OHM Mountain Review

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OHM offers several high-quality electric bike models and for 2017/2018 they all share a similar frame design, the exact same battery pack (which seats in from the left and is positioned on the downtube), and are available in a range of sizes. The Mountain is their most rugged off-road e-bike and it comes with some excellent components such as TRP Zurich hydraulic disc brakes, a 10-speed Shimano Deore XT drivetrain, and an air suspension fork. What separates it from other cross country oriented electric mountain bikes is the hub motor design. In an age where many companies are turning to mid-motors, the hub motor offers a few trade offs. On the positive side, it is extremely quiet, offers regen drive modes and regenerative braking, does not interfere with shifting and is therefore easier on the chain, sprocket, and derailleurs, and it can be activated with a throttle as well as torque sensing pedal assist. On the negative side, there’s more weight in the rear wheel (which would impact suspension if this was a full suspension model) and there’s no quick release on the back wheel, just the front. You don’t get quite as much torque or efficiency because you’re not able to leverage the gears… but this does offer a more consistent ride which requires less shifting to reach full speed. And speaking of speed, the OHM Mountain can be setup as a Class 2 product with throttle and assist limited to 20 mph or you can ask for a Class 3 configuration where the top speed would be 28 mph in pedal assist mode and 20 mph with the throttle. If you wanted to use it as an “all terrain” commuter platform, you could add a rear rack for cargo or panniers and OHM can even add a USB charging port and integrated lights if you pay extra. The frame is Aluminum alloy and offers a high quality paint finish and upgraded head tube, bottom bracket and yoke. Thru-axles and wider Boost hubs provide stiffness and strength and the overall weight is ~51 lbs which is great given how powerful the motor is and how much capacity the battery offers. A few compromised were made around how the kickstand was mounted, and you can hear it rattling when we ride the mountain trails at Mount Fromme in North Vancouver Canada, but this is easy to remove. Stock, the bike comes with comfortable 3″ plus sized tires and a 100 mm suspension fork but I would probably opt to pay a bit extra for their BodyFloat suspension post option and keep an eye on the tire pressure to reduce vibration.

Driving this bike is one of the coolest hub motors I have seen (and I have reviewed it on several other e-bikes in the past including some from OHM). This is the D-Series 500 watt gearless hub motor. It’s very wide but skinny, and is encased in a composite plastic shell vs. heavier Aluminum alloy. The motor gets a good mechanical advantage from the wide design and because there is more air inside, it also stays cooler. Offering up to 50 Newton meters of peak torque, it’s very capable for climbing if you pedal along (even just a bit) and I found that it could climb moderate inclines with the throttle only, as long as I had a bit of momentum going in. Unlike most other hub motors, this one is connected just to the hub and spokes run around the casing instead of connecting to it. The benefit is comfort and durability, you get a more natural and consistent feel with this motor design. Perhaps the biggest drawback is that it looks kind of funky and unique. Gearless hub motors have fewer moving parts, nothing is rubbing inside and therefore, they tend to last longer

Powering the bike is an efficient and powerful 48 volt 11.6 amp hour battery. As mentioned earlier, it’s the same battery as OHM is using on their Urban, Step Thru, and Sport models. The sam color, size, and mounting design. Unlike some of the older BionX batteries that mounted in a rear rack or onto the downtube, this one seats into it a bit. This lowers the battery position, looks more solid to me, and provides some extra space in the triangle section of the frame for bottle cage bosses and a lower top tube. Notice how the top tube angles down a bit to make standing over the bike easier. Between the four frame size options, this lower top tube, and some changes between the stem, bar, and crank arm length of each size, the bike offers a great fit. This battery pack can be charged on or off the bike frame, and this allows for independent storage as well. I recommend keeping the battery away from extreme temperatures, aim for cool dry storage locations and if you don’t plan to ride for a bit, store at ~50% full. You can tell how full the battery pack is by using the display panel, the Bluetooth app, or the little control ring near the right grip… or you can touch the metal plug port on the left side of the battery and it will light up with green, orange, or red. This battery isn’t quite as hidden as some of the internal packs we are starting to see, but it clicks onto the frame easily, uses six rubber pads to reduce any kind of noise and scratching between the pack and the frame, and it charges quickly because BionX includes one of the nicest ebike battery chargers on the market today! This thing weighs less than a pound, is super compact, and yet it puts out 3.45 Amps vs. just 2 Amps on most standard chargers

The display options on this electric bike are many, whether you choose to use the minimalist LED readouts on the control ring, or the transflective backlit color LCD display, or your smartphone, you can control four levels of assist and four levels of regen. All of the most important control features are always available to you, and the + and – keys on the control pad are very intuitive. In it’s most basic form, you get to choose how much power the motor delivers or how much it works to slow you down! I used the highest level of regeneration -4 to help slow my descent for a half an hour and found that the battery recuperated about 3% during that time (about 2.7 miles). I had used up nearly 60% during the longer ascent, but I was frequently riding in the highest level of assist and using the throttle. We arrived back at the cars, having ridden over six miles total, with over 38% battery capacity and I am sure the regen feature also reduced wear on the brake pads and left my hands more relaxed because I wasn’t having to squeeze as hard or as much. So anyway, that’s the most basic function of the plus and minus buttons, but there is also a left and right key which can be used to navigate the LCD display to show different views. I preferred the basic view and loved that it shows 10 bars to illustrate how full the battery pack is… but if you arrow to the right twice, there is an advanced or data view display readout that shows battery percentage along with more trip stats and details. It’s so cool to have this as an option, in part because data view is black and white which could be less distracting for some riders. Note that you can also enter into a settings menu by arrowing right to setup and then holding the grey key for a few seconds. This is definitely one of the nicest displays I have used but I love how open and flexible it is… while still being simple.

All things considered, this is not the best platform for all mountain or enduro type riding with big bumps and rocks everywhere. The larger tires are designed to be stable, comfortable, and floaty so you can ride over obstacles and soft terrain vs. nimbling around them. It’s a blast to ride on packed dirt trails and performed very well on some of the wood bridge features we discovered in the forest. I thought it also handled very well on concrete, as we took a road for half a mile before and after the mountain trail sections. I feel like OHM has made some smart decisions by using the same motor and battery for most of their 2017/2018 lineup. This reduces cost, allows them to provide better support, and makes replacing parts easier. Priced at $3,455 I would not call the OHM Mountain cheap, but you get what you pay for, including one of the best warranties out there with three years comprehensive and five on the frame. OHM has been around since 2012 and BionX has been around much longer (and is part of a big automotive company in Toronto Canada). There’s great momentum and a track record of quality from both of these companies. I had fun pushing the bike and exploring new places with Liam, one of the OHM team members and avid downhill rider, and appreciate that they were able to price this model a bit lower because it doesn’t come with the lights, fenders, and rack, while still offering some of that as paid upgrades. Big thanks to OHM for partnering with me on this review, hosting me at their headquarters, and taking me out on some neat adventures around British Columbia. I feel that Liam was honest as we discussed some of the trade-offs and acknowledged the strengths and weaknesses of the hub motor design and other hardware like the kickstand. I love that the bike comes with a chain keeper to perform well on bumpy terrain, and that you get premium touch points like the Ergon grips and saddle along with the Schwalbe Nobby Nic tires.

Pros:

• The OHM Mountain comes in four frame sizes to really ensure a good fit (even the stem, handlebars, and crank arms change length as you select different sizes, this could be a great e-bike for taller riders), the top tube is sloped so you get the strength of a diamond frame with the more comfortable, lower, stand-over height, this is possible in part because of the side-mount battery design vs. top-down like the Bosch Powerpack and some of the more generic brands, note also the custom yoke which has a cutaway to accommodate the chainring and standard Q Factor but allow for fatter tires while still being sturdy
• Purpose built frame was designed to withstand off-road use, note the tapered head tube, upgraded bottom bracket with lightweight hollow spindle and protective plating in front of the cables, internally routed cables that are out of the way on most of the bike, and the well-protected motor power cable below the left chain stay with quick disconnect
• Great drivetrain, the 10-speed Shimano Deore XT shifts quickly, allows for multi-shift action, should require less maintenance than a lower-end component, and has the Shadow Plus clutch so you can tighten the chain and reduce bounce (perfect for off-road riding, just click the grey lever into the up position on the side of the derailleur hangar), I also like that OHM either uses narrow wide sprockets or a chain keeper as seen here to reduce drops
• More and more electric bikes are opting for plus sized tires to improve comfort and stability, I think it makes perfect sense to go with the largest 3″ plus sized tires here because it’s a hardtail cross country setup so it doesn’t need to be as nimble (you get reduced deflection and more rolling momentum instead), the Schwalbe Nobby Nic brand is high-quality and should perform well, the longer Boost hubs provide strength and stiffness for better power transfer and handling along with the thicker thru-axles (15 mm front and 12 mm rear)
• Great suspension fork with lots of adjustability, you can opt for a suspension seat post to further improve comfort, just make sure you get it from OHM in the appropriate size (which looks like 30.9 mm diameter)
• Considering this e-bike uses a gearless hub motor that looks big, and offers a higher capacity battery pack,
  I was impressed that it only weighs ~51 lbs, the weight seemed well distributed when I lifted it to weigh it
• Gearless hub motors tend to be very durable and in this case, offers regenerative braking, and four levels of regen (to simulate climbing or let you slowly charge the battery on steep descents)
• Pedal assist relies on a torque sensor that feels smooth and responsive, I love that you also have a variable speed trigger throttle, it stays out of the way but is very handy and fun to use on occasion, triggers are much more practical for off-road applications in my opinion because they don’t compromise your grip as a half-grip twist throttle would
• OHM has been in business selling electric bikes since 2005 and offer an amazing three-year comprehensive warranty with five years on the frame, they produce high-quality stuff and pretty much stick with one system to make repairs, replacement, and upgrades easier
• I love the little display panel, it’s highly adjustable, easy to read and understand in part because it uses color, and can be removed for secure storage or outdoor public parking, I do wish it had a USB port for charging portable accessories but this is something OHM will add for you near the right side of the downtube if you pay a bit extra
• OHM has managed to squeeze in water bottle cage bosses on the seat tube, I love that they were able to fit these in because they can double as a place to mount a mini-pump or folding lock, OHM also sells their own rear rack solution if you want to transport stuff more easily without wearing a backpack
• The battery pack is easily removable, for charging or storing off-bike, and I love where the charging port is mounted (high up and out of the way of the left crank arm), the battery charger is one of the most compact but high-speed in the market today offering 3.45 Amps vs. 2 Amps on a lot of others
• Sealed cartridge bottom bracket and headset keep water out, they have been selective about hardware to eliminate rust and have tested the bikes in wet conditions at their headquarters in Vancouver Canada
• For a hub motor setup, vs. a mid-drive, you get a lot of torque and I was able to climb for long periods without pedaling hard or at all (just using the throttle), the BionX D-Series motor is wide which improves the torque and mechanical advantage and there’s a lot of air inside to keep it cool
• Great brakes, they offer plenty of power and heat dissipation in part because of the quad-piston calipers which allow for more surface area and force to be applied, apparently TRP hydraulic brakes are easier to bleed and use mineral oil which isn’t so hard on skin, is easier to clean up, and it uses a dual syringe system
• The bike does come with some special inserts to allow for some experimentation with choosing your own rear rack, however, OHM sells a special custom rear rack or you could use a seat post mounting beam-rack design like this, just keep in mind that they can get bumped side to side easier and might not fit if you have a seat post suspension
• I really like the trigger shifters they chose, SLX is is an upgrade from most electric bike shifters I see and that provides a two way high shifter lever and a three-click low shifter lever for more sporty performance and versatility
• It sounds relatively easy to wire-in lights that would run off of the main battery pack, OHM can set this model up with the high quality Supernova LED e-bike lights seen on their Urban and Sport models at time of purchase which could be great for commuting in a mixed terrain environment
• BionX has a Bluetooth smartphone app but the LCD display works very well on its own and you can even operate the bike just using the compact control ring (with the display off) so there are lots of options here and they are all really good in my opinion
• The display panel is transflective and backlit so it works well in a range of lighting conditions, I like that it shows 10 bars for the battery capacity vs. just four or five on a lot of competing products (you can even see battery percentage in data view, click the right key to cycle through views), I feel that it boots up a little slow but is otherwise pretty great
• The battery pack is minimalist and I love how you can touch the charging port and it lights up with a color to let you know how full it is, between 20%-70% is orange, below 20% is red, above 70% is green
• Apparently OHM can unlock the bike to go 28 mph and become a Class 3 speed pedelec, and it would still have the 20 mph throttle mode as well, this is very unique and lots of fun if you commute or just enjoy a faster feel

Cons:

• OHM has decided to pick just one color for each of their models, you could get grey or blue but that would require switching to a city model, I think it looks nice but you only get this green in the mountain setup
• Priced at ~$3,500 this is not the most affordable hardtail ebike I have reviewed, but they have really outfitted it with great components and it feels like you get your money’s worth, this model is actually less expensive than some of the others because it does not have fenders, a rack, or integrated lights
• The battery pack is IP67 rated against water and dust ingress but the charging port doesn’t actually have a cover, so I feel like it might be a little vulnerable, and the case doesn’t have a handle so it made me feel cautious carrying it around because it weighs ~7 lbs and could get damaged if dropped, I do like that it has little rubber feet on the bottom to reduce vibration when mounted to the downtube
• The front wheel offers quick release but you don’t get that on the rear, so you might want to bring a toolset in case of a flat fix, thankfully the thru-axle seems easy to work with and align so the torque sensor shouldn’t be as delicate to work around and the quick disconnect power cable is convenient
• This is a minor consideration, the throttle won’t activate until the bike is moving ~2 mph for safety reasons, this could be frustrating if you wanted to use the throttle to reduce effort when starting and stopping a lot, or if you have a sensitive knee and don’t want to push hard, the torque sensor design also requires a bit more leg effort than some of the simpler cadence sensors but it’s much more natural feeling and predictable which is important in off-road environments with unstable terrain
• The model I tested only had a motor inhibitor and regeneration switch on the right brake lever, they both have adjustable reach which is great for people with different sized hands (or when you wear gloves) but it would be nice to have inhibitors on both sides
• I want to love the pedals because they are lightweight and stiff, offer a large surface area, and have adjustable pins for traction but the middle spindle just feels weird under my foot vs. a more flat feeling, I felt uncomfortable on them like it was pressing on a narrow section under the ball of my fee
• It’s great that this bike comes with a kickstand, but it did bounce around quite a bit when riding off road and is positioned at the middle of the frame where it could collide with the left crank arm when left down, I might take it off for the majority of my mountain biking rides

Resources:

• Official Site: https://ohmcycles.com/
• More Pictures: https://photos.app.goo.gl/rYxzfz6dCemkFZcl1