What a confidence boost! It's fair to say that with a good E-All-Mountain, you're equipped for almost any trail. Bikes like our last test winner Santa Cruz Vala can do everything. Even when things get really nasty, you can still leave the throttle on these bikes. Do e-enduro bikes still have any justification?
The Propain Ekano answers this question clearly on the first few metres of the test. What this bike swallows downhill borders on downhiller level! A full-face helmet and protectors were definitely the right decision for our test. We only unpacked the half-shell for the photos.
Shuttle built in: but also fun downhill?
The motivation for this duel is simple: if you like riding fast downhill, you don't always like riding uphill. We therefore ordered two of the latest and most affordable enduro bikes with an integrated shuttle for testing. Propain's E-Freerider Ekano in the aluminium version and the brand new Merida eOne-Eighty.
Both bikes are fully approved for downhill and bike park use in accordance with ASTM 5 - an absolute exception for E-MTBs. The rivals cost a good 5000 euros each, making them almost the cheapest representatives of their genre. That's still a lot of money, especially as the bikes' equipment is kept simple due to the expensive e-system. So if you really want top suspension at a favourable price, you'll have to look at the enduro bikes without engines like Haro and Privateer from our last duel.
Bosch sets the tone uphill - Propain with better equipment
After all: Merida has installed the brand new Bosch Performance CX. Uphill, the Swabian top drive sets the tone. In terms of range, the Bosch is also significantly better than the Shimano in the Propain. However, both bikes are not ideal for long all-day tours with their rather small batteries.
On the other hand, Propain has the advantage of mail order and offers the better equipment. This makes all the difference when it comes to riding fun on the trail. Fluffy and comfortable, the Ekano transforms even the roughest trails into an orgy of flow. We wouldn't have thought that an entry-level bike could be left like this on difficult trails! The Merida, on the other hand, could certainly do more, but is held back by its simple spec, especially the SR Suntour suspension. The surcharge for the better Merida eOne-Eighty 700 with Rockshox suspension is quite generous at 1500 euros.
Points in comparison: Propain and Merida in the BIKE test evaluation
BIKE conclusion: Propain clearly ahead
The Merida eOne-Eighty 400 has good systems and the better motor. However, it falls behind the new edition of the Ekano from Propain with its simpler equipment. - Adrian Kaether, test editor BIKE
Adrian Kaether
Editor
