What we say
This might be the sweet spot of ebikes. Weve spent a lot of time on full power ebikes with 90Nm of torque and 700W\h batteries, they have their place and are a lot of fun, opening up all kinds of possibilities but there's no doubt they are heavy and when the trail gets technical, steep and muddy you can be a bit of a passenger. The lighter, 30Nm bikes with 400W\h batteries solve the weight issue, and feel much more poppy, but 30Nm of torque pretty much disappears once you're putting out about 200w yourself.
The sweet spot might just be the new generation of motors coming from TQ and in this instance Fauza, wth 60Nm and 430Wh batteries. Powerful, about the same as the full power bikes on Trail mode, but without the weight which means the batteries can be smaller and lighter for a similar range. Game changer, really.
What they say
The Pivot Cycles Shuttle SL 29 Pro X01 is an e-bike for those who want support, but not the weight. With a drive unit weighing just 4.2kg, it will give you the powerful assistance that you need to extend your range, along with the lively feel that got you hooked on trail riding in the first place.
The Fazua Ride 60 motor/battery unit, integrated into the downtube so that it's close to the bike's centre of gravity for better handling, provides 60nm of torque and 450w of maximum power with the help of a 430w/hr battery. It offers boost mode, along with three pedal assist levels.
The 132mm of rear travel, with dual piston damper and pedal-friendly shock absorption, is paired with 150mm of front travel, courtesy of a specialist Fox Factory e-mtb 38 Grip2 fork. The latter delivers the stiffness, smooth action, quality damping and tunability with a 38mm chassis for great stiffness.
DT swiss XM1700 wheelset which have proved to be a strong, dependable wheelset, with Maxxis Dissector tyres.
The battery is charged in place, without any need to remove it, and should take under three and a half hours to charge. How far that charge will take you will depend on the level of assistance you use, your own weight and the layout of the terrain you decide to tackle. Expect there to be charge remaining after a three to four hour ride with 1,000m of climbing, though.