eMTB

2021 BUYER’S GUIDE

GEAR

EMTB

Trek Bicycle believes that somewhere between a wicked-fast cross country bike and a heavy electric-assist mountain bike is a spot waiting to be filled. To cover that niche, the company released the new E-Caliber, a full-carbon, dual-suspension electric cross country bike based off the Supercaliber platform this past February. The frame itself uses the same IsoStrut technology off of its XC sibling and offers the same 60 mm of rear travel. But the E-Caliber offers a slightly slacker head-tube angle and more reach compared with the Supercaliber, as well as 120 mm of fork travel. And of course, the biggest difference is the Fazua Evation electricassist drive system, which has the new Black Pepper tune for improved performance across three riding modes with various levels of assist. It has a 250-Wh battery, which can be removed from the frame when desired. The 9.9 Xtr build spec rivals the top XC race platforms with a Fox Factory 34 fork, Bontrager Kovee XXX 30 tubeless carbon wheels and Bontrager XR3 Team Issue tires. This 9.9 variant has the race-proven Shimano Xtr 1 x 12 drivetrain with an e-thirteen e-spec Race Carbon crankset and four-piston Xtr brakes. The cockpit, saddle and seatpost components all come from Bontrager’s bag of top-end carbon goodies. (trekbikes.com)

Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay

Alloy 70 $8,569

Using the Altitude as a platform gave Rocky Mountain a perfect starting point to create a trend-setting electric assist trail bike. For 2021, the proven Altitude Powerplay alloy frame is pairing with the latest Dyname 3.0 Class 1 eMtb drive that delivers an impressive 108 Nm of torque and uses a 672-Wh battery with tons of juice. Available in four sizes, the Powerplay Alloy 70 has 150 mm of rear travel from the RockShox Deluxe Select+ shock and 160 mm up front from the RockShox Lyrik Select fork. The drivetrain is all Shimano XT and stopping all that available power are the Shimano XT Trail brakes. The bike rolls on 27.5" Wtb wheels with Maxxis Minion tires. You’ll also get a Race Face Aeffect R Dropper seatpost, Rocky Mountain’s trail-focused cockpit parts and a Wtb Volt Race saddle. As a bonus, Rocky Mountain has increased the warranty on all electrical components from two to three years, and that’s retroactive on all Powerplay models. (bikes.com)

Specialized Turbo Levo Hardtail $3,929

When you want electric assist in a hardtail mountain bike, but you don’t want it to break the bank, the Specialized Turbo Levo is a fantastic option. With an M5 premium aluminum 29er frame as a base, Specialized adds its 1.2 E motor with 250 W of power delivered from a 400-Wh battery. Suspension at the front end comes from an SR Suntour XCM32 fork with 100 mm of travel. The drivetrain features Shimano’s Acera nine-speed derailleur and Alivio shifter. BR-MT200 hydraulic disc brakes scrub your speed. You’ll get Specialized Stout XC 29er wheels with 29 x 2.3 Ground Control tubeless-ready tires. To that a suite of Specialized alloy cockpit parts, add a Body Geometry Myth or Henge saddle depending on the frame size, and you have a trail-ready eMtb platform for a low price. (specialized.com/ca) —DD