Has the lightweight mid-power e-bike had its day? It definitely feels like the pendulum has swung the other way for brands, with the newest bikes like Transition’s Regulator, Amflow PL…
£5,499.00
Score
Electric bikes
Why we test: Transition’s new Regulator looked amazing on paper, but it didn’t set my world on fire
I’d argue that Bosch’s fifth generation CX drive unit is the most significant mountain bike motor of 2025. Not the DJI Avinox with its ludicrous power, but Bosch’s humble 85Nm…
£8,498.00
Merida’s new ‘lightweight’ eOne-Sixty SL is a gorgeous-looking e-bike, but I think it’s powered by the wrong Bosch motor
Merida’s new eOne-Sixty SL is exactly the kind of machine that would have made our massive Superlight E-Bike of the Year shootout had it come out in 2024’s sunny season,…
£8,000.00
Score
The Mondraker Dune RR has brilliant suspension and a light frame, compromised by a saddle that constantly gets in the way
Mondraker bills its Dune e-bike as the natural evolution of enduro. And the Spanish brand has a point. With many enduro race bikes tipping the scales at around 16kg, who…
£8,499.00
Score
YT has nailed the sizing, geometry, and handling of the Decoy SN, but the suspension could be better and the motor reliability is questionable
The new Decoy SN is YT’s first foray into the diet e-bike segment. It’s also only the brand’s second e-bike, because although YT is extremely trendy when it comes to…
£8,499.00
Score
The addictive Santa Cruz Heckler SL came within a whisker of winning my SL E-Bike of the Year award, but one serious concern held it back
Everyone says that SL e-bikes are supposed to offer a more analogue-like ride experience. So what better way to make a great SL e-bike than taking a great analogue bike…
£7,599.00
Score
The Gen 2 Specialized Levo SL is adaptable, capable, and genuinely lightweight for an e-bike, but it’s lacking two key ingredients…
I think we can all agree that while Specialized’s Turbo Levo SL wasn’t the first lightweight e-mountain bike, it’s definitely the one that kickstarted the whole SL e-bike trend. And…
£8,999.00
Score
Norco’s Fluid VLT C2 140 is lumberjack-solid, but this Bosch SX-equipped Canadian shredder needs some urgent upgrades to log a top rating
Most mountain bike brands like to have one suspension design to hang their hat on. Not Norco. Instead, it prefers to switch between different layouts depending on the application and…
£7,999.00
Score
Silent, smooth, and streamlined – The Trek Fuel EXe 9.7 with TQ motor looks, sounds, and sadly feels, a lot like an analogue bike
Back in 2022, Trek was the launch partner for the ultra-compact TQ-HPR50 motor. The bike in question was the brand new Fuel EXe, and in many ways the TQ eco-system…
£7,599.00
Score
The heavy metal Orange Phase Evo LE totally rocked on enduro trails thanks to its great suspension and dialled geometry
At this price point, most SL e-bikes use carbon fibre frames to save weight, or at least that’s what the marketing gurus tell us. Not at Orange, though. In fact,…
£7,999.00
Score
The Orbea Rise was one of the original SL e-bikes, and I think new LT version is better than ever. More travel, more power and more options make it more e-bike, not less
Foresight or good fortune? It’s hard to say which it was, but Orbea’s decision to use a detuned full power Shimano EP8 motor on the original Rise has clearly paid…
£7,842.00
Score
Whyte switches to the new Bosch CX motor for the ELyte Evo. And in doing so it’s made the best SL e-bike even better. More torque, more muscle, more e-bike
Is it groundhog day? It sure feels that way to me. Because exactly one year and three days ago, I was typing up a review on the (then) new Whyte…
£9,999.00
Score
I was totally won over by the Cannondale Moterra SL’s raw power and range, but it doesn’t have the suspension response to capitalise on its extreme geometry and relatively lightweight build
The Cannondale Moterra SL truly is a hybrid bike. It shares its name, travel and Shimano EP801 motor with the full-power Moterra, but the sleek full-carbon frame has more in…
£8,550.00
Score
There’s no such thing as a perfect bike, but the Whyte ELyte 150 RSX comes very close, and is my SL E-Bike of the Year winner
It’s no secret that Whyte’s full power e-bikes are built solid, and as a result, they typically weigh over 25kg. So when the ELyte 150 launched a year ago, the…
£7,999.00
Score
Cotic’s new Rocket e-bike made me swipe left when I first saw it, but the beautiful details and stunning ride quality turned me on
Cotic’s new e-bike stays true to its signature steel frame style of 21 years, and uses a wholly UK-built frame to minimise ecological impact and maximise build quality. Mounting the…
£8,000.00
Merida’s new eOne-Eighty is the most capable long-travel e-bike I’ve ever tested, at 27kg I’d hate to have to muscle it over a gate though
Merida started down electric avenue early, it developed sweet riding e-bikes before many other brands even got switched on to the concept. This helped the Taiwanese behemoth tie in with…
£7,500.00
Score
Mondraker’s new Crafty e-bike might not be the most agile descender, but it made me laugh out loud on the climbs
As the most successful bike in Mondraker’s substantial range of e-bikes, the new Crafty has big shoes to fill. ‘Don’t mess it up!’, or slightly stronger words to that effect,…
£7,699.00
I’ve never ridden a heavier lightweight e-bike than Marin’s new Rift Zone EL, but it crushes the descents and starts at just £4,699
The Marin Rift Zone EL is a new lightweight e-bike straight out of California, it comes with the punchy Bosch’s SX motor, 29in wheels and tyres built for dust. It’s…
£6,700.00
The DJI Avinox motor in Amflow’s PL Carbon Pro is obscenely powerful, but I found the lightweight chassis and trail bike attitude at odds with the extreme drive unit
The Amflow PL Carbon with DJI’s Avinox motor has put the cat among the pigeons. In 30 years as a mountain bike journalist, I can’t remember another bike that has…
£8,999.00
Santa Cruz ditches the Heckler (and VPP!) for the new Vala: Bosch powered, two flip chips and a smaller battery
Santa Cruz has just unveiled the Vala – a brand new all-mountain e-bike that replaces the similarly intentioned Heckler. Instead of a Shimano EP801 motor like its predecessor though, the…
£9,999.00