Small rear motor and integrated battery: At Ampler, minimalism is the order of the day, which is reflected in the low weight and pleasant driving characteristics. The fact that the motor support is less is part of the concept - and many urban cyclists will like it.
What is an e-bike? A bike with an assist motor, of course. But for a large part, if not for almost all, of the models currently on offer, this description does not apply at all. Due to their high weight and the idling losses of many engines, they are virtually impossible to ride without the extra boost and are therefore unsuitable for cyclists who either do not have to permanently rely on the additional engine or who want to ride above the engine cut-off at 25 km/h.
Ampler Stout – e-bike light?
And this is exactly where a few small companies have found their niche: they rely on compact, smooth-running rear motors, reduce the battery capacity and thus the size of the power storage unit and create the "e-bike light". In the case of the Estonian manufacturer Ampler, this means that a model like the Stout weighs less than 18 kilos, making it a good seven kilos lighter than a conventional electric bike – and just four kilos heavier than a typical trekking bike. And that in turn means that the slim city bike can be moved almost like a normal bicycle.
But first things first: At first glance, the Stout does not differ from a typical everyday bike with derailleur gears, carrier and light. The mudguards painted in the frame color make the bike look valuable; It is very well equipped with a bright B&M spotlight, ten-speed gearshift and disc brakes from the high-quality Deore group from Shimano. Instead of the cheap tires that are often installed, the Balts mount the smooth-running and puncture-proof Continental Top Contact II. however, the prescribed red reflector is missing.
The fact that lines and cables run along the outside of the down tube is of course less nice than a modern internal route, but there is no other way here: The entire down tube is filled by the battery, which at 336 watt hours is comparatively large given the small installation space. Apart from the power button and magnetic charging connector on the seat tube, there is no sign of the additional drive up to this point; The power cable runs under the left chainstay to the rear motor, which is hidden between the brake disc and the sprocket. In contrast to older versions, the Stout now has the front brake line in the fork; instead of an old-fashioned bolted axle, there is now a modern thru-axle.
The cockpit of the Ampler also has nothing in common with an electric bike: Since the button on the frame also switches between the two support modes, an additional control unit is not necessary. Of course, this also means that no ride data is displayed and that you have to look towards the bottom bracket to check the charge level, where a colored glowing ring around the button shows how much power is still available. As is customary today, Ampler supplies an app for its e-bike with which the drive can be controlled - but then of course you would have to attach your smartphone to the handlebars. However, this will be too cumbersome for many users - the charm of models like the Stout is that you can switch it on and just drive off without having to worry about the controls.
What driving the Ampler Stout feels like
When you start it feels like cycling at first, as the compact rear engine is not very torquey and kicks in with minimal delay. If you want to get off to a flying start, you have to step in properly. However, when the support starts gently, you clearly notice that you are sitting on an e-bike: In contrast to the usual everyday speed, the speed is noticeably higher, especially since the Ampler also pushes a little above 25 km/h. However, if the support then stops, things continue relatively light-footed. Since the air resistance increases with the square of the speed and the energy expenditure is even eight times as high when the speed is doubled, you obviously have to pedal hard at 28 km/h - but the Ampler certainly doesn't brake here.
Uphill, of course, things are different: in order to get the engine to participate, you have to pedal powerfully and with high frequency; Mid motors with high torque definitely have an advantage in this situation. If you use the Ampler as a fast city bike, you won't see this as a big problem; but there are better bikes for touring in hilly terrain. In the city, however, the stout is also in its element given its low weight. Where heavy standard e-bikes have to be parked in front of the house, the light Ampler can be taken into the apartment or simply carried into the basement. This reduces the risk of theft and is necessary anyway, since the battery cannot be removed for charging.
So who can the Ampler Stout be recommended to? Certainly not for those who want to ride with maximum support and minimal effort and accept various disadvantages in return. However, purists who just need support but otherwise just want to ride a bike are well advised with this concept.
