Eurobike: Ten Standout 2018 E-Bikes that Vital MTB Might Actually Ride

For years we've seen a barrage of very poorly spec'd e-bikes. Who honestly thought a 150mm travel FOX 32 fork was a good idea on a 50+ pound bike? Talk about a death trap. Or how about those mile-long chainstays? The list goes on and on... That's changing though, and brands that know their stuff are releasing interesting new designs that address many typical shortcomings.

Vital MTB's editors sifted through a sea of e-bikes to find ten worthy rides present at this year's Eurobike show. We feel these bikes each represent a good step forward for e-bike technology and ride feel.

Pivot Shuttle

If you're going to enter the e-bike world, you may as well do it right. Knowing how much Pivot Founder Chris Cocalis enjoys motocross, we can only expect the new Shuttle to be a very fun ride. Think "ripping 140/150mm mountain bike with a bonus assist." The Shuttle fixes some issues with the typical e-bike by maintaining short 437mm chainstays and a reasonable 19.95kg weight. Pivot cleverly mounted Shimano’s most compact, powerful, and lightest external e-bike battery to a full carbon bottom-load tray. The bike costs 9999 Euro as shown and is only available in Europe.

More info: www.pivotcycles.com

Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay

Sometimes you just have to make the whole thing yourself. Not content with current motor options and the restrictions they imposed on bike design, Rocky Mountain crafted their own drive system when creating the 150/160mm travel Altitude Powerplay. "The Powerplay system is the result of designing an electric drive for the suspension and geometry needs of proper mountain bikes; in fact, the geometry and pivot points of the Altitude Powerplay are identical to those of the new Altitude."

More info: www.bikes.com

Marin Nail Trail E 27.5+

Long, low, and slack? Nailed it! This hardtail has 140mm of travel up front and 27.5x2.8-inch WTB tires all around. It blends SRAM and Shimano's best by combining the EX1 drivetrain, STEPS motor, and 200mm SRAM Code brakes.

More info: www.marinbikes.com

Ghost KatoFX 8.7+

The Ghost KatoFS is an interesting e-bike because it goes in the face of some of the more common practices within the genre. You'll note that the battery is not integrated into the frame, which Ghost has done in an effort to keep the weight down. This one slots in at 20.5kg with an aluminum frame. The bike has 140mm of travel front and rear with 200mm rotors to keep things in check. The use of a 2.6-inch front tire gives good front end control without a wishy-washy feel and the 2.8-inch tire out back gets the power to the ground. This model slots in at 5599 Euro.

More info: www.ghost-bikes.com

BMC Trailfox AMP LTD

BMC is always up to something unique, and the new 150mm travel Trailfox AMP LTD captures their style in a new e-bike package. It's a second generation design with larger suspension bearings, refined kinematics, and some interesting carbon shapes. The burly spec shows BMC isn't afraid to let you get rowdy on this ultra-fancy 11999 Euro machine.

More info: www.bmc-switzerland.com

Fantic XF1 Integra Enduro R 180 and Carbon 160

Fantic's Integra bikes look like they're ready to absolutely haul. In conjunction with slack 64/64.5-degree head angles, they're rolling on 27.5+ tires out back and traditional 29x2.25/2.5-inch tires up front. The Brose Drive-S 250W motor and 630Wh batteries promise big things. Additional e-bike fine touches include a more progressive leverage curve, reinforced chainstays, double bearings, and SRAM Code brakes.

More info: www.fantic-bikes.com

Orange Alpine 6E

Orange has been looking at e-bikes for a few years. In the own words, "why would you ignore it?" After playing with a number of different motor options out their, they settled on the Shimano STEPS system for its narrow q-factor and overall slim size. This allowed them to place the single-pivot in a good spot. Orange integrated the battery in the frame for protection and aesthetics. They've been able to mirror the geometry of their Alpine 6, a big enduro bike, with the exception that they added 20mm to the reach on all sizes of the e-bike.

More info: www.orangebikes.co.uk

Conway eWME27

The Conway eWME 727 has an aluminum frame and 160mm of front and rear travel with a RockShox Monarch Plus shock and Pike RC fork handling suspension duties. Component highlights include the full Shimano XT 11-speed Di2 drivetrain, Saint brakes front and rear with 203/180mm rotors, Schwalbe Magic Mary 2.6-inch tires, 800mm bars, 50mm stem, and 30mm internal width DT Swiss rims. Colors include matte black or blue/grey. It weighs 21kg and comes in at 5999 Euro.

More info: www.conway-bikes.de

Haibike XDURO Dwnhll 10.0

Have downhill trails and no chairlift or shuttle road in sight? Haibike had a full-on downhill e-bike on display that could be a fun solution. It has an aluminum frame featuring a Bosch 250W motor and 500Wh battery. The FOX Factory Float 40 fork and Float X2 Factory rear shock provide 200mm of travel. Shimano Saint brakes, Saint drivetrain, e*thirteen cranks, and 2.6-inch Schwalbe Magic Mary tires round out the 25kg, 8000 Euro build.

More info: www.haibike.com

Moustache Samedi 27 Race 8

Moustache, a French brand that's been around for about seven years, had one of the most comprehensive e-bike lines in carbon and aluminum. All bikes feature Moustache brand e-bike cranks and asymmetrical rims, as well as a Moustache seatpost that's cable actuated with a hydraulic cartridge. Some Moustache builds feature a custom rear shock designed for the damping needs of e-bikes. 

This aluminum bike has 160mm of travel and is also made in carbon. We dig the use of 4-piston Magura brakes and large Maxxis Minion DHF tires. All Samedi bikes feature Bosch Performance CX motors with 500Wh batteries and either full Shimano drivetrains or SRAM's e-bike specific EX drivetrain with 11-50 tooth cassettes.

More info: www.moustachebikes.com

Stevens E-Sledge ES Plus

The Stevens E-Sledge ES Plus features a great-looking aluminum frame with 160mm of travel and a Shimano motor. Suspension duties are handled by a FOX Float DPS Elite shock in the rear and a FOX 36 Elite fork up front. Additional component highlights include the full Shimano XT Di2 drivetrain, XT discs with 203mm rotors, Schwalbe Magic Mary 27.5+ tires, e*thirteen chainguide, and KS dropper post. This 21.5kg bike retails for 5700 Euro.

More info: www.stevensbikes.de