It’s a giant day for Trek, who’s asserting its first electrical moped-style utility bike. Unveiled underneath its Electra sub-brand, the brand new e-bike is named the Electra Ponto Go! mannequin.

The Electra Ponto Go! marks new territory for Trek and its Electra model, because the bicycle producer hops on the utility bike bandwagon. It’s a transfer we’ve seen taken by different bike store manufacturers reminiscent of Specialised these days, and often includes utilizing a sub-brand to assist distinguish the brand new mannequin from their essential product line (and never alienate their lycra-clad massive spenders within the course of).

The Electra Ponto Go! carries lots of the utility e-bike hallmarks reminiscent of a protracted rear rack, prolonged bench seat with foot pegs for a second rider, pedal ahead geometry for flat footed stops, and excessive rise handlebars for an upright using geometry.

Trek says that the bike can assist riders within the peak vary of 4’10” to six’2″ (147 to 188 cm) and has a payload capability of 360 lb (163 kg).

The 78 lb (35 kg) Class 3 e-bike can hit speeds of as much as 20 mph (32 km/h) on throttle-only management, and even increased speeds of as much as 26 mph (42 km) in pedal help. That’s because of a robust 750W hub motor within the rear, maxing out the authorized restrict for e-bike energy within the US.

The bike additionally carries a slightly giant battery at 650Wh, which the corporate claims gives a most vary of 60 miles (96 km). Needless to say utilizing the throttle and using at sooner speeds will cut back that most vary.

The bike rolls on 20″x4″ city tires, that are frequent within the utility e-bike market.

Customary equipment that come included with the bike are fenders, LED lights with rear flip indicators, hydraulic disc brakes, an 8-speed shifter, a handlebar Quad Lock mount for good telephones and a rear seize bar for pillion riders whose fragile sense of masculinity can’t take being seen holding onto the waist of the same-sex rider in entrance of them.

Priced at $2,699, the Electra Ponto Go! e-bike is available in 4 colours and one measurement.

Trek additionally launched its second era Supercaliber mountain bike, which falls into a wholly totally different class of cross-country off-road MTBs. The primary era was launched within the earlier than occasions approach again in 2019 and led to a number of Olympic and World Championship wins.

The brand new era beneficial properties longer entrance and rear journey. It additionally has an extended attain and slacker head tube angle for stability on descents and comes with two distinctive frames. There’s a light-weight SL body and a brilliant light-weight SLR body. Whereas the 2 frames seem similar to the bare eye, the tremendous light-weight body has a lighter carbon layup and lacks inner cable routing guides.

Electrek’s Take

It’s fascinating to see extra bike store corporations eyeing the huge direct-to-consumer market that favors heavier, extra highly effective e-bikes with throttle management. Trek might have made its identify and its fortune on light-weight and environment friendly fashions, however the firm isn’t blind. They know the place a lot of the gross sales at the moment are, and it’s not 5 determine carbon fiber bikes.

Positive, these fashions nonetheless promote, and so the corporate will all the time produce them. However Trek clearly desires to take a chunk out of different markets dominated by bikes just like the RadRunner, SUPER73 mopeds and the ultra-affordable Lectric XP line.

Doing so with an Electra-branded moped looks as if a good suggestion, although that worth is a bit excessive in comparison with the competitors. The upside is that riders can all the time head to a Trek retailer for service and assist, which is one thing that the majority direct-to-consumer manufacturers can’t compete with.