MID-RANGE E- TBS
The electric mountain bike market has split into two broad categories. On the one hand, there’s the new breed of ‘lightweight’ (sub-20kg) bikes, with smaller batteries, subtler assistance and often lighter-duty components – these are aimed at riders looking for the most authentic MTB experience possible, but with a little help on the climbs. Meanwhile, ‘mainstream’ e-bikes show no sign of getting lighter, and instead boast more powerful motors and bigger batteries along with burlier components. It’s the second type we’re testing here.
We’ve chosen bikes with 150 to 160mm of rear wheel travel, which should be capable of tackling even the roughest and most technical terrain. While there’s a growing number of e-MTBs with less travel, we think the extra squish is worth having if you have motor assistance, because it means you can cover rough terrain at speed even when pointing uphill.
Shimano’s latest EP8 motor came out too late for this test, so all three bikes use Bosch’s super-powerful fourth-generation Performance Line CX drive unit. This removed the variable of power delivery and let us focus on the differences in handling. (We’re planning to review the EP8 for our e-bike guide, free with issue 390.)
After setting the bikes up tubeless, we weighed and measured them, then ensured they had the same shock sag and comparable tyre pressures to begin with. Next, we made changes to get the most out of the bikes, experimenting with suspension settings, bar height and contact points. We rode them on a range of terrain, from technical climbs to flowing singletrack and full-bore DH tracks. Then we tested the bikes back-to-back on the same varied test loop on the same day, for the fairest possible comparison.
THE LINE-UP
LAPIERRE OVERVOLT GLP 2 ELITE £5,399
perhaps the only e-MTB currently available that can boast genuine world-class racing pedigree. Earlier this year it was ridden to wins at both rounds of the inaugural EWS-E race series. The 2 Elite is the cheaper of two Overvolt GLP ‘enduro’ models and
