Can ‘eSUV’ electric bikes really go from trail to city?

Have you ever wanted an electric bike that can easily go from heavy urban asphalt work to gravel and dirt adventures? That’s what a subclass of so-called “electric SUV” (eSUV) electric bikes aims to do, with their wide, all-terrain tires and front and rear suspension, plus practical accessories like fenders and luggage racks.

So, that’s what I set out to test on a new TL Carbon e-bike from Amflow, the offshoot of DJI that revolutionized the mountain bike industry a few years ago with its incredibly small and powerful Avinox motors.

After a month of testing in the heart of Amsterdam (including a three-day bike trip on coastal bike highways and single-track forest routes), I can confirm what you might already expect: there are compromises. But for €3,499 / $3,899 you get a crossover electric bike that can help you get groceries during the week and conquer trails on the weekend.

I rode my first crossover in 2024 when Cowboy launched their appropriately named Cross. That electric bike, like the vast majority of SUV cars, is more at home on pavement than dirt. But he looks burly, which appeals to a certain type of buyer hoping for a transfer. Today, these eSUVs are more popular than ever. Canyon, for example, makes one. Specialized too. Like Riese & Müller and now Amflow.

The Amflow TL Carbon is built on the same Avinox drive system that made the electric mountain bike (eMTB) industry nervous two years ago. The TL Carbon is a little less powerful, sporty and springy than the impressive Amflow PX Carbon Pro I tested over the summer, but its eMTB roots are undeniable.

I tested the TL Carbon on a cycling adventure from Amsterdam to the island of Texel at the top of the Netherlands. The 170-kilometer ride was about 70 percent asphalt, 20 percent gravel and dirt, and 10 percent hilly, bumpy singletrack dedicated to mountain bikers. I was more than a little nervous riding the latter on a 19.2 kg (42.3 lb) bike loaded with an 87 kg (190 lb) rider and about 20 kg (44 lb) of gear. But Amflow’s compact Avinox M2 mid-drive motor, with its 125Nm of torque and 1100W of peak power, flattened long, technical hills that other mountain bikers (not laden with gear) had to hike. As an eSUV, the TL Carbon has real off-road credentials.

I was also pleased with the range I got from the 800Wh battery, despite cycling on a windy weekend. Amflow offers an optional battery extender that adds 480Wh to the total capacity, but I didn’t miss it.

I rode in a mix of modes, spending the vast majority of my time in the battery-sapping Eco mode, only switching to Adaptive Auto mode when facing a strong headwind, and Trail only when trying to master a highly technical or steep single track. On my longest day, I arrived at my destination with 22 percent charge remaining after traveling 82.3 km (51.1 miles). That works out to an exceptional 7.58 Wh per km (or 12.2 Wh per mile) for a bike carrying so much gear.

And because the TL Carbon’s battery is removable unlike Amflow’s premium eMTB, it can be easily charged behind a bar, in a coffee shop, or inside a home. I had no problems finding public chargers along the way, but I’m lucky to live in a country with excellent cycling infrastructure.

Still, as an eMTB, the Amflow TL Carbon makes a lot of compromises. The 27.5-inch front wheel is fine around town, but it doesn’t roll over roots and rocks as well as the 29-inch wheels found on modern mountain bikes (there’s room to upgrade to a 29er if you want). The geometry is also more upright than many would want on a trail, and suspension travel front and rear is relatively short, tuned more for bumps than 1-meter drops (it handled them well, though). And the things you definitely want on a city bike, like the TL Carbon’s integrated lighting, kickstand, bell, fenders, front rack, and rear rack, aren’t designed to be quickly removed and add considerable weight to the otherwise light carbon fiber frame (just 2.9kg). Removing everything to return to full eMTB could take 30 minutes or more, and then returning to city mode.

If the Amflow TL Carbon is your only bike, then it certainly gets the job done in urban environments. But it’s a little like putting leather seats and a stereo inside a World War II Jeep and calling it a city car.

In the city, the Amflow TL Carbon seems out of place. On the one hand, he screams I’m expensiveand the gas shock, Fox branding, and wide knobby tires set it apart from basic city bikes, something that’s undesirable in places where bike theft is a problem. I wouldn’t feel comfortable parking it on the street overnight, which is common in compact bike-friendly cities like Amsterdam. Amflow equips it with Apple Find My if you need to locate it.

The TL Carbon’s tires are where the compromises are most evident. Amflow selected Maxxis Crossmark II tires that are best suited for trails. The deep tread adds rolling resistance and noise to around-town commuting and the tires lack advanced anti-flat features found in tires made for commuting and travel. That makes them more vulnerable to flats caused by glass and construction debris commonly found on city streets. And that knobby tread makes fast cornering on pavement feel uncomfortable, at least until those bumps are finally washed away by asphalt.

Likewise, there is no chain guard on the Amflow TL Carbon. That’s fine for mountain biking, but it’s a pain in the city, where that exposed drivetrain can snag pants and skirts, or leave them smeared with grease when you’re out for a night on the town.

The dropper post is as useful on the trails as it is in the city. Droppers are quite common for mountain bikes these days and also make the bike easily shareable with riders of different sizes. But the seat post and seat can’t be easily locked when parked, making them a target for thieves.

The front rack combined with a bungee cord (bring your own) makes it easy to run errands, and the rear rack can be equipped with a MIK HD-compatible bike seat for taking a child to daycare. The quick-release Amflow brand panniers and top bag I carried on the bike also work great for city trips. Simply remove the panniers when you get to the market, fill them with groceries, put them back on your bike, and you’re done.

I really enjoyed my time on the versatile Amflow TL Carbon electric bike. It’s no phony on the road, where it feels surprisingly agile and powerful even when fully loaded. Its carrying capacity also makes it suitable for daily city life, if you don’t mind the incongruity of riding a mountain bike around the city. The Amflow TL Carbon definitely lives up to the “sports utility vehicle” title, which is more than I can say for most of their gasoline models. colleagues.

All photos by Thomas Ricker / The Verge.