After six days riding three e-MTBs along New Zealand’s 300-km Alps to Ocean bike trail (A2O map below), in early 2026, again I wonder if e-MTBs are an answer to trail biking here in the UK where there are way more cycle-friendly bridleways than moto permissible byways, let alone the wild expanse of the Scottish Highlands excluded to all motos and 4x4s. In fact I don’t wonder anymore. I know it.

Many ride the popular A2O on regular bikes, even ultralight, rigid MTBs. With the decadence of baggage getting transported daily, I like to think I could have also managed this on my Merida Big Trail 500 home bike, but e-assistance was the safe option. And to paraphrase Mike Hailwood, ‘the on-off switch works both ways’.

I first tried an e-MTB in Wales in 2022 (video above), seeking to expedite map checking on a new walking guidebook. The Marin was a nice ride, leaving me pedal-tired but not beaten up at the end of the day. But at that time it cost more than a new Honda CRF300L, and I got back thinking I quite like the simplicity of my 15-kilo Merida hardtail.

But factor in a potential 100km+ of optionally assisted range, and a suitable e-bike could be a contender. Part of this re-epiphany is realising most e-bikes are easily rideable switched off when you don’t need assist. In 2022 the Marin rental shop advised the Shimano’s electronics didn’t respond well to doing this, and knowing nothing then, I believed them. But every e-bike I’ve tried since runs fine turned off or on stand-by. It’s just a bit heavier to pedal. Only the geef’s Yamaha PW-ST powered Lapierre home bike is an exception; there’s too much motor drag to either ride it switched off or to keep accelerating once you hit the assistance limit at 25kph on the flat.

E-biking Alps to Ocean

The A2O runs from the base of the Southern Alps to the Pacific and is open for walkers and cycles in daylight hours from October to mid-May. No dogs or horses. A few sections follow quite roads with other traffic, but generally you’re on a dirt trail either far from any road or alongside one with crossing points. You’d think mountains to sea is generally downhill, but over a few days it doesn’t feel like that, though the trail is mostly flat.

The ride kicks off by getting transported to Mt Cook airport before being choppered over the braided Tasman river (above) to the trail head below the snowy, 3224-m summit of Mount Cook or Aoraki.

From here we covered two A2O sections on Day One: 75-km along the full length of Lake Pukati, before heading cross country into Twizel. We were on Merida Big Tour 400 hardtail rentals (below) with Shimano EP8 motors which were pretty good. But it soon transpired my bike (with nearly 10,000km on the clock!) was cutting out assistance with each bump.

I called it in halfway, but though less than an hour’s drive away, the shop didn’t offer to come out with a replacement or come up with any workable fixes. Instead I learned the Big Tour actually could be pedalled easily switched off. On what few climbs remained, I could press the power button and snatch some uphill help before another bump killed the assist.

For a 75-km day, mostly dirt and me half pedalled unassisted, we came in pretty fresh. Along with the thrill of the stunning setting, I put much of that down to the bikes’ unusually comfy saddles. I was so impressed I took a picture and back home, ID’d it as a Serfas Dual Density going from 22 quid on eBay. Just as with motos, if not more so, pushbike saddle comfort can make or break your ride. A few days earlier I’d rented a non-e Marin Stinson 2 hybrid in Christchurch. It’s a cool cruiser I’ve eyed up before, but the ‘Marin Comfort’ saddle was agony from the get go.

A replacement Big Tour was delivered to our Twizzle motel next morning, but in Large (not XL). Oh well, I’ve spent years riding too small frames; they still get you there. This area of NZ is a hub of hydro electric dams and canals and Day Two was a quiet, canal-side road ride that went on for a bit too long before turning to run through the bush along the banks of Lake Ohau (below) which easily made up for it. As it was only 38k, we took our time with roadside breaks and a swim in the lake before hitting the last few kms of road to the Lake Ohau Lodge into a stiff headwind. Windsurfers were cutting lines across the lake and here’s where a bit of e-assist (plus no baggage to speak of) is most welcome.

The beautifully set lodge was packed with other bikers as there’s nowhere else for miles. Like biking trails the world over, the A2O must be a shot in the arm to these sorts of places all the way to the ocean.

Day Three (Section 4, above) was another short, 44km run to Omarama. Just as well as it was set to rain. It started with a stony climb up the side of a valley and down again, with loads of other A2O-ers along for the ride. Apparently many accidents happen along this stretch, but if you take it slow it’s easy enough. But it highlighted that the crappy spring fork on my replacement rental had no rebound to speak of, like something from the early 90s.

Luckily the day ended back at the bike rental outfit town where, long story short, the helpful woman offered me an upgrade to a Sinch Force 4 EQ full sus in XL (below) with just 550km on the clock, and all for just a tenner a day. Apparently they’d added it to their fleet after we’d booked it all months ago. Though it had been a spectacular ride so far, my A2O was about to get even better!

Sinch is a Kiwi bike brand made in Taiwan, and the Force 4 EQ model comes with an 85nm Bosch CX motor, a 625w battery and a claimed weight of 29kg. In New Zealand e-bikes are assisted up to 32kph (UK is 25kph). Suspension is Rock Shox 160mm front; 150mm rear. Gearing is Deore XT and the Force 4 comes with a sturdy rack, kick stand, fenders and built-in lights.
The front wheel is 29″; the back 27.5, like the Glyndwrs Marin. ‘Mullet’ they call this arrangement – but if they mean like the haircut, isn’t that long at the back and short at the front? Maybe I’m over thinking it. There’s now talk of 32-inch MTB wheels being ‘safer’. When will it all end. Who knows but last time I looked Force 4s were going for just NZ$6500 which is under £3000.
Sat on the spacious Sinch with a gel seat cover thrown in, I felt right at home and and if I’d had a bit longer to ride and think about it, I might have bought one right there. The suspension (30mm more than my current Tero) felt compliant (probably in need of a pump up), the Bosch display was dead easy to read and understand, the remote easy to use, it braked confidently and pedalled effortlessly switched off. It even looked pretty good in steel grey.

The 85nm Bosch CX is configured with Eco, Auto, Sport and Turbo assist levels. The shop advised me to leave it in Auto, but right away I could tell it selected way too juiced up ‘Sport’ mode, even on the flat and with my 95kg. The geef’s Yamaha powered e-MTB back home runs a similar Auto set up and she doesn’t get on with it either.

Had I known about the Bosch Flow App, I might have retuned the Sinch’s power levels. But I didn’t so just switched off on the flat. On longer inclines I flipped briefly into Eco or even Sport. As with every other e-bike I’ve tried, I never saw the need for Turbo/Boost, and on the Sinch didn’t even try it. The steepest, longest climbs on the A2O were all easily doable in Sport.
Also like the Marin, I didn’t notice any power absorbing bounce from the shock, so left it unlocked. Same with the front. I just let the air springs do their work, enjoying not needing to brace or stand up for the hits.

Maybe it’s the long suspension travel, but these modern MTBs are more raked out. With the 29 up front and perched on an XL, it makes the Sinch slow to turn tightly until you get the knack with weight distribution, like a moto. There were few naggery single track sections on the A20, but one notable short climb south of Duntroon was a half dozen very short and tight hairpins (left).

Even with the saddle dropped, I lacked pedal-assist finesse and balance and only managed to clean a couple of bends. It would have been fun to go back and master the climb. I like to think my low-saddled Serow would have made short work of this ascent, feathering the clutch in first while knowing the ground was in easy reach if I stalled.

Elsewhere the A2O is technically dead easy, varying from single track and a few quiet roads, farm tracks or bike trails paralleling a road. But Day Four Omarama to Kurow (68km; above – two A20 stages) included a spectacular and exposed section above Lake Benmore, another of the South Island’s many dammed lakes.

One misstep here would see a long tumble down the steep stony slope into the water and sure enough, we came across a couple of accidents – one was possibly a ‘Insta Selfie Back Flip’ – a backward tumble onto the rocks which left the old rider concussed and confused. And just 500m on, a woman had gone off the edge but was caught by a shrub. Soon we heard the thud of a helicopter coming in to take them both to Dunedin hospital where we heard later all ended well.

With the most climbing of the entire A2O route, I used a lot of assistance and got in to Kurow after 68km with 12% in the battery, and some 14km range (I’d left the shop that morning on 89%/65km). Fully charged that might just creep over my 100km/day target, certainly it’s attainable with some riding refinement.

Day Five was another 65km to Burnside. Things were flattening off and this time I was determined to eke things out. Using only about 10-15km of assistance over the day, I came in this time with 61% battery and 35km remaining range which was bang on 100km and probably more. Target achieved, and at no point did I strain myself, always powering up when needed as the trail wound its way through wineries and pastoral farmland.

By lunchtime on Day Six we reached the Pacific coast at Oamaru, the unheralded Steam Punk capital of the southern hemisphere. As we chowed down on a celebratory lunch in the cafe at Holmes Wharf jetty, successive groups of A2O-ers rolled up to the finish line ‘ to snap photos. Doubtless they’d all enjoyed the A2O as much as we had. If it wasn’t the other side of the world I’d happily go back ride the while thing again, but it’s opened my eyes out to the appeal of similar MTB trails.

Back home I soon learned the fully accessorised Sinch was in a bike category I’d never heard of: SUV e-bikes; full sus MTB meets commuter/cargo/utility. Also described as travel or adventure e-bikes, with the range, load-carrying ability and all-terrain comfort to cover a full day’s ride to the next recharge, I like to think SUV e-bikes have genuine potential for travelling adventures.