First ride review of the 2023 SCOTT Lumen eRIDE 900 SL – A new (high)light eMTB weighing just 15 kg?

With the 2023 Lumen eRIDE 900 SL, SCOTT present an all-new light eMTB featuring the TQ HPR 50 motor for epic trail and marathon rides. Everything on the full-susser is integrated, making it hardly recognisable as an ebike. How have the Swiss brand done it? And how does the 130 mm travel bike ride?

SCOTT and mountain biking belong together like Switzerland and Swiss cheese or precision watchmaking. As such, the Swiss brand have taken it upon themselves to make a bike for every discipline, functioning as a kind of guiding light for the sport. Among these is the analogue SCOTT Spark XC mountainbike, which has helped the seemingly unbeatable, several fold world champion Nino Schurter get on the podium at the one or other XC and marathon event. With its undeniably competitive genes and sensational integration, the Spark has had a major influence on the remaining bikes in SCOTTs portfolio, like the recently introduced SCOTT Genius.

But its impact can be felt beyond the established mountain biking disciplines. Just look at the all-new SCOTT Lumen light eMTB, aimed at ambitious riders with a love of electric assistance, and boasting a level of integration on par with that of the SCOTT Spark. As with the Spark, the shock on the Lumen is completely integrated into the frame. Compared to its analogue sibling, the surface area of the Lumen frame is just 17% bigger despite housing all the additional electronic components – stealth mode on. The 360 Wh battery is compactly and permanently integrated into the downtube, and the 50 Nm motor can be seen peeking out under the bottom bracket. In size M, the 130 mm travel ebike tips the scales at just 15.6 kg, aiming it squarely at mountain bikers who want to retain the handling of an analogue bike while profiting from the assistance and, ultimately, time saved by an electric motor on the climbs.

The new 2023 SCOTT Lumen eRIDE 900 – Seeing the light

In terms of integration, the SCOTT Lumen shines at least as brightly as the analogue Spark and Genius models. The complete rear end and the area around the bottom bracket of the 2023 SCOTT Lumen eRIDE 900 SL looks like a one-piece design while concealing all the complex working components. This combination of simplicity and complexity is what SCOTT refer to as simplexity – a concept on which they based the design and construction of the entire bike. For this ambitious and complex endeavour, SCOTT partnered with the motor manufacturers TQ, whose headquarters are based near Munich, Germany.

Going for the TQ HPR 50 drive system is easily justifiable due to its compact dimensions and low weight. As such, the lightest build of the SCOTT Lumen, the 900 SL, weighs in at just 18.8 kg in size M, including two bottle cages with integrated tools and tire plugs in the bar ends. The shock is positioned horizontally in the seat tube, with the rear linkage relying on a flex pivot. SCOTT partnered with FOX to develop the Nude shock, making it extra compact, doing without a reservoir, and placing all the adjustment dials as well as the valve on the bottom end so that they’re easily accessible through the flap in the downtube.

Half of the rocker link is hidden inside the frame, and it has an external sag indicator to facilitate the shock setup. While the integration looks clean, it does make setting up the shock slightly more difficult: to inflate it, you must first remove the flap in the downtube and thread the included extension onto the valve.

To adjust the rebound, your fingers simply need to be long enough to reach into the service port. On the upside, the shock is nicely protected, staying clean and dry, meaning that, once you’ve set it up, it requires less maintenance than an external shock that gets exposed to the elements. Like many of SCOTTs other bikes, the Lumen relies on their tried and trusted TwinLoc system, allowing you to select one of three compression settings via a remote on the handlebar, so there’s no need to constantly open the service flap to adjust the compression settings on the shock to suit the trail.

The 2023 SCOTT Lumen eRIDE 900 SL and its centrepiece from TQ with the Range Extender

Based near Munich, tech company TQ have been mixing up the ebike market since the start of this year. While their first motor, the high-powered TQ HPR 120S, lived a rather niche existence on the market, the HPR 50 showed great potential from the get-go, and garnered a lot of interest from the bike industry. After featuring exclusively in the all-new Fuel EXe from industry giant Trek for almost three months, the spotlight shifted and we saw the motor being used by other brands, like Simplon (click here for our review of the Simplon Rapcon TQ) and BMC. Thanks to their patented Harmonic Pin Ring technology, the TQ HPR 50 can combine the transmission and motor into one compact unit in the bottom bracket, doing away with the traditional cog wheels and planetary gears of other transmissions. As a result, the unit is quieter and more efficient since it has fewer moving parts than those from other manufacturer’s, thereby reducing friction and noise. Its 50 Nm nominal output doesn’t sound like much, but it’s enough to provide the rider with a decent amount of assistance.

The motor gets powered by a 360 Wh battery, which you can extend by another 160 Wh with the external Range Extender. On the 2023 SCOTT Lumen eRIDE 900 SL, the Range Extender gets attached to the down tube in place of the water bottle, using a clip mechanism that was developed in house. You can easily switch between the water bottle and the Range Extender by simply clipping in whichever option the tour calls for.

With the Range Extender plugged in, the display indicates a total battery capacity of 150%. The discharge sequence is set so that the Range Extender always gets drained first, followed by the internal battery. When the Range Extender is empty, the SCOTT Lumen doesn’t halt. The motor keeps assisting without flinching as its power source transitions seamlessly from the auxiliary to the main battery. You can charge the bike with the Range Extender plugged in. In that case, the discharging sequence is reversed, first charging the internal battery and then the auxiliary. The 160 Wh TQ Range Extender weighs 900 g. The FAZUA Ride 60 motor is TQ’s fiercest competitor in the light eMTB market, pretty much standing neck and neck.

Blinded by the light – An overview of the different Lumen eRIDE models

Besides the Lumen eRIDE 900 SL on test, SCOTT’s portfolio will be enlightened by three other models. All of them rely on FOX suspension, offering 130 mm travel front and rear. Another commonality of the Lumen family is the 3-phase TwinLoc remote, allowing you to switch between three compression settings: Lockout, Traction Control, and Descend. Nestled under the two TwinLoc levers, you’ll find a third lever for the dropper post. You get a pair of 2.4″ Schwalbe Wicked Will tires across the board, relying on the soft SpeedSoft rubber compound up front and the slightly harder SpeedGrip compound on the rear.
The € 15,999 flagship model is the only one to be graced with FOX Factory suspension with the golden Kashima coating front and rear. Instead of the better GRIP2 damper, the FOX 34 Factory fork has to make do with the FIT4 damper, which is due to the TwinLoc system. To keep the weight under 16 kg, SCOTT resort to the Silverton SL2 wheels from their in-house brand Syncros, uniting the rim, spokes, and hub into a one-piece carbon construction. The bike also comes equipped with a one-piece carbon stem and handlebar unit. Keeping your speed in check, the Shimano XTR brakes are paired with small 180 mm ICE-TECH rotors front and rear, while the drivetrain is taken care of by the wireless SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS groupset, offering precise and reliable shifting. With these components, the Lumen 900 SL weighs in at just 15,6 kg in size M. By the way, the flagship model is the only one where the Range Extender is included in the price.

Along with the Super Light model, there’s also a 900 model (without the SL), a 910, and a Contessa model designed specifically for female riders.
The 2023 SCOTT Lumen eRIDE 900 is specced with FOX Performance suspension and dropper post without the blinging Kashima coating, and an aluminium Syncros wheelset instead of the one-piece carbon models. However, the one-piece carbon cockpit remains. Resorting to fewer weight saving measures, the 900 model is the more sensible and affordable option, priced at € 9,999.
Barring the saddle and the refreshingly different colour scheme for the women’s bike, the 910 and Contessa models are specced identically: both come with a two-piece aluminium cockpit, offering easy adjustability, and FOX Rhythm system with limited tuning options. These two models are priced at € 6,999 each.

The geometry of the 2023 SCOTT Lumen eRIDE 900 SL – Lightyears ahead or more of a shadow pantomime?

Regarding geometry, the 2023 SCOTT Lumen eRIDE 900 SL is a rather conservative bike: compact with relatively steep seat and head tube angles. By rotating the eccentric headset cups, you can adjust the 65.5° head angle by +/- 0.6°. The Contessa model is available in sizes S–L, whereas all other models are also available in XL. All frame sizes can accommodate two water bottles, or one water bottle and the Range Extender inside the front triangle. The frames can also take a 140 mm travel fork, in which case the angles slacken out somewhat and the bike is said to be more capable on the descents.

Size	S	M	L	XL
Seat tube	415 mm	440 mm	490 mm	540 mm
Top tube	562 mm	589 mm	620 mm	645 mm
Head tube	110 mm	110 mm	120 mm	135 mm
Head angle	65.5°	65.5°	65.5°	65.5°
Seat angle	76.8°	77°	77.2°	77.5°
Chainstays	450 mm	450 mm	450 mm	450 mm
BB Drop	38.5 mm	38.5 mm	38.5 mm	38.5 mm
Wheelbase	1,176 mm	1,206 mm	1,240 mm	1,270 mm
Reach	416 mm	446 mm	476 mm	501 mm
Stack	615 mm	615 mm	625 mm	638 mm

Shine bright like a diamond – The SCOTT Lumen eRIDE 900 SL on the trail

If you let the light of the 2023 SCOTT Lumen eRIDE 900 SL shine, you’ll notice the natural feeling yet powerful assistance of the TQ HPR 50 motor, pushing you quietly up the hill. SCOTT have preconfigured the settings of the motor specifically for the Lumen. However, you can still make your own adjustments via the TQ app if you want. The Pedal Response Time, in other words, how quickly and directly the motor responds to your input, is particularly dependent on personal preference. In the slower setting, it’s more suitable for relaxed rides and riding styles, preferred by those who value natural feeling assistance. In the fast setting with a short response time, the motor is quicker to respond to rider input, spinning up immediately on technical climbs and short sprints. Due to its compact dimensions, the Lumen makes a playful and agile impression as you make your way to the top of the trail.

The long and low front end of the SCOTT Lumen encourages you to take on steep climbs, instilling you with the confidence that it won’t tip over backwards. Should you feel the need, you could also reach for the TwinLoc remote on the left side of the handlebar and switch from the open Descend Mode to the Traction Control mode. In that case, the suspension remains higher in its travel, putting more weight on the front wheel and thereby allowing you to tackle even steeper climbs. The bike feels even more agile in this mode, making easy work of tight switchbacks on the climbs.

The motor concept harmonises perfectly with the bike. You feel like an XC pro at the height of their career after six weeks of intensive training in an altitude chamber. The TQ motor manages to convey this feeling so subtly that you’ve got to be careful of getting used to it and fooling yourself into thinking it’s all you. We recommend switching the motor off occasionally to come back down to earth and see what it feels like winching your way up a climb without electronic assistance. However, thanks to the bike’s low weight, and the low rotating mass, even that is surprisingly easy.
Coming back down the hill, the low front end puts you into an equally active and aggressive riding position as on the climbs. There’s no need to shift your weight forward or worry about the front wheel sliding out. Thanks to the Schwalbe tires, which Schwalbe make exclusively for SCOTT, and the softer rubber compound up front, you’ve always got plenty of traction. At lower pressures, you’ll notice the lack of support offered by the thin sidewalls of Schwalbe Wicked Will tires and feel the rear tire squirm on the rim. However, the 2023 SCOTT Lumen eRIDE 900 SL can generate plenty of traction with its 130 mm travel, allowing you to blast down the trail at a decent speed. Unfortunately, the 140 mm dropper post limits your freedom of movement when things get steep, hindering your weight distribution and robbing you of confidence. Sadly, you couldn’t insert the dropper deeper into the frame if you wanted to either.

The bike clearly prefers flowing singletrack or, when things get rougher, an active riding style. Simply holding on and ploughing through things could end in more than just expensive collateral damage considering the wheel and tire combination. Combined with the carbon wheels, the monocoque carbon cockpit results in a very direct handling, and unless you’re fit enough, you’ll be in for a good serving of arm-pump. On the other hand, this allows you to generate plenty of speed by pumping the bike through berms and rollers, and putting in a quick sprint doesn’t result in your effort getting sucked up by the rotating mass of the wheels, being converted into propulsion instead.

Tuning tip: two-piece cockpit for improved compliance and adjustability

Our conclusion on the new 2023 SCOTT Lumen eRIDE 900 SL

With the 2023 Lumen eRIDE 900 SL, SCOTT definitely set the bar in terms of integration on an eMTB. Its direct and precise handling offers the kind of gravity-oriented performance of a downcountry bike with the additional benefit of e-assistance, allowing you to do more laps in the same amount of time or shorter yet equally intense training rides. The TQ motor works so inconspicuously that you can forget that it’s there, resulting in big disappointment when you get back on an analogue bike.

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Words: Julian Schwede Photos: Michal Červený, Julian Schwede