Trek’s new 2019 Powerfly gives no mixed messages about its intentions. It is chunky, long, robust and built like a tank. With 160/150mm of travel, 40mm wide rims with 2.8″ tyres, e-bike specific FOX 36 the spec is undoubtedly up for a thrashing, and the chassis also. The newly integrated battery does wonders in making a long-travel e-bike look quite sleek, a contender for the best-looking e-bike of the year in a category of some very clunky looking opposition.
We attended the official launch of the 2019 Powerfly LT in Mammoth Mountain, California earlier this year to get the full story from the horse’s mouth, and now it’s time to sink our teeth into the bike on our home trails. We’ll be comparing the Powerfly LT to the latest crop of popular bikes available in Australia to get a better understanding of its strengths. We’ve had a lot of e-bikes come across our desks lately, the new Specialized Levo is with us, as is the super-light Focus Jam2 and long-travel Sam2. The Merida e-One Sixty is also a close bike to draw comparisons too.

What we are looking for in this review.

The Powerfly LT is a big bike, there’s no hiding the fact it’s a lot longer than the competition, we might sound like a broken record when we quote the length of the Powerfly LT’s chainstays – 474mm – but it’s a what sets it apart from the rest. With more bike behind you, it’ll claw up the steepest climbs darn well, with the front end losing control and wandering about. Hop up out of the saddle, and the traction is still there, it feels like the rear wheel could only break traction on only the slipperiest and steepest climbs.
But too how much is the length of the bike to its detriment? What type of rider will appreciate it, and what trails is it best suited to?

After a couple of rides, what do we think so far?

We know our local trails like the back of our hands, and the Powerfly LT tackled them with guts and confidence. The generous suspension and robust chassis felt like we could push it harder, and when it came to a particular climb that we base many of our test bike’s climbing prowess on, it cleaned it like it was nothing. This thing climbs steep singletrack a lot easier than the Levo or Jam2, no doubt about it.
The Powerfly LT is dressed for severe riding; we expect it’ll be one bike that we explore its limits on the climbs as well as the descents.

Testing continues.

We’re going to spend a few more weeks on the Powerfly LT to see where it fits in, catch you on the other side!