WELCOME TO THE 2021
SUMMER FIELD TEST
9 Enduro and eMTBs Ridden and Rated
Words by Mike Levy, photography by Tom Richards
Looking back on the approximately eighty-seven previous Field Tests we've done, you'll find head-to-head reviews on everything from full-blown enduro race machines to overly-capable trail bikes to laser-guided cross-country weapons that feel like they have less travel than those enduro sleds have sag. In other words, we've seen a lot of bikes. But I think it's safe to say that the 2021 Summer Field Test includes not just some of the best descending bikes we've ever had at a Field Test, but also the most capable climbers by far.
Because they have motors.
Yup, this is the first Field Test to include eMTBs, with four of the latest that run from relatively lightweight to "
I could power a small town with my battery." They join a fleet of five interesting enduro bikes and all take different approaches to whatever the e-word (e-bike or enduro) means to you. All nine spent a few weeks doing non-stop runs in the Sun Peaks bike park under former Canadian National downhill champion Matt Beer and the impossibly English Henry Quinney. If it all goes to plan, you should be able to watch the first Field Test video review tomorrow morning.
While it used to imply some sort of race-y intentions, these days 'enduro' could be anything from a raked-out tank with an idler pulley to what's essentially a long-travel trail bike. So that's precisely what we got in to review, but we've also brought back an old friend for comparison's sake: the 2020 Specialized Enduro that's impressed us so much over the last couple of years. Just how far have bikes progressed since then? We're about to find out.
There are differing takes on how enduro an enduro bike should be, but there's no doubt that it has to be extremely capable on the descents. And while many brands seem to focus solely on that, many others offer a more rounded take on it, the result being a diverse range of choices and no one and only one way to get the job done.
Our enduro bikes start at 150mm of rear-wheel travel with We Are One's Arrival that uses a dual-link suspension layout and an exotic-looking Cerakote ceramic finish. Up against the Arrival is YT's re-designed Capra that gets new geometry, improved frame rigidity, and 165mm of travel with revised kinematics. Oh, and have you seen that paint color before? If you came here looking for high pivots and extra pulley wheels, you're in luck. GT's Force gets updated with an idler pulley and 160mm of travel, while our other idler-equipped bike is Norco's 170mm-travel, 37lb Range that could almost do double duty as a downhill bike on the weekends. If you're looking for all the travel but a bit less complication, there's also Transition's also-new Spire that has 170mm of both ends, a few year's worth of purple, and the lowest, slackest geometry of the bunch.
So, who's your money on?
With geometry and suspension layout in a place where most things work pretty well, mountain bike design is seeing smaller improvements rather than leaps (and stumbles) ahead that make a difference on the trail. But eMTBs? They're still the Action Park of bike design. Some brands seem to modify existing platforms to work with a motor and battery, while others have released new bikes that use eMTB-specific suspension layouts with revised motor and battery integration. Not only that, but you can also choose from either a sorta-light eMTB, normal heavy eMTB, or a full-fat version with a whopping 900Wh battery. Our four eMTB test bikes represent the current spectrum of what's possible while giving us a chance to compare how the different approaches to battery-biking perform.
If you were in the market for a new eMTB, would you choose a relatively lightweight, low-powered ride or are you looking for all the juice?
How Do We Choose the Bikes?
And why don't we have more of them? There are no set-in-stone rules, but they should check off a combination of interesting, important, or entirely new, with all nine of these contenders meeting some or all of that criteria. We already know that the bike you wanted to read about isn't here, but the shortage means that it's probably not anywhere else, to be fair.
Not only that, but we'd rather get to know our nine bikes real well than have one-day-stands with twenty bikes in the same amount of time.
If this is your first Field Test, there's really just one thing you need to know: this gong show is all about comparing the bikes to each other, and nothing does that better than back-to-back riding. And then some back-to-back-to-back riding, followed by a bit of back-to... Okay, you get the idea. This time around we were at the Sun Peaks Resort, just forty-five minutes outside of Kamloops and home to some of the fastest and best lift-accessed riding in the world. And did I mention a lack of lift lines?
With a chairlift on our doorstep, you can't blame us for not doing a bunch of climbing on the enduro bikes, can you? Besides, we mostly just want to know how the bikes perform when it matters most, so Matt and Henry spent a few weeks swapping bikes to feel out what they like and, more importantly, didn't like.
Do you prefer the feels or the data? Either way, we've got both for you: Matt smashed out timed laps on all the bikes on the same rocky, rough descent, including the ones with motors. In fact, our timed downhill was used as a stage for the Canadian National Enduro Championship, which is about as appropriate as it can get.
Field Testing means many bikes, a ton of riding, a bunch of timing, and of course those matching control tires. The thing is, tires obviously have a massive effect on how a bike performs, but they also wear out, get torn, thrown in the trash, and replaced with some other over-priced tire from your favorite brand. Putting matching tires on all the bikes - Maxxis' DHR2 on the front and a Dissector for the rear, both with sticky rubber and proper casings - means that we can concentrate on how the bike handles and evaluate the suspension performs on equal terms, unsullied by tires that you may or may not run anyway.
Impossible Climb & Huck to Flat
There are plenty of times when it pays to take things seriously... Just not when we're doing the Impossible Climb. Of course it's back, but in a very un-Pinkbike move, Brian could sense that I still have PTSD from all the previous episodes and mercifully made Matt get it done instead. Turns out he's not just handy at going down. The mountain bikes faced a tricky climb with four distinct sections to challenge the bikes in different ways, and yes, we definitely had to modify the course in order to give Matt some trouble on the eMTBs.
While I got to skip falling over on camera a few dozen times, no one else put their hand up for the Efficiency Test. Weird. I rode all the mountain bikes up a gravel fire road course at the same 300-watt output using Garmin's new Rally XC power meter pedals. Then I did the same on the 57lb Norco Range VLT, just to illustrate the difference between watts and
watts. Can you guess which bike was the quickest? And speaking of climbing and self-flagellation, Brian also tasked me with finding out how long all these batteries last. Picture me climbing over 18,000-feet in seven hours, then me eating a few dozen donuts for dinner, then me going to bed at 7pm and that about sums it up.
With so much climbing to get done it's a miracle that we had time to squeeze in the Huck to Flat, but we also knew that there might be a riot if we skipped it. Jason Lucas is the man you should thank, especially as it didn't exactly go as planned this time around. Again. We all know it's better that way, though, don't we?
Matt BeerHeight: 5'10" / 178 cm
Weight: 160 lb / 73 kg
Notes: Tech editor, quick on a bike, but never on time
Henry QuinneyHeight: 6' / 183 cm
Weight: 183lb / 83 kg
Notes: Tech editor, full-time Branston pickle enthusiast
While Matt, Henry, and I did all the riding, our film and photo crew behind the camera did at least five times as much work. Maybe six times as much now that I think about it, and all with 40lb camera bags on their backs and with only a bit of yelling at us to stop forgetting our lines on camera after fourteen hours of filming. With the whole plague thing still happening, our skeleton crew of Jason Lucas, Max Barron, and Tom Richards had their work cut out for them. Making these Field Test videos is a lot of fun - and we hope that comes through on camera - but they also require stamina for long days, a good attitude, and some hustle, all things this team has plenty of.
Stay tuned for the first Field Test video review that goes live tomorrow, followed by
so many more over the coming weeks. Which review are you most looking forward to watching?
The 2021 Summer Field Test was made possible with support from Dainese apparel and protection, and Sun Peaks Resort. Shout out also to Maxxis, Garmin, Freelap, and Toyota Pacific.
In case it wasn't obvious, the huck to flat "test" isn't actually supposed to push the limits of these bikes—it's just a cool way to watch them go through their travel off a little 2 ft ramp. I'd expect the most featherweight XC components to survive this without flinching.
Stay tuned, I guess. Sorry Jason.
don't ask me how I know
I have held off for a long time and to start with was an ebike hater, but lately it has just started to make sense, I’m not in my 20’s with a good pair of legs and loads of time anymore, and they are fun too….
What I find odd is people getting so upset over others enjoyment.
....but I guess if all you're ever doing with an e-bike is shuttling up a gravel road to access a DH run, then who cares.
I'm older than him but with much less mileage I'm sure
A few years ago I was pretty fit, not long stopped racing and had time to keep that way, now my fitness has dropped considerably, I just don’t have time to get there again and this personally impacts the enjoyment I get when out on the bike - the ebike solves this for me.
I still have a normal bike and it’s going nowhere, for now anyway.
They are more versatile and sooooo much more fun
"Moped: Etymology
The word moped was coined by the Swedish journalist Harald Nielsen in 1952, as a portmanteau of the Swedish words motor and pedaler. The claimed derivation from the term motor-velocipede is incorrect.[3][4] According to Douglas Harper, the Swedish terms originated from "(trampcykel med) mo(tor och) ped(aler)", which means *"pedal cycle with engine and pedals"* (the earliest versions had auxiliary pedals).[5]"
The interesting bit to me was the "pedal cycle with engine and pedals", i.e. specifically a pedal cycle, not a pedal motorbike which is how I've always thought of those pedal mopeds I used to see in Europe but rarely in the UK.
Anyway, words evolve of course, and we all know what e-bike refers to now, it's just vaguely historically interesting (to me!).
"I have a pretty serious autoimmune disability that's catching up with me as I'm getting older, and I just wasnt enjoying it anymore as it was kicking my ass too much."
An E-bike is a perfect fit. Not sure why the downvotes.
At the end of the day it's just pissing about in the woods with your mates, people need to stop taking it so seriously.
But you really should try one. I was hesitant as at first but then I tried one and I was sold! I knew I needed to have one They are so much fun and versatile, cx, trail, enduro (dh depending on bike) all in one bike. And yes you get a kick-as workout.
EMTB´s are like 29ers 8 years ago but I´m telling you all here on Pinkbike, they are comining and many of you will have one in 5-10 years
Where there's smoke, there's fire and in the case of Yeti this appears true. Let us hope they right their ship but for their race bred mantra and premium charged I think they deserve their current reputation.
The owner/mechanic at the small shop I buy from is one of my riding buddies, so pretty confident he's being genuine. A couple crash replacements, but no warranty claims yet after 2019.
frames i've seen the least problems with are Pivots. that isn't meant to be a statement that Pivots are universally problem free.
Gotta love the argument from the podcast bleeding into the video.
E-biking is a different sport than mountain biking, Kazimer said so himself.
Like football and tennis?
I find out for me ebike could do two things, save time or save energy (or obviously a mix). If you choose to go fast uphill, you can really tax yourself but do it a lot quicker - so more runs.
It is, obviously duh, not the same thing. But saying it takes out the sporting spirit is either gatekeeping, or I never "got it" in the first place, on my normal mtb.
I'm okay with not engaging in the sporting spirit. I prefer to engage in sportiness. I ride a 37 lb Commencal Clash enduro bike more than my 30 lb Jeffsy trail bike because I don't mind lugging extra mass so I can enjoy the DH more. I'm selling my trail bike so I can buy an Commencal Meta Power SX for solo rides when I just wanna smash more DH runs. I'll keep my Clash so I can still go on rides with my friends and enjoy the suffer fest. I bet at by the end of next season I'll be faster descending on my Clash because of the quantity of DH runs I've done as well as the extra effort it takes to maneuver a 54 lb bike while descending. Not sure if you can argue that being faster at descending because I worked harder isn't sportiness.....
Norco: Weight: 37.05 lb / 16.80 kg
Where does the weight come from?
I mean 16,8 is insane, how is this even possible with a carbon frame?
Seriously it's fine to be against a design in principal but are we not talking about the weight of a sprocket, bolt, and two extra chain links. (almost forgot the extra master link. Now I see where I went wrong.)
The issue over the last few years appears to be twofold: A swathe of bike companies seem determined to not use carbon (or aluminium, or both) to it's greatest material advantage, instead designing bikes that can be marketed in parallel to their other material versions and without diverging too much from the desired brand "look".
Using Santa Cruz as a random example (and there are plenty of other brands to choose from here), the alloy Hightower and carbon Hightower frames look almost identical from a distance. If SC were really wanting to maximise the potential of each material, those two bikes really shouldn't end up looking so similar - they're doing it because they can, and because they want to make the bikes look similar, rather then because they've perhaps landed on the optimum shape & structure for the material in question.
Which then suggests that at least one of those frames is not truly optimised for the material in question, and doubtless both frames end up heavier as a result, for, in part, the sake of marketing.
Secondly, there is that warranty/breakage issue... Here's another random example. When Transition first brought out the original Bandit, it was a fun and agile 140mm 26" frame, and pretty light. The update to 650b kept the previous basic design intact. Then the Scout V1 came out as it's replacement, a bike which rightly still has a bit of a cult status; still light, agile and versatile. But riding had progressed in that time, along with expectations & some riders started to push the limits of that frame, and found them via cracked swing arms. The apparent solution? Add more material, a lot more - The Scout V2, went from being a circa 7lb 115mm frame to suddenly being a circa 9.5lb 125mm frame...... So a lightish (27/28/29lb complete) fun short travel trail bike turned into a 30/31/32lb steed, still with basically the same short travel. In fact, there wasn't much weight difference between the Scout V2 and Patrol V2 frames (and there really should have been, given the different travel, geo & supposed riding intentions).
In the late 90's or early 2000's, a free ride bike might have weighed something like 40lbs (with dual crown fork, dual chainrings, beefy tires etc). I know the newer stuff has obvious ride improvements (geometry alterations don't particularly add weight though) but even allowing for 29 wheels, dropper posts and maybe tire inserts, it feels like we're heading back in the direction of those 40lb complete weights again... ho hum!
What’s lazy is building a product that lasts a few years of heavy use then slapping a lifetime warranty on it and hoping serious riders will recognize when the bike is roached and pass it off on the used market. That, plus count on the fact 90% of riders won’t even approach the capabilities of the bike.
Can’t be an Evil, it’s included in the test. This is Pinkbike after all, and you don’t f with tradition.
1: something that is similar or comparable to something else either in general or in some specific detail : something that is analogous to something else"
second, stop calling non-e bikes analog. analog in that context means "electric, but not digital". it does not, and never has meant "human powered".
It's like an audiovisual website reviewing black and white crt TV sets alongside the latest oled.
More like going to live theater vs watching on TV.
oooh...and yeah you need to do a whip-off with each bike That seems like good slo-mo fun. Extra good if its @jasonlucas
I forgot to add: "you are crazy if you think that is a bike" .
It was a joke,I had no intention to enter any argument about what is a bike or not. IMO any ebike it is a bike,you need to cross the big ocean and take a look around here,ebikes are equal to bikes (in the mind of most users) and we have 0 problems. No ruined trails or bikeparks ,no fights in the parking lot,no arguments between users.
1 : 480 wh vs 900 wh = -1.5 kg
2 : Motor 35 Nm vs 85 Nm = -1kg
3 : 2.3 Trail casing tire vs 2.5 DD = -0.8kg
4 : Carbon wheel vs Alloy = -0.5kg
5 : X2 vs DHX2 = -0.4 kg
6 : Carbon Bar and crank vs Alloy = -0.4 kg
Total = -4,6 kg
All in all, mid-power ebike vs full power does half of the job, then 5000$ USD worth of carbon components and weaker built do the rest. But I would NEVER go trail casing on an ebike.
My Range vlt is 65 lbs (900 wh A1, smashpot coil conversion kit in the 38 fork, cushcore pro and Flow EX3 rim) built too last! But having coil Front/rear is really nice, super sensitive.
Got a heavy bike? go down on the chainring. think your running out of gear ratio? tuck, its faster.
1 : 480 wh vs 900 wh = -1.5 kg
2 : Motor 35 Nm vs 85 Nm = -1kg
3 : 2.3 Trail casing tire vs 2.5 DD = -0.8kg
4 : Carbon wheel vs Alloy = -0.5kg
5 : X2 vs DHX2 = -0.4 kg
6 : Carbon Bar and crank vs Allow = -0.4 kg
Total = -4,6 kg
All in all, mid-power ebike vs full power does half of the job, then 5000$ USD carbon components and weaker built do the rest. I WOULD NOT go trail casing on an ebike
Please @mikelevy - make it happen!
Can't wait to hear about how the Electric Donut devours the competition by at least "two minoots".
That's going to blow a lot of blinkered PB commenters' minds, ha-ha-ha-ha!
www.pinkbike.com/photo/21243421
Don't you dare put up the paywall just before the huck to flat.
What are you going to call the eGrimdoughnut? E All Terrain doughnut.
hyped he was after those few first rides I was looking to hear more from him on this bike.. @mikekazimer wouldn’t mind your longer terms thoughts via a comment over here though
all good mate, youve only laughed at yourself because you clearly have no idea.
the ETT measurement changes with sizes too... if i ride a large its too big, if i ride a medium the seated position is cramped...... ETT measurement mate. do you not understand geo?? lolol
and why does my size large need to be 1280WB...???
@Noeserd 20mm is huge, especially when talking about your back/arm angles.
Again you two dont seem to understand how Geo works, why defend Commencal so bad? do you regret your buy and trying to justify it now?
i suggest you guys look up the EWS riders bikes and compare that to the rider.
Im done trying to convince children they are wrong so im done here. come join us for the DH at snowshoe this week, then see if your still right.