The season to get out there and do as much riding as possible is here. If you’re into mountain biking, then you’ll probably want to purchase a solid bike, and at a price that’ll leave room for any extra activities you may have in mind. Cue the Darrvin Peak 2 e-MTB.
Darrvin, Darrvin. Where have I heard that name before? Oh yeah, they’re that cycling team from out of South Africa known for building an e-bike good enough that they’ve even hit the North American market with their vehicles. In the spirit of Travel Month, I've decided to shed a bit of light on one of their more capable e-bikes, the Peak 2 hardtail e-MTB.
If you don’t know anything about Darrvin Electric, there really isn’t much that I need to say before you get the idea. The two co-founders, Gustav Erlank and Gert Stander, have an ample cycling history behind them including working for Giant as a manager of several positions (G. Stander) and running a successful cycle touring business (G. Erlank). That alone should give you an idea of what to expect from the Peak 2.
One of the noticeable features of the Peak 2 is its frame. Yes, it’s a hardtail, but one thing to point out is the downtube: it’s absolutely massive. Well, at least it looks that way. Why? A fully integrated battery with 500 Wh of juice is hidden inside. With it, Darrvin mentions you can expect up to 120 km (74.5 mi) of max range with a 70 kg (154 lbs) rider.
As thick as that downtube may be, the rest of the bike’s tubing does offer a slimmer and more minimalist feel. This is normally done to help maintain a low weight profile, but in this case, also looks good on the overall design.
At the base of that massive downtube, a mid-mounted motor from Bafang will be taking care of your assist needs. An M420 motor with 350-watt peak can crunch out a massive 80 Nm (59 lb-ft) of torque. That’s enough power to rank right up there with Bosch. Managing your ride will be a Bafang D-PC18 controller.
Overall, the bike is fit with 29-inch tires, and everything seems to be designed just for that size. A Suntour XCR fork with 100 mm (3.9 in) of travel and lock out will take care of any single tracks and light mountain trails. Not so sure about taking big drops with the Peak 2 as that hardtail...well, you know the rest of that story. But, to help soften up the ride, those tires are a pair of Kenda Nevegal with a 2.25-inch diameter.
The rest of the drivetrain is completed by crowd-favorite Shimano. An Acera M3000 Shadow derailleur is being controlled by a SLM3000 lever set. All that spins a KMC X9 E-optimized chain on a 11-36T, HG201, 9-speed gearset. Oh, I nearly forgot to mention that Shimano MT400 hydraulic disks will be controlling your uphill and downhill battles.
What all that going to cost you? Well, don’t spill your milk, but you’ll be dishing out 39,898...South African Rands, which is the equivalent to $2,773 at current exchange rates. I don’t know about you, but it’s not often you hear of 59 lb-ft of torque, 3.9 in of travel, and 74.5 miles of peak range for this sort of cash.
Maybe now you can understand why this bicycle shop made its way into the hearts of American riders all the way from South Africa. Frankly, I don’t feel this is the last you’ll hear of Darrvin Electric and their e-bike ventures as they are hard at work creating new bikes as we speak.
If you don’t know anything about Darrvin Electric, there really isn’t much that I need to say before you get the idea. The two co-founders, Gustav Erlank and Gert Stander, have an ample cycling history behind them including working for Giant as a manager of several positions (G. Stander) and running a successful cycle touring business (G. Erlank). That alone should give you an idea of what to expect from the Peak 2.
One of the noticeable features of the Peak 2 is its frame. Yes, it’s a hardtail, but one thing to point out is the downtube: it’s absolutely massive. Well, at least it looks that way. Why? A fully integrated battery with 500 Wh of juice is hidden inside. With it, Darrvin mentions you can expect up to 120 km (74.5 mi) of max range with a 70 kg (154 lbs) rider.
At the base of that massive downtube, a mid-mounted motor from Bafang will be taking care of your assist needs. An M420 motor with 350-watt peak can crunch out a massive 80 Nm (59 lb-ft) of torque. That’s enough power to rank right up there with Bosch. Managing your ride will be a Bafang D-PC18 controller.
Overall, the bike is fit with 29-inch tires, and everything seems to be designed just for that size. A Suntour XCR fork with 100 mm (3.9 in) of travel and lock out will take care of any single tracks and light mountain trails. Not so sure about taking big drops with the Peak 2 as that hardtail...well, you know the rest of that story. But, to help soften up the ride, those tires are a pair of Kenda Nevegal with a 2.25-inch diameter.
What all that going to cost you? Well, don’t spill your milk, but you’ll be dishing out 39,898...South African Rands, which is the equivalent to $2,773 at current exchange rates. I don’t know about you, but it’s not often you hear of 59 lb-ft of torque, 3.9 in of travel, and 74.5 miles of peak range for this sort of cash.
Maybe now you can understand why this bicycle shop made its way into the hearts of American riders all the way from South Africa. Frankly, I don’t feel this is the last you’ll hear of Darrvin Electric and their e-bike ventures as they are hard at work creating new bikes as we speak.