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Fat, robust, fastThe best 6 e-freeriders in the test

Dimitri Lehner

 · 03.07.2021

Fat, robust, fast: the best 6 e-freeriders in the testPhoto: Wolfgang Watzke
Fat, robust, fast: the best 6 e-freeriders in the test

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Yeehaa, freeride missions have never been so easy! These e-freeriders make it possible: as potent as downhillers and as lively as trail bikes - thanks to the power of the motor.

With these e-freeriders, every hill becomes a bike park. But who on earth is the guy with the moustache and hat? Do you know Uncle Ray? If not, please youtube the dude. The fat uncle is crazy! Why is that? Firstly, the guy is Texan. And Texans all struggle a bit with narcissistic disorder. Secondly, Ray is a hardliner. According to the motto: "Electricity first". Ever since he bought an E-Enduro, he's been spouting phrases that all sound like advertising slogans: "Gotta be fast, Dude!", "Let it roll, Man!", "Switch your mind in boost mode" or "On an e-bike, I can do anything!"

Selfie for the fans: Uncle Ray thinks he's cool. We also think Ray is cool. Because he's awesome! The Texan's got what it takes. We'll buy a drink for anyone who can beat the Uncle - uphill or downhill!Photo: Wolfgang Watzke Selfie for the fans: Uncle Ray thinks he's cool. We also think Ray is cool. Because he's awesome! The Texan's got what it takes. We'll buy a drink for anyone who can beat the Uncle - uphill or downhill!

In short: Uncle Ray has amps in his blood and volts in his genes. We wanted to benefit from the speedy Texan's technical expertise and engaged Ray as a celebrity tester. Because nobody can fool him on an e-bike that quickly. You can find his impressions of the bikes on the following pages.

The test bikes have up to 180 millimetres of travel, making them racy freeriders with plenty of reserves. But do you need that much travel? Opinions are divided on this question, including those of the test team. Some say: A lot helps a lot. Why sacrifice suspension travel - and therefore comfort and safety? After all, you don't have to heave the extra weight up the mountain yourself - the motor does that. So please: lots of suspension travel, robust parts and tough, puncture-proof tyres! And indeed: We did the comparison test and pitted the YT Decoy against a big bike (Commençal Furious). We rode both bikes over the black descents in the Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis bike park. Result: The e-freerider rides just as smoothly, safely and confidently as a downhiller - airtime included.

And what do the others say? They believe that less suspension travel and moderate angles make the bikes more direct, manoeuvrable and lively. This increases the range of use and raises the fun factor on tame trails. Stunts and angry downhills still work, albeit not quite as easily.

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Lift off - so what? We whizz up the lift line with ease and are faster than the old chair from 1967. By the way, the Geißkopf is now getting a 6-seater chair. It only takes a whopping four minutes to get to the top instead of twelve.Photo: Wolfgang Watzke Lift off - so what? We whizz up the lift line with ease and are faster than the old chair from 1967. By the way, the Geißkopf is now getting a 6-seater chair. It only takes a whopping four minutes to get to the top instead of twelve.

You can download the comparison test of the six e-freeriders from FREERIDE 1/2021 as a PDF below the article. The test costs 1.99 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 FREERIDE. We don't pay for them, but the opposite is the case: we charge for them, namely tens of thousands of euros every year.

Yeehaa, freeride missions have never been so easy! These e-freeriders make it possible: as potent as downhillers and as lively as trail bikes - thanks to the power of the motor. They turn every hill into a bike park. But who on earth is the guy with the moustache and hat?
Photo: Wolfgang Watzke

Downloads:

E-Freerider (pdf)

Dimitri Lehner

Dimitri Lehner is a qualified sports scientist. He studied at the German Sport University Cologne. He is fascinated by almost every discipline of fun sports - besides biking, his favourites are windsurfing, skiing and skydiving. His latest passion: the gravel bike. He recently rode it from Munich to the Baltic Sea - and found it marvellous. And exhausting. Wonderfully exhausting!

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