Motivating more people to ride bikes is one of our goals. It goes alongside the desire to help you reach educated decisions, steer you away from purchases you might regret, and keep you fed with content that’s both informative and entertaining. Another key strand is feeding insights from our huge group tests back to the industry, nudging them towards products that actually satisfy people’s needs. As part of our unspoken pledge to make the world’s best hobby that bit better, it also includes ‘drier’ topics like retail service, quality management and connectivity. But action is just as important as listening, so that’s exactly what we’ve done.
More than 13,500 of you have taken in our reader survey this year – a new record! But that wasn’t enough for us! In a second survey, we conducted a reality check on the topic of service and quality. Your problems, experiences and reports about defects provide important information about where in the sector there’s room for improvement, to improve quality and bring it up to the next level.
Further confirmation of the fact that eMTBs are going places comes in the form of the first-ever urban eMTB crew, who took us out for a spin and versed us in the intricacies of Gen Z. This article reflects not only our E-MOUNTAINBIKE Theory of Evolution, which we proposed in issue #021 back in spring, but also demonstrates the impact that eMTBs can have on the urban lifestyle – urban mobility included. There’s also much to learn in our interview with FOCUS Bikes and Derby Cycles about the development of eMTBs with a higher maximum permissible weight. Aside from that, you can hear what marathon legend Karl Platt and Le Mans winner Jörg Bergmeister have to say about success, survival instinct and personal development.
We looked for the best navigation device for your eMTB and asked ourselves whether you should buy a high-end E-hardtail or E-fully with a budget of € 4,000. We also tested ebikes for different target markets: is the Canyon Neuron:ON WMN 7.0 the perfect gateway drug for all women who want to start eMTBing? How does the Trek Powerfly FS manage to blur the boundaries between trekking and eMTB? Is the Orbea Rise the perfect eMTB for sporty trail use and does it bridge the gap between all-round and Light eMTBs? You can find all the answers in this issue.
The highlight of this issue
- Five navigation devices tested head to head
- Hardtail vs fully – Which is the better eMTB for € 4,000?
- Clash of generations – An urban revolution with the Stuttgarter eMTB gang
- The challenges of increasing the maximum permissible weight
- How about you? The most exciting findings of the biggest eMTB reader survey 2020
You can download the new issue now in our magazine app, as usual, completely free! If you don’t have our app yet, you can download it for free in the App Store (iPhone/iPad) or Play Store (Android smartphones and tablets).
All the bikes in this issue
Canyon Neuron:ON WMN 7.0 | COMMENCAL META POWER 29 | Orbea Rise M-Team | FOCUS JARIFA² 6.9 NINE | FOCUS THRON² 6.7 | Trek Powerfly FS 7 | YT DECOY Comp
Below, we’ve put together a small selection of the articles you’ll find in the current issue:
Exploring new paths, looking for trail adventures or planning rides: we compared the five best navigation devices for eMTBs so that you can ride secure in the knowledge that you’re on the fastest or most scenic route. Clever smartphone mount, external bike GPS computer or onboard eMTB computer? We found out which system works best and for whom.
So you want to buy yourself an eMTB for € 4,000? Should you go for the high-end hardtail or the budget full-suspension option? We’ll tell you what to pay attention to so that you don’t waste your hard-earned money and who might be better off with the hardtail. We’ve also compiled a few tips for you to consider when buying.
Who is the typical eMTBer? Which bikes and brands are currently the most sought after and which are poised to set new benchmarks? Around the world, more than 13,500 people took part in our reader survey giving us a crucial insight into the rapidly changing eMTB market. What are the trends of the year and what’s old news?
Time and again you’ll hear dramatic stories about service and customer service from readers – but what’s behind them? Bad luck and isolated cases or commonplace experience? We conducted a survey specifically on this topic with some exciting results and findings.
Trek have completely redesigned the Powerfly FS, overhauling the concept to target a much wider audience, from trekking and leisure riders to moderate trail adventurers. We tested the 120/100 mm travel eMTB with the Bosch Performance Line CX motor to find out whether the new Trek Powerfly FS 7 is the all-rounder that many have been looking for.
Like many other bike manufacturers, FOCUS are working on increasing the maximum permissible weight of their eMTBs for trail riding. We spoke to FOCUS and DERBY Cycles about developing eMTBs for heavier riders. Read the interview to find out about the hurdles and challenges they’re facing in doing so and where the limits are.
When did Apple AirPods, Lacoste sweatshirts and ebikes become the must-haves of today’s youth? We joined what must be the world’s first urban eMTB crew on the streets of Stuttgart to get to grips with the intricacies of Gen Z and unpick the future of urban mobility.
We headed to Southwest Germany’s Palatinate region to chat with mountain bike marathon legend Karl Platt and Le Mans winner Jörg Bergmeister about success, competitive genes and our survival instinct. While down there, we progressed from the theory of dealing with setbacks straight into a practical lesson on the subject. Oh, we also took our bikes and a Porsche for a spin!
If you have already installed our free app, simply open it and download the latest issue right now. If not, first download the free app from the App Store (iPhone / iPad) or the Play Store (Android smartphones & tablets) and then download the latest issue in the app. All you’ve got to do then is sit back and enjoy (ideally with a cold beer or a delicious cup of coffee)! #qualitytime
Did you enjoy this article? If so, we would be stoked if you decide to support us with a monthly contribution. By becoming a supporter of E-MOUNTAINBIKE, you will help secure a sustainable future for high-quality cycling journalism. Click here to learn more.
