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They are the premier class in our tests: E-trekking bikes rightly have a reputation as powerful all-rounders for everything from everyday use to cycling holidays. Like SUVs or touring enduros in cars and motorbikes, touring and trekking e-bikes combine comfort, luggage and travelling suitability with extensive equipment. The disadvantages are also similar. E-trekking bikes are expensive and heavy, not always easy to handle in the city and require more space for parking.
What the bikes in this test have in common is that they all come with the new top-of-the-range Bosch Performance CX motor. All six models have been specially developed for this drive and all six have only just hit the shops. A premium test group in other words. It should show which qualities will set the tone in the future of the most important e-bike category.
Six character heads in the test
The new Bosch Performance Line CX is still so new that only five brands were able to supply suitable bikes. For optimum comparability and to prevent a complete price explosion, we capped the cost per bike at 4500 euros. The test group from Cube to Pegasus and Diamant is nevertheless relatively representative. We have also included the more expensive Simplon in the test as a side view. It should show whether and how worthwhile a carbon frame is on a trekking bike.
The test group at a glance
- Cube Kathmandu Hybrid 800 Wh - 26.4 kg - 4499 Euro >> e.g. available here
- Diamant Zing Trip 545 Wh - 23.3 kg - 4099 Euro
- KTM Macina Tour 800 Wh - 26.7 kg - 4399 Euro >> e.g. available here
- Merida eFloat CC 800 Wh - 29.2 kg - 4399 Euro >> e.g. available here
- Pegasus Premio Evo 800 Wh - 29.1 kg - 4499 Euro
- Simplon Chenoa :e 600 Wh - 22.4 kg - 5859 Euro
What is striking is that the six rivals are very different in terms of their equipment. While Diamant, Simplon, Pegasus and KTM rely on classic touring recipes, tend to rely on Merida and Cube with slacker head angles, longer wheelbases and dropper seatposts are already much more in the direction of mountain bikes.
The differences in weight are also obvious. The Diamant with the classic battery pack is noticeably lighter than the carbon Simplon and undercuts Merida and Pegasus by almost five kilograms. This makes a difference, especially when it comes to handling and everyday use. Even fit cyclists find it quite difficult to manoeuvre bikes weighing almost 30 kilograms down steep basement stairs or even lift them onto a rear rack.
Defects in detail
Also noticeable: In terms of quality, the test group does not always cover itself in glory despite the premium prices. This mainly concerns annoying details such as crooked displays. Minor issues that should no longer occur on a bike costing 4500 euros.
The simple Suntour NCX forks with narrow stanchions have also been criticised. Our experience: Even when new, these forks often wobble due to bushing play. They can only cope with the high weight of full-grown e-trekking bikes to a limited extent in the long term. Rigid forks would be the better choice for some bikes, especially as the response behaviour of simple forks only provides significant comfort on hard edges such as kerbs anyway.
Cube and Diamant can score points
Cycling giant Cube on the other hand, stands out with an amazingly high-quality chassis including polished weld seams and a pannier rack integrated into the frame. Diamond proves its independence with classic cable routing, an external battery and comfortable wide tyres. Innovation sometimes means swimming against the tide. That's what counts!
Incidentally, there are also these two candidates - Cube and Diamond - who treat themselves to the slightly better and more stable suspension forks. The powerful four-piston brakes on the majority of the test bikes and Shimano's Linkglide gears, which are optimised for durability, also stood out positively. Although the latter usually offer one gear less than their conventional Hyperglide counterparts, they should not wear out as quickly. A sensible choice, especially on heavily motorised e-touring bikes.
The advantage of a carbon frame?
And what about the side view of the elegant Simplon Chenoa e: with carbon frame from Simplon? On the scales, things are clear: 22.4 kilograms, which the other candidates can only dream of. The bike is correspondingly more comfortable to carry and manoeuvre. The organic shapes of the frame and the high-quality workmanship also stand out in comparison. With a rigid fork, the Simplon is more sporty than the other test candidates. Unfortunately, it loses some potential in terms of riding dynamics due to the (too) heavily offset cockpit.
Otherwise, the Simplon is a very successful bike, but it also has its weaknesses - carbon frame or not. In the points ranking, it floats in the middle. The Cube is different: we could hardly find any real weaknesses here. This means that the new Kathmandu is the clear winner of the test.
The test results
Hand on heart: Which bike would we choose after the test and why? Our points table shows the strengths and weaknesses of the bikes in direct comparison.
The assessment is category-dependent and is primarily used for comparison within the test group. The rating scale is based on school grades. For orientation: We award a grade of 2.5 for an average performance without deficiencies.
We noticed that
Quality, weight, comfort and everyday use: As a particularly complex product, there are many good details on an e-trekking bike that make it a test winner. We show you the solutions that particularly impressed us in the test.
Conclusion Adrian Kaether, Test Manager MYBIKE
Travelling, everyday use and riding with luggage - trekking bikes have to meet many requirements. The extremely well thought-out new Kathmandu from Cube scores in almost every respect and is also excellently equipped and of above-average quality. Clear test winner! We also liked the lightweight Diamant, which scored points for comfort and weight with its wide tyres and classic battery. In line with the price range, however, almost all test candidates scored slightly above the average grade of 2.5. Adrian Kaether, Test Manager MYBIKE
Adrian Kaether
Editor
