The bike industry is pushing e-MTBs hard. Why? Simple. It’s because they open up the sport to a whole new market of riders who are too out-of-shape or injured (or just plain lazy) to use a conventional mountain bike.
And – shh, don’t tell anyone! – they can actually make pretty fun additional bikes for existing riders, too, letting you cover more ground, more quickly. Wherever you stand in the great e-bike debate, it pays to be informed.
So whether you think e-MTBs are marketing fodder, a genuine revelation or you just don’t know, read on to find out more...
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Power to the pedals
Hub motors are common on cheap e-bikes but most e-MTBs use ‘mid drive’ systems located near the bottom bracket, generally made by Bosch, Yamaha or – with the recent launch of the STEPS MTB system – Shimano.
Most e-MTBs are classified as pedal-assist, meaning the power only kicks in when you pedal. This type of bike is commonly referred to as a ‘pedelec’. Some have a throttle instead, where a push of a button propels you forward, whether or not you’re pedalling. This makes them closer to an electric motorbike, but with a much lower top speed. A few feature a combination of pedal assistance and throttle.
Turbo boost
Know your rights
The weakest link
Component e-volution
Can of worms
The future of e-MTBs?
You can read more at BikeRadar.com
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