Steamboat Springs, Colorado-based bike manufacturer Moots has no shortage of two-wheeled eye-candy in its selection of high-end bicycles. The brand caters not only to cyclists who demand top quality for their bikes, but also for performance-oriented cyclists looking to eke out the most from their bicycles.
Moots has recognized the rapidly growing popularity of electric bicycles, and has unveiled its very first e-bike. Dubbed the Moots Express, this electric gravel bike is built to Moots’ exacting standards, and is so sleek that it can be easy to miss the fact that it’s actually an e-bike, especially when it’s in motion. Moots has managed to keep the bike’s silhouette extremely streamlined, all while integrating a removable battery into the bike’s downtube.
For performance, Moots relies heavily on technology from Shimano – both for the motor and the mechanical components of the express. It’s rocking a Shimano EP801 motor which dishes out 60 Newton-meters of torque. The EP801 also has an intelligent auto-shifting feature that adjusts assist level depending on rider input. This means that it can detect uphill sections and deliver more power, while at the same time throttling down on flat and downhill terrain to save battery.
Speaking of the battery, the Moots Express houses a Shimano 504-watt-hour battery pack within the downtube. It offers a maximum range of 100 miles, but Moots makes it clear that this varies on terrain, riding style, elevation gain, and even tire pressure.
Moots retains a very familiar cockpit configuration for the Express, utilizing Shimano GRX shifters for the rear derailleur, as well as motor assist controls integrated into the left hand shifter. Despite featuring sleek and elegant lines, the frame can be configured with a variety of accessories to boost versatility. There’s a pair of bottle holders on the front triangle, as well as multiple mounts on the frame that can accept bags, racks, and fenders. So yes, the Moots Express could very well be set up as a bike camping rig.
The bike rolls on Shimano GRX carbon wheels shod in Panaracer GravelKing+ tires. As mentioned earlier, it runs a mostly-Shimano array of parts including a LinkGlide chain, cassette, and chainring designed specifically to withstand the rigors of e-bike use. It makes use of a 1×11 drivetrain with a 47-tooth chainring and an 11/50-tooth wide-ratio rear cassette.
All this technology results in quite a lightweight e-bike, with the Express weighing in at just 33 pounds. It’s offered in sizes S, M, L, and XL, and unsurprisingly, retails for a hefty $9,999 USD.