Shimano follows up with a new e-mountain bike system

With the E8000 series motor, Shimano has taken the e-mountain bike by storm and is successfully challenging top dog Bosch. Now the Japanese company is following up with the E7000 series, which is also more affordable but doesn't skimp on high-quality technology.

While Shimano's E8000 e-mountain bike groupset was developed for aggressive riding on rough, difficult trails with extreme climbs, the new E7000 is designed more for recreational mountain biking with its rider-focused support and easy-to-use functions.

The controls

The handlebar controls of the E7000 system include a left switch for switching between Off, Eco, Trail, Boost and Walk Assist modes and a symmetrical right switch/switch for gear shifting based on Di2 or mechanical impulses. A practical feature is the design of the left-hand shifter, which allows a clean combination with a thumb-operated remote seatpost lever. This comes in a clamp band design, compatible with all mountain bike setups including Shimano's new i-Spec EV standard for an even tidier cockpit. The feel of the button has also changed to provide an easy-to-operate click and tactile feedback, which also works well when using winter gloves.

The information display

All data coming from the motor unit, battery and Shimano's Di2 system can be displayed on a new console unit (SC-E7000) with a highly visible display that provides the rider with important information such as support mode, riding speed, battery life and, for Di2 riders, gear selection.

The new wireless functionality of the Shimano Steps system also makes it possible to display all ride information on third-party devices such as GPS devices or smartphones by using the new minimalist EW-EN100 connector to transmit the information. For those who prefer an extremely minimal cockpit, you can change the support modes and monitor the battery level with the LED lights and buttons on the EW-EN100 connector. The support mode can also be changed using the mode button on the display unit, which means you could even remove the left-hand support mode switch completely for the cleanest cockpit.

Drive technology

Drive assistance comes from a powerful and responsive drive unit that offers 60 Nm (the E8000 unit offers 70 Nm). In addition, the E7000 drive unit has all the advantages of the E8000 drive unit. It pumps out up to 500 watts of peak power (rated power: 250 W) and delivers up to 25 km/h, depending on how much assistance is required. The shape of the drive unit is compact to maintain a narrow Q-factor, and it is one of the lightest e-bike drive units developed specifically for mountain biking. What makes Shimano's drive unit so special is the intuitive, responsive but not brute force riding assistance.

Support modes

The drive unit can be operated in one of three support modes to provide different levels of support for different riding conditions. First and foremost is Eco mode for the lightest assistance and lowest battery consumption, Trail mode for the best balance between responsive assistance and battery consumption or Boost mode for powerful assistance, fast acceleration and quick assistance up to a top speed of 25 km/h. The characteristics of these modes can also be adjusted between Explorer, Dynamic or Custom with Shimano's easy-to-use smartphone app, allowing e-mountain bikers to fine-tune the assistance to focus on battery consumption or level of riding support.

shimano-eu.com