Over the past 10 months, the eMTB market has drastically changed: new brands have emerged, performance and specs have skyrocketed, triggering a flood of superlatives. But with the hype come risks – for the market and customers who might regret their bike purchase tomorrow.
Our comprehensive E-MOUNTAINBIKE group test with 30 bikes revealed some critical insights. Reason enough to bring the most important eMTB brands together for a Think Tank to tackle current risks and challenges. CEOs and experts from Bosch, DJI, Specialized, Canyon, SRAM, Mahle, Brose, FOCUS, Porsche, Trek, YT, Yeti, Pivot, Giant, and many other leading brands followed our invitation to discuss solutions for the future of E-MTB – and thousands of our readers joined in!
Currently, some players are playing with fire, exploiting loopholes and unregulated aspects, and thus gambling with the freedom of eMTB riding. Worse yet, industry, influencers, media, retailers, and customers are all playing along. Many ignore – or don’t even realise – that the current arms race to increase performance, torque, and battery capacities has more disadvantages than advantages. It’s time to change course and take responsibility!
The risks and issues are real: in the worst case, e-bikes could lose their legal status as bicycles, leading to mandatory helmets, type approval, registration, insurance, denial of trail access, and riding bans in certain areas.
If you want to know what’s about to change in the world of E-MTB, why we need to ask ourselves if we’re being DUMB, what the latest developments mean for the next generation of bikes, and how you can get involved – then head over to our sister magazine. You’ll find all the key takeaways, insights, and the full Leonberg Protocol including our action plan.
Are you ready to take responsibility? Read the article now
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Words: Manne Schmitt Photos: Robin Schmitt, Jan Richter
About the Author
Manne Schmitt
Manne Schmitt is a Procurator at 41 Publishing, contributing a wealth of methodological expertise from his career as a Chief Analyst for a state authority. This background ensures the journalistic depth of his research, and the acquisition of exclusive news for E-MOUNTAINBIKE, ENDURO, GRAN FONDO, and DOWNTOWN. Active in cycling since 1989, he combines operative test support with administrative responsibility, strengthening the quality of editorial processes. The world of racing remains a passion; no one on the team knows the EDR professionals better than Manne.
