Integration is the topic of the hour for E-MTBs. The major drive manufacturers Bosch, Brose and Shimano allow full integration, but the current solutions have a catch: Either the down tube is U-shaped and the battery can be removed. Or the down tube is completely closed and the battery can only be removed once the motor has been removed.
Bergstrom, a small company from Switzerlandhas found an innovative solution to this problem: With the flexible SnakePack battery, a small 8x14 centimetre opening in the side of the down tube is enough to remove the 500 Wh battery. The battery is supplied by the Battery manufacturer SMP Simplo. This can be loaded both inside and outside the frame. With the help of a three-chamber construction, the down tube should be particularly rigid and also guide the cables and lines.
Bergstrom uses battery integration on its two ATV platforms ("Alpen-Trail-Velo"): The 140-millimetre fully (800 series) with floating shock absorber and the hardtail (700 series). Both series roll on wide Plus tyres, with the option of converting to 29ers.
The fully is available from dealers in three versions: the top model 860, which costs CHF 6000, has electronic Shimano XT gears, Rock Shox suspension and the Crankbrothers Highline seatpost. The tyres are DT Swiss hybrid wheels. The 800 franc cheaper 840 model has to do without the Vario seatpost. In addition, a Shimano SLX-XT mix changes the eleven gears mechanically. The ATV 820 is the entry-level model at CHF 4700. It features a Suntour suspension fork and a Deore ten-speed drivetrain.
There are only two versions of the hardtail: The cheaper ATV 720 has a Suntour fork, a Shimano Deore gear system with ten gears and Deore wheels. The price is 4000 francs. If you pay 300 Swiss francs more, you get a Shimano SLX-XT mix with eleven gears and DT Swiss hybrid wheels.
