14-year-old would like to play Minecraft all day, as on the Haibike. Passionate trail riders that we are, we have to admit that we’re biased towards minimalist solutions. Maybe it’s just because command centres like on the Haibike can give you a lot exciting live data but don’t yet offer any real added value besides. None of the large displays on test had a smart navigation feature, a setup guide or a Spotify playlist. However, there is one thing we can all agree on: the display has to be well protected in the event of crash and still be easy to read. That’s why, with one exception, all brands designed their own mounts for the KIOX display instead of leaving it high up on the stem. In this exposed position, it will get damaged very quickly if you crash and you can’t simply turn your bike upside down for quick repairs or the like. One more KIOX tip: if you’re predominantly out on rough trails, we recommend fastening the display to the mount with a small screw. Believe us, you’re unlikely to ever see your display again if it falls of on the trails.
6. Nobody should have to ride a loud bike anymore
One thing is clear: with up to 120 Nm torque, the motors on our test bikes have a lot of power. Have you ever heard an absolutely quiet sports car? We haven’t either. For the time being, we will have to get used to the noise of the motor under full load. However, we can no longer accept other sounds such as rattling cables, batteries and paint-eating chains! Bikes like the Specialized Levo or the MERIDA eONE-SIXTY have managed to reduce the background noise to an absolute minimum. Other brands still have plenty of catching up to do here, like the Giant with its much too short chainstay protector or the COMMENCAL with untidy, rattling cables at the cockpit. But you can also find a remedy without having to go as far as YT and lining the cavities around the motor with rubber foam. A few cable ties at the cockpit and a little rubber tape on the chainstay and your nerves, sorry ears, are spared. Honestly, dear bike manufacturers: if we can do it, you can too!
7. Chainstay protection or not: Bosch motors rattle on the descents
We’ll start off by saying that we’re huge fans of the new Bosch Performance Line CX motor. The eMTB mode and the easily controllable Turbo mode are a lot of fun on the trail. However, we had the same problem on all bikes with Bosch motors: the chain seems to be constantly hitting the frame, but that can’t be, because in most cases, the manufacturers provide sufficient chainstay padding. The sounds come from inside the Bosch motor. With the chain tensioning as the suspension compresses, the chainring transmits these forces to the motor. Because some components inside the motor have too much play, this results in a rattling noise. With some motors, it’s very pronounced and always present on the trail, while it is significantly quieter in others. Bosch have promised to work on this. The cavity inside the frame and the design of the rear end also plays a major role in how loud the bike is.
8. Dropper post too short = massive design fail
There is no component that has had such a big impact on mountain biking in recent years as the dropper post. It has become a standard feature on eMTBs as well. We think: the longer, the better. Too bad that many frames such as the FANTIC don’t offer enough insertion depth for long dropper posts. Liteville, Bulls and Rotwild are pioneering a new approach here by integrating the Eightpins dropper into the frame with special seat tubes, offering up to 228 mm travel. But even conventional designs can give you enough travel. With particularly compact dropper posts such as the OneUp Components V2, you can squeeze out a lot more usable dropper post travel out of many frames
9. Function, design or both?
Design aficionados beware! Not every bike that looks fast with its clean, straight lines in the pictures in magazines and on websites actually turns out to be fast on the trail. But we’re not trying to say that ugly bikes usually perform better on the trail either. As we all know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But we hate it when the optical design of a bike or a component comes at the cost the trail performance. Need an example? The top tube of the Rotwild RX 750 bruised the knees of all our testers. The 9 cm top tube is approximately 4 cm wider than the average in the test field. The shape and proportions of it are beautiful, but on the trail it unnecessarily limits your freedom of movement. The Conway Xyron is one of the best looking bikes in the test field – as long as you don’t sit on it: the one-piece carbon cockpit so stiff that in combination with the stiff carbon frame and wheels, all vibrations are directly transferred to your hands. But there are exceptions also, such as the beautifully designed Simplon Rapcon Pmax with its striking lines and hidden cable routing, which delivers and equally convincing performance on the trail. Admittedly, we are fans of beautiful bikes and could spend hours looking at the FOCUS JAM² 9.9 DRIFTER.
10. Suspension can only perform as well as it’s tuned: the settings do it!
If you want to have a good time on your eMTB regardless of the weather, it’s down to your inner attitude. If you’re in the mood to ride, your bike is just as ready as you are. The adjustment of the fork and shock to your individual needs is no less important. Some suspension gives you countless dials you can turn to fine-tune everything, while others only offer basic settings. Nevertheless, you can noticeably improve the performance of your bike with the right setup. But if you get it wrong you can turn your expensive eMTB into a sack of potatoes: it doesn’t matter if you only have one adjustment dial or four, a dual crown fork, an air shock or coil shock. Brands like Specialized or Norco make it easy for you to find the right basic setup with their online setup guides. If you decide to for a coil sprung shock, you should determine the correct coil weight before leaving the shop.
11. Are heavy bikes suddenly good? Is more battery capacity really always better?
Yes and no: the weight distribution is much more important than the total weight. The Whyte is prime example, although it is the second heaviest bike in the test field. The brand from the United Kingdom has tilted the Bosch motor to position the battery and thus the centre of gravity as far down and centrally between the wheels as possible. Despite weighing 25 kg in total, it is easier manual than many bikes weighing less than 22 kg. Of course, the lightest bikes in the test field are noticeably quicker, more agile and usually more fun on flowing trails. As you know, we don’t believe there is one perfect battery size. More battery capacity usually means more weight, which usually worsens the weight distribution and lifts the centre of gravity. Therefore, the battery system should suit your needs. Dual battery systems offer the advantage that you can lighten up your bike relatively quickly for short after-work rides.
A lot of eMTB developers are probably already composing a nasty email in response to our criticism. Admittedly, we are looking for things to critique. The fact is that almost all eMTBs of 2020 are damn good and a lot of fun. Nevertheless, we still see a lot of potential regarding integration, usability and, above all, more pragmatic and practical solutions for day to day use.
In the biggest E-MTB test in our history, we go into detail on this and many more exciting findings. If you want to know what the best E-MTB currently available is, and what really makes a good e-mountainbike then give it a read!
Diese und viele weitere spannende Erkenntnisse stammen von dem größten E-MTB-Test in der Geschichte von E-MOUNTAINBIKE. Wenn ihr wissen wollt, welches aktuell das beste E-MTB ist und worauf es bei einem E-Mountainbike wirklich ankommt, dann schaut hier vorbei.
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Words: Felix Stix, Robin Schmitt, Jonas Müssig Photos: Finlay Anderson, Robin Schmitt, Felix Stix, Markus Frühmann