MARIN ALPINE TRAIL E2 BOSCH - £6,385 Big-battery, high-powered e-MTB for gravity fans at a (relatively) affordable price

The Alpine Trail E Bosch is Marin's first e-MTB to use a four-bar linkage suspension design and a non-Shimano motor.

- Alex

It has more suspension travel than the original Alpine Trail E, too. With its DH-ready spec and large battery, this top-of-the-range E2 model is a heavy bike, but it's well-priced and feels at home on the fastest and roughest descents.

THE FRAME

There are more subtle details on the 'Series 4' aluminium frame than its chunky looks might suggest. Cables are routed internally, there's fibreglass-infused nylon chain-slap protection on the chainstays and seatstays, and the down tube has a removable guard over the battery port. The bike now uses SRAM's universal derailleur hanger (UDH), too.

While the original Alpine Trail E had a single-pivot swingarm and linkageactuated shock (Marin's 'Multitrac system), they've now switched to a four-bar, Horst-link suspension design ('MultiTrac 2 LT'). The brand say this has enabled them to add more anti-rise-making the suspension more active when braking - and also gives them more control over the leverage rate. Mid-stroke support and bottom-out resistance are said to have been increased, and the Alpine Trail E now has 160mm of rear-wheel travel, up from 150mm.

Bosch's impressive Performance Line CX motor provides the pedalling assistance, supplying up to 600W of power and 85Nm of max torque.

Charge is supplied by a 750Wh Power Tube battery, while an inbuilt top tube display conveys battery life and motor mode, the latter controlled via a wireless Mini Remote.

Geometry can be adjusted via headset cups and chainstay flip-chips. On our size large bike, in the 'low/long' setting with the standard cups, figures include a 63-degree head angle, 485mm reach, 443mm chainstays and 344mm bottom bracket height. The 78-degree seat tube angle is designed to boost climbing performance. Two alternative head angles are available - 64 or 62.4 degrees. In the high/short setting, the BB jumps up to 352mm, while the stays are a compact 435mm.

THE KIT