Cannondale Moterra 1 first ride review

http://ift.tt/2iOvgCV

With more brands ploughing cash into e-MTBs, we’re seeing some drastic leaps forward in terms of battery and motor integration. Cannondale is known for its innovative approach to bike design — remember the Fulcrum DH bike in the late nineties — and it has applied this to its latest range of Moterra e-MTBs.

The Moterra line-up offers a shorter travel AM version or a bigger hitting LT (long travel) option. We hit the hills on the top of the line AM model, the Moterra 1, to see just how it fares on the trail.

Cannondale Moterra 1 spec overview

• Frame: SmartForm C1 Alloy, with 130mm (5.1in) of travel
• Fork: Fox Factory 34 Float FIT4 E-Bike Optimised, with 130mm travel
• Shock: Fox Factory DPS EVOL
• Drive unit: Bosch Performance CX 250w
• Battery: Bosch PowerPack 500wh
• Drivetrain: Cannondale EC3 crank with custom Ai chainring, Shimano XT 11-speed mech, shifter and 11-42t cassette
• Wheelset: DT Swiss XM551 rims on Formula hubs with Schwalbe Nobby Nic SnakeSkin 2.8in tyres
• Brakes: Shimano XT (180mm rotors)
• Bar/stem: Cannondale C2 alloy 780mm/Cannondale C3 55mm
• Seatpost/saddle: KS LEV Integra 125mm drop/Fabric Scoop Elite
• Weight: 23.15kg (51lb) without pedals
• Head angle: 68 degrees
• Seat angle: 74 degrees
• Reach: 425mm (medium)
• Effective top tube: 612mm (medium)
• Chainstay length: 457mm

Cannondale Moterra 1 design

Access to the battery is via the underside of the downtube where it locks into the frame in the traditional manner

Cannondale has always preferred to do things very much its own way and when it comes to e-MTBs, nothing has changed. The bikes in the new Moterra range certainly got people’s attention when they were displayed at Eurobike. Why? Well, for starters the bike's silhouette is quite different to many of the bikes already out there, thanks to a big shift in battery placement — a bit like we saw on the carbon framed Lapierre also launched in 2016. A feat that isn’t exactly straight forward, but why go to all this trouble?

ADVERTISEMENT

Cannondale was keen on going down the “full integration route”, according to Ash Clark, Cannondale’s product manager. While the motor has to be in a certain place (the bottom bracket area), the “battery can effectively be anywhere. Cannondale wanted to get the best balanced bike on the market, so centre of gravity was really key,” says Clark.

Cannondale worked out where it wanted the Bosch 500wh battery to be, then built the frame around it. The structure created to house the battery was dubbed the ‘Torsion Box’, which is essentially a chamber where the battery sits and is welded to a heavily hydroformed downtube. This structure, according to Cannondale, also helps improve overall stiffness, which is pretty important when you consider the weight of the bike and the forces being applied to the chassis.

Cannondale Moterra 1 frame and equipment

Cannondale Moterra 1 ride impression

It was a pleasant surprise to see just how agile the Moterra can be when threading your way down a technical trail

Cannondale Moterra 1 pricing and availability

• 27.5 M Moterra AM 1:  £5,199.99 / $N/A / AU$N/A
• 27.5 M Moterra AM 2: £4,299.99 / $5,499.99 / AU$N/A
• 27.5 M Moterra AM 3: £3,799.99 / $N/A / AU$N/A
• 27.5 M Moterra LT 1: £5,499.99 / $N/A / AU$N/A
• 27.5 M Moterra LT 2: £4,499.99 / $N/A / AU$N/A

Cannondale Moterra 1 early verdict

You can read more at BikeRadar.com

via BikeRadar All the latest from BikeRadar.com http://ift.tt/2jvtAPy