Another Urban Abomination Has Hit the Cycling Scene: Are We Witnessing a New Wave?

If you happened to be following cycling trends in recent years, you may have noticed a few shifts. One of them has been gravel riding, but another segment of the industry has been focusing on nothing more than comfort and the ability to go just about anywhere two wheels can.

It's this sort of mentality that's been responsible for the shift towards bikes that are fit for grandma on a Saturday morning ride but, if need be, can take you and a whole bunch of cargo out of town and where traditional roads are rather hard to find. Yes, we are witnessing a step-through revolution, so let's see what we can expect from the beauties you see in the gallery.

If you've never heard of Hoheacht, it's because they're a fairly new team compared to greats like Trek, Bianchi, BMC, and others, being born back in 2016. But the fact that they're still alive in such a cutthroat industry is a testament to their abilities and knowledge.

Overall, four variations of the Amola are available in the new unveiling, the Roko, Monto, Tereno, and Adventure. Overall, the least expensive, the Roko, starts at a bank-account-shaking €4,800 ($5,275 at current exchange rates), while the Adventure, the most expensive, drops in with a heavy blow at €7,200 ($7,900! But the latter is considered the flagship, so let's dive into that version.

Now, this sort of bicycle is technically designed for nothing more than city riding. The Brooks saddle, step-through frame, and tires all hint at this idea, but the presence of suspension components means it can achieve a bit more than your average e-bike.

At the front, an SR Suntour XCM32 boasts 100 mm (3,9 in) of travel, enough to smoothen out cracks in the road, curb, and even take care of the occasional root that jumps into view as you hit a trail. Funny enough, Hoheacht makes no mention of the rear shock, which is essential if you ask me. Nor is there any mention of the amount of travel available here. Once we take into consideration the 27.5 x 2.4 in tires, you can expect a plush ride for sure. If you do plan on hitting some light trails with an Amola, I recommend throwing on some proper off-road rubbers.

One aspect of the Adventure you need to be aware of is the presence of a Shimano Steps e-drivetrain. Strapped to the Adventure's bottom bracket sits a motor with 85 Nm (63 ft-lbs) of torque and able to assist you up to a software-limited 25 kph, the top speed for an e-bike over in Europe. With a 630 Wh battery integrated into the frame, the range should be the least of your worries.

But that much power and range isn't there for no reason. If we take a closer look at the rest of the Amola bikes, you may notice features that are often found on urban-destined bikes because that's what this is. So, this power is absolutely necessary if we consider that the Adventure can be loaded up to a total weight of 170 kg (375 lbs). Imagine having to ride around town and uphill with that much weight.

Side two of the coin is that the Adventure's configuration also allows it to be loaded up to the brim with goodies, water bottles, and maybe even a two-person tent and a blanket. This means long trips out to the edge of town, overnight stays under the stars, and the feeling that you can take a vacation every weekend. Best of all, you can even take some of those less-explored paths to get to wherever you want to go. Once the weekend comes to a close, ride home, recharge your EV, and get ready for the workweek. Ok, so I'm starting to understand a bit why we are where we are in the current industry.

The rest of the Adventure is equipped with those fenders you see, some Shimano hubs, of which the rear is a Nexus internal gearbox with five speeds, Shimano brakes, and a controller and screen to accompany the Steps setup. But Gates is also found in the mix, supplying a belted drivetrain with a belt tensioner, especially if we consider that the frame will be changing its geometry all the time.

Again, if you ask any cyclist their opinion on something like this, you'll get booed off the stage. But, there is a place for something like this, typically in the garages of those that only use bicycles as a means of urban transportation, with a kick, of course. The only problem now is whether or not those would-be customers are willing to dish out nearly €5,000 on a bicycle; probably not.

Still, a wave is here, and it appears like it's here to stay because I've been spotting several machines like this one in recent times. Just check the gallery for a couple of them. Ride safe out there.