For the 2nd time in its history, our Trail 8 has been awarded best E-MTB of the year by the readers of Vélo Vert.
Created in 1993 by the french magazine Vélo Vert, the election of the MTB of the year has become THE reference. The electric version has existed since 2017.
The election is carried out in two phases, firstly a vote by Vélo Vert readers to choose the 5 brands that they want to see in the finals, then a riding test outdoors by a panel of readers chosen at random along with journalists from the magazine. Over two days of intensive riding, the bikes are pushed to their limits and tested in all situations.
This award is especially valuable as it is the public who decide the best electric bike of the year completely independently.
In the 4 years of the E-MTB election, Moustache has always finished on the podium. Our Trail is the ultimate do-it-all MTB, and so shone out in previous editions (3rd in 2017, 1st in 2018, and 2nd in 2019, 2020 election was cancelled). The Trail family perfectly incarnates the Moustache philosophy in terms of accessibility, performance, design, and of riding feel.
We are immensely proud and grateful! Thanks to all for this incredible reward :-{D
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How Yann, trainer at Moustache, experienced this edition from the inside
It was in 1996 that I bought my first MTB magazine and I discovered the MTB of the year election. The winner at the time (the Sunn Revolt, but shush) was my dream bike and I admired it every time I went to my local bike shop in Digne-les-Bains. I also dreamed of the event: being chosen among the readers, meeting my preferred brands in amazing spots and being able to try the best bikes of the time!
25 years later, I finally achieved one of my goals by working for a bike brand, as training manager at Moustache Bikes. So when my colleague Clément, our PR manager who is used to going to the MTB of the year elections, announced that we are once again in the final and said to me: “Hey, the MTB of the year election is in Digne this year, isn’t that your home ground? What do you think about going with Quentin to present the Trail 8?”. He didn’t need to ask me twice!!
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The next days were spent preparing our Trail 8 for the tests. Quentin, event manager at Moustache, has participated in all the E-MTB of the year elections, so he knows exactly what to do. He knows the suspension settings and all the little details that need to be checked like the back of his hand. I prepared the presentation for the testers: the objective is to explain that Moustache is not just a bike with innovations and technical qualities. It is also and above all 160 people that are behind the brand, who work hard and with passion, each in their area of expertise so that the bike can be found here on this cold April morning.
It’s finally my turn to speak, and with Quentin’s encouragement, I enter the yurt specially installed for the occasion by Vélo Vert. I’ll let you find what happened next in the video made by Vélo Vert HERE.
Once the presentation is finished, it’s time for fun! Discuss, adjust bikes, ride and explain to the day’s readers all the passion and attention to detail that we have put into our Trail 8.
As with every year, the testers are varied, some are almost only just discovering E-MTB whilst others take part in races. But all have the same smile as a child opening their Christmas presents.
The “Terres Noires” (black earth) is a geological curiosity (we’re right in the Haute Provence geological reserve, famous for its fossils) but above all an incredible terrain, moon-like and perfect for mountain biking. The landscapes have been the dream of several generations of mountain bikers, the readers are impatient to know if the terrain lives up to its reputation!
After a short bus ride to the village of Archail, we (finally) get to the heart of the matter with steep technical climbs! All the better for us, it’s here that the Magic Grip Control suspension on the Trail 8 excels.
At the base of a stream, our wheels in the water, we attack a steep climb that tackles roots, steps, and tight turns. Everyone tries to climb, encouraged by the others, with more or less success. After a fruitless attempt, I say to one of the Trail 8 testers: “Go into the Magic Tour mode” and then… he clears it! Since the assistance delivered enables the rider to keep control and grip.
After a short loop where everyone takes in the view, we return to base. We need to quickly change the bikes for other testers, change the pedals, but above all perfect the suspension settings to adjust to the weight and preferences of each rider. At Moustache we are very rigorous about this, as the suspension settings are essential to guarantee an optimal riding experience!
Lunch break. Return to Archail. Fantastic local produce, and this cheese… difficult to resist!
Over the afternoon we have one group after another, we pass from one bike to another and the day finishes with the light from the sunset over the black earth…
The next day, it’s another playground in the forest by Brusquet, a small village where I spent my adolescence that is emotional to return to. The loops are shorter and more X-country, which enables us to show other technical qualities of the bike.
We do loop after loop and Quentin meticulously notes the settings of each rider so we can improve them over the day. Each “click” counts towards the feeling of the suspension. The end of the day is approaching and no one seems to want to go in!
Back at the campsite, the testers head off to note their impressions ready for the final election, then we carry out the traditional weighing of the bikes, and it’s already time to say goodbye.