Last year we went to Switzerland to take a look at Trek's new Powerfly electric mountain bikes. We know, life is tough sometimes. Anyway, this year the American bike superpower are concentrating on their city bike range, and they've got a new 2-bike range, the Super Commuter+.
“The all-new Super Commuter+ was born of the Trek’s best engineering minds, in close partnership with the development team at Trek’s Benelux office. Together, they’ve created the most advanced and game-changing line-up in Trek’s long heritage of e-bike innovation”, says Trek. What those minds have devised is a high-spec rigid commuter with a powerful motor and big tyres. It certainly looks purposeful.
The Super Commuter+ is built around a hydroformed alloy frame and a carbon fork, to which is bolted Bosch's top-end Performance Line CX motor. There's a 45km/h version of the bike available too, using Bosch's Performance Line Speed motor, where that's legal; sadly, that doesn't include the UK.
> Trek electric bike dealers in the UK
The Bosch Powerpack – Trek have specced the bigger 500Wh version – is semi-integrated into the frame. You're not supposed to completely cover the Bosch battery as it can affect temperature management, so what Trek have done is flare up the down tube on either side and sat the battery in a recess in the middle. It's pretty neat. Bosch's smaller Purion display completes the package; that also allows you to operate the integrated Supernova lighting system. The front light is mounted to the stem and the rear is integrated into the Tubus rear mudguard, which also doubles as a pannier rack.
For anyone used to the very ordinary surfaces you'll find in most UK cities, the big-chamber Schwalbe Super Moto 2.4” tyres will be a welcome sight. They're one of our favourite tyres for all-conditions riding and they can easily cope with a bit of unsurfaced riding too.
There's two builds of the Super Commuter+ available in the UK. The Super Commuter+ 8 (£3,800) gets a Shimano XT derailleur transmission, with an 11-speed 11-42T cassette giving plenty of gears for any terrain. The Super Commuter+ 9 (£4,000) swaps that for a Nuvinci N380 hub which gives you an continuously-variable drive ratio across a 380% gear range. Both are excellent options. Whichever version you buy you'll get Tubus mudguards and rack, Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, Supernova lighting and Bontrager finishing kit. Trek claim a 23kg all-in weight and the bike is available in four sizes: 45cm, 50cm, 55cm and 60cm.
