Heavier, faster and more powerful than a conventional mountain bike, an electrically-assisted mountain bike (EABT) is designed to withstand the rigors of the terrain. Its components must meet the same high standards if they are to last and perform.
Suspension is one of the most stressed components on a VTTAE, influencing its riding behavior and helping to control its power, both uphill and downhill. Suspension must be able to withstand the impact of hard riding sessions, absorb heavy loads, and at the same time promote hill-climbing traction and comfort. In short, the fork and shock absorber are the key components of an electric mountain bike, and must be chosen and adjusted with the utmost care.
Probikeshop offers you this guide to understanding all the specifics of VTTAE suspensions.
Forks and shocks: check compatibility with your VTTAE
In terms of frame compatibility, changing the suspension on an electric mountain bike is exactly the same as changing the suspension on a muscle bike. Even before choosing the make, model and technology of your new suspension, you need to check the usual points of compatibility.
Criteria for choosing the right suspension VTTAE fork :
Criteria to check when choosing a VTTAE shock absorber:
Reminder: specific features of electric-assist mountain bikes
The meteoric progress of electric mountain bikes has prompted suspension manufacturers to develop optimized models, such as telescopic forks with reinforced frames.
Specific equipment to harness the power of the VTTAE
The electrically-assisted mountain bike is a supercharged mountain bike, boosted by a pedal motor and powered by a battery. This extra weight (motor + battery) has a direct impact on the riding experience, which doesn't exactly resemble that of a conventional mountain bike. Otherwise, the visuals, geometry and kinematics of the frame remain familiar. As for the VTTAE's equipment, it doesn't change radically, but presents a few specific features.
To keep pace with the young, dynamic VTTAE market, manufacturers have designed increasingly well-suited, more durable components, often labelled "E-Bike", "Special E-Bike", "Compatible E-Bike", "E-Bike Approved" and so on. These include VTTAE tires, which use special rubber compounds, and longer-lasting chains, cassettes and brake pads. Suspensions are no exception to this market trend.
Electrically-assisted mountain bike suspensions
There are electric mountain bikes to suit every riding style - leisure touring, XC, All Mountain, Enduro. Depending on the model you choose, your e-bike may be a semi-rigid (single front suspension) or an all-suspension (front suspension and rear shock absorber). The semi-rigid VTTAE is generally lighter and better on rolling sections. The all-suspension VTTAE is more comfortable, better equipped to cope with rough terrain, where the shock absorber's work favors rear-wheel handling. Given their enormous potential on difficult trails, all-suspension VTTAEs really need suspension systems that can push the limits of mountain biking.
The development of forks and shock absorbers specially configured for electric mountain bikes is of real interest in the field, since suspension is essential to the performance of the VTTAE. Suspension quality not only affects comfort (shock absorption) and safety (grip), but also pedaling performance (motricity, balance) and steering (precision, dynamism).
By affixing the special "e-Bike" label, the brands specify that the suspension has passed safety tests and presents no risk due to the additional load represented by the motor, battery and reinforced frame. The specific features of VTTAE suspensions include both visible (chassis) and invisible (original settings, hydraulics, internal parts) characteristics. These suspensions also offer a wide range of adjustment possibilities, to suit the broad spectrum of VTTAE riders, from the leisure user to the pure enduro rider.
What are the specific features of electric mountain bike forks?
Forks have evolved and strengthened to meet the needs of electrically-assisted mountain bikes.
Electric MTB forks: a stronger, sturdier and more rigid frame
Choosing a fork optimized for VTTAE is essential for safety reasons: you need to be sure of a sufficiently robust suspension, capable of withstanding the type of riding for which the bike is designed.
The most obvious feature of a "special e-MTB" fork is the stronger, stiffer frame. It's easy to see why forks with reinforced frames are better able to cope with the deformation imposed by the weight of an e-MTB, along with inertia and speed. A rigid frame also benefits downhill performance, trajectory precision and braking stability. In concrete terms, VTTAE fork plungers have a larger diameter (up to 38 mm), thicker walls and a more robust tee and hoop. This "heavy duty" construction gives the best VTTAE forks a level of rigidity worthy of a double-tee fork.
Electric MTB forks: specific adjustment
The telescopic forks of electrically-assisted mountain bikes also benefit from a finer tuning, precisely adapted to the needs of this type of supercharged bike. The primary objective of the suspension is to adapt to the terrain. So you'll often find a high degree of sensitivity to small shocks, to keep the bike steady on fast, brittle sections, as well as to keep the front end glued down on steep, technical slopes, which will tend to take off with the power of the assistance. The second objective of the VTTAE suspension is to increase its damping capacity, to support aggressive riding and control the bike's weight. A suspension optimized for electric mountain biking has a more progressive action, with greater firmness at the end of travel.
Finally, manufacturers have been working on the internal parts of e-bike suspensions. Optimization of internal parts, such as the use of oversized guide bushes, enhances fork stability, fluidity, reliability and longevity.
What are the special features of electric mountain bike shock absorbers?
Shock absorbers for all-suspension electric mountain bikes can also benefit from optimized design, particularly in terms of robustness and original suspension settings.
Like the VTTAE fork, the VTTAE shock absorber has to withstand significant forces on the terrain, absorb heavy impacts and help keep the bike in good shape under all circumstances. There are a few specific models on the market, but most brands use conventional MTB shock absorbers, which already meet e-Bike safety standards. When fitted to an electric mountain bike, a shock absorber is calibrated accordingly: it is more sensitive to small shocks and pushes progressiveness to the maximum at the end of the stroke. It is chosen to work in perfect harmony with the particular kinematics of the VTTAE frame.
Technically, rear suspension for electric mountain bikes is designed around a reinforced body. Manufacturers also work hard on joints and surface coatings to drastically limit friction and achieve extreme sensitivity to the slightest shock. VTTAE coil-over shocks are fitted with special, stiffer springs.
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