With the BIKEDRIVE, I can go farther and I'm having more fun

Over the course of his career, the Swiss former mountain bike pro Ralph Näf has gone up and down a lot of mountains, trails, and race tracks, with a long list of victories in world cups and marathons. These days, he often rides an e-bike. “Because it's fun.”

At our meeting, we asked him what he thinks about the maxon BIKEDRIVE e-bike retrofitting kit.

Ralph, early in the year we converted your favorite full susser into an e-bike. By now, you've taken the maxon BIKEDRIVE on trips all over the world. What's your verdict?

I'm positively surprised by the e-bike. This is due in part to the fact that I don't have as much time to ride my bike as I used to. However, with my Radon full susser and the maxon BIKEDRIVE, I still manage squeeze in an hour or so in the evening on many days. I can go farther than before, and I'm having more fun.

What is the main difference between the maxon BIKEDRIVE and other e-bike drives?

I can easily install the maxon BIKEDRIVE into any bike and hit the road. So I basically have the same bike as before, only slightly heavier. I think the throttle grip on the handlebars is a stroke of genius. I can control the amount of power coming from the motor at all times. This is a huge benefit especially in technical climbs.

To whom would you recommend the maxon BIKEDRIVE?

I recommend the retrofitting kit to everybody who wants an agile, sporting e-bike.

According to tests conducted at the Bern University of Applied Sciences, the maxon BIKEDRIVE is world class in terms of drive power, efficiency, range, and meters of elevation covered. Were you able to confirm that in your tests?

Absolutely. The BIKEDRIVE has fully proven itself in practice. On several occasions I was riding with colleagues using other products, and I always got farthest.

In the Lenzerheide region, you had the opportunity to test the new backpack battery prototype for the maxon BIKEDRIVE. It is designed to enable the conversion of any bike, any full susser, into an e-bike, regardless of its frame geometry. What was your first impression?

The bike feels even lighter and is no longer recognizable as an e-bike at first glance. The maxon BIKEDRIVE has excellent handling characteristics even today.

The new battery can be latched to an off-the-shelf back protector backpack (e.g. from EVOC). The great thing about it is that the backpack battery is flexible. This is especially important in case of a crash. In this case, the magnetic connector ensures that the cable automatically disconnects.

We are testing constantly new ideas for you. The showed e-bike backpack battery is a prototype. Actually it is not sure if it will be released. We would like to hear your opinion. Could it be anything for you?