What are we actually gaining here?
Getting to the top faster, riding more trails, piling up more vertical metres in the same amount of time, that sounds like progress at first glance. And of course, there are days when that’s exactly what matters. But hand on heart, most of us don’t get on a mountain bike because we want to be finished as quickly as possible. Quite the opposite. We ride because we want to get out there. Clear our heads. Live in the moment and have fun. Because we are chasing that feeling where suddenly the only things that matter are grip, timing and the next corner. And yet sometimes we treat our hobby as if efficiency were the real goal.
More than the sum of your watt figures
Of course, power, range and support ratio matter. We test motors in the lab, too, run batteries flat and put manufacturers’ claims through real-world testing in all sorts of conditions. Nobody is arguing the numbers don’t matter. The problem is that numbers now tend to dominate the conversation. As soon as they set the pace, the debate follows. More torque, more watts, more support. And yet all of it tells you surprisingly little about how a bike actually rides.
The real experience lives in the interaction itself. What matters is the constant interplay between rider and terrain: how the body responds to hold traction, how you read a climb, shift your centre of gravity and commit to a line before you know whether it will work. None of that reduces to numbers.
The wrong reflex
We live in a world designed to save time. We optimise workflows, get AI to write our emails and rely on smart devices to take care of tasks for us. At work, this makes sense. In everyday life, often too. Maybe even when it comes to descaling the coffee machine. But that way of thinking no longer stops at the office door. We take exactly the same mindset with us into the woods.
A hobby is one of the few parts of life where efficiency is not necessarily an advantage. In fact, it is often the enemy of lasting enjoyment. Choose your eMTB purely on the basis of how brutally it powers you uphill, and you may not be buying the more intense experience. Just the shorter one.
More output, less ride?
More support doesn’t automatically mean a better ride experience. Often, all it really means is that the system is doing more, and you… are doing less.
Riding is not defined by how much the eMTB can do on its own. It is defined by how much it enables you to do. How much room it leaves for interpretation, adaptation and, yes, mistakes. That is where progress, satisfaction and a real connection to the trail come from. Take too much of that away and the experience becomes easier, but also less meaningful.
A different approach
This thought wasn’t sparked by a new drive system, but of all things by two bikes that are almost getting lost in the current power race: the Canyon Spectral:ON and the Torque:ON. Both bikes didn’t occupy us because of spectacular performance figures, but because of the way they ride. The Shimano motor they rely on holds back rather than dominating the experience. And that is precisely what leaves you room to stay actively involved: searching for grip, reading lines, making decisions.
So what stuck with us was not maximum support, but the feeling of being part of the outcome. That is exactly what makes these bikes so compelling to us. Not because they are trying to be a counterpoint to the current trend, but because they show that support and ride quality do not have to pull in opposite directions. At a time where a lot of attention is going to peak figures and fresh launches, that felt worth remembering.
Time is not the enemy
Are we losing sight of what really matters?
What we collect on the bike are not numbers, but experiences. Good times with friends. The after-work ride that ends with the sun going down. The post-ride beer. The stunning view from the top of a mountain you would probably never have reached without a bit of assistance. The silence after the effort, the dirt on your shins, and that quick glance back at the trail when it becomes clear once again why you are here in the first place. That is what bikes are for.
They are not there to get us to the finish faster. They are there to make the experience more intense once we are actually out there. They should broaden our horizons without diluting what makes mountain biking so exciting and rewarding. It is remarkable what a little carbon, aluminium and rubber can stir in us. Right now, everyone is talking about progress: more power, more efficiency, more of everything. But more is not necessarily better. When everything starts revolving around saving time, the real question is: what for? Time is not the enemy on the trail. It may be the most valuable thing you find out there. Get outside, grab your mates and go riding.
Words: Benedikt Schmidt Photos: Tim Eckermann
About the Author
Benedikt Schmidt
Benedikt is an expert in the eMTB segment at 41 Publishing, leading our large-scale comparison tests. After starting his career with a focus on urban mobility, he now oversees the planning and execution of the world’s most extensive test series for E-MOUNTAINBIKE magazine. His focus is on profound technical deep-dives, precisely analysing drive systems, geometries, and component innovations. As a responsible project leader, he provides well-founded, data-driven buyer’s advice for the premium market.
