I think we can all agree that while Specialized’s Turbo Levo SL wasn’t the first lightweight e-mountain bike, it’s definitely the one that kickstarted the whole SL e-bike trend. And…
Electric bikes
Norco’s Fluid VLT C2 140 is lumberjack-solid, but this Bosch SX-equipped Canadian shredder needs some urgent upgrades to log a top rating
Most mountain bike brands like to have one suspension design to hang their hat on. Not Norco. Instead, it prefers to switch between different layouts depending on the application and…
Silent, smooth, and streamlined – The Trek Fuel EXe 9.7 with TQ motor looks, sounds, and sadly feels, a lot like an analogue bike
Back in 2022, Trek was the launch partner for the ultra-compact TQ-HPR50 motor. The bike in question was the brand new Fuel EXe, and in many ways the TQ eco-system…
The heavy metal Orange Phase Evo LE totally rocked on enduro trails thanks to its great suspension and dialled geometry
At this price point, most SL e-bikes use carbon fibre frames to save weight, or at least that’s what the marketing gurus tell us. Not at Orange, though. In fact,…
The Orbea Rise was one of the original SL e-bikes, and I think new LT version is better than ever. More travel, more power and more options make it more e-bike, not less
Foresight or good fortune? It’s hard to say which it was, but Orbea’s decision to use a detuned full power Shimano EP8 motor on the original Rise has clearly paid…
Whyte switches to the new Bosch CX motor for the ELyte Evo. And in doing so it’s made the best SL e-bike even better. More torque, more muscle, more e-bike
Is it groundhog day? It sure feels that way to me. Because exactly one year and three days ago, I was typing up a review on the (then) new Whyte…
I was totally won over by the Cannondale Moterra SL’s raw power and range, but it doesn’t have the suspension response to capitalise on its extreme geometry and relatively lightweight build
The Cannondale Moterra SL truly is a hybrid bike. It shares its name, travel and Shimano EP801 motor with the full-power Moterra, but the sleek full-carbon frame has more in…
There’s no such thing as a perfect bike, but the Whyte ELyte 150 RSX comes very close, and is my SL E-Bike of the Year winner
It’s no secret that Whyte’s full power e-bikes are built solid, and as a result, they typically weigh over 25kg. So when the ELyte 150 launched a year ago, the…
Cotic’s new Rocket e-bike made me swipe left when I first saw it, but the beautiful details and stunning ride quality turned me on
Cotic’s new e-bike stays true to its signature steel frame style of 21 years, and uses a wholly UK-built frame to minimise ecological impact and maximise build quality. Mounting the…
Merida’s new eOne-Eighty is the most capable long-travel e-bike I’ve ever tested, at 27kg I’d hate to have to muscle it over a gate though
Merida started down electric avenue early, it developed sweet riding e-bikes before many other brands even got switched on to the concept. This helped the Taiwanese behemoth tie in with…
Mondraker’s new Crafty e-bike might not be the most agile descender, but it made me laugh out loud on the climbs
As the most successful bike in Mondraker’s substantial range of e-bikes, the new Crafty has big shoes to fill. ‘Don’t mess it up!’, or slightly stronger words to that effect,…
I’ve never ridden a heavier lightweight e-bike than Marin’s new Rift Zone EL, but it crushes the descents and starts at just £4,699
The Marin Rift Zone EL is a new lightweight e-bike straight out of California, it comes with the punchy Bosch’s SX motor, 29in wheels and tyres built for dust. It’s…
The DJI Avinox motor in Amflow’s PL Carbon Pro is obscenely powerful, but I found the lightweight chassis and trail bike attitude at odds with the extreme drive unit
The Amflow PL Carbon with DJI’s Avinox motor has put the cat among the pigeons. In 30 years as a mountain bike journalist, I can’t remember another bike that has…
Santa Cruz ditches the Heckler (and VPP!) for the new Vala: Bosch powered, two flip chips and a smaller battery
Santa Cruz has just unveiled the Vala – a brand new all-mountain e-bike that replaces the similarly intentioned Heckler. Instead of a Shimano EP801 motor like its predecessor though, the…
The Canyon Spectral:ONFly’s dynamic ride quality left me smitten, but the small battery ran out of energy before I did
This is Canyon’s new Spectral:ONFly Ltd, a lightweight, low-powered e-bike, but one that shares the same geometry and suspension travel as one of MBR’s most highly-rated e-bikes – the Canyon…
I’ve been waiting a long time for YT to launch a new e-bike, and the Decoy SN was not what I was expecting
The new Decoy SN is YT’s first foray into the diet e-bike segment. It’s also only the brand’s second e-bike, because although YT is extremely trendy when it comes to…
With a cutting edge frame and custom Yamaha motor, Giant’s Stance E+ 1 excels on price and looks
Giant’s Stance E +1 makes a compelling option if you’re in the market for a top budget e-bike. It looks fantastic, it comes with a punchy Yamaha motor, and it…
It’s easy to pick holes in Yamaha’s first e-mtb, but the Moro 07 is so much more than a statement of intent
Most of the best electric mountain bikes are designed around a second party motor, but not the Yamaha Moro 07. Instead, Yamaha built its first e-mountain bike around its own…
Testing the Polygon Siskiu T7E was a rollercoaster ride, with a terrifying battery ejection, but fixing the issue made it my budget e-bike test winner
Polygon builds on the success of the popular Siskiu T series analogue trail/enduro bikes, by going all in on a sleek new e-bike version with the same progressive geometry and…
I’ve tested hundreds of e-bikes, but I was blown away by how much fun I had on the Decathlon Rockrider E-EXPL 520S given the amazing price
Decathlon’s entry-level Rockrider E-EXPL 520s proves that e-bikes don’t have to be expensive to be fun. Outdoor specialist, Decathlon offers a massive range for full-suspension e-bikes and the Rockrider E-EXPL…