Have you ever heard of the laterlife crisis? An inner insecurity in the phase of life after adulthood? The little sister of the infamous midlife crisis, so to speak. Don't worry, we don't want to talk here about young adults' problems finding their way. However, we have also identified a kind of crisis of meaning in touring eMTBs. E-mountainbikes have outgrown their infancy in no time at all. Especially in the diffuse area of touring bikes, the question now arises as to where to go next. Our test of nine current e-MTB models in the exciting class between 4500 and 5000 euros shows what the market has to offer.
But why a crisis of purpose? When it comes to classic mountain bikes without a motor, one thing is clear: touring bikes have to pull towards the summit with minimal effort. To achieve this, you not only have to pay attention to the function of the components, but also keep a close eye on the weight. Geometry and suspension must also not slow down the forward momentum. Touring bikes with an electric drive, on the other hand, have to answer several fundamental questions: Is less really more? This refers to suspension travel, tread depth and stability, whose additional weight plays a subordinate role in the overall E-MTB system and with the additional power of the motor. Another question mark: Who buys a touring e-MTB? The clientele that would buy a bike in this category is much more diverse than is the case with non-motorised touring bikes. What is clear is that nothing is clear anymore. In particular, stubborn categorisation according to suspension travel has become obsolete.
Canyon's Neuron:On, for example, is strongly orientated towards its non-motorised companion. 130 millimetres of suspension travel, sporty and firm alignment, moderate components. Among the classic bikes, the Neuron without E is the stereotype of a touring bike. The Neuron:On occupies a special position among E-tourers. It is a sports bike for mountain bikers. Off-road, it demands a certain amount of riding skill - and rewards you with direct, fun handling. The counter-design: At Stevens, the E-Fully category only starts at 150 millimetres of suspension travel. The E-Inception AM 7.7 aims to entice riders on tour with plenty of comfort and an upright, moderate geometry. This means that the Stevens also fits well into the touring bike category, but caters more to the leisurely rider who wants their bike to do a lot of the work for them - riding safety and comfort are clearly more important than sporty handling. Centurion's motto is: if off-road, then do it right. The new No Pogo F plays in the all-mountain league, and the modern geometry almost evokes an enduro feeling in demanding terrain.
The wide spread in the test field promises exciting results and a broad selection for different requirement profiles. Unfortunately, all nine candidates have one uninspiring feature in common. They are heavy. Over 25 kilos on average. At just under 5000 euros, the prices are where we actually expect the best price-performance ratio - so we shouldn't be talking about an entry-level class here.
You can download the complete comparison test of the nine E-MTB touring fullys under 5000 euros from EMTB 1/2021 as a PDF below the article. The test costs 2.99 euros.
Why not free of charge? Because quality journalism has a price. In return, we guarantee independence and objectivity. This applies in particular to the tests in EMTB. We don't pay for them, but the opposite is the case: we charge for them, namely tens of thousands of euros every year.
- Bulls Sonic Evo Am 3 Carbon
- Canyon Neuron:On 9
- Centurion No Pogo F2600i
- Conway Xyron S 427
- Cube Stereo Hybrid 140 SL
- Giant Trance X E+ 2 Pro 29
- Husqvarna Mountain Cross 5
- R Raymon Fullray E-Seven 9.0
- Stevens E-Inception AM 7.7
Downloads:
Florentin Vesenbeckh
Editor CvD
