"Are you trying to kill yourself?" Photographer Thomas Weschta looks down at me with a derailed expression. He's right. From the outside, you'd think I was wilfully putting myself in mortal danger: skinny suspension fork, the cheapest drive components, windy kickstand - this discount bike is supposed to take me unharmed through the rugged mountain landscape of Lake Garda? In race mode? I take Thomas' comment with humour. After all, I was the first to shout "here" when it came to finding a volunteer for this project at the editorial conference.
This is what you can expect from an e-mountainbike for 2449 euros
My mission: I am to test the off-road capability of a E-MTB full-suspension bikes in the absolute lowest price range to the teeth. The question: Does the cheap e-bike from the discounter ultimately offer more riding fun than we think it is capable of? Our test bike is called the Fischer EM 1862.1, has a meagre 100 millimetres of travel at the front and rear and rolls on 27.5-inch wheels. Plus a Bafang mid-motorwhich is usually only found on city or trekking bikes, an external 560 watt-hour battery in dinosaur style and the simplest Shimano components. You won't find more for a new price of 2449 euros on the e-MTB market. Telescopic seatpost or 12-way circuit? Not a chance. Bell and stand are included.
Special test conditions for the affordable Fischer e-bike
One thing is also certain: with our standardised test procedure, we would fail in this experiment. This is because we normally tailor our test routes to the area of use of the bikes. However, if we were to ride the Fischer e-bike on paved forest trails according to its intended purpose, the search for riding fun and limits would be in vain. That's why we needed something more challenging. Our choice fell on the Bosch E-MTB Challenge at the BIKE Festival in Riva. High-percentage climbs, descents strewn with scree and the whole thing at race pace - there's no question about it: this is where the equipment reaches its limits. Man too?
Back in Riva, I stand under the starting arch. The transponder is fitted and the maps stowed in my rucksack. The speaker calls out my race number and sends me on the transfer route to the first stage. "Great, this is getting off to a good start," I mutter to myself. I haven't even reached the first stage when my nerves are already on edge: the rear end seems to comment on every little bump with a miserable squeal. "I wish I'd given the bike a few drops of oil as well as bigger tyres," I chide myself. But at least the riding position is right. Nice and upright and with enough pressure on the front wheel thanks to the 60 mm stem, I pedal relaxed towards the 300 metres of elevation gain on the first stage. When I arrive at the start, I'm amazed. I should have taken a look at the map - then I would have known that the upcoming stage would have a considerable amount of uphill for me and the Fischer. Could have, could have, bike chain. Now I have to think carefully about which saddle height to choose. Due to the lack of a telescopic seat post, I have to do without the up and down at the touch of a button. I opt for the golden mean.
Gear ratio and weight slow down the Fischer e-bike
With a quivering pulse and dripping palms, I wait for my start. The marshal sends us out onto the course at 30-second intervals. The special stages are completed blind without any training. Before I know it, it's my turn. A huge scree ramp rises up directly in front of me. I'm still trying to quickly adjust my pads when the commissaire gives me the start signal. The 80 Nm engine pushes me up the climb with a roaring whir. But what is that? The devil seems to have got into the bike. As if by magic, the Bafang mid-motor refuses to assist me as soon as I press the gear lever. This mechanism is intentional and is designed to protect the gears in the long term, I learn afterwards. However, the technical gimmick makes me bathe in my own sweat. With every gear change, the 24.5-kilogram Fischer e-bike needs to be kept going with pure muscle power. But the tight gear ratio (11-42) with a large 38 mm chainring also places rigorous demands on the leg muscles. Key technical sections that you would otherwise rock up in your sleep are transformed into pushing passages.
I roll through the timer, annoyed. This is not how I had imagined the first stage of my e-racing career. Even though the
E-Fully for around 2500 euros performs quite passably in terms of handling, traction and climbing ability, the motor characteristics rob the e-bike of its entire off-road capability uphill. With the exception of short counter-climbs, the next few stages only put the downhill qualities of my companion to the test. And it's at this point that our guinea pig deserves praise: whether small drops, hairpin bends or wild high-speed chatter - the Fischer e-bike survived these challenges without any damage apart from a flat tyre.
In complete contrast to me. Every blow that the puny fork receives from the relentless scree of Lake Garda seems to be passed on to my wrists almost undamped. Not to mention the hysterical bouncing of the rear triangle. The wild momentum of the Fischer takes up all my concentration. The fear of hitting the sharp-edged gravel is constantly on my mind. A feeling that is only intensified by the weak braking system. Even if you try to squeeze the necessary braking power out of the stoppers with two fingers, the pads only suck toothlessly at the undersized brake discs.
It's late afternoon when I reach the finish line of the E-MTB Challenge, completely shaken up. I throw myself onto a meadow by the lake, stretching my legs and arms. Everything hurts. My shoulders. My wrists. My thighs. "So," asks photographer Thomas Weschta, "are you happy?" I think: "More like just survived."
Test summary of the discount e-bike from Fischer
Logically, the Fischer cannot keep up with mature full-suspension e-bikes in extreme riding situations or even in racing. However, if you are looking for an affordable companion for occasional excursions on tame terrain, you can't go wrong with an e-bike like the Fischer. However, you will have to make do with very limited comfort and riding enjoyment. This is because the Fischer e-mountainbike lacks powerful brakes, proper suspension elements, grippy tyres and a telescopic seat post. The biggest spoilsport on the Fischer is the Bafang motor, which stops working when changing gears under load - making technical uphills a sweat-inducing feat of strength.
Max Fuchs
Editor
