With a descent-focused mentality and manageable weight, Eminent’s first eMTB strikes an impressive balance of stability and responsiveness ideal for aggressive riders.
With every bike brand launching an eMTB over the past few years, manufacturers are taking a few angles when developing their electric machines. Some modify existing models to accommodate a motor, while others start from scratch with a completely new design. Some are going for the ‘more is better’ approach and jamming the biggest battery they can fit into their bike, while others are going for the ‘rides like a mountain bike’ approach and shooting for the lowest weight possible.
Eminent Cycles, the small, boutique mountain bike company out of Southern California, has always chosen to take their own path when it comes to suspension design and frame layout. When they embarked on developing their first e-steed, Eminent took the opportunity to reimagine their existing platform. After over three years of development, Eminent launched the Drive at the end of 2021, featuring a high-pivot iteration of their Active Float System suspension design. The Drive still bleeds Eminent DNA but is an all-new beast. Built around Shimano’s popular EP8 motor but with a modest 504 watt-hour battery, the Drive slots into a blurry category of not being a ‘full-size’ eMTB but still offering ungoverned pedal assistance. With a middle-of-the-road weight and a descent-focused mentality, we were excited to see how Eminent’s debut into the electric world would perform on trail.
- Jason Schroeder “World Cup downhill racer turned desk jockey”
