Riese & Muller's Homage Is an Abomination of Cycling With Plenty of Method to the Madness

Folks, recent times, have seen all sorts of advancements within the cycling world. After years of tinkering away with motors and batteries and all kinds of frame designs, we've finally reached what some consider the peak of modern styling, technology, and capability. It's called the Homage, and this city-destined e-bike is to do so much more than just cruise around town.

Why is the Homage so different from other bikes we've seen or experienced? Well, take a nice long look at it. From the start, we can see that there's something different about this one, and it's that funky frame. You may have noticed it's a step-through frame design, a feature often seen on city bikes and cruisers. Still, this one has a full suspension system integrated into it, something often seen on ground-crunching mountain bikes. It even has a dang dropper post!

But these are very MTB-like features, meaning that the Homage should have absolutely no issues carrying you to work and home again, and if you feel like it, you can even take this bugger off-road. Sure, you won't be flying downhill and bringing home gold medals, even though this thing's price may make you think you can - starting at €6,100 ($6,700 at current exchange rates) - but it's like Bruce Lee said, "When you need it, it's there." and oh, how the Homage presents itself!

To get an idea of what this class of machine can do, we need to consider the components strapped to it. At the front, you have the choice of a suspension fork with 100 mm of travel, a very cross-country-MTB-like level of travel. At the rear, however, sitting low and right above the BB (Bottom Bracket), a Suntour SR shock takes off some of the vibrations your city throws at you. Come to think of it, it's even good enough to take care of curbs and, if need be, a set of stairs. Imagine being the person hitting a flight of stairs of a full-suspension, step-through cargo e-bike. Oh, the stares and rubbernecks. Once we consider the Satori Trident dropper post, it's clear that the Homage has the goods to go above and beyond.

If you haven't figured it out by now, the Homage is also electrified. Integrated into the downtube of the least-expensive variation sits a Bosch PowerTube with 625 Wh of juice. Even though this pack is already one of Bosch's largest, Riese & Muller even allows future owners to opt for a dual-battery version. That's more than enough to have you recharging once a week, well over 150 miles (241 km, depending on the motor and road conditions).

Speaking of motors, Bosch brings the heat once again with a Performance Line CX boasting 85 Nm (63 ft-lbs) of torque. Yes, this is the one and the same powerhouse often strapped to MTBs. What the hell is going on here!? Actually, the Homage is part of a very recent wave of bicycle and e-bike designs; this is where we are currently at in part of the industry. This means that we can expect to see more and more such abominations as time flows on.

Since Riese & Muller seem to have aimed for a do-it-all trinket, let's explore a bit more of what's possible with this one. We've explored the MTB-like abilities of the Homage, but how does it fare in a city setting? Honestly, like a dang beast! Not only are all those suspension systems going to offer a plush ride each and every time, but the presence of fenders keeps you clean in case you hit a puddle, and cargo racks at the rear and front (optional) ensure you don't have to carry your briefcase in hand as you ride to work. On the way home, grab those groceries. I wonder if a child-carries can be added to the rear. There's even a Gates Carbon drivetrain on this thing, helping raise its value that much more and also leading to an effortless, clean, and maintenance-free experience for over 11,000 km (6,835 mi).

But, once the week is over and the weekend has arrived, it's time to unleash another side of the Homage. Imagine you own a dual-battery option. Now, load up those cargo racks with food, drinks, tents, and tools, and you're off into the wild. There's more than enough range and power to ride well out of town, uphill, downhill, any hill, road, and even the occasional root sticking out of the ground. Once you've arrived at your destination, lay your Homage to rest, unload it and take some pressure off the suspension, and enjoy the view from some mountain ledge overlooking the city below.

Sure, this thing costs as much as some used cars, but as you can see, it can take you a bit further than your average bike and even replace your car in some instances. Oh, and it'll do all this in utter comfort. But I just can't imagine how many people would be seen riding something like this around town.