Colorado-based bicycle manufacturer Moots has unveiled Express, its first carbon fiber bike, which is also its first-ever electric bike.
Moots has been making handcrafting frames of bikes for more than a decade and is also well known for high-end lightweight titanium bicycles.
However, this time, Moots used a carbon fiber frame for its bike instead of titanium. According to the company, “Titanium is not the right material for a high-level/performance e-bike.” The company also stated, “When building the frame to a level of stability and robustness out of Ti, the feature benefits of the Ti tubing is lost in the amount of material needed to secure a large battery and powerful drive unit. For short, we would need to use so much titanium in spots on the frame to make it safe to ride that legendary ride quality characteristics would be lost.”
The Moots Express e-bike is designed for gravel riding, and it is equipped with the mid-mount Shimano EP801 class 3 drive unit, which delivers 60Nm of torque and a top electric assist speed of up to 28 mph (45 km/h).
The Express motor is powered by a removable 504-Wh Shimano battery located in the down tube. On one charge, the battery can provide a range of more than 100 miles (160km) in eco mode, depending upon the rider and terrain. Also, the battery can be recharged within 4 hours with the help of a Shimano EC-E8004-2 charger.
The Express features a full carbon monocoque frame along with a carbon fork, seatpost, and handlebars. The Express can easily be picked and weighs in at 33 lbs (15kg).
The e-bike also includes Shimano XT 1 x 11 drivetrain with Ultegra shifters; Ultegra hydraulic disc brakes; a WTB Gravelier Ti saddle; a Shimano GRX RX-870 carbon wheelset; and Panaracer GravelKing SK 700 x 50c tubeless tires.
The e-bike offers five assist modes to choose from, or it also provides an auto-shift mode via the left-hand shifter.
The e-bike comes in four size options: S, M, L, and XL. The bike is priced at $9,999 on their official website.
