Review: First ride: Moustache Samedi 27 Trail 9
Overview
- Beautiful motor integration
- Excellent suspension performance
- Light for a full-suspension e-MTB
- Only the price, really
If you're looking for a high-quality, good looking trail e-MTB with almost flawless motor integration, and money is no object, then the Moustache Samedi 27 Trail 9 should be high on your list. The carbon frame is both beautiful and cleverly designed to integrate the motor and battery, the suspension performance is impressive and the finishing kit is everything you'd expect from a high-ticket bike.
The Samedi 27 Trail bikes start with the 3, which is an alloy frame and a 400Wh battery with entry-level kit, and go up from there. This isn't the most expensive bike in the range – the Limited build with SRAM Eagle and a Rock Shox RS1 carbon fork will set you back north of seven grand – but it is a high-end build. Here you're getting a Fox 34 Performance 140mm fork, matching the 140mm of travel in the frame that's controlled by a custom-tuned 2-position shock. It's branded as Moustache but it looks like a Rock Shox Monarch unit. The transmission is a SRAM X01/GX mix and SRAM also supply the Guide RE 200/180 hydraulic disc brakes.
Like many new e-MTBs the Samedi Trail 9 used the 27.5+ wheel format, with the Boost axle standard that gives a slightly wider wheel for better stiffness. The 35mm rims are shod with Maxxis Rekon 2.8" tyres and the tyre/rim setup is tubeless-ready.
What really sets the Moustache apart from many other bikes we've seen is the frame and motor integration. The power train is standard – a Bosch Performance Line CX motor and a 500Wh battery, with an Intuvia display – but the first time we saw the Samedi 27 Trail 9 we assumed they were working with a new motor manufacturer. It doesn't look anything like a standard Bosch installation, with the battery on the down tube and the motor bolted on to the bottom bracket mount. At first glance you'd hardly know it was power assisted.
Moustaceh have been working very hard with this bike to get the motor and battery integrated into the lines of the bike. The battery isn't visible at all; it lives in the downtube and is concealed by a spring-loaded cover.
Flip the lid and you can see that it's a standard Bosch Powerpack. But the integration into the carbon down tube is neat and the cover cleans up the lines of the bike considerably. The cover doesn't rattle, either.
The same care has been taken with the motor integration: there's a custom casing for the Bosch unit, and Moustache have used different colours to break up the shape of the motor and make it appear smaller. That's a trick we've seen on a number of bikes for 2017. It works, too. The carbon front end of the bike is mated to a hydroformed alloy rear triangle giving 140mm of travel, and the whole bike weighs in at under 22kg which is impressive for a mid-travel bike with a big battery.
All this work would be for naught if the Moustache didn't deliver in terms of ride though, so we're happy to report that it's an excellent trail companion and lots of fun to pilot. In terms of geometry there aren't any surprises; I was riding a Large frame and in terms of numbers it's very similar to the Cube Stereo we're currently testing; a little bit longer in the reach and lower at the front, but not much. It's a comfortable trail position and the bike felt agile and responded well to input at the bars, the stiff Fox 34 and wider Boost wheelset helping there.
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Suspension performance was good at the front and the rear, and also very well balanced. The weight of the bike is centralised and the custom-tuned shock and fork make short work of easier trails. There's masses of grip available from the big Maxxis tyres and the bike climbs under power extremely well with minimal suspension bob even with the rear shock in the open position. I didn't bother much with closing it down, as e-MTBs tend to climb better when you're seated and that's doubly true with full suspension bikes. The Samedi 27 Trail 9 coped well with bigger hits too, the extra weight in the frame making it a bit harder to wrestle over tricky terrain but keeping the suspension active even when your bodyweight isn't on the saddle.
There's not a lot to say about the Bosch Performance Line CX motor that I haven't said before: it's a well-honed system that offers masses of power and responds well to user input at the pedals. 75Nm of torque – the maximum available in Turbo mode – is too much for anything other than grippy hardpack trails; you'll want to toggle down through the modes in the wet or on soft ground to stop your rear wheel spinning out. It's nice to have though, and great for fire road and tarmac climbs. Sticking to Tour/Eco also massively extends the bike's range. I've managed 45km and 2,200m of climbing on similarly-specced bikes and the Moustache will cope with some big day rides on a single charge if you're careful. If you don't have long and just want to have fun on the downhill bits – and the uphill bits get more fun too under power – then you can easily burn through a battery in 20km if you're looping round a trail centre. Bring your charge and ask nicely at the cafe and you can get plenty of charge in the battery over lunch for another quick blast in the afternoon though...
Anything not to like about the Moustache? Well, not really. The only sticking point is the price: Santa will have to really believe you've been good for this £5,499 bike to land in your stocking, and if you're not sold on carbon you can get similarly-specced bikes for a lot less. But there aren't many carbon full-suspension e-MTBs out there, and this is a great bike that looks good and matches that with excellent trail manners. If you have the money, why not treat yourself?
Frame | JUST CARBON_ technology, Toray T700 fibres - Variable thickness hydroformed aluminium Rear Triangle - 140mm travel - Hidden Power Technology - Hollow alloy/carbon link - Tapered head tube - 27.5 Plus - Boost |
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Shock absorber | Specific MOUSTACHE Air Shock - 2-position Platform - Dynamic control of rebound, Grip Control Evo, for a better traction - Adjustable air pressure and rebound - 200x51 |
Fork | Fox 34 Float Performance 140 mm - ebike specific - 27.5 Plus - 15mm Boost |
Motor | BOSCH Performance CX 250W - 40/75 Nm - Assistance from 40 to 300% - 25 km/h - 1000 measurements/second - Powerful - Compact |
Battery pack | Integrated BOSCH Li ION PowerPack 500 - 36v 13,8Ah - 500Wh - Full charge in 4.5 hours, 50% in 2 hours - 2,5 kg - 60 % minimum residual capacity after 30,000 km |
Range | 50 to 160 km at 20 km/h on a flat road (for a 70kg rider) - 30 to 80 km with varied use, depending on mode chosen, wind, gradient, etc |
Display | BOSCH Intuvia central with separate control unit - 5 modes (Eco, Tour, Sport, Turbo, Off) - Walk assist - Information available offline - USB port to recharge MP3 player, mobile phone, etc |
Drivetrain | Sram X01 11 vitesses, ultra large amplitude 14x11/46, capacités démesurées |
Shifter | Sram GX 11S |
Crankset | Exclusives Moustache reinforced and forged alloy cranks - 14T motor cog (=35) |
Brakes | À disques hydrauliques Sram Guide RE 200/180 |
Hubs | Alloy CNC with industrial bearings - Boost - Front 15 x110 - Rear 12 x 148 |
Rims | Exclusives Moustache 27.5" - 35mm - Asymmetric - Double wall alloy - Welded - Compatible with tubeless (with flap) - 32 holes |
Tires | MAXXIS REKON 27.5x2.8 - Tubeless Ready - Dual density - Exo protection |
Saddle | FIZIK Tundra 2 Mg |
Seatpost | Drop Seat Post - Hydraulic, Remote lever - 31,6x315 travel 60 mm (S) - 31,6x380 travel 125 mm (M+L) |
Handlebar | Cintre Alu DB 760 mm - Rize 12 mm - 6°up - 9° back - Potence CNC 60 mm |
Pedals | Alloy, wide plateform |
Size | 40 (1,55 to 1,70 m) - 44 (1,68 to 1,85 m) - 50 (1,83 to 1,95 m) approximately |
Weight | 21,1 kg (tubeless) |