• 4 min read
Electric mountain bikes finally won me over
Electric mountain bikes may not make you faster, but they can make steep climbs safer, more manageable, and a lot more fun.
Image: The Verge
For years, I grumbled “cheater” whenever an electric mountain bike rider glided past me on a steep climb. Then I rode the Amflow PX Carbon Pro, powered by the compact Avinox M2S motor, and had to admit the obvious: electric mountain bikes are fun.
Avinox is a new DJI offshoot whose motor has established players such as Bosch and Specialized on edge. It did not turn me into a speed demon. Instead, it compensated when poor technique killed my momentum, helping me keep moving through difficult terrain.
Why pedal assistance changed the ride
Mountain biking has a long history of resisting new technology. Purists once complained that full-suspension frames, disc brakes, dropper posts, and 29-inch wheels made the sport “too easy.” Those features are now widely accepted and standard on many mountain bikes. Powerful, torquey motors are the next evolution of the same argument.
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The motor absolutely makes climbs easier. On long, steep, technical ascents, it turns a cardio tax that might cut my day short into an engaging, flowy challenge. I still choose how hard to work: some days call for turbo assist, while others are better suited to eco mode and a heart rate pushed into the red zone.
I started mountain biking during covid, like many of my friends, using YouTube to learn body position and technique for turns and jumps. I have not progressed much beyond novice level, and a nasty crash once dislocated my shoulder “in an unusual direction,” according to my doctor. Since then, I have felt less confident on a mountain bike. Adding a motor has made me feel safer and more in control.
European eMTBs are not motorcycles
There is a common misconception that electric mountain bikes automatically make riders faster. That may be true in the US, but I ride in Europe, where eMTBs have no throttles and pedal assistance cuts out at 25km/h (15.5mph). Many trail riders can exceed 30km/h on straightaways, leaving me struggling to keep pace on a heavier e-bike.
European e-bikes are also limited to 250W of maximum continuous output. That makes them slower and less powerful than Class 1 e-bikes sold in the US, and far less extreme than Class 3 models, which the author describes as motorcycles in disguise.
The goal is not to have the bike ride the trail for me. The motor acts as a force multiplier, integrating with my pedaling and providing as much or as little assistance as I want. It lets me brake cautiously before a turn, take the corner with confidence, and accelerate with control afterward. When poor technique stalls my momentum in a technical section, a burst of torque can keep me upright. The same is true when a blind hairpin suddenly opens onto a steep incline.
Amflow PX Carbon Pro pricing and alternatives
The Avinox M2S motor’s predictable power has kept me from losing balance or dismounting on difficult terrain. It has also helped equalize rides with more experienced cyclists who might otherwise drop me within the first 10 minutes. I smile more, stay on the trails longer, complete more laps, and get more repetitions on the same old routes.
The breakthrough came on a $10,000 bike, so the comparison is not entirely fair. The Amflow’s motor delivers up to 150Nm of torque and a temporary 1,500W boost for long, steep sections. Its carbon fiber frame brings total weight to 20.6kg (45 pounds), below the average 22 to 27kg (50 to 60 pounds) for eMTBs. The author also points to Will Greenfield’s e-bike motor comparison for a closer look at Avinox’s technology.
Avinox now has more than 60 bike brand partners worldwide. The least expensive M2S-equipped eMTB identified here is the approximately $4,000 CRUSSIS e-Hard 11.11 hardtail. Budget options from Ride1Up and Aventon use less-capable motors but can still deliver plenty of fun.
A motor will not suddenly make someone a better mountain biker. It may, however, make them want to become one.
Frontier Editor
Dan is our resident futurist, covering electric mobility, space exploration, and the smart home. He's interested in atoms just as much as bits. Whether it's a new battery chemistry, a reusable rocket, or a protocol that finally makes IoT devices talk to each other, Dan breaks down the engineering that pushes humanity forward.
via The Verge
