AAll-rounders are not specialists. They often have a little command of many things, but are not particularly good at anything. Does that also apply to the SUV bikes? Bicycles of the type that has become very fashionable in recent times are often advertised as all-rounders.
What defines their concept: Based on the robustness and off-road suitability of mountain bikes, they should also prove themselves in everyday life thanks to their full equipment.
Several manufacturers have discovered the bicycle genre for themselves, including Haibike, Focus and Rose. The Hamburg manufacturer Stevens is also involved. We moved its E-Antelao model on asphalt and coarser ground for test purposes.
Purpose: In addition to driving on tarred roads and bike paths, the model is also designed for paved field and forest paths with finely graveled surfaces, according to the manufacturer.
“Anyone who wants or has to leave the paved bike path when commuting to the office, for example, is the right choice for bikes,” says Jacob von Hacht, Head of Marketing at Stevens.
He calls it a “crossover model”. Unlike a real mountain bike, it’s not made for rough terrain and jumps. But such stunts are rarely used in everyday life.
The technique of Stevens E-Antelao
With lights, mudguards and luggage racks, among other things, “the complete StVZO everyday package is on board,” says von Hacht. So the E-Antelao with touring equipment is roadworthy in terms of the legal system. Mudguards as weather protection and a stand increase pragmatism.
The basis is a conservative, sporty hardtail mountain bike, i.e. with a suspension fork but an unsprung rear end. The frame material consists of an aluminum alloy, as is usual in this class.
The rather long wheelbase of around 1200 millimeters promises smooth running in combination with the 29-inch wheels. The head tube angle, an important parameter for MTBs when it comes to driving stability on downhill rides, is rather moderate at 68 degrees; there is no fear that the bike can be steered too indirectly.
68 degrees: The head tube angle allows relaxed but not too indirect steering
Source: dpa-tmn/Stefan Weißenborn
The electrical engineering comes from Bosch, the top dog for e-bike components: The mid-engine offers four modes that support the rider’s leg strength by a factor of up to 3.4. Because the model, weighing 26 kilos, is not exactly one of the lightweights, the pushing aid is also practical.
When fully charged, the battery in the down tube has 625 watt hours (Wh). A word. As has been established on MTBs in recent years, the gears on the E-Antelao are changed using a single drive: a motor pinion with 34 teeth at the front and a cassette with eleven pinions from eleven to 51 teeth at the rear.
Stevens E-Antelao: Components, accessories, peripherals
Stevens includes a standard charger with four amperes with the all-rounder. According to Bosch, the memory is half refreshed in a good two hours, and the display only shows 100 percent after almost five hours if the battery was previously empty.
That may sound like a long time, but it hardly limits the everyday use, since the 625 Wh only requires recharging every few days, even for commuters who swing into the saddle every day.
Positive: If the bike is parked outside in the cold, which is not ideal for batteries, the energy bar hardly discharges over a long period of time.
Charging socket: The battery can be refreshed separately, but also directly via this socket on the bike
Source: dpa-tmn/Stefan Weißenborn
The “smart system” in connection with the so-called “eBike Flow App”, which Bosch introduced in 2021, is practical, even if it is also a case for nerds in its range of functions. New functions and updates for the battery or motor can be loaded “over-the-air”, which, however, requires mobile data for the smartphone or a WLAN.
The characteristics of the riding modes can also be changed in the app via a Bluetooth connection to the bike – if the four presets don’t suit you. The mobile phone can also be used as a digital key using the app, without which the motor support cannot be activated.
Colorful display: The Bosch display is easy to read, even in direct sunlight
Source: dpa-tmn/Stefan Weißenborn
Navigation and route planning are just as possible via app as the recording of tour and fitness data. Navigation instructions can be sent to the small Kiox display, or you can replace it with a smartphone by placing it in an optional holder on the handlebars.
Much more down-to-earth, but possibly much more relevant in everyday family life than the digital options: the model is approved for the installation of child seats, and trailers are also allowed to hitch the coupling. The trailer load is 40 kilos, with trailer brake 80 kilos.
Preis des Stevens E-Antelao
Stevens lists the E-Antelao at 4199 euros. Competing models from German manufacturers cost a similar amount.
It is available in four different sizes. A configurator on the company website provides information about which fits.
Well protected: The test bike was parked outside in wind and weather – but neither the chain nor the sprocket set showed any signs of rust
Source: dpa-tmn/Stefan Weißenborn
Conclusion: Comfortable, pragmatic, safe: With the SUV, Stevens makes a successful contribution to a fashion genre. The concept of using the shirt-sleeves of a mountain bike for everyday use works. Nobody has to expect top sporting performance from this type of bike. Bargain prices, however, not either.
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