BH Atom X: The trail e-bike with the longest breath!

Year after year, the Spanish bike manufacturer BH inspires us with constantly new innovations. Especially in terms of concept and design, the Spaniards have always shown themselves creative and stylish and always submitted to the industry. And in 2018, it's the same again. With the new e-bike line "Atom X" delivers BH under its brand "Easy Emotion" 7 strong models with unique frame concept and the longest breath on the trail!

by Rolf Fleckenstein

Dhen Franz Laternser and Marco Zollinger of Zollinger Sport AG, importers of the Spanish bicycle brand BH and the associated e-bike brand Easy Emotion, took over the general agency of this Spanish bicycle manufacturer, they never imagined that it would become such a success story. For what feels like 10 years, the manufacturer BH has been delivering one smash hit after another, especially in the e-bike market, practically year after year, and thus ensuring strong sales figures worldwide as well as in Switzerland.

BH/Easy Emotion sets industry standard for 10 years
Manufacturers of the rapidly growing e-bike market must, on the one hand, always keep pace with the latest technology and, on the other hand, always create a new design highlight. The most beautiful e-bike with the most powerful motor and the greatest range sells best. These are the criteria by which the e-bikes on the market are measured. Design is of course a matter of taste to a certain extent, but technology is measurable performance and there is no room for interpretation. And so BH seems to go to work year after year to forge a new highlight. The Spaniards have therefore had a wide range of models for years, with different engine concepts and performance, but always with great design. You can't learn good taste, you can't buy it, you either have it or you don't, and the Beistegui brothers - that's what the abbreviation BH stands for (Hermanos = brothers in Spanish) - obviously have it. This is particularly evident in the completely new frame concept of the latest creation, the Atom X model series.

The Atom-X frame concept
The frame concept of the new Atom X model convinces in several respects. On the one hand, the brute style of the frame is imposing, strong, rocking, as if the designer had in mind during its development a mixture of motocross machine and easy rider, which is merged here into a completely new design unit. A super-powerful inner tube, in which the battery is located, gives the bike the powerful and stable expression, the large distance to the front wheel the stylistic off-road capability and the rear wheel damping with recoilless pivot swingarm is super cool. The silent and 90 Nm strong Brose mid-motor really disappears in the powerful linkage of the frame. In fact, three years ago a team of experts at BH was already working on the development of a new E-MTB, with the aim of bringing state-of-the-art battery integration, drive technology and a perfect chassis to the market. The aggressive lines allow an optimal standover height - distance from the ground to the top tube - and maximum fork clearance to the down tube for better trail and enduro performance.

To the visual strength is paired the benefit of the oversized down tube. The down tube is made from one piece in triple extrusion without seams or CNC parts to maximize the stability of the frame. Therefore, unlike in the past, the down tube does not split in half when removing the battery, but the battery is inserted into the down tube from above the top tube and pulled out again. Thus, the look always remains the same with and without the battery. However, this also increased the stability of the frame. The rear triangle of the Fully models has the patented and well-known Split-Pivot technology, which ensures that the bike does not bounce unsteadily when braking, but remains stable on the ground. The damping of the rear wheel also works during braking and keeps the bike quiet and controlled, unpleasant kickbacks are reduced. The cables also run invisibly through the down tube, so they are like the battery optimally protected from dirt or damage.

With max. 90 Nm during 700 Wh pedal assistance
The rider is supported by a silent Brose Drive S mid-motor with 250 watts of power and a torque of up to max. 90 Nm. Depending on the model, either a 500 Wh or 700 Wh battery is available. Thanks to the significantly more powerful motor - three years ago you were still assisted with motors with 30-50 Nm and batteries that provided 300-400 Wh of energy - you can get by well with a smaller assistance level and have a noticeably longer range thanks to the higher energy output of the battery, which is really crucial for trips in the mountains. With 700 Wh, the Atom X model clearly shows the longest puff among the current E-MTBs and that is decisive for the match. The newly installed motor protection protects against dirt and stone chips. Who wants to increase its number of gears to have even more flexibility for the climb, can also mount or have mounted two chainrings at the crank. The pedal assistance gives 70-350 % of pedaling power depending on the mode - but the mode can be set individually - and ends at a speed of 25 km/h, without the annoying engine brake sets in. This is a good thing, because on the flat or on the road, the motor does not hinder the rider by countersteering as soon as he goes above 25 km/h, and off-road, pedaling assistance up to 45 km/h would cause too many accidents from riders who hunt over the trails without expert knowledge and would find their master at an unexpected pothole. The battery is removed from the downtube after getting near the front top tube with the electronic wristband (Key Bracelet) on your wrist (or you turn the key if you don't have the bracelet) and voilà the lock opens automatically, James Bond-like. The color backlit display is easy to use and shows all important information in an easy-to-read manner. In addition, your own smartphone can be connected and used with the specific app for Atom X to use GPS, view the Strava profile or other 40 measurable parameters.

Interested buyers have the choice between four fullys and three hardtails in the price range of CHF 4,199.00 and CHF 6,699.00. In Switzerland, the importer keeps the five most popular models in stock. In addition, there is a special model that has been created in collaboration with the vacation region of Ischgl and is to be launched at the end of the 2018 season.

Conclusion
Anyone who buys an Atom X is doing themselves a favor in more ways than one. On the one hand, he makes a super trap on the trails with the ultra-strong look of the Atom X, on the other hand, he thereby acquires a stable mountain bike, which is pushed by the currently most powerful motor and thanks to the most energetic battery has the longest breath of all e-mountain bikes. That the good piece comes up with the most modern bike and communication technologies is almost a matter of course for BH. Given the moderate prices compared with its sometimes overpriced competitors, every customer makes a really good deal here!