Riders on the hunt for a hard-hitting, enduro-ready e-MTB are spoilt for choice, but that means it can be difficult to find the right bike for your riding. It doesn’t help that brands have different focuses. Some put geometry above all else, hoping that owner-led spec upgrades down the line will unlock the bike’s full potential, while others go for Top Trumps-winning spec sheets that leave little to be desired. Then there are those that try to provide performance on a budget, through careful choices of parts, geometry and frame material. The debate about which motor is best still rages, too, the argument not only dominated by tribalism, but also torque, Watt-hours and weight one-upmanship.
Such a vast amount of choice means it’s crucial to prioritise your needs. Think about the type of terrain you’ll be riding – do you like super-gnarly, alpine-style descents or mostly ride slightly tamer trails? Then, consider your budget. Despite brands’ best efforts, no bike is going to be perfect, and there’s a reasonable chance that some post-purchase upgrades will be needed to improve performance, particularly things such as tyres. Battery capacity and motor power, feel and range are important, too, with the latter being dictated not just by the technical specs of the drive unit, but also the terrain you ride, how strong you are and how much you and your bike weigh.
At first glance, there’s little to separate our two test bikes. Whyte’s E-160 RSX and Cube’s Stereo Hybrid 160 HPC SLT 750 cost a similar amount, are both slated as hard-hitting, enduro-ready e-bikes and share a host of parts and frame details. The most obvious overlap is their motors – both run the same Bosch Performance Line CX drive unit, powered by an in-frame PowerTube battery with a 750Wh capacity. They also share suspension designs, dampers and SRAM AXS wireless shifting.
Dig beneath the surface, however, and there are quite a few differences, the most obvious being frame material. The Cube’s front triangle is made from carbon fibre – which, on paper at least, can be used to create a lighter chassis with a better blend of stiffness and comfort-boosting ‘compliance’ (engineered flex) – while the Whyte’s tubes are
