It’s always refreshing to see the occasional dirty bike in the otherwise sterile environment that is Eurobike, a reminder that the fantastic array of new bicycles on display are actually for riding (mostly). At the Gates Carbon Drive booth, we set eyes on what has to be one of our show highlights; a Crossworx Trip 290 eMTB with the new 55 Nm Bosch Performance Line SX motor, and a Gates Carbon Drive combined with the Classified Powershift Hub.
Crossworx Trip 290 Prototype eMTB
We’re looking at a prototype here, rolling on 29″ wheels with a CompactTube 400 Wh battery inside the downtube and 140mm of rear wheel travel. The Crossworx’ Trip290 eBike runs the same linkage-driven single-pivot layout we see on their regular bikes like the Dash 275 and Dash 290, and the Lite 290. The aluminum frame is hand built in Germany.
This is Crossworx’ first eMTB, and the first time we have seen the Classified Powershift Hub paired with a Gates Carbon Drive, or any belt-drive for that matter. What looks to be a single-speed eBike is in fact a two-speed eBike, thanks to the internally geared hub that we have recently seen bring 2x drivetrains back into the world of mountain biking.
A 48T chainring is paired with a 24T cog on the hub to give a gear 2:1 ratio. But, the Classified Powershift Hub can deliver a second gear ratio of 1:0.7, giving an effective chainring size of 24T. So, you have two gear options with no derailleur on the front or the rear.
From a geometry standpoint, the Crossworx Trip 290 is most similar to the Lite 290, but with a slacker 65° head tube angle and 10mm more rear wheel travel. For reference, it has a reach of around 475mm in large with a 447mm chainstay length.
Availability
As it is still under development, Crossworx won’t be ready to take orders for the Trip 290 eMTB until autumn or winter of this year. It’s too early to give mention of any pricing, but we are told the Trip 290 will be offered across four frame sizes We’ll bring you guys more information on this new eBike as soon as possible.
