Mountain e-bikes

What a mountain e-bike is

An e-mountain bike is not a mountain bike with a motor bolted on. The extra weight sits low in the frame, which helps stability, but it also means the brakes and tyres have more to do. Torque matters more than headline power here: a motor that pulls strongly at walking pace is what gets you up a loose climb, while top-end assistance counts for little when the fastest you travel is on the fire road.

A hardtail is lighter, simpler and cheaper, and suits forestry tracks, bridleways and trail-centre blues. A full-suspension e-bike weighs more and costs more, but keeps the rear wheel planted on rough ground and is much kinder on your back over a long descent. Both are legal on bridleways and cycle trails; neither is legal on a public footpath, however capable it is.

Who a mountain e-bike suits

• Trail centres, forestry tracks and bridleways where the climb is the barrier rather than the descent.
• Steep local hills that turn a pedal bike into a walk.
• Riders carrying a rucksack, a camera or a day’s kit, where the extra weight is the reason for the motor.
• Anyone whose knees have opinions about a 20 per cent gradient.

What to check before you buy

• Torque at the crank, in newton metres, rather than peak watts. Torque is what lifts you and the bike up a loose slope.
• Brakes: hydraulic discs, with four-piston calipers on anything heavy or fast. A loaded e-mountain bike is a lot of momentum to stop on a wet root.
• Battery capacity against weight. A bigger pack buys range and costs kilos, and every kilo is a kilo you push when the assist runs out.
• Tyre width and tread, and the clearance to fit something more aggressive later.
• Frame size and standover height. A heavy bike is harder to step off in a hurry, so the size that fits matters more than usual.
• Motor position: a mid-drive keeps the weight central and uses the bike’s gears, which is what you want on a climb. A hub motor is cheaper and simpler, and better suited to gentle tracks than to technical descents.