Marin says its newly redesigned Alpine Trail E enduro eMTB is built around handling, battery placement and Bosch backup, rather than headline-grabbing power figures.
The launch of the new full-power enduro eMTB says something interesting about where electric mountain bikes may be heading.
Yes, it has Bosch’s latest Performance Line CX motor. Yes, there’s an 800Wh battery. Yes, it has 170mm of fork travel, 160mm at the rear and aggressive geometry.
However, the more interesting news is what Marin hasn’t done with the new Alpine Trail E.
At a time when DJI’s Avinox motors have made peak power and torque the biggest talking points in the eMTB world, Marin has gone with Bosch and a different message: that handling, battery packaging, reliability and service support matter more than winning the spec arms race.
“The main objective with the Alpine Trail E was to make the best handling full-power eMTB,” Marin’s Matt Cipes told BikeRadar.
“Bosch’s energy dense and short (423mm) 800Wh battery is absolutely the key to unlocking the magic. Reducing weight on the front end of the bike improves handling, making a bike that’s awesome to ride. Pair that with Bosch’s proven reliability track record and extensive service network and it was an easy decision,” Cipes continued.
Marin is effectively saying it wants the bike to ride like a non-assisted enduro bike first, with the motor system chosen to support that rather than dominate the story.
Cipes added: “For Marin the overall package is key and while some attributes may look super spicy on paper, it is the sum of all parts that matters. We feel strongly that the ride of the Alpine Trail E will speak for itself.”
A Bosch-powered full-power eMTB
The new Alpine Trail E uses Bosch’s Gen 5 Performance Line CX motor, which Marin says delivers 120Nm of torque, up to 750W of power, and 600 per cent assistance.
That still puts it in serious full-power territory, even if Marin isn’t chasing the most extreme peak numbers.
All three models get an 800Wh Bosch PowerTube battery, removable with a single Allen key for off-bike charging or swapping. Marin says the battery fits every frame size, including the small.
There’s useful battery flexibility, too. The Alpine Trail E can accept Bosch’s smaller 600Wh battery without extra hardware, saving a claimed 900g for shorter rides, uplift days or lighter-feeling laps.
Riders chasing maximum range can add Bosch’s 250Wh PowerMore range extender, giving a potential 1,050Wh total capacity.
Every model also gets Bosch’s Kiox 400C colour display, integrated into the top tube, with connectivity to the Bosch eBike Flow app for ride tracking, route planning and motor tuning.
Lighter and cleaner than before
Marin says the new Alpine Trail E is 1,345g lighter than the previous model. That isn’t down solely to the Bosch system. The Series 4 aluminium frame has been redesigned, with Marin claiming nearly 445g of frame weight has been removed from areas including the rocker link, seatstay clevises, chainstay bridge and dropouts.
The frame keeps the practical fixtures you’d expect from a hard-use eMTB, including weather-sealed internal cable routing, SRAM’s Universal Derailleur Hanger, Boost 148x12mm rear spacing, chainstay and down-tube protection, tool bosses under the top tube and two sets of down-tube bosses for a bottle or Bosch range extender.
Marin also says ground clearance around the motor and down tube area has increased by 37mm, helped by a slimmer motor housing and down tube.
160mm of MultiTrac 2 suspension
The Alpine Trail E gets 160mm of rear-wheel travel from Marin’s MultiTrac 2 suspension layout, paired with a 170mm fork.
Marin describes the rear suspension as a Horst-link system designed to balance support, progression and sensitivity for aggressive enduro riding.
The brand says it worked directly with RockShox and X-Fusion on custom shock tunes for the Alpine Trail E, rather than fitting off-the-shelf dampers.
All three models use a mixed-wheel setup, with a 29in front wheel and 27.5in rear wheel. That gives Marin the now-familiar enduro eMTB blend of front-wheel rollover and confidence with a shorter, more manoeuvrable rear end.
Aggressive, adjustable geometry
In its baseline setup – mixed wheels, short chainstays, high bottom bracket and middle headset position – the Alpine Trail E has a 63.5-degree head angle across all four sizes.
Reach starts at 435mm on the small, then grows to 460mm on the medium, 490mm on the large and 520mm on the XL.
Stack heights run from 620mm to 646mm, while the effective seat tube angle is 78.5 degrees across the range. Chainstay length is 442mm in the short setting, with a 352.2mm bottom bracket height.
Wheelbase measurements run from 1,234mm on the small to 1,330mm on the XL.
Marin also specs 150mm cranks across the size range, a sensible call on a full-power eMTB built for technical climbing.
There’s adjustment at both ends of the bike. Swappable upper headset cups give plus or minus 0.75 degrees of head-angle adjustment, while chainstay flip chips alter bottom bracket height by 6mm and chainstay length by 8mm.
In the low/long position, the chainstays grow to 450mm and the bottom bracket drops to 345mm, providing stability for faster, rougher tracks.
Models and pricing
There are three models in the new Alpine Trail E range. Prices start at £4,499 / $5,999 / €4,999 and climb to £6,899 / $8,999 / €7,999.
Marin Alpine Trail E1
- Frame: Series 4 aluminium, 160mm travel
- Motor: Bosch Gen 5 Performance Line CX, 120Nm torque, 750W peak power
- Battery: Bosch PowerTube 800Wh
- Display: Bosch Kiox 400C
- Fork: X-Fusion Vengeance HLR, 170mm
- Shock: X-Fusion H3A HLR
- Drivetrain: Shimano CUES LinkGlide 10-speed
- Brakes: TRP DHR EVO Comp
- Dropper: TranzX adjustable-travel
- Tyres: Schwalbe Magic Mary Radial Gravity, 29x2.5in front / 27.5x2.5in rear
- Price: £4,499 / $5,999 / €4,999
Marin Alpine Trail E2
- Frame: Series 4 aluminium, 160mm travel
- Motor: Bosch Gen 5 Performance Line CX, 120Nm torque, 750W peak power
- Battery: Bosch PowerTube 800Wh
- Display: Bosch Kiox 400C
- Fork: RockShox Zeb Select+, 170mm
- Shock: RockShox Vivid Air Select+
- Drivetrain: SRAM Eagle 70/90 Transmission
- Brakes: SRAM Maven Bronze
- Wheelset: WTB Sportterra Tough i30
- Dropper: X-Fusion Manic HC
- Tyres: Schwalbe Magic Mary Radial Gravity, 29x2.5in front / 27.5x2.5in rear
- Price: £5,699 / $7,499 / €6,799
Marin Alpine Trail EXR
- Frame: Series 4 aluminium, 160mm travel
- Motor: Bosch Gen 5 Performance Line CX, 120Nm torque, 750W peak power
- Battery: Bosch PowerTube 800Wh
- Display: Bosch Kiox 400C
- Fork: RockShox Zeb Ultimate, 170mm
- Shock: RockShox Vivid Air Ultimate
- Drivetrain: SRAM GX Eagle AXS Transmission
- Brakes: SRAM Maven Silver
- Wheels: DT Swiss 370 Hybrid rear hub, F527 rims
- Finishing kit: PNW Loam dropper, Range lever and Range handlebar
- Tyres: Schwalbe Magic Mary Radial Gravity, 29x2.5in front / 27.5x2.5in rear
- Price: £6,899 / $8,999 / €7,999
