Hailing from the Czech Republic, Superior Bikes isn’t exactly a well-known name in Australia. Or at least, not yet.
Bikes Online has just announced it’s the new local distributor for Superior, and as with Marin and Polygon, these bikes will be sold online direct-to-consumer. Of course that means the pricing is comparatively sharp compared to some of the brands that you’ll find in your local bike shop, and it also makes the new Superior range quite accessible to a broad range of riders around the country.
As our first introduction, we’ve just gotten our hands on the Superior eXF 9039 to put to the test in preparation for an upcoming review. So, what’s this long travel e-MTB all about then?
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XC Racing Heritage and Well Priced e-MTBs | Bikes Online welcomes Superior Bikes to Australia
An overview of the Superior eXF
The Superior eXF is the Czech brand’s big-hitting, full suspension e-MTB. It rolls on 29in wheels and features 160mm of travel front and rear, putting it into similar territory as the Trek Rail, Cube Stereo Hybrid 160 and Merida eOne-Sixty.
The eXF is built around a hydroformed frame with a four-bar suspension platform. It’s powered by the latest Bosch Performance Line CX motor that produces up to 85Nm of torque and 600W peak power. Inside the downtube is a 750Wh PowerTube battery that’s designed to be easily removable with the help of a key.
Superior has integrated the Bosch System Controller into the frame’s top tube, while the Wireless Mini Remote next to the left-hand grip allows you to switch assist modes on-the-fly. It results in quite a tidy setup that eschews any big screens or unsightly electric wires.
Superior eXF geometry & size chart
Our Superior eXF 9039 test bike is only available in three sizes; Medium, Large and X-Large.
Most of the geometry looks to be appropriate for the application, including the 64° head angle and 77° seat angle. The 446mm rear centre is also noteworthy, being impressively short for a long travel e-MTB that features dual 29in wheels and a Bosch motor.
While most of the dimensions are on the money, the use of the same 625mm stack height for all three sizes is unusual. We’d expect to see that kind of stack on a Medium size frame, which would suggest that taller riders on the X-Large may find the front end to be too low. Our Large-sized test bike does come with quite a few spacers underneath the stem however, so we’ll come back to you with some feedback on fit after we’ve gotten a few rides in.
Superior eXF price & specs
The Superior eXF is offered in a huge array of spec options over in Europe, but for the meantime there’s just a single model coming into Australia; the eXF 9039. If it proves popular, we’d expect Bikes Online would be looking at expanding on the lineup in the future.
To be honest though, our test bike is the one we’d pick out of the range anyway. It comes with a RockShox Lyrik fork and Super Deluxe shock, robust DT Swiss wheels, Shimano 4-piston brakes and a 1×12 drivetrain.
The Superior eXF 9039 will retail for $9,399 AUD, which is impressive value given the spec and full-powered Bosch setup. How does it compare to the likes of the Trek Rail 7 ($9,499 AUD), the Cube Stereo Hybrid 160 HPC SL ($9,499 AUD) and the Focus JAM² 6.9 ($9,999 AUD)? Stay tuned for our in-depth review and video coming soon!
2024 Superior eXF 9039
- Frame | Alloy, Four-Bar Suspension Design, 160mm Travel
- Fork | RockShox Lyrik Select, Charger RC Damper, 44mm Offset, 160mm Travel
- Shock | RockShox Super Deluxe Select R, 230×65mm
- Motor | Bosch Performance Line CX, 85Nm
- Battery | Bosch Powertube 750Wh
- Wheels | DT Swiss H 1900, 30mm Inner Rim Width
- Tyres | Schwalbe Nobby Nic, SuperTrail, Addix SpeedGrip, 29×2.6in Front & Rear
- Drivetrain | Shimano Deore 1×12 w/ONE Race 34T Crankset & 10-51T Cassette
- Brakes | Shimano M6120 4-Piston w/180mm Rotors
- Handlebar | ONE Alloy, 12mm Rise, 760mm Width
- Stem | ONE ICR, 50mm Length
- Seatpost | ONE Sport Dropper, 150mm Travel
- Saddle | Fizik Aidon X5
- Confirmed Weight | 25.52kg
- RRP | $9,399 AUD
