Riese & Müller Delite5

The Riese & Müller Delite5 is a full-suspension touring e-bike for riders who are not ready to give up the rides they love. Fox suspension front and rear takes the jolts before they reach you, and a Bosch Performance Line CX motor carries the climbs while you keep pedalling.

The hill on the way home stops deciding how far you ride. Book a test ride in Ivanhoe and take it over the roughest road on your usual loop.

Riese & Müller Delite5: full suspension

Why does the Delite5 ride so differently?

Because the road's bumps are taken up by the bike, not by you.

• A Fox AWL 34 fork with 120 mm of travel at the front
• A Fox Float Rhythm shock with 110 mm of travel at the rear
• Riese & Müller Control Technology: the luggage carrier rides on the suspension, so the load goes to the frame and the rear wheel stays free to move

Broken road, gravel and patched bike lanes are absorbed before they reach you, and you come home wanting the next ride.

Motor, range and battery

What does the motor do for you?

It carries the climbs; it never rides for you. The Bosch Performance Line CX adds up to 340% to your own pedalling. You still pedal, the motor gives back the hills, and the routes you had started avoiding come back into the plan. With Bosch's free Performance Upgrade installed, it can reach up to 120 Nm of torque on steep climbs; it is delivered at 85 Nm. In one video review, a 6 ft 9 rider who says a regular bike would have no chance on that hill rides straight up it on the Delite5.

How far will it go?

How far you ride on a charge depends on:

• the assist mode you choose
• the hills on your route
• your weight and what you carry
• the temperature
• the age of the battery

A commute or a day ride runs on the one Bosch PowerTube 800 Wh battery, which lifts out of the down tube for charging indoors. For longer touring days, a Bosch PowerMore 250 range extender adds a second, smaller battery.

Long days, errands and builds

What about the long days?

This is a bike for whole days on the rail trail and a few days touring with panniers, ridden from your own front door.

Cycling Electric's review of the Delite5 put it to the test:

"when loaded up with pannier bags I was still able to ride technical terrain without any detectable clattering about of my stuff."

Can it replace the second car?

For the short trips, yes. An ABUS lock is built into the rear of the frame, and an ABUS chain lock comes with the bike. Supernova lights are built in, with high and low beam up front and a brake light at the back. The rear carrier takes up to 27 kg of shopping. Lock it outside the shops, and the car stays in the driveway.

Which build suits you?

All three share the frame design, the motor, the 800 Wh battery and the suspension; the drivetrain is the choice.

• Touring: an 11-speed Shimano derailleur with a chain, and the lightest of the three
• Vario: an Enviolo 380 stepless hub, so there are no individual gears to count, driven by a Gates Carbon Drive CDX belt
• Rohloff: a Rohloff E-14 hub with 14 gears, also driven by a Gates belt

On the vario and rohloff, the belt means no chain to oil and no grease on your clothes.

One owner, after 19,000 km on Riese & Müller's belt and Enviolo drivetrain, said he would

"never go back to an e-bike with a chain."

The belt still gets checked at each service.

Who the Delite5 is for

Is it worth it?

Measure it in years of riding. Fox suspension front and rear is standard, and so is the X-Fusion Manic dropper seatpost: a lever drops the saddle when you stop, so your feet reach the ground at the lights. Riese & Müller guarantee the frame and rear swing arm for five years under their Premium Guarantee. Dolomiti Electric Bikes, Australia's first dedicated electric bike retailer, services every bike it sells in its own Ivanhoe workshop, and its customers rate it 4.9 from 59 Google reviews.

What is the Delite5 for?

• Keeping your regular rides going over rough roads and gravel
• Whole days on a rail trail
• Touring for a few days with panniers loaded
• The daily commute, hills included
• Shopping and errands in place of the second car
• Carrying gear or camera kit over gravel without it rattling loose
• Riding with a faster partner or group, at their pace
• Getting back into cycling after time away
• Bush tracks and trails, within Riese & Müller's rating of roads, trails and off-road

What it is not:

• A downhill bike: it is a touring bike with full suspension
• A fast commuter's speed bike: assistance stops at 25 km/h
• A cargo bike: the carriers are for panniers and gear, 27 kg at the rear and 5 kg on the optional front carrier

Frame size and weight

One thing to check before you choose: the frame size. The Delite5 comes in three frame sizes, M, L and XL. Come in and we will size you to the bike. Weight runs from 31.6 kg for the touring to 32.9 kg for the vario, and the battery lifts out when the bike has to go up a step.

Book a test ride at Dolomiti Electric Bikes in Ivanhoe. Bring the route you ride most, ride the Delite5 over it, and decide from the saddle.