Jürgen Militzer knows his way around aluminium. For 20 years, the Mi-Tech boss has been welding aluminium bikes in Schalksmühle, a community of 11,000 people in the north-west of the Sauerland region. Not far from Willingen, the annual venue of the BIKE Festival. Twelve years ago, Mi-Tech had already built a maintenance-free Mountain bike with Pinion gearbox and Gates belt. Militzer is now presenting another low-maintenance Mi-Tech bike with Pinion drive and Gates belt. However, 2.0: because the Mi-Tech scenario does not feature Pinion's manual gearbox, but Pinion's motor-gearbox unit MGU.
The most important facts about the Mi-Tech scenario E MGU
This is somewhat surprising, because as a small manufacturer it should not be easy to get hold of the exclusive and currently sought-after technology - but apparently the connections between Denkendorf and Schalksmühle seem to be good. What have the Sauerland-based company made of the Swabian connection? The Szenario E MGU has either 170/160 or 160/160 millimetres of travel and could be classified as somewhere between an all-mountain and an enduro bike thanks to its suspension travel. However, the geometry of the Szenario is quite conservative with a slightly shorter main frame, long seat tube, 66 degree steep head angle and 74 degree slack seat angle, which speaks more in favour of use on tours than in nasty enduro terrain. However, the Sauerland-based company specialises in customised frame production! For an extra 200 euros, buyers can have a significant influence on the geometry dimensions! If you are prepared to invest the small surcharge, you don't have to stick to the geometry dimensions of the Szenario E MGU mentioned here. The frame colour can also be freely selected. All RAL colours are available in gloss or matt.
The geometry (size L, 29/27.5'')
- Seat tube: 500 mm
- Top tube: 625 mm
- Seat angle: 74 degrees
- Steering angle: 66 degrees
- Head tube: 130 mm
- Chainstays: 468 mm
The standard frame of the Szenario E MGU can be ridden with either 27.5-inch wheels, twentyniners or as a mullet mix. All cables disappear into the frame in the headset and are completely internally routed from there. The down tube of the massive main frame currently accommodates a 700 watt-hour battery, which can be removed from the front for charging in the traditional way. On request, the battery capacity of the Mi-Tech Szenario MGU can be increased to a whopping 1235 watt-hours using a 535 watt-hour range extender from Fit (€645). From 1 July, the bikes will even be supplied with the new Fit TP800 battery with 800 watt hours. Even with the 700 watt-hour battery, the Mi-Tech should weigh 25.8 kilos according to the manufacturer, with the range extender adding another 4.3 kilos. This alone emphasises that the Mi-Tech is not intended to be a nimble trail bike, but an endurance specialist for long tours. The fact that there is no exposed rear derailleur on the bike and that the MGU is combined with a Gates belt instead of a chain is not the only thing that speaks for damage-free rides; puncture protection and riding safety were also top priorities when choosing the tyres: Schwalbe's Eddy Current bulldozers at the front and rear, at least if you have opted for the 29-inch tyres. If you opt for 27.5 inch tyres, you can choose between Schwalbe Nobby Nic in 2.6 or 2.8 inch width.
The most important facts about the Pinion MGU
Motor gearbox unit, MGU for short, is the name of the e-drive presented at Eurobike 2023 by German gearbox specialist Pinion. For many, this technology is something like the Holy Grail of e-bike development. Instead of heavy, wear- and defect-prone derailleurs and sprocket packs on the rear wheel, the gear changes in the encapsulated gearbox run directly in the motor. We have already been able to test several e-mountainbikes with the Pinion MGU and have been impressed by the complex technology in off-road use.
The MGU makes the hearts of e-mountain bikers beat faster in many respects: low maintenance, minimised wear, ideal weight distribution and a wide gear range of 600 percent. In addition, fast gear changes under load are no problem with the MGU; the powerful drive provides sufficient power in every situation. Gear changes can be automated with the Pre.Select and Start.Select functions. What's more, the 12-speed gearstick is whisper-quiet when travelling downhill. This technology could therefore be a real milestone for frequent riders and fans of carefree e-bikes. However, there are a few disadvantages to accept: The drive noise is quite loud in gears one to four, and you have to put up with a brief interruption in pedalling when shifting from gear four to five and from eight to nine. You can choose between the FIT standard display with remote or the compact LED remote. Power is transmitted via the low-maintenance Gates CDX belt drive.
The facts about the MGU E1.12 from Pinion
- Weight: 4112 g (measured in the EMTB laboratory)
- Max. Torque: 85 Newton metres (manufacturer's specification)
- Max. Power: 600 watts (manufacturer's specification)
- 12 gears, 600 per cent bandwidth (spur gearing with two gear sets connected in series, 3 x 4 stages)
- Maintenance interval: Oil change every 10,000 km or once a year
- With an empty battery, there is a reserve for 1000 switching operations
- Intelligent push assistance with customisable speed
- Four support levels Eco, Flow, Flex and Fly - individually customisable via app
- Batteries and controls from Fit
The features of the Mi-Tech Scenario E MGU
The Mi-Tech Szenario MGU is available in two equipment packages: With Fox-Spec, the bike costs 9249 euros. The Fox 38 Factory Kashima F-S 170 Grip 2 with 170 mm travel is fitted to the front, while the Fox Float X shock is fitted to the rear. With Rock Shox suspension elements (Rock Shox ZEB Select with 160 mm and Rock Shox Deluxe Select+), the complete bike is slightly cheaper: 8949 euros. The bike can also be converted into an SUV with a road equipment package.
Josh Welz
Editor-in-Chief
