The hardtail (photo above)
Anyone who puts a bike on fat tyres has not yet built a mountain bike. E-hardtails are companions for extended tours on flowing trails and forest tracks. Of course, they are built sturdily enough to endure rides on challenging terrain without grumbling. In general, mountain bike hardtails are always equipped with a suspension fork at the front, but their off-road potential is limited without rear suspension. Our tests focus on the riding position, handling and the quality of the components. In addition to a decent motor, hardtails need excellent brakes for long descents in the mountains - after all, every e-biker cracks the 1000 metre altitude mark without any problems.
The Fully
Full-suspension mountain bikes have decisive advantages over hardtails: they are noticeably more comfortable even on gravel paths, but above all offer more safety on challenging terrain - regardless of the rider's ability. As a general rule, the more suspension travel a chassis has, the greater the possibilities on technical terrain. For non-motorised mountain bikes, there is a compelling argument in favour of hardtails: the lower weight. With e-mountainbikes, these extra pounds play a subordinate role due to the already heavy drive. The main advantage of a hardtail is therefore the lower cost. If you've never ridden a full-suspension e-MTB before, you'll be amazed at how plushly such a bike sticks to the trail and how precisely it can be controlled. For our tests, we divide fullys into sub-categories in order to be able to judge them optimally for each type of user.
