In this article, we use so-called affiliate links. With every purchase through these links, we receive a commission from the merchant. All relevant referral links are marked with . Learn more.
A bike is a bike, whether with or without e-bike, isn't it? The concept of the conventional mountain bike as a bike between the mountain and the valley has well over 30 years of development behind it - thru axles, wide rear triangles and hubs, large bearings and head tubes are the result. But are today's standards really the last word in wisdom, even for e-mountainbikes?
Sonic: New Bulls development with Fraunhofer Institute - new head tube for more stiffness
The engineers at Bulls asked themselves this question when it came to developing the Sonic e-MTB product line for the 2020 model year. And to ensure that everything had a solid foundation, the Bulls guys enlisted scientific support from the Fraunhofer Institute. Existing products were scrutinised, details were adapted and the old was compared with the new in intensive tests. You can see the results above. Good to see: An integrated, removable battery, the new Bosch CX motor with motor protection and state-of-the-art geometry and equipment.
"The e-bike has to be fun, of course. You have to sit on it and feel that it connects with your body. The first impression was simply sensational! It's a completely newly developed e-bike and feels much more agile, much more manoeuvrable - and you just want to 'shoot' every centimetre on the trail!" - Bulls team rider Karl Platt
Detail improvement and system integration
However, the first press photos from Bulls don't really show how much effort Bulls has put into improving the details. The bike comes with a new - wider - head tube standard that deviates from the classic tapered head tube. 1.8 inches to 1 1/8 inches. This means that the steerer tube is around 0.76 centimetres wider at the lower end. This should make the bike more precise and predictable to steer and also transfer power better. The cables run neatly inside the frame and are partially routed in the stem - similar to what we saw on Rotwild's new RX750. The dropper post from Eightpins is also part of many bikes and ensures a clean look and system integration - also reminiscent of Rotwild's 2020 range. So it's hardly surprising that Lutz Scheffer, creator of the new Rotwilds, also had a hand in the new Bulls models.
The Bulls Sonic is available in four versions: as a hardtail (29 inch or 27.5 inch - 120 millimetres), trail fully (29 inch - 120 millimetres), all mountain (wheel mix 29 inch front, 27.5 rear - 150 millimetres) or enduro (wheel mix 29 inch front, 27.5 rear - 180 millimetres). There is also an offshoot of the hardtail with 26-inch wheels, which is designed to enable children to get into the sport as early as possible. There is also a special women's version of the trail bike with 27.5-inch wheels and 120 millimetres of suspension travel. All bikes, with the exception of the 26-inch hardtail, are available with batteries with 400 watt hours, 500 watt hours or 625 watt hours. Prices range from 2999 euros for the cheapest hardtails to 6999 euros for the top version of the All Mountain with carbon frame.
All information on the new Bulls e-mountainbikes for 2020 can also be found on the Website of the manufacturer.
Adrian Kaether
Editor
