Which is the best eMTB of 2021? – 25 eMTBs in our mega group test

Battery concept

Which ebike in this test has the biggest range? That’s the wrong question! Much more important: which battery concept fits me? No doubt, you can make it easy for yourself and greedily ogle the watt-hours of the batteries on offer. But you should always consider the size of the battery in relation to the actual consumption of your bike. And much more decisive than a simple number is whether the battery concept actually fits you and your riding style. Depending on how you use your bike, different concepts can be more sensible than others. As this topic is so diverse and important, we’ll cover it in even more detail later.

Suspension

Categorising eMTBs based on travel makes no sense – more isn’t always more. We look at the bigger picture! The overall concept of the bike, which means the interplay of geometry, suspension, wheel size, weight distribution and components is decisive when it comes to where it can be used. The suspension must match the character of the bike and, ideally, that it works in a wide range of riding scenarios.

In the test, there is very good suspension that manages to bridge the gap between trail performance, comfort and (uphill) efficiency. Other suspension concepts can only do one thing well – or even nothing at all. If the travel isn’t used effectively, even suspension with more travel can be inferior in technical terrain. An example of this is the CUBE Stereo Hybrid 160 C:62 SLT 625 27.5 Kiox. It falls behind it’s 140 mm counterpart, the Stereo Hybrid 140 HPC SLT NYON on every terrain. Control, support and progression can usually be adjusted on most shocks after your purchase but the kinematics and hence the fundamental character are defined by the manufacturer while developing the frame. As such, you should get to know where a bike likes to be ridden before you buy it to be aware of the pros and cons of each of the models.

Not the suspension components but their setup is key. When it comes to performance, tuning the fork and shock to suit your weight and riding style are significantly more important than the amount of travel. On several suspension units, countless adjustments allow everything to be fine-tuned, while other components only allow more basic changes. The sad fact is that most suspension you’ll see out on the trail isn’t optimally set up, and is often even far removed from being so. At the same time, a good setup on the same bike makes a massive difference. Playing with the adjustments, gathering experience and trying things out is sensible but be warned, you can just as easily miss the mark and turn your expensive eMTB into a sack of potatoes. Regardless of whether four dials or only one, air or coil spring, all suspension manufacturers now offer good online setup guides that make it easy to find a decent basic tune. Pay attention to coil-sprung suspension. You should make sure you have the right weight spring when you leave the shop because tuning or swapping it is significantly harder than with air-sprung suspension.

Dropper post

Unlike suspension, more is always better! Ideally, the travel of the dropper post is based on the size of the rider and isn’t limited by the seat tube length of the frame. At least 150 mm travel should be present on every bike larger than size M. The advantages are clear: more drop doesn’t just mean easier mounting and dismounting but more freedom of movement and safety while riding the trails. In some cases, it’s possible to eke out even more travel with especially compact dropper post designs. ROTWILD are the only brand to fit an integrated EightPins dropper post with more than 200 mm travel – as good as it gets! Unfortunately, the seat tube of the ROTWILD is on the long side at 470 mm, meaning that travel is only partly usable. Some of our testers could only get 160 mm out of it.

For trouble-free use, the dropper has to be accompanied by a good remote to be able to actuate it. Here, several bikes in the test let themselves down. On some premium eMTBs costing more than € 10,000, a cheap and poorly functioning dropper remote is fitted that makes it difficult to actuate the dropper post, which just doesn’t match the ergonomics and quality given the price. For some, a lot of force is required, for others, they are hard to reach and yet others are made from such a flimsy plastic that the whole remote bends when it is used. That doesn’t just limit the uphill performance of the bikes because the dropper can’t be adjusted quickly enough, it also robs them of a whole deal of fun.

Tires and wheel size

We’re often asked whether 27.5″, 29″ or mixed wheel sizes (MX) are best. The short answer is that there is no short answer. The wheel size alone says little about the handling and quality of a bike. Stability, agility and direct handling are determined by many factors of which wheel size is only one. Every wheel size concept has pros and cons that have to be considered in the context of the overall concept of the bike. Choosing a bike based on the wheel size makes just as little sense as evaluating it based solely on its travel. Once more: whether the bike rolls on 29″, 27.5″ or on a front 29″ and rear 27.5″ wheel (MX) makes little difference.
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However, when it comes to tires there is a general recommendation. For the front wheel, 2.6″ tires are more than enough as they ensure plenty of grip and well-defined handling. On the rear wheel, one can benefit from the increased grip of 2.8″ tires. However, to make full use of their strengths, they need to be run at lower pressures. And to be able to do that without issue, a strong casing is required that offers puncture-resistance and stability. Wide 2.8″ rear tires will be seen less frequently in the future because unless you want to master the most gnarly uphill sections with magic levels of grip for extremes, you’ll be better served by 2.6″ tires on the rear instead. In general, tire pressure is extremely important and depends significantly on rider weight, riding style, the type of ground and the casing of your tire. On tours and flow trails, a lightweight tire is usually enough. On more demanding tracks, more robust tires with a stronger casing like MAXXIS’ Doubledown or Schwalbe’s Super Gravity are required. For more info, check our tire group test, there we can tell you in detail how to find the perfect tire to suit you and your bike.

Wheels

Carbon or aluminium? The weight advantage of carbon compared to aluminium is marginal on an eMTB and even the question of stiffness can be disregarded, meaning we see no clear advantage to the expensive material. For aggressive trail use, carbon rims that aren’t paired with robust and correspondingly heavier tires are in the wrong place. Damage will often mean a complete failure where aluminium rims often get away with a dent, getting you back home or through the rest of your bike holiday.

Maximum permissible weight and payload

Stick to the maximum payload of some bikes and we’re almost all too heavy! Like a car, every bike has a permissible maximum weight, provided by the manufacturer as a guarantee that the bike and all components will stand up to these loads. However, take off the weight of the ebike itself, and often you’re left with just 95 kg for the rider and equipment. With a permissible maximum weight of 156 kg, the GIANT Trance X E+ 1 is the frontrunner of the test. It leaves around 131 kg for rider and equipment. Nonetheless, Cannondale, CENTURION, Mondraker, Moustache and Thömus all offer a high permissible maximum weight of 150 kg. The equipment parts that limit this are usually the seatpost, wheels or fork.. In practice, heavier riders reach the limits of suspension kinematics and shocks quickly. To be able to tune the suspension optimally for the maximum payload of a bike, often the maximum pressure of the shock would have to be exceeded. If you do exceed the maximum permissible weight, that can have consequences for guarantees or warranty claims. This topic is getting more focus and attention from several manufacturers, yet there’s still a lot to be done and a lot more clarification required.

Service

When buying your ebike, you shouldn’t just consider the spec, look, performance and price, but also servicing options. Similar to cars, eMTBs require regular servicing – one annual inspection isn’t enough. That’s why you should factor in the running costs for service and wear parts with your purchase too.

Frame size and geometry

For performance mountain bikes, it’s becoming common that the right size is chosen based on its reach rather than the seat tube length. Short seat tubes make it easier to choose between several sizes – assuming a suitably long dropper post is fitted to the bike. The first signs of this concept exist in the eMTB sector already, for example with the new Specialized Levo. Santa Cruz, SIMPLON, STEVENS and Mondraker also follow this trend, allowing freer choices to be made when it comes to the frame size. It’s not just about the size of the rider but also about the characteristics that are desired from a bike. More stability or more agility? An upright or a stretched out riding position? Unfortunately, some manufacturers are (still) ignoring this trend, sticking with extremely long seat tubes. That’s not just old-school, but limits the travel of the dropper post and, in turn, the freedom of movement available. Examples of this include the Canyon Spectral:ON and Thömus Lightrider E2 Pro with a seat tube length of 480 mm in size L.

Brakes

Powerful and easy-to-modulate four-piston brakes were, with one exception, standard equipment in our group test. Particularly for more affordable builds, that’s not always the case. However, not just ambitious riders but also, and especially, beginners can benefit from quality, powerful brakes – safety first! In addition, 200 mm rotors should be the absolute minimum. If you’re riding one of the MAGURA brakes in this test, you should get a bleed kit straight away and refresh your servicing skills. During our test, all the MAGURA brakes had to be bled at least once. An inconsistent bite point and reduced braking power aren’t just frustrating but can also pose a safety risk. Here, SRAM and Shimano sit well ahead of their German competitor.

Display

From minimal solutions without a display all the way to comprehensive onboard computers, everything is now available. As such, you’re spoilt for choice. What’s important is a protected position of the display and remote in case of crashes as well as intuitive and ergonomic operation. Bosch still have some catching up to do here. During our testing, four Bosch Kiox mounts were broken. The main reasons are the exposed position and the weakness of the mount itself. These problems are known about and several manufacturers have developed their own Kiox mounts. Some represent progress, others don’t. Shimano and Specialized offer clever and more versatile options. If you’re after a minimal solution or would prefer to go without a display altogether, you’ll find an option there. With the new TCU 2, also known as Mastermind, the Levo gets a display integrated into the top tube for the first time – it’s the next step in the evolution of Specialized’s ecosystem. On the other hand, if you want an onboard computer like you have in your car, reach for the Bosch Nyon. The Nyon display, with its range-based (offline) navigation, large touch display and anti-theft features, will be of particular interest to tourers and those who want lots of data. If you only occasionally need navigation on your eMTB, you can also connect your Garmin, SIGMA or Wahoo GPS with it. The Bosch Kiox as well as Specialized’s TCU 2, offer minimal turn-by-turn navigation. You can find everything you need to know about the best navigation device for your eMTB in our Navigation group test on our website.

Everyday equipment

More and more manufacturers are considering their customer’s wishes for everyday functionality on performance eMTBs. Others still stand opposed to the trend. That said, the question of whether it makes sense is quite easy to answer. Many customers, especially beginners, use their eMTB not just for their Sunday ride or post-work laps, but also for (year-round) commuting. Stand mounts and approval for trailer use have little effect on performance and offer only benefits for those who need these features. Why not offer them to customers? The same goes for perfectly fitted mudguards that are specifically designed for these models so that customers can be sure that they won’t mark the paint or break anything when the suspension compresses. By offering these kinds of features, manufacturers can also prevent so-called Frankenstein bikes i.e. bikes with cobbled-together, DIY solutions, that don’t just look bad and impinge on the brand image but rarely work properly and leave customers with an expensive bike that doesn’t meet expectations. A light system, as fitted to some of the bikes in the test, also improves year-round usability. If you don’t yet have lights but want some, it’s best to do some research before your purchase. Many manufacturers have already fitted the wires necessary to make installation easy. That means fitting lights becomes child’s play, like, for example, with Haibike.

Smartphone app and motor individualisation

Smartphone apps are now offered by all motor manufacturers. That spans placeholders, that offer little to no functionality apart from route tracking, analysis and uploading to Strava and Komoot, to comprehensive apps that allow you to adjust individual motor settings. For bikes with Shimano or Specialized motors, the assistance modes of the motor can be adjusted to your requirement via an app. The new Shimano EP8 motor even allows you to store two separate motor profiles. On the other hand, Bosch doesn’t offer the option to tune the assistance mode to customers.

Sound

Chain, cables, battery – for complex eMTBs, many things can clatter, creak or make other annoying sounds when the bike is subjected to the impacts and vibrations of the trail. During test rides at the dealer, small stairs sets or even kerbs can reveal acoustic issues. On top of that, the motor itself produces noise under load which can vary depending on the gear you’re in, pedalling cadence and even between systems. The biggest flops of the group test: all Bosch and Shimano motor clunk when the suspension compresses. When it comes to mechanical and electronic motor sounds, the resonance of the frame plays a big role: in one eMTB the frame can amplify the sounds making the motor system impossible to ignore. In another bike, the same motor system is quiet thanks to good acoustic damping.

Ergonomics

The ergonomics of saddle, grips and cockpit are as individual as you. Here, you just have to suck it and see by trying things out. As such, blanket recommendations aren’t really possible. For individual advice, specialists like SQlab and Selle Italia can provide assistance. A bike fitting can also be the key to success. Cockpit ergonomics, how easily levers and buttons can be reached, the right pressure point and actuation force are all very important.

The best bad example is MAGURA’s Shiftmix clamps – the adjustability, particularly in combination with SRAM AXS shift levers, is a catastrophe. Even our largest testers with the biggest hands had fingers that were too short to be able to shift without moving their hands. What use is the best shifting if you can’t reach the trigger? Our tip: mount the right MAGURA Shiftmix clamp on the left side and vice versa.

Part 5: Battery concepts and the range of the eMTBs on test – More ≄ better

How much battery capacity do you actually need? A difficult question to which there is no easy answer, as range is influenced by many factors. Nonetheless, with your help, we can make several clear statements. Read on to find out more about why batteries don’t need to get bigger and why at this point, most ebikers don’t need more range.

We’re looking for the best all-rounder that delivers the best performance on tours and trails. The battery concept plays an important role and battery capacity can be an advantage, but more isn’t automatically better. More battery capacity means more weight and, due to the larger dimensions of the battery, often a worse position and resulting weight distribution. Unfortunately, weight distribution is crucial because it directly impacts the handling of a bike.

Like the overall concept of the bike, the same goes for the battery concept: it must fit you and your individual requirements. Rider weight, tire choice, tire pressure, outside temperature, assistance mode, elevation profile and many other factors determine the real-world range – absolute numbers aren’t just wrong, they are misleading. It’s much more important that you consider how you ride or want to ride with your eMTB to figure out which battery concept suits you. Do you ride mainly in a more frugal model or do you love maximum power? How long are your rides and how much ascending do you do? How heavy are you? People weighing more than 90 kg will suit a different battery concept than a 60 kg flyweight.

It’s quite simple really: if you’re not emptying the battery, you’re just carrying around unnecessary weight. The consequence: handling and fun suffer. The takeaway: as little battery capacity as possible, as much as is necessary.