Among all the specialists, there are also a few true all-rounders that cut a fine figure in almost every situation these are the contenders for the title of Best eMTB of 2022. Our test crew munched on 300+ pieces of pizza. But if you compare them in a meaningful way, they provide exciting insights into trends and developments. It tips over effortlessly, dropping quickly into turns with minimal hesitation and, providing you commit and stay off the brakes, a distinct lack of understeer. MSRP: $6,500; MODEL YEAR: 2023; Read Review. For example, ROTWILD use an EightPins dropper with a stroke of up to 180 mm. The good news is that trained bikers ears will be able to tell whether the motor is in its comfort zone or is about to fade out, like when youre about to stall your car. Then you should pay close attention now! Rocky Mountain 2022 Altitude Alloy 30 29" MTB Beige/Green. The stats of the updated Shuttle are eye-popping: 726 watt-hour battery, 160mm front fork, 29-inch wheels and the newest Shimano motor all, in a 45-pound package. It is unbeaten in technical uphill terrain and also feels most comfortable downhill on challenging and fast trails. The fact that the main pivot isnt sky-high no doubt contributes to this predictable weight distribution. But beware: on some bikes, the display can also be in the way. Despite its ability to mob through straight-line chunder, it rips turns with surprising nimbleness that had me constantly grinning from ear-to-ear. The Assegai is an insanely good tyre, and for me its bordering on a must-have for a big e-MTB like this. More battery capacity automatically means more weight and, due to the larger dimensions, usually a position that worsens the weight distribution, leading to compromises in handling. Fortunately, the industry is becoming more and more aware that reality is usually much more complex and that a bike, its capabilities and its characteristics cannot be expressed in numbers alone. Best for steep and technical terrain, the Shuttle survives on the uphill and thrives on the down. Nope, I want my cake and I want to eat it too. Altitude Powerplay Alu 50. The pursuit of maximum battery capacity Is the bike industry moving in the wrong direction? Price: $5,299 List Pros: Smooth and consistent power output, modern geometry, Cons: No digital display, wimpy tires and fork, center of gravity feels high. The excellent tyre spec and mid-high suspension design generates masses of grip, allowing the Altitude Powerplay to claw up rough and loose technical climbs with stability and quickness. This is because the guts of the Dyname 4.0 are spinning at a lower RPM, producing a lower pitch and generally less volume overall. Dry, boring, complicated: numbers have a bad reputation. Imagine the kinds of rooty, rocky, horror fests reserved for bravest or craziest and thats where youll likely find the Bullit. And while the overall integration is neat and the controls on the Altitude Powerplay are a vast improvement over the previous model, the main buttons on the remote switch are too light and a bit vague. As you pedal, the chain tightens and pushes up against a jockey wheel, which is the main torque sensor for the system. Power is nothing without control. Some bikes have been previously featured in our group tests due to multi-year development cycles, but how much sense does it make to test a bike like the Cannondale Moterra Neo for the umpteenth time if nothing has changed except for small details in the spec with a successor likely due to replace it soon anyway? After all, body size is usually also related to body weight. Besides chain and drivetrain maintenance, your brakes, tires and suspension are the most important candidates for being serviced regularly. Even still, soft pedalling doesnt automatically deliver you full power. This differs to the Shimano and Bosch systems where you can lightly tick over the pedals in those high-powered settings, and still get maximum output fromthe motor. No matter which you choose, the conversion is simple and the connectivity options remain unchanged. Not helping things, theres no audible beep to signal when youve changed mode. Out of stock. The slackest position is great for full-blown descending, though I found that as I became tired towards the end of a longer ride, I was more likely to wash out the front tyre on flatter turns. Nonetheless, thanks to the brilliant handling of eMTB mode and the easily controllable Turbo mode, we are still huge fans of the Bosch Performance Line CX motor! Although you dont necessarily need the biggest disc rotors as a 70 kg flyweight, you will still benefit from them. Allow me to jog your memory. Braaaaaap: this time the test field includes a bike that unrelentingly pulls away from any Bosch or Shimano motor uphill, but also engenders its own pitfalls! The change made an immediate improvement to weight distribution, improving stability on the descents and offering balanced grip between the front and rear wheels. Other bikes are capable of covering an equally wide range of applications while also outperforming the MERIDA in individual specialisations. 150mm Travel. Ive also spent some time self-shuttling at my local downhill zone as part of a standardised range test to see how far I could ride on a single battery charge. That said, lots of power isnt necessarily better, as you will read further on. In fact, the 437mm rear centre length is identical between the two bikes, and should be noted as being incredibly short for an e-MTB with 29in wheels and 160mm of rear travel. When going uphill, the slack seat tube angle (74) positions the rider far over the rear wheel. Heres how the Altitude Powerplay faired; Ill admit I was surprised that the Altitude Powerplay managed to clock up over 2,100m of climbing in one hit. How did the individual eMTB in this group test fare? The YETI 160E T1 is the deserved Best in Test and thus the best eMTB of 2022. There are also differences between the individual motors and bikes when it comes to motor noise under full load. On the front wheel we recommend a robust casing for puncture protection in combination with the softest rubber compound for more grip. RIDE-9 Adjustable Geometry + Suspension Rate. Tero X kommer med en Turbo Full Power 2.2-motor fra Specialized, og batteri p hele 710 watt-timer (den rimeligste utgaven har 530Wh), og dreiemoment opp mot 90 newtonmeter. How long are your longest rides and how much ascending do you realistically do? Even still, the Altitude Powerplay doesnt ride like a chopper, with a fairly moderate 625mm stack height. Thats on the heavy side even for a big travel e-MTB, though theres certainly nothing dainty about this bike. The quality and type of pads also play a decisive role when it comes to powerful braking. If youre an experienced rider looking for more juice, the Powerplay is your play. You can also remove the Kiox 300 display on the new Bosch Smart System, depending on your mood, and rely exclusively on the LED remote. Secondly it can produce more grunt at lower Amps. We believe that every rider has different needs and preferences, and its up to you to find out what these are and then choose a bike based on that. Each bike review aims to answer these core questions, giving you a clear recommendation or even advising you to look elsewhere. Of course as youd expect for a big travel e-MTB, the Altitude is a terrifically competent descender. Remember the summer your little brother grew six inches and, for the first time, forced you to yell uncle when wrestling in the basement? The motors have an average torque of 81 Nm. - On the heavy side. Is Veja's Foray Into Hiking Shoes a Hit or Miss? The lower motor output, throttled down to 60 Nm from the Shimano EP8s usual 85 Nm, allows for a small 360 Wh battery without a significant reduction in range compared to a Bosch league eMTB. Orbea shows how its done with the battery and motor concept of the Rise. According to Rocky Mountain, the new kinematic offers increased anti-squat in the early portion of the travel, and a more supportive leverage rate throughout. To help you answer all these questions and more, we present the most important battery concepts in detail in. They also had to prove themselves over longer term testing on our home trails around Stuttgart and in the Allgu Alps. With availability limited and eMTBs a big investment for many, its especially important to know about the latest technologies and the huge differences between models before buying one. Made for aggressive, all-day riders, the newly-launched Shuttle is turning heads. Personally, Ive not found the reduced overrun to be an issue for the majority of trails Ive ridden, and both motors are easy to adapt to after a few rides. For example, FOX recommends a complete service of the FOX 36 or 38 at annual intervals or after 125 hours of use whichever comes first. Das Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay gibt es jetzt auch mit Aluminium-Rahmen. Its possible to reduce the leg effort required to bring on the motors power via the Boost setting. Also neat is that the frame will accept a SRAM UDH when the dropout is set in the longest position a useful feature for folks who like to travel with their bike. Drailleur AR. Some modern eMTBs, such as the Norco, Rocky Mountain and Specialized Levo, rely on low seat tubes that make it possible to choose between several sizes, provided that a correspondingly long dropper post fits the bike. We gathered the most interesting facts from the test field for you and compared them with last years test. The highly responsive torque sensor means that while power comes on with minimal lag, it drops off just as quickly when you stop pedalling, which can occasionally be a problem on awkward technical climbs. With the Shimano EP8 motor, you can even save two different profiles so that you can quickly switch between your configurations. Watch our video review of the Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay here: Despite its ability to mob through straight-line chunder, it rips turns with surprising nimbleness that had me constantly grinning from ear-to-ear. There are some clear recommendations for a trail all-rounder, which needs to work well for every rider and on every trail. Like the longer travel Altitude, it gets the new motor and Ride-4 chip. For the 2022 season, the bike industry has come up with numerous technical developments as well as exciting new approaches and battery concepts that influence performance and that you have to consider before buying. In general, there are big differences in the character of the models we tested, so you should be realistic about your own needs in terms of riding style and area of use when buying and be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of the respective models. But, what the relatively small Rocky Mountain has accomplished by making its own power unit, might actually put them ahead of where the billion-dollar behemoth, Trek, is right now with its e-bike platform. Unfortunately, just because an eMTB is expensive doesnt mean it will last longer if you dont take care of it. Troy Lee Designs Flowline and Flowline SE MTB Helmet A reasonable successor? On the note of the drivetrain, the Altitude Powerplay requires a longer chain than usual due to its idler and chainguide, so you may need to buy two chains when it comes time for a drivetrain service. Thanks to the compact motor, the geometry of the Altitude Powerplay closely follows that of the non-motorised version. The geometry is confidence-inspiring on the descents and still agile enough when singletrack is narrow.