Mountain bike specialist NOX Cycles has been in the game since 2004. Over the years, it has specialized in a variety of mountain bikes ranging from cross-country, to all-mountain, to enduro. This time around, it seeks to reinvent the electric mountain bike segment with its Epium e-MTB, with its lightness and technology taking the spotlight.
The NOX Epium is the lightest electric bicycle in the brand’s model range, and pairs a lightweight carbon frame to the Fazua Ride 60 system—one of the lightest e-bike systems in the world. Weighing in at just 2.7 kilograms, the Epium’s frame is made even more special by its adaptability. By altering the linkage system of the rear suspension and swapping out the rear shock, you can adjust the frame’s geometry to suit either an all-mountain or enduro setup, which essentially means you have two bikes in one.
More specifically, the Epium has NOX’s proprietary ‘Flex Linkage’ suspension design that equipes flip chips at either end of the shock, as well as another one at the rear dropout. This allows you to finetune the bike’s geometry, and even run mixed wheel sizes. There are two different build options for the Nox Epium: all-mountain and enduro. The Epium All-Mountain 5.9 models have 29-inch wheels, 160mm forks, and 150mm of rear wheel travel. The Epium Enduro 7.1 models, on the other hand, have longer 180mm front and rear travel, but run a mullet setup with wheels measuring 29 inches up front and 27.5 inches at the back.
Now, apart from the bike’s adaptability, NOX’s Epium has the Fazua Ride 60 system going for it, an e-bike powertrain that is touted as the lightest, most natural-feeling in the market. It consists of a 250W electric motor that churns out 60 Nm of torque. The system has a built-in 430 Wh battery pack tucked into the downtube keeping the center of gravity low, and the assembly light and compact. Furthermore, the Ride 60 system is praised for its ease of use, with an auto on and off feature, as well as an intuitive LED display mounted onto the bike’s toptube. It also features wireless smartphone connectivity.
When it comes to pricing, you already know that this bike isn’t going to be cheap. The most affordable build of the Epium, the Core, starts at 8,600 Euros, or approximately $8,358 USD. For that money, you get a Shimano Deore 1x10 drivetrain with a Marzocchi fork and Fox rear shock. For 9,200 Euros (approximately $8,942 USD), the Pro version gets a Shimano SLX 1x12 drivetrain with Fox Performance suspension. At the top of the food chain sits the Ultra, at 10,900 Euros ($10,594 USD), which boasts an XTR drivetrain and Fox Factory suspension. Oh yeah, you’ll need to add 100 Euros for an enduro-spec build with longer travel.
