Lauf eElja electric mountain bike review: WIRED calls it a new benchmark for the category
WIRED’s recent review of the high-end Race build highlights the eElja’s nimble handling and clean aesthetic, positioning it as a potential standard-bearer for electric mountain bikes despite its premium price tag.
WIRED has published a comprehensive review of the Lauf eElja electric mountain bike, describing the Icelandic manufacturer’s latest release as a potential benchmark for the category. The review focuses on the high-end 'Race' build, which retails for over $8,000, praising its lightweight construction and minimalist design as key differentiators in a market often dominated by heavier, more technologically complex models.
Weighing in at 37.7 pounds, the eElja is significantly lighter than many of its competitors, which frequently exceed 50 pounds. This reduced mass is achieved through a hidden 360-watt-hour battery and a TQHPR60 motor providing up to 350 watts of assistance. The bike’s design philosophy eschews extraneous technology, opting for a clean aesthetic with only two cables operating the brakes, while power assistance levels are indicated by a discreet series of five lights on the top tube.
The Race build tested by WIRED features high-specification components, including a RockShox Pike Select+ fork with 140mm of travel and a RockShox Deluxe Select shock with 130mm of travel. It is equipped with SRAM Eagle wireless shifting via SRAM AXS PODS and a wireless RockShox Reverb AXS dropper post. The bike sits on E*thirteen Optimus Carbon Sidekick 29-inch wheels wrapped in Goodyear Escape Max Trail Lite 2.6-inch tires, and utilises a 12-speed cassette ranging from 10t to 52t.
The reviewer, who has 38 years of riding experience, ranked the eElja among the five coolest bikes they have ever ridden. The tester highlighted the bike’s nimbleness, seamless power delivery, and clean design, noting that the motor provides assistance intuitively without jerking the rider forward. The inclusion of an optional 160-watt-hour range extender increases the claimed vertical climbing capacity from 4,600 feet to 6,600 feet for a 180-pound rider at 100 percent assist.
Minor criticisms included a learning curve regarding the wireless SRAM AXS components and potential limitations on sustained, steep climbs. However, the reviewer concluded that these hiccups did not detract from the overall experience, stating that the eElja feels closer to a traditional mountain bike than many other electric models and represents a significant evolution in e-MTB design.
