Forestal Siryon may be low on weight and battery capacity but with 170mm of travel and progressive geometry it’s no shrinking violet.

>>> Best electric mountain bikes for 2020

The Forestal Siryon is one of the more intersting incarnations of a modern pedal assist electric mountain bike. Its impressive weight of 17.4kg doesn’t come with as many hamstrings or limitations as you may think.

Whereas the recent headline-grabbing Specialized Turbo Lebo SL weighs 17.3kg it does so partly by significantly reducing the motor power (35Nm of torque). It also has a smaller than usual battery (320Wh). The new Forestal Siryon has a similarly smaller battery (350Wh) but its motor still gives out a respectable 60Nm torque. As another comparison, a Shimano STEPS E8000 motor has 70Nm torque.

By the by, you can piggyback an additional 350Wh battery on to the bike if you want more range.

So how has Forestal shed the weight? Sure, it’s carbon fibre. And the relatively simple single pivot suspension arrangement saves weight by sheer lack of extraneous tubing. But the main weight saving appears to have been made with the motor. It’s a bespoke motor for Forestal – called EonDrive – made by Bafang with more than its fair share of titanium and magnesium in its construction. The motor is claimed to weigh 1.95kg.

>>> Lapierre eZesty AM LTD Ultimate: first ride review

One of the more intriguing claims is: “Without assistance, EonDrive is completely disengaged, bringing zero friction to the transmission. No noise, no drag, only resistance-free and intuitive pedalling.”

The bespoke/proprietary business continues with the remote switch near the lefthand grip and the display panel, which is actually a touchsscreen embedded into the top tube itself. Power levels are the usual ECO, Sport and Race but at any point you can press a button called Nitro that, essentially, bangs you straight into top power mode. We’re not yet sure how long Nitro lasts or when it switches back to the existing power mode. Truth be told, it’s probably user tuneable. There’s a smartphone app to connect it all up and twiddle with things.

29in wheels. 64° head angle. 77° seat angle. 488mm reach (Large).

Four frame sizes, S, M, L, and XL. €7,499 pre-order (or €2000 deposit plus payment of €5,999). Due October.