Lightweight e-bikes are a hot category right now, but which is the best? We gathered 8 of the latest models together for the mother of all shoot-outs!
8 bikes, 5 motors, 4,000 watts of power; this is the MBR SL E-Bike of the Year test! After three months of solid testing, I’m stoked to bring you the results of all this hard work.
And I’ve got a stacked line-up of the best lightweight e-bikes for you to pick over, all aiming to be top dog. From the pioneering Specialized Levo SL, now in its gen 2 guise, to the very latest Cannondale Moterra SL and Orbea Rise LT, that blur the lines between diet and full-fat e-bikes with their large capacity batteries and high-torque motors. There are alloy frames, full carbon frames, and frames with a carbon/alloy mix. Wheels sizes are equally mixed, with MX bikes and full 29ers, but travel is pegged at 140-150mm at the rear, and all bikes came in as close as possible to £8k when I first requested them for test. Of course prices are all over the shop now, so I’ve stuck to the original SRPs when deciding on ratings. That doesn’t mean you can’t pick up these bikes at bargain prices now, with some enjoying bigger discounts than others.
How much do these ‘lightweight’ e-bikes really weigh?
The first thing I did when we got all these bikes together for the test was weigh them – they’re billed as SL e-bikes after all. Actually that’s not quite true. Before putting them on the scales I fitted our Continental Kryptotal control tyres (Soft compound, Enduro casing) to all the bikes, even going as far as weighing the exact same amount of sealant in each test bike, so I could be sure that there weren’t any sneaky tricks going on with super light casing tyres that will last five minutes on the trail. With that done, all the bikes went on the scales of truth. And you can watch that video here.
It’s fair to say that the spread of weights isn’t as dramatic as you might expect, with most bikes sitting in the 19kg range. The outliers being the full alloy Orange Phase Evo with its enduro-ready build at 20.88kg, and the slim-line Specialized Levo SL with its meagre 320Wh battery undercutting the competition at 18.48kg. Probably most interesting is that the Cannondale Moterra SL with big 600Wh battery and Shimano EP801 motor wasn’t the heaviest at 20.44kg.
What about range? Which e-bike will take me the furthest?
Range and battery size/weight are two sides of the same coin, so this was the other aspect I was keen to test as accurately as possible. In fact I’ve made a whole video purely comparing the ranges of the five motors and 6 battery systems on test. Let’s be frank, doing a range takes a lot of time and effort, but I felt it was worth doing properly. With that in mind, I used the same tyres on all the bikes, set to the same tyre pressures. I rode the same test loop on all the bikes, in the same trail conditions, and of course, I did all the riding, so there was no variation in rider fitness.
The stats for each bike can also be found in the run-down below…
So what are the bikes on test? Well, here’s a rundown on the eight contenders, including their original prices, ratings, and weights. I’ll be publishing the full reviews to all of the bikes over the coming week or so, and I’ll link each bike to its respective review as they go live. These will also include all the actual geometry and travel I measured in our workshop.
The frame is first class, but Trek has chosen the parts on the Fuel EXe 9.7 from the middle shelf.
Trek Fuel EXe 9.7, £7,600
- Rating: 6/10
- Weight: 19.66kg
- Size: L
- Motor / battery: TQ HPR 50 (50Nm/320W) / 360Wh
- Total ascent: 811m / Distance: 20.77km / Ave speed: 12.8km/h / Ave heart rate: 133bpm
The stealthy assassin, Trek’s Fuel EXe flies under the radar of most riders thanks to the compact, silent TQ HPR50 motor. In fact, the Fuel EXe looks remarkably similar to its conventional stablemate, the Fuel EX. Another selling point that the Trek has over every other bike in the test is that the battery is easily removable for charging or storage, which is a major advantage if you don’t have power in your garage or shed. While the TQ motor is impressively quiet, it’s not that efficient, so combined with the smaller than average battery means it achieved the worst range on test. If you’re a lighter rider, or prefer a squirt of assistance rather than a surge though, the Trek will be right up your street.
Norco’s Fluid VLT has the legs to outpace the brakes and stock tyres on this build.
Norco Fluid VLT C2, £7,999
- Rating: 7/10
- Weight: 19.90kg
- Size: L
- Motor / battery: Bosch Performance SX (50Nm/600W) / 400Wh
- Total ascent (Bosch SX): 861m / Distance: 22.8km / Ave speed: 14.8km/h / Ave heart rate: 152bpm
We joked in the video that Norco’s FLuid VLT is a doppleganger for Santa Cruz’s new Vala, even down to the British Racing Green paint, but to be fair Norco got there first. It also shares a similar heavy-hitting attitude, with a burly build that includes Fox’s multi-adjustable Float X2 shock. It comes with the high-revving Bosch SX motor, with 600W of peak power if you can spin the cranks like a hamster wheel. While the ride was good, encouraging an aggressive riding style, I had a few complaints that affected the rating. Chiefly the hard compound Continental tyres helped the range, but didn’t deliver the grip levels the chassis encouraged. Swapping to the Soft compound control tyres is an upgrade the Norco needs out of the box.
One of the original SL e-bikes, but it’s still relevant today if you want minimal weight, maximum efficiency, and a plethora of adjustments.
Specialized Turbo Levo SL Expert Carbon, £9,000
- Rating: 7/10
- Weight: 18.48kg
- Size: S4
- Motor / battery: Specialized SL 1.2 (50Nm/320w) / 320Wh
- Total ascent: 844m / Distance: 22.34km / Ave speed: 13.6km/h / Ave heart rate: 143bpm
Specialized was one of the first brands to see the potential of a lightweight, low-assistance e-bike, and the latest Levo SL stays true to that vision. Even with a torque boost to 50Nm, the Levo SL offers a helping hand, rather than a shove. That does mean the small capacity 320Wh battery has a decent range, which can be improved with the range extender. In fact, the Levo SL is the lightest bike on test even with the 160Wh range extender fitted. With a multitude of geometry variables, you can play with the handling and weight balance of the Levo S, too, so it’s not just the battery that gives you options.
The all-alloy Orange Phase is all about hustling gnarly tracks.
Orange Phase Evo LE, £7,900
- Rating: 7/10
- Weight: 20.88kg
- Size: L
- Motor / battery: Bosch Performance SX (50Nm/600W) / 400Wh
- Total ascent (Bosch SX): 861m / Distance: 22.8km / Ave speed: 14.8km/h / Ave heart rate: 152bpm
Orange fields the only full-alloy bike in this test. And the Phase Evo Le is also the only single-pivot bike. But that doesn’t mean the suspension is behind the curve. In fact it’s dialled, giving great traction and grip, bolstered by the proper enduro-ready spec. The Orange also stands out from the crowd for its internal frame storage cavity, top tube charging port placement, and bulky handlebar-mounted controller. Overall it’s a totally different prospect to all the other bikes on test – love it or loathe it.
Full power and light weight in a sleek package – that’s the latest Orbea Rise LT M10.
Orbea Rise LT M10, £7,599
- Rating: 8/10
- Weight: 19.58kg
- Size: L
- Motor / battery: Shimano EP801 (85Nm/600W) / 420Wh (630Wh option)
- Total ascent: 955m / Distance: 23.71km / Ave speed: 14.6km/h / Ave heart rate: 140bpm
Orbea was another early adopter of the SL e-bike concept, but it took a different approach to its original Rise, using a de-tuned Shimano motor and custom battery. The latest version follows a similar path, but adds more options with this LT version boasting extra travel and more aggressive geometry to make it a viable option for enduro riding. You can also choose between a smaller, lighter 420Wh battery, or heavier, longer range 630Wh unit to power the full torque Shimano EP801 motor – I chose the 420Wh for this test. There’s even a 210Wh range extender, taking the potential battery capacity to a massive 840Wh. In that respect, it’s a serious rival to the bike up next – the Cannondale Moterra SL 1.
Cannondale’s Moterra SL lets you have your cake and eat it.
Cannondale Moterra SL 1, £8,550
- Rating: 8/10
- Weight: 20.44kg
- Size: L
- Motor / battery: Shimano EP801 (85Nm/600W) / 601Wh
- Total ascent: 1,215m / Distance: 31.4km / Ave speed: 16.6km/h / Ave heart rate: 131bpm
Another anomaly in this test, the Cannondale Moterra is effectively a full power lightweight e-bike. It has the most power and torque (with the Orbea) and the biggest battery, along with the best range on test. It’s not even the heaviest bike, thanks to a lightweight frame that saves grams with a flexstay back end inspired by Cannondale’s XC race bikes. If you’re looking for the full package, the Cannondale has it all – power, range, lightweight – but I felt that the suspension performance could be better, and that held it back from a higher rating.
Only the display on the top tube and an extra wire gives away the fact that this is the Heckler SL and not Santa Cruz’s conventional Bronson.
Santa Cruz Heckler SL C S, £7,600
- Rating: 8/10
- Weight: 19.78kg
- Size: L
- Motor / battery: Fazua Ride 60 (60Nm/450W) / 430Wh
- Total ascent: 1,202m / Distance: 30.74km / Ave speed: 13.2km/h / Ave heart rate: 142bpm
Like the Trek, this is an e-bike that’s tough to distinguish from its conventional counterpart – in this case the Santa Cruz Bronson. The Heckler SL has the desirable head badge, handsome looks, and stellar ride quality to help it rise above the pack. It also has the range, lasting almost as long as the Cannondale with the most powerful mode selected on the Fazua Ride 60 motor. It’s not as strong as the Bosch SX drive unit, and a long way behind the Shimano EP801, but it’s efficient and quiet, with no rattle when coasting. My big concern is reliability – we’ve had two Fazua motors fail, and this one was making some worrying noises throughout the test.
The Whyte ELyte 150 RSX is our SL E-Bike of the Year winner!
The winner! Whyte ELyte 150 RSX, £7,999
- Rating: 9/10
- Weight: 19.92kg
- Size: L
- Motor / battery: Bosch Performance SX (50Nm/600W) / 400Wh
- Total ascent (Bosch SX): 861m / Distance: 22.8km / Ave speed: 14.8km/h / Ave heart rate: 152bpm
So to my winner <drumroll> the Whyte ELyte 150 RSX. A bike that stands out for its exemplary suspension performance, addictive handling, and optimised packaging that means you can run a range extender without negatively affecting the dynamics. In fact, there’s even space to run a water bottle as well, so I didn’t need to choose between range and dehydration. It gets Bosch’s SX motor, so the power is there as long as I kept the dinky 155mm cranks spinning. And the range is adaptable, with the 400Wh internal battery easily expanded with the 250Wh extender. Everyone at MBR that’s ridden this bike has been blown away – it’s a bike that blends the best of electric and muscle, and this genuinely amps up the grin factor.
Click here to read the full review of the Whyte ELyte 150 RSX