Latest Product Reviews

Trek's Fuel EXe is part of the SL e-bike club that strives to strike the lowest bottom line when it comes to weight by utilizing a smaller battery and motor. Like Specialized's Levo SL or Orbea's Rise, the Fuel EXe aims to give riders enough juice to get up climbs with moderate input, matched with a riding experience that mirrors a regular mountain bike ride. And it manages to achieve this in a frame design that nearly hides the fact it's an e-bike. Highlights OCLV Carbon frame 29-inch wheels

For their debut into the lightweight e-bike category, Santa Cruz aimed to blend stability with a high fun factor to create the Heckler SL. Being early adopters of Fazua's Ride 60 system helped bring that vision to life, allowing Santa Cruz to optimize range and power from a lightweight system while keeping weight to a minimum. Highlights C & CC level carbon frame Mixed wheels 150mm of rear wheel travel // 160mm fork travel VPP suspension design 430 Wh battery 60 Nm FAZUA Ride 60 motor Integrated

Of all the bikes in this year's Test Sessions, Transition's Relay presented a unique proposition. It might use the same compact yet powerful Fazua motor as the Santa Cruz Heckler SL and Ari Bikes' Nebo Peak, but it's the only bike that encourages riding without assistance if desired. Highlights Carbon frame (alloy models available) Two travel configurations: 160mm rear wheel travel (air) // 160mm fork (tested) 170mm rear wheel travel (coil) // 170mm fork Mixed or dual 29-inch wheels GiddyUp

Giant's Trance X Advanced E+ Elite is more than just a mouthful. It was one of the first e-bikes to offer riders a full-power motor in a lightweight package, delivering 85 Nm of torque at a 400% support ratio while weighing in at just 46.12 pounds. Highlights Giant's Advanced-grade composite frame Mixed wheels 140mm of rear wheel travel // 150mm fork travel Maestro suspension design 400 Wh Giant EnergyPak Smart battery (200 Wh Energy Pak+ range extender available) 85 Nm Giant SyncDrive Pro2

The Moterra SL is Cannondale's first dive into the SL eMTB category. Freshly released in February, they took the same approach as Giant and Karbon Bikes, delivering riders full power in a lighter package. The caveat: they've created a true 'full size' e-bike, meaning it pairs an 85 Nm motor with a 601 Wh battery and has a claimed achievable weight of less than 45 pounds. Highlights Cannondale Series 1 carbon frame Mixed wheels (dual 29-inch compatible) 150mm of rear wheel travel // 160mm fork