Limited availability of 50 bikes and first deliveries scheduled for April/May. Form an orderly queue.
There already is a thread 😉
Modes close this quick !
Atherton E-bike development series – Bike Forum – Singletrack World Magazine Forum
Looks good. Now I just need to find a spare £7,000 😄
Maybe by the time I've saved up my concerns about the motor long term durability will have been addressed.
Looks decent so far. Quite like the normal looking but big down tube and how it integrates with head tube and top tube. Looks better than most.
First batch sold out already - good business. Sounds like a lot of people have been waiting for this.
Interesting that you can order one but they still don’t have a battery capacity on the website.But it looks like a serious entry into the market
Interesting that you can order one but they still don’t have a battery capacity on the website.But it looks like a serious entry into the market
Very odd that they're not revealing that. Makes me wonder if it's small and they thought that would be the focus of comment if they announced it.
They're talking about a 'handling first' design - smaller, lighter battery would be consistent with that.
Anyone who orders now can cancel before production starts. Assume they’ll have all the info before that time.
Was there a power cut during the photo shoot, very trendy if you are doing a perfume ad with a super model, but it would be nice to actually see the bike!
I'm sure that will follow, given how many £5-10k eMTBs are at trail centres these days I'm think they'll sell out of the initial production run quickly and I assume they make a bit more margin on complete bikes so makes sense to only offer those to start with.
Interesting that you can order one but they still don’t have a battery capacity on the website
As with hiding the motor... there is an embargo on the new batteries.
RE an embargo on the motor and the battery - You can't see the battery, in fact that bike in the pics may not even have one installed. As for the motor, the headline says its an Avinox so whats to hide, we have all seen them on Amflows and other makes? These are not valid excuses for poor photographs. Either put it out there or don't.
You can't see the battery but if the specs are different to current batteries then you would know that if they listed them e.g. capacity increase of 100wh on both sizes (as rumoured).
Same for the motor if it looks different, is more compact, might be a lighter lower power variant rather than just a v2 etc.
Right then, prices start at £7000? The first 50 are spoken for, who are all these people who can afford that much money for a bicycle?
Certainly no one that I know, I’m worried that what is seen as the high entry cost to this pastime is putting people off and eventually the bubble will burst again as it did during the “road cycling is the new golf” phase.
These bikes will be obsolete by the end of the year anyway when the latest fad of 32” wheels takes over!
You can't see the battery but if the specs are different to current batteries then you would know that if they listed them e.g. capacity increase of 100wh on both sizes (as rumoured).
Same for the motor if it looks different, is more compact, might be a lighter lower power variant rather than just a v2 etc.
Are you suggesting Avinox have developed something just for Atherton? I would doubt it. Also I doubt you would really want more than an 800wh battery based on weight.
I reckon the bike will be 25/26kg minimum as it is
Its a shame just like all emtbs they mention nothing about sustainability. With a lifetime warranty , does that mean when in 2 years time Avinox do change their battery/motor design they will re weld your frame to take the next version 🤣
Right then, prices start at £7000? The first 50 are spoken for, who are all these people who can afford that much money for a bicycle?
*waves* (Not this particular bicycle) Plenty of folk have been waiting for this, as when they first formed/did the original crowdfund there was mention of them doing an e-bike. That and Athertons offer cyclescheme. So £350ish a month for a higher rate taxpayer? Less if they paid the deposit in cash to secure it (yeah I know, no top ups etc, but there’s ways round it) then use the voucher to pay the balance.
So it’s eligible for the “cycle to work scheme”? Is this the scheme that excludes people who could actually need a bicycle, the unemployed and low income?
The scheme (and many other salary sacrifice schemes) are a disgrace, is anyone going to ride one of these to work?
It’s a “nod and a wink” fiddle for the already privileged.
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
So it’s eligible for the “cycle to work scheme”? Is this the scheme that excludes people who could actually need a bicycle, the unemployed and low income?
The scheme (and many other salary sacrifice schemes) are a disgrace, is anyone going to ride one of these to work?
It’s a “nod and a wink” fiddle for the already privileged.
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!
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.
You can't see the battery but if the specs are different to current batteries then you would know that if they listed them e.g. capacity increase of 100wh on both sizes (as rumoured).
Same for the motor if it looks different, is more compact, might be a lighter lower power variant rather than just a v2 etc.
Are you suggesting Avinox have developed something just for Atherton? I would doubt it. Also I doubt you would really want more than an 800wh battery based on weight.
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.
It’s a “nod and a wink” fiddle for the already privileged.
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
It’s a “nod and a wink” fiddle for the already privileged.
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.
Right then, prices start at £7000? The first 50 are spoken for, who are all these people who can afford that much money for a bicycle?
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.
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).
But that’s not really relevant. Atherton have made an ebike. It looks like it’s really good
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.
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
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.
I bet there are a few Amflow owners kicking themselves now, and we will see a few Amflows coming on the 2nd hand market
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.
