The Forestal Technology Centre out of Andorra has detailed a carbon-framed ebike designed for enduro riding. The Siryon Polar Lights edition is limited to just 999 units and said to be the "natural evolution of modern mountain biking."
The Forestal Bikes project started gathering pace last year with the design, build and testing of a number of prototypes. French mountain biker Cédric Garcia joined the Forestal family in early 2019, followed by mountain bike frame and component manufacturer Production Privée a few months later. Most recently, while working on the new ebike, Forestal entered a team in the Dakar Rally before announcing that its Siryon electric mountain bike was ready for pre-sales.
The striking ride is described as a first of its kind, 29-inch, pedal-assisted, long-travel enduro bike. It's built around an "Alpha Box" monocoque frame fashioned from a blend of blend of T1000, T800 and T700 carbon fiber, and available in small, medium, large and extra large. Highlights include a weight of just 2.4 kg (5.29 lb), minus the motor, a 64-degree head angle, a 77-degree seat tube angle, and a 25-mm seat post drop.
Rather than buy in a third party motor and battery pack, Forestal opted to work with Bafang on its own EonDrive 250-W motor (with 60 Nm of torque) and 51-V, 350-Wh fully integrated Aurora Performance battery. The compact motor weighs 1.95 kg (4.29 lb) thanks to the use of titanium components and a magnesium alloy shell, and is only 170 mm (6.69 in) wide.
The ebike makes use of a torque and cadence sensor, with Eco, Sport and Race modes available via a three-button Smart Trigger on the handlebar that displays battery and pedal-assist levels via LED status indicators. A fourth is also on tap, which the company is calling Nitro mode and gives a peak power boost to deal with difficult ride situations. The motor can also be completely disengaged for assistance-free mountain biking.
The company says that a non-removable battery was chosen both to keep the ebike's weight down and to offer a clean design. There's no mention of range per charge, but it does support rapid charging for a top up to 80 percent in one hour and 24 minutes. There will be an external booster battery module available too, that can fit in a bottle cage – though how it's actually mounted hasn't yet been revealed.
To keep a weather eye on ride information such as battery status and assist level, there's a 3.2-inch HD touchscreen display on the top tube. Forestal has also packed an accelerometer, gyro, magnetometer, ambient light sensor and power meter, as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth into this Smart Dashboard, which makes features like navigation with maps and geolocation possible, as well as anti-theft measures. Metrics recorded during your adventures include how much g-force you get in turns, and how long you manage to get some air in jumps.
The ebike can be wirelessly connected to an app running on the rider's smartphone, where control of ride parameters and features is possible, together with data analysis and bike health checks.
To help smooth out some of the inevitable bumps along the forest trail, Forestal makes use of something it's calling the Twin Levity suspension system. This comprises a DVO Onyx fork with 170 mm of travel and a DVO Jade coil spring shock connected to a single pivot multi-link setup, which also offers 170 mm of travel. Specific suspension tuning for different sized frames ensures the "same weight distribution and the same riding experience" by all riders.
The Siryon rides on 29-inch Crankbrothers Synthesis E Carbon wheels, with a Panaracer Romero tire to the front and a Panaracer Aliso to the rear. The chainring, 12-speed derailleur, shifter, cassette and chain are all from SRAM, and stopping power comes from Magura MT7 front and rear disc brakes.
All in, the electric mountain bike tips the scales at 17.4 kg (38.36 lb) for a medium frame model. The numbered limited launch edition is priced at €7,999 (about US$8,700), including three sets of spare tires. Shipping is estimated to start in October.
Product page: Forestal Siryon Edition One
