i.
State range honestly
We quote distances for a loaded bike on a mixed day, with a headwind somewhere in it. If the figure looks modest, that's because it's the one you'll actually get.
About
We build bicycles for distance and load.
MotiveTrail E-Bikes exists for a particular kind of rider: the one who wants to go further, or carry more, without getting in a car.
Most electric bikes are designed for the first ten minutes of a ride — the showroom spin, the quick lap of the car park. We are more interested in hour six. That's when a poorly balanced frame starts to wear on your shoulders, when an optimistic battery estimate turns into a long push uphill, and when a strange bolt size means a roadside repair becomes a taxi.
So we started with the long day. Our touring bikes are drawn around a full set of luggage and a rider who might be in the saddle from breakfast to dusk. Our cargo bikes are drawn around the weekly shop, two small passengers and a hill that nobody warned you about.
Why dealers, not just a website
We could sell everything online and ship it in a box. Some brands do, and it works for some bikes. It doesn't suit ours. A touring or cargo e-bike needs to be fitted, explained and — sooner or later — serviced. That's a job for a local shop, and we would rather share the margin with them than leave riders stranded.
Our shop pages exist mainly to help riders find a nearby stockist. Our real storefronts are the workshops that carry our bikes.
What we hold to
Four principles, written in the margin of every drawing.
ii.
Make it mendable
Standard parts wherever we can, clear service documentation, and frames that a competent mechanic can work on without proprietary tools.
iii.
Carry more, fuss less
Mounting points in the places people actually need them, kickstands that hold a full load, and weight placed low so the bike stays calm.
iv.
Sell through people
A long tour or a family cargo bike is a considered purchase. It belongs in a shop with someone who'll fit it and fix it.
Want to see them in person?
We're building our dealer network now. If you run a shop, we'd love to talk. If you're a rider, tell us where you are and we'll point you to the nearest test ride as soon as one exists.