GENERATION EXE

Can the new crop of hi-tech e-mtbs offer the perfect balance of power and agility?

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In the beginning, it was all about power. Packing in as much torque, peak power and battery capacity as possible, and to start with Shimano STEPS, Bosch Performance Line and Brose had the bragging rights. Later came the lightweight crowd, Specialized with its SL bikes and 1.1 motors delivering 35Nm torque, and Orbea with the detuned, 60Nm Shimano motor, chasing lighter weights and the feel of a 'normal' bike.

And now we have something new: splitting the difference between the two camps is a clutch of new motors that aim to finally hit the sweet spot in terms of normal bike feel and extra power - motors to convert all the naysayers and do away with purely pedal powered bikes for good. As if...

TQ AND THE TREK FUEL EXE

Most of us had never heard of TQ until this month. It's a German brand that makes motors and components for robots, satellites, space stations and Mars rovers. Literally space-age stuff. Now it's partnered with Trek and introduced us to a new motor that's impressively light, powerful and quiet and available on Trek's new Fuel EXe. Best of all, we've had a go on the new bike - turn to page 32 and you can check out our first-ride impressions.

What's different about the new TQ-HPR50 motor isn't exactly the weight and the size of the unit, although it is indeed very light, coming in at 1,850g. The Specialized SL motor weighs around the same at 1,950g. No, the new bit is the amount of power it generates and the lack of noise it makes while doing so - 50Nm of torque and over 300W peak power are the seriously impressive headline figures. All of a sudden, the SL's 35Nm and 240W start to sound a little underwhelming.