Good friends stick together, you can rely on them. The perfect bike for your daily ride through the city, along country lanes and country roads is like a good friend. When it comes down to it, it works without long discussions and good coaxing. The Riese & Müller Charger3 Mixte could be just that kind of mate.
That a good Everyday e-bike Riese & Müller has always understood the need for high-quality, low-maintenance and durable components. The manufacturer from Mühltal in Hesse specialises in robust pedelecs and S-pedelecs with a high level of riding comfort. The brand's bikes are not cheap, but if you consider the manufacturing quality and durability, they can be quite affordable. A good 5000 euros for an everyday pedelec like the Charger, for example, is a real house number. If you look at the workmanship and equipment list of the Charger3, it is a good investment. The 500 Wh energy source of the dual-battery system, which is installed in addition to the 625 Wh standard battery, costs around 800 euros in specialised shops alone.
The makers have also used high-quality materials in all other areas. The Suntour XCR32 air suspension fork is fully adjustable and responds sensitively. A 15 millimetre thru-axle connects it to the front wheel hub, stiffens the fork and front and ensures high steering precision. A parallelogram seatpost smoothes out road shocks from the rear wheel before they reach the saddle. The 50 millimetre wide and therefore quite voluminous Big Ben Plus tyres from Schwalbe are mounted on 28-inch Mach1 rims. They reliably carry heavy loads and further improve riding comfort. All of this is put together coherently and without any qualitative outliers.
In order to make the frame sufficiently rigid despite its attractive lines with a steeply sloping top tube, the designers have not skimped on materials. At 33 kilos (three of which are accounted for by the additional battery on the pannier rack), the Charger3 Mixte is not exactly light. The 625 Wh "main battery" is hidden in the voluminous down tube. If you don't want to remove the battery for charging, there is a charging socket on the top of the frame node.
Details of the Riese & Müller Charger3
Want even more payload? Upgrade with the Heavy Duty package
A "Heavy Duty Package" is available as an option for the Charger3. In view of the solid basic construction, this is only logical and does not require any extra equipment. The upgrade only consists of reinforced handlebars, stem and pedals, and it increases the permissible total weight of the pedelec by 20 to 160 kilos. The possible payload including rider is then still 127 kilos. Five kilos can be loaded onto the front carrier, while the rear carrier can carry a maximum of 27 kilos. In addition to this heavy-duty package, there are various carrier systems to choose from, as well as studded tyres (GX option), an Abus lock chain with bag and various displays from the Bosch range (Kiox, Nyon, Smart Hub). The pedelec is available in ten different equipment variants, with prices starting at 4649 euros and ending at 7249 euros - a platform with plenty of room for your own ideas.
The riding behaviour is as solid as the construction and equipment: With the Magura MT5 brake system, Charger riders can bring the bike to a halt with a short braking distance even when travelling at speed. With its four-piston brake calliper in the front wheel, it is finely adjustable and requires little manual force. Even with luggage on the racks, the pedelec is very stable, manoeuvrable but, as expected, not very agile due to its high weight and heavy wheels. The high level of riding comfort makes up for this.
The drivetrain of the Charger3 is seamlessly integrated into the efforts of the creators to maximise comfort with selected components. Bosch's high-end Performance CX drive transfers its power to the rear wheel via a Gates carbon belt. There, the continuously variable, mechanically controlled Enviolo gear hub ensures the desired cadence. However, its twist grip should be a little smoother. The Bosch motor works comparatively quietly and gives the heavy Charger a pleasing amount of riding dynamics - a low-maintenance, reliable combination.
So is the expensive friend also the good mate in the end? We can assume so. With normal use, the Charger3 Mixte will faithfully serve its owner for many years. The fact that it is a little chunky is therefore easy to forgive.
Test summary of the Riese & Müller Charger3 Mixte
Apart from its high weight, the Charger3 Mixte is a very practical and comfortable everyday bike with high utility value. It has a great finish and high-quality equipment.
The price of the e-bike from Riese & Müller is 4999 euros.
