Lightweight eMTBs are all about managing compromise. They’re an exercise in finding ways to get something more by giving something up. That is because to get to a lighter overall bike weight, compared to a full-power eMTB, you have to give up power, or battery life or durability. And every brand that makes a light eMTB strikes a different balance between which of those they try preserve and which they are willing to sacrefice.
That means there is a ton of choice for consumers to find an eMTB that fits their personal wants and desires. It’s also just really interesting for us gear nerds to see how brands try strike a balance between weight, durability, power and range, and to try see why.
Here are three quite different approaches to the ligth eMTB category and some thoughts on how each brand’s design decisions impact how the bike rides on trails.
Trek Slash+
Trek helped pioneer the light eMTB cateogry with its Fuel EXe (now called the Fuel+). By using TQ’s compact motor to power a mid-travel trail bike like the Fuel, Trek showed that eMTB don’t have to be just high-powered, long-travel self-shuttle rigs. The 50Nm TQ HPR50 motor and 360Wh battery made a bike light enough to feel like a mountain bike on climbs and rolling trails, not just when pointed downhill.
With the Slash+, Trek again tried to create a new category. It took the high-pivot, mullet-wheeled Slash and added the same HPR50 motor, but with a 580Wh battery. The idea was to get away from the heavy, full power idea of an eMTB and create a bike that was just a bit more than human powered. There’s enough assist and battery to get a second (or third) lap in. But, starting at over 46lbs, a light enough bike that it still felt closer to a Slash than to, say, Trek’s full-powered Rail+ eMTB.
Slash+ in the wild
On the trail, this approach initially left us wondering who exactly this bike was for. It’s not enough to keep up when climbing with friends on full-power eMTBs, and the TQ’s 300W peak power did struggle at lower cadences and when pushing up some of the more heinous access road grades, but it certainly gets you to the top faster than you would under your own power. That makes it great for someone looking to keep up with faster friends on non-electric bikes, or who just wants to get more miles out of their fitness and available time.
The rewards come when pointed downhill, as the Slash+ feels quite a bit like it’s unpowered sibling. The Slash is designed to absolutely eat…
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