Staff Bike Check: Mat’s Cannondale Moterra SL
E-bikes. Love them or loathe them, they’re here to stay. Evolving at a moderate rate since 2016 or so when they first started to gain traction within the MTB community, recent years have brought a real change in what an E-bike can do. Up until relatively recently, the bikes could only really be described as rather portly with most weighing 25kg or more with a 600wh battery and a full power motor. Then a few years ago the rise of the ‘SL’ category started. They had less battery range and less torque, but more importantly to some, less weight and a ride feel more akin to what enthusiast mountain bikers were used to.
2024 has brought a new range of bike, spearheaded by the Cannondale Moterra SL. SL weight, as the name suggests, but with the power and range of the bigger bikes. A tantalising mixture if true!
I’ve been on the Moterra SL for a few months now and it’s safe to say I’m sold on the hype. I’ve known for a good while now that one day I would be on an e-bike as it just makes so much sense given the fact that you can do a day’s worth of normal riding in just a few hours. But, I knew the type of bike that I was after. I’ve been lucky enough to ride a fair few e-bikes through my head mechanic position at Tweed Valley Bikes, but spending most time on the Nukeproof Megawatt and Santa Cruz Heckler 9. Both of these fall solidly into the full power category and come with the weight numbers to prove it - there’s no getting around their heft on and off the trail and for someone of my 80kg stature, they’re a bit of a handful to throw around.
So what’s different about the Moterra SL and what made me want to part with my own hard earned money? (Mat doesn’t work that hard really) There are a few things that really piqued my interest; the power and battery range with the Shimano EP801 motor system, the amount of suspension travel, the sizing and geometry, and perhaps most importantly, the weight.
Let’s start with what makes an e-bike an e-bike; the drive system. I’m in the fortunate position to work on Shimano equipped bikes every week so I get a first hand viewpoint into reliability and in comparison to most motors out there, the EP801 system has proven, so far, to be very reliable. I’m very comfortable working on the STEPS systems, and Shimano are incredibly fast with warranty support so I was confident that any arising issue I could sort quickly.
The geometry is something that was very interesting. The very slack head angle and nice long chainstays produce a wheelbase that is also relatively long for each given size. At 178cm tall, Cannondale’s size chart puts me on a large, but I know that a 1280mm+ wheelbase, coupled with the extra weight of a motor and battery would be almost uncontrollably big. I’ve opted for a medium, but swapped out the stock 40mm stem for a 50mm just for a little more room. With the bike’s headset in the slack position (the headset gives 1.4° of adjustment between 62.5° and 63.9°), the wheelbase feels spot on for me, which I think is one of the more important sizing factors in most modern mountain bikes. The option to run a 27.5” or a 29” rear wheel through a flip chip at the top of the seat stay was another plus point as most e-bikes on the market, and definitely the ones I’ve ridden, come in a fixed mixed wheel set up, be it for motor packaging or handling reasons. I was excited to try the big wheels front and back, being a fan of full 29”. As expected, I’m much more comfortable with the dual 29” set up having recently switched.
The 150/160mm travel was something nice to see here too. A lot of bikes with the ‘SL’ label,come with travel numbers that would place them in the ‘trail’ rather than the ‘enduro’ category, so having a 160mm travel fork was a requirement. With angles as progressive as they are, would I like to see more travel? Probably yes, but there has to be compromise somewhere! More travel would likely mean more tube reinforcement for harder riding which would lead to more weight.
Now the big one, let’s talk weight, the quintessential e-bike comparison metric used a selling point, ride character definition and the Moterra SL’s trump card. My bike, with the spec changes I’ve made (Mats changes have actually made his bike slightly heavier, rather than lighter), is a hair under 22kg. Hats off to Cannondale here, as for a 150/160mm full power bike with Double Down Maxxis tyres, a rear insert, and absolutely no regard for weight saving on my part, I think that’s impressive. There are a couple of bikes on the market now that come close, but Cannondale is still in the lead. Would a burly SL bike ride even better down hill at 20kg? Potentially, but a 2kg weight penalty for the bigger battery and full power motor is worth it for me.
In terms of spec and set up, there’s been a plethora of changes from how it arrived, to the point where I’m currently only using the stock dropper post and shock. Speaking of droppers, a 170mm post on a medium size is a breath of fresh air.
Mat's Full Custom Build
Fork: Rockshox Lyrik Ultimate 160mm - XXpsi, 3 volume spacers
Shock: Fox Float X Performance - XXpsi, X volume spacers
Wheelset: Hope Pro 5 on Reserve HD|30 AL
Tyres: Front Maxxis Assegai DD Maxxgrip 20psi, Rear Maxxis Minion DHR II DD Maxxterra 25psi with Rimpact insert
Stem: Renthal Apex, 50mm reach, 31.8mm clamp
Handlebar: Renthal Fatbar, 31.8mm clamp, 30mm rise, 760mm width
Grips: Cannondale
Brakes: Shimano XT M8100/M820 Saint with 203mm RT86 rotors, metal compound pads
Drivetrain: Shimano M8100 12spd XT, 165mm cranks, 10-45 cassette
Seatpost: Cannondale 170mm
Pedals: Deity T-Ma
My views on e-bikes generally a few months into owning one? Largely exaggerated from my views before I made the plunge - they’re great. With the lack of interchangeable battery the option to run laps in boost mode all day long isn’t there with the Moterra SL, but what I do get is a ride that is about 25% longer than my previous enduro bike rides but compressed into less than half the time. With the rise enduro racing and the EWS (now EDR World Cup), the weights of enduro bikes have been steadily climbing over the last few years to the point where they’re now in line with DH bikes, thus getting them up the hill is not something that happens quickly for folk of average fitness, and many of the heavier bikes now weigh upwards of 17kgs.
Is the regular bike dead for me then? Not yet, but the performance gap between a good enduro mountain bike and an E-bike is narrower than ever, and the evolution of E-bikes means they now offer a tempting combination of climbing speed and descending capability. The best way I can describe E-bike riding for me is that it turns every small riding spot into a bike park, with that same feeling of “shall we just head up and do another run? Won’t take long!”. Quicker, action packed rides that leave many hours of the day free for other activities. For the people that have endless hours in the day this ride time decrease won’t be a factor, but knowing I can get 1500m of descending done in under two hours is one heck of a motivator to get out when I otherwise wouldn’t - spring and autumn evenings with limited after work daylight is the prime example.
I can see the argument of weight might still factor in for some, as even a 22kg bike will still feel heavy for smaller riders, but for now I wouldn’t consider another enduro bike as the Moterra SL does everything an enduro bike can but a whole lot faster - my mountain bike rides will be taken care of by a short travel XC bike. I don’t really notice the extra weight now, it's become the new normal.
Has Mat got you convinced? We’ve got 20% off our remaining stock of Moterra SL1 and SL2 bikes, so you’ll not find a better moment to make the switch.
☎️ 01896 831429
📧 shop@tweedvalleybikes.co.uk
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