Limited availability of 50 bikes and first deliveries scheduled for April/May. Form an orderly queue.
The Atherton S.170E is built around the 170mm enduro platform, and is powered by the Avinox drive system. A range of twelve frame sizes.
Press Release in full…
Atherton Bikes open presales for the new S.170E EMTB
The Atherton S.170E: Best-in-class fit, with the handling and power to match. Hitting the trails in April 2026.
Today Atherton Bikes opens presales for the highly anticipated S.170E, a full-power EMTB developed with a clear priority: ride feel. From balanced handling and controlled suspension behaviour to uncompromised fit across twelve frame sizes, every decision was made to ensure the bike rides like an Atherton, not just an EMTB.
Rather than rushing to market, the S.170E has been shaped by years of EMTB riding and testing in the Dyfi Valley. The result is a full-power enduro EMTB built around balance, durability and proper fit, developed to the same standards as every analogue Atherton bike.
A Handling-First EMTB
From the outset, the S.170E was engineered around a simple goal: build the best-handling full-power EMTB Atherton can create.
Geometry, suspension kinematics, chassis stiffness, motor choice and battery packaging were developed together as a single system. Weight placement and balance were prioritised from day one, rather than sacrificed in pursuit of headline figures. The result is a bike that stays composed, predictable and easy to manage, lap after lap.
Suspension is handled by Dave Weagle’s proven DW4 platform, delivering 170 mm of travel tuned specifically for EMTB use. Supportive under power, through the rough, and straightforward to set up, it delivers the same confident ride feel we expect from our analogue bikes, with high-torque motor support to unlock more runs.
“I’ve never ridden a full power EMTB that rides like an analogue MTB. The way the S.170E feels on the trail is so close to the standard S.170. It’s unbelievable.” Dan Atherton
Full-Power Performance, Compact Packaging
Power comes from the Avinox drive system, chosen not just for its industry leading output, but for its compact size and refined power delivery. This allowed Atherton to keep geometry, kinematics and chassis proportions exactly where they wanted them, without compromise.
“After months (and years) of testing various motors in the Dyfi Valley and beyond, the Avinox stood out as a big step forward in EMTB drive unit performance. The choice was clear.” Dan Brown, Atherton Bikes CEO
Real World Range
The S.170E will run a full-sized battery which offers the range needed for a solid ride, without tying the bike down when it comes to handling and manoeuvrability.
The battery is housed inside the downtube for strength and protection. It is not designed for trailside swaps but can be removed in minutes for service or travel when required. Every frame size runs the same full-capacity battery, with no cut-down capacity for smaller riders. Exact Wh figures will be revealed at launch, but through testing in the Dyfi Valley it’s proven good for 1600-2000 M of vertical.
Proper Fit, Across An Unmatched Size Range
True to Atherton’s Perfect Fit principles, the S.170E is offered in 12 frame sizes, starting from 415mm reach.
Crucially, every size receives the same motor system and full-capacity battery. Smaller riders get the same performance, range, and ride feel as larger riders, not compromised alternatives.
Key geometry figures include a 64° head angle and 77° seat angle, delivering confidence on steep descents while keeping climbing position efficient and poised.
S-Range Aluminium Chassis
The S.170E is built on Atherton’s S-Range aluminium platform, using subtractive-manufactured lugs and bonded tubes, all constructed from ultra-tough 7075 aluminium.
This approach delivers the strength and durability required for a full-power, gravity focussed EMTB, while giving Atherton the flexibility to offer our industry-leading range of 12 sizes, higher production capacity, and a more accessible entry point compared to our additive-manufactured platforms.
It also proved the most effective solution for EMTB design, allowing the team to accommodate motor cradle dimensions cleanly while precisely tuning stiffness and compliance to optimise ride feel.
Build Options
The S.170E is available in three complete builds, each centred around durability and on trail performance:
Build 1 (£8,999.00)
- Fox Factory suspension (38 fork / X2 shock)
- SRAM X0 Eagle Transmission, integrated with the Avinox drive system
- FSA carbon Gradient handlebar
Build 2 (£7,999.00)
- RockShox Ultimate suspension (ZEB fork / Vivid Air shock)
- SRAM GX Eagle Transmission, integrated with the Avinox drive system
- FSA alloy Gradient handlebar
Build 3 (£6,999.00)
- RockShox Select suspension (ZEB fork / Vivid Air shock)
- SRAM Eagle 90 Transmission
- FSA alloy Gradient handlebar
All builds come equipped with Hayes Dominion A4 brakes, Mavic E-Deemax wheels, and Continental Kryptotal tyres.
Presale numbers are limited to just 50 models. Additional bikes will be available at official launch, subject to standard production lead times. In 2026 only UK and EU customers will be able to order EMTB’s from Atherton, with global distribution planned later.
I think that it’s done like that because there is a new Avinox motor that is still embargoed. PB were inferring they have a lot of embargoed ebikes in for testing so an upgraded Avinox is not out of the realms of possibility especially when if you order one of these your not getting it for another 3 – 4 months
Not wanting to derail the thread but yeah it is, it’s an adult bicycle, so it’s included. You asked how people afford them, that is one of the ways. Others include earning a large salary and paying cash, or racking up the 0% credit card, take your pick.
“…is anyone going to ride one of these to work?”
My ebike is only 10mm less travel and I’ve been commuting on it daily for over 7 years. With the current weather I’m getting quite tired of being muddy all the time but the slipperiness makes my constantly knee-padded state feel justified…
If you got it on the bike to work scheme then you have proved yourself to not be a fiddler, Well done!
Don’t think our one is even called Bike to Work any more, there’s certainly no expectation for you to do that. It’s billed as a health benefit. I’d imagine there’s more chance of someone using an E-Bike to ride to work than a normal one?
I agree that it’s a problem that the low paid can’t access it but also understand why.
Of course not. I thought it was pretty obvious given the earlier comments on an embargo, that this was a new, as yet unannounced motor & battery so they are not allowed to show it or the specs.
The avinox 800wh battery is already lighter than most others, so if they can improve packaging further then a 900wh at the same weight as others 800wh.
If rumours are true then I expect this to use the new lower capacity option so around 700wh.
I’m hoping the motor is lower power & torque but.more efficient. I think that’s more important than the chase for bigger numbers.
Why is it a fiddle for the privileged?
A low wage person simply won’t earn enough to afford the bike, that’s not about privilege it’s about how much you earn
And yes every day I drive past a bloke going really really slowly on a full sus mtb on one of the busiest A rads in Wales. Completely the wrong tool for the job but he does it
Re batteries I thought current Avinox batteries were 600wh or 800wh. The 600wh is very comparable if not identical in weight to the 630wh in my Rise. Batteries are batteries, until someone comes up with a new tech
not entirely. The last jump in power density was moving from 18650 to 21700 cells. But there are now slightly higher wh cells than they’re using that might squeeze another 50-100 wh in about the same weight.
@FunkyDunc people on low wages are excluded from the scheme by the regulations if the monthly deductions takes them below minimum wage. So even a “cheap” bicycle to take them to work is excluded.
Have you seen how many £50k+ cars are on the road these days? I doubt many of those are bought outright, mostly PCP. £7k isn’t a lot if the finance package is right. The buyer might be thinking of interest or growth of an ISA on one hand, this on the other.
What the car / bike is worth at the end of the financing is another matter. 50 people aren’t worried about it and 50 units is still in very small batch territory – most of the specialist steel frame builders in Taiwan have single run MOQs higher than that. My mixed thoughts on E-MTB in general and DJI in particular aside, I think it’s good that people do value bikes enough to spend £5-10k on them. It’s not necessary to spend that much oc and I don’t really believe in trickle-down economics or the benefits of trickle-down tech, but it supports the wider industry and that ‘should’ be good for all bikes and riders. It’s certainly good when these frames are made in Wales.
@jameso “£7k isn’t a lot if the finance package is right. The buyer might be thinking of interest or growth of an ISA on one hand, this on the other.”
This just shows the huge disparity there is in our society. That amount of debt for a bicycle is unimaginable for a lot of people, having an ISA that gives that amount of interest is also unimaginable!
^ yeah, I realise – the wealth gap is growing and has been for some time and it’s not going the other way any time soon. It’s very wrong but it’s how it is.A quick search on average borrowing – “As of January 2026, the average UK household debt (excluding mortgages) is approximately £18,392. This figure has nearly doubled over the last decade and comprises various forms of consumer credit and education-related borrowing."So this bike is under half the average UK household debt. Yes it’s a lot of £ for a bike but also it’s not worthy of mention RE this particular bike imho. In many ways I see this one as justifying the cost more than many, based on where and how it’s made.
I agree. Even compared to other bikes in their ranges it looks good value.
Then when you look at an Amflow it looks even better value. I bet there are a few Amflow owners kicking themselves now, and we will see a few Amflows coming on the 2nd hand market
Whilst I wholly agree that the increasing financial disparity across most of the developed world since the 1960s is appalling (someone recently said that that decade was the time when global capitalisation turned from wealth generation to wealth concentration), I don’t think a thread about UK made e-bikes is the right place for it.
I too run a UK based manufacturing business and it is a total nightmare to actually turn a profit whilst making affordable products. The list of bike companies who actually make their own bikes is very short, and even shorter when they’re making them in the west.
Atherton’s approach to UK manufacturing is both unique and innovative – the 3D printed titanium + carbon frames are inevitably very expensive but to make more affordable bikes they didn’t just get a far east manufacturer to make alloy versions of these, they found a way to make alloy bikes in the UK. (That’s not easy because we don’t have the alloy frame supply chain and skills here – but machined lugs and adhesive make for a frame that can be made here at a competitive price and although it can’t be quite as light as more complex hydroforming, it makes for an incredible strong and durable frame).
If your idea of mountain biking is essentially a wheeled version of what the ramblers do then this bike is not for you. The Athertons own Dyfi Bike Park and all their bikes are made to handle really gnarly riding – has anyone heard of anyone breaking one yet? This first ebike of theirs is basically a freeride bike with uplift assistance – it’s going to be built to take an absolute beating for years and years. No, it’s not good value for pootling along bridleways, but I suspect it’s good value if you want a bike you can trust to get very big air, smash through endless rock gardens and then pedal to the top again without needing an uplift. And do that for years.
No, it’s not a cheap hobby, and yes many people can’t afford such a hobby. But that’s not really relevant. Atherton have made an ebike. It looks like it’s really good. It’s price competitive with bikes made in places with much lower costs (often for less than brilliant ethical reasons). They’re employing people to manufacture it in the UK. I hope it’s a huge success (and when my hard-working ebike finally dies I’d rather like a slightly shorter travel version of this).
Too right. I’m far from a high earner, but I have an £8k ebike. If i didn’t have one, I reckon I’d find some dosh out of my savings for the Atherton. As it was my £8k bike was bought 2nd hand for half that … still a stupid amount of money to someone not into bikes. Or, it seems a lot of people into bikes! But when you need something, you need it! 😁
[edit] actually, thinking about that for a second, nah, I wouldn’t spend that much on an ebike. Plenty good enough for me at the £4/5k mark. Still nice to see something that used to be called Bike Porn in one of the mags.
I bet the realistic sale price of a used Amflow is a bitter pill for owners. They might end up riding them into the ground.
amazes me how many people on here are still surprised that top end mountain bikes are expensive. twas ever thus
I’m one of the no’s from the other thread so no interest in purchasing one of these, but I think it’s fantastic we have UK companies designing and manufacturing innovative bikes like this.
Yup, if the idea of a bike costing 7k upsets you, you’re in the wrong place. Never spent that myself but probably would if I could?
@chiefgrooveguru +1. They’re doing good things and I’m pleased to see it developing into more bikes and a bigger brand. In a bike industry where there’s so much me-too and outsourcing, all power and success to them.
TBH I thought it looked good value up against the rest.
Maybe. But if you have to have the latest and greatest all the time, it’s an expensive way to live, get used to it. There will be something better than the DJI motor soon enough.
I think that is the reality for most ebike owners, no? Unless you flog it at a decent loss towards the end of a warranty period. I tried selling my Focus after having a new motor fitted a few years back and didn’t have a jot of interest at what was a pretty reasonable price. I wouldn’t buy one 2nd hand myself tbh.
The most amazing thing about the amflow is that it is, according to a YouTube bike tester that I bumped into while riding, a catalog frame. A good one, but still an off the shelf frame.
Re the battery on the atherton, I read that it is good for 2000 meters of climbing. That would give an indication of its size.
speaking of that, I’d amount of elevation gain a normal metric for e-bikes? Ive not looked into them, so I’m not familiar with the measurements.
Price wise it seems pretty competitive to me, and like supporting UK firms even if it means a bit of a premium.
Problem is not the RRP, it’s that you won’t be able to pick one up for 4k in the sales like most other brands.
Smart folks at Atherton if so.
“Bloke said, down the pub.. " : )
“elevation gain a normal metric for e-bikes”
It would be useful if we all weighed the same and used the same ratio of power assistance to human power. But we don’t so it’s neither useful nor normal. I’m sure it’ll be a decent sized battery, to be honest everything is much of a muchness.
One day this week on my old ebike I used 60% of the battery (500Wh new, claims to be at 90% max capacity so 450Wh now) in about 10 miles and 1000’ of ascent because it was ridiculously muddy and I was in a hurry – and then rode it with the power mostly off because I wanted to save the rest of the battery for my rush home later in the day.
Is anyone else simultaneously going “Oh that’s astonishingly cheap" and “It costs HOW MUCH?" Schrodinger’s Pricetag has struck bigtime for me.It does basically feel like they could have charged more, since unless they’ve added a lot of production capacity they’re probably production-limited at this point rather than market-limited? Which is an awesome place to be as a manufacturer but does normally mean you price as high as you can.Though as Kamakazie says maybe the intention is to sell every last one at this price and never discount anything, which could easily work out a higher profit rate over the life of the thing.