E-MTB categories: Which e-bike is right for me?

You have decided in favour of an E-MTB - welcome to one of the most beautiful sports of all. But now you're spoilt for choice again. Because now it's all about the right e-mountainbike category. The question is: What are you planning to do with your e-mountainbike? Are you going on easy and rather short tours in the low mountain range or do you want to go on an extensive alpine tour? Are you more of a pleasure biker or do you fancy technical trails and a technical challenge? The best thing to do is to study the following categories and try to categorise yourself.

E-MTB Hardtail

As already mentioned, the hardtail category is primarily for budget reasons interesting. Here, the fun starts about a grand earlier than with the E-MTB fullys. Nevertheless, there are of course also significantly more expensive hardtails. The clientele for this consists either of purists who want to have as little vulnerable technology on the bike as possible. Or weight freaks who simply want an e-bike that is as light as possible. Others place more value on high-quality shifting and braking components than on full suspension and therefore opt for a hardtail even in higher price categories. It would be unfair to say that a hardtail is not suitable for off-road riding. After all, with a sophisticated riding technique and physical effort, you can also ride on bumpy trails. However, you have to get out of the saddle with every bump; rocks and roots hammer the shocks mercilessly into your back. Even slightly rougher gravel paths can be a challenge on the Mountain bike hardtail can be uncomfortable, as you ride uphill on an e-MTB at higher speeds and usually in a seated position. If you want to go off-road and value comfort and flow, you should definitely consider a full-suspension e-MTB. Because our tip is: The extra price for a fully is not only worth it for off-road freaks, but also for anyone who values comfort. If you still are undecided as to whether it should be an E-MTB hardtail or fullywe are here to help you decide.

E-MTB Touring Fully

This category probably has the largest fan base among the e-MTB classes. No wonder, because these e-bikes are perfect all-rounders for moderate use. Touring fullys have a relatively short geometry and therefore offer an upright, comfortable riding position. Suspension travel of between 120 and 140 millimetres is also sufficient for tours in rough, alpine terrain. The geometry is balanced, these bikes steer easily and neutrally without developing a life of their own. They are very easy to ride freehand on the road, for example. This neutral riding behaviour primarily suits those who want to enjoy the landscape without concentrating too much on the bike. All of this applies to slow to medium speeds and moderate terrain. The E-MTB touring fullys reach their limits with a very sporty, active riding style, on very steep terrain and at high speeds. This is when these comfort bikes with their short geometries and fairly steep angles tend to become nervous. Here you will find a Current test of nine E-MTB full-suspension touring bikes.

E-MTB All-Mountain-Fully

The range of use of these e-MTBs overlaps with the touring category. However, the all-mountain fullys are designed to be much sportier. The geometry is longer at the front of the frame, which means you sit in a more stretched position. As a result, the centre of gravity is lower and both wheels are loaded equally. Furthermore, the long front geometry ensures a smoother ride at higher speeds. On the other hand, manufacturers try to keep the rear frame area somewhat shorter. The shorter the rear frame, the more manoeuvrable the bike is. All-mountain bikes also differ from pure touring eMTBs in terms of angles. The steering angles are generally slacker. This feels a little strange and unbalanced when riding slowly because the bike reacts less neutrally to steering movements. But the faster you are travelling and the rougher the terrain, the better, more stable and safer these bikes ride.

All-mountain full-suspension bikes usually have suspension travel of between 130 and 160 millimetres and are often fitted with large 29-inch wheels. Sometimes you can also find so-called mixed tyres. In this case, a smaller 27.5-inch wheel with often thicker tyres is fitted at the rear, while narrower but large 29-inch wheels roll at the front. This is intended to combine the advantages of both sizes: good rollover behaviour on the front wheel and manoeuvrability at the rear.

The term trail bike is often used in connection with the all-mountain category of e-MTBs. These bikes are currently the big trend in classic bikes, and the increasingly younger E-MTB clientele often ends up with trail bikes. They are built in a similar way to the all-mountain models, but have an even more progressive geometry. With their extremely long stems, slack head angles and short chainstays, the Trail bikes but neither for beginners nor for the leisurely tourer. Here you should be a pilot, not a passenger. They require an active riding style with a lot of physical effort. Then they can be pushed into the tightest bends, sail over jumps and thrash down the steepest descents at full throttle. A lot of suspension travel is not at the top of the specification for trail bikes. The focus here is on good control at the limit rather than comfort. One You can find tests of current e-trail bikes here.

E-MTB Enduro

With the Enduro mountain bikes is first and foremost about having fun downhill. Whether it's big jumps in the bike park or the steepest, high-alpine descents - the frame, chassis and components of the enduro bikes are designed for the toughest conditions. The wheels should be particularly robust. Thick, chunky tyres are standard, and wheel sizes vary between 27.5 and 29 inches depending on the manufacturer. Here too, mixed tyres are the trend - and rightly so! These bikes have suspension travel of at least 160 millimetres, often around 170 or 180 millimetres, to iron out the roughest bumps. Similar to trail bikes, the geometries of enduro bikes tend to be long and flat. Therefore, they are often not necessarily suitable for the pure comfort rider. However, there are exceptions in this category. Some enduro models have a well-balanced, beginner-friendly geometry. Touring riders also benefit from the high comfort aspect of the long suspension travel. This is because the additional weight of the bikes and the higher rolling resistance of the heavy tyres are compensated for by the motor anyway. Here you will find a Selection of the best E-Enduros.