Name: Scott E-Sub Tour Review
Item: Scott E-Sub Tour
Author: Court Rye

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Scott E-Sub Tour Review

Scott E Sub Tour Bosch Performance Line Cruise Motor With Chain Cover

Scott E Sub Tour Bosch Powerpack 400 Battery Pack

Scott E Sub Tour Bosch Intuvia Display Bulging Grips With Lockers

Scott E Sub Tour Suntour Nex Hlo Suspension Fork Spanninga Kendo Headlight

Scott E Sub Tour Shimano Br M355 Hydraulic Disc Brakes

Scott E Sub Tour Racktime Curana D45 Carry Rack With Bungee

An efficient but comfortable commuter-ready electric bike with balanced motor and battery, easily reaches 20 mph and pedals well with a 10 speed Shimano Deore drivetrain
Beautiful aesthetic here, everything matches and looks sporty (frame, fenders, grips, stem, battery graphic etc.), integrated lights and reflective tires keep you visible
Available in three frame sizes for improved fit, adjustable stem is handy but can become loose over time, unique "bulge" ergonomic grips, suspension fork has lockout
Both wheels feature quick release for easy maintenance or flat fixes, battery and display panel are removable to protect and charge off-bike, no bottle cage bosses, limited US availability

Make:

Scott

Model:

E-Sub Tour

Price:

$3,199

Body Position:

Forward

Suggested Use:

Urban, Commuting, Touring

Electric Bike Class:

Pedal Assist (Class 1)

Learn more about Ebike classes

Warranty:

2 Year Comprehensive, 5 Year Frame

Availability:

United States

Model Year:

2016

Total Weight:

53 lbs (24.04 kg)

Battery Weight:

5.4 lbs (2.44 kg)

Motor Weight:

8.8 lbs (3.99 kg)

Frame Material:

Aluminum Alloy

Frame Sizes:

17.75 in (45.08 cm)18.75 in (47.62 cm)20.75 in (52.7 cm)

Geometry Measurements:

Small: 17.75" Seat Tube, 21.5" Reach, 30.5" Stand Over Height, 72" Length

Frame Types:

High-Step

Frame Colors:

Matte Black with Neon Yellow Accents

Frame Fork Details:

Suntour NEX HLO with Lockout, 50 mm Trave, 9 mm Skewer with Quick Release

Frame Rear Details:

9 mm Skewer with Quick Release

Attachment Points:

Rear Rack Bosses, Fender Bosses

Gearing Details:

10 Speed 1x10 Shimano Deore, 11-36T

Shifter Details:

Shimano Deore Triggers on Right

Cranks:

FSA Metropolis Alloy 170 mm Crank Arms, 18T Chainring with Plastic Guard

Pedals:

Wellgo Alloy Platform, Cage Style

Headset:

VP Semi-Integrated, Three KCNC 10 mm Risers

Stem:

KCNC Aluminum Alloy, Adjustable Angle, 60 mm Length

Handlebar:

Aluminum Alloy, Low-Rise, 25" Length

Brake Details:

Shimano BR-M355 Hydraulic Disc with 180 mm Front Rotor and 160 mm Rear Rotor, Shimano Levers with Adjustable Reach

Grips:

Syncros Brand, Bulging Rubber, Locking

Saddle:

Syncros Urban Commuter 2.5

Seat Post:

Syncros UC 3.0, Aluminum Alloy

Seat Post Length:

300 mm

Seat Post Diameter:

31.6 mm

Rims:

TRAXX Disc, Aluminum Alloy, Double Wall 622x21c, 32H, Stainless Reinforcement Eyeletts

Spokes:

Sapim Double Butted, Stainless Steel, 14 Gauge, Black

Tire Brand:

Schwalbe Energizer Life, 28" x 1.5"

Wheel Sizes:

28 in (71.12cm)

Tire Details:

50 to 85 PSI, Active Line K-Guard, Reflective Branding Paint

Tube Details:

Presta Valve

Accessories:

RackTime Curana D45 Rear Carry Rack with Spring Latch and Triple Bungee 25 kg (55 lb) Max Load, Paint Matched Light Weight Alloy Fenders, Integrated Spanninga Kendo LED Headlight, Integrated Busch & Müller Jr LED Rear Light on Fender, Abus Pro Tectic Frame Lock (Keyed to Battery), Adjustable Length Kickstand

Other:

Locking Removable Battery Pack, 1.7 lb 4 Amp Charger, KMC X10 Chain

Motor Brand:

Bosch

Motor Type:

Mid-Mounted Geared Motor

Learn more about Ebike motors

Motor Nominal Output:

350 watts

Motor Peak Output:

570 watts

Motor Torque:

63 Newton meters

Battery Brand:

Samsung

Battery Voltage:

36 volts

Battery Amp Hours:

11 ah

Battery Watt Hours:

396 wh

Battery Chemistry:

Lithium-ion

Charge Time:

3.5 hours

Estimated Min Range:

30 miles (48 km)

Estimated Max Range:

70 miles (113 km)

Display Type:

Intuvia, Removable, Adjustable Angle, Grayscale, Backlit LCD

Readouts:

Speed, Assist Level (Eco, Tour, Sport, Turbo), Battery Level (1-5), Odometer, Trip Distance, Estimated Range, Clock, Max Speed, Average Speed, Trip Time, Shift Assist Recommendation

Display Accessories:

Independent Button Pad with Tactile Feedback on Left, 6 Volt Micro USB Port on Display

Drive Mode:

Advanced Pedal Assist (Measures Wheel Speed, Pedal Cadence and Pedal Torque, Power Output Relative to Pedal Input: Eco 50%, Tour 120%, Sport 190%, Turbo 275%)

Top Speed:

20 mph (32 kph)(15 mph in Some Markets)

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Make or Model

Model Year

Body Position

Suggested Use

Frame Type

Drive Mode

Availability

Price Range

$0 (0 €)$18,000 (16,920 €)

Total Weight

0 lbs (0 kg)227 lbs (103 kg)

Top Speed

0 mph (0.0 km/hr)50 mph (80.5 km/hr)

Battery Watt Hrs

0 watt3,456 watt

Frame Size

0 in (0.00 cm)432 in (1,097.28 cm)

Motor Power

0 Newton meters250 Nm

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One of my first mountain bikes was a Scott and it appealed to me due to style and use of the latest suspension technology. In recent years, the company has entered the ebike space and has an impressive line of products in Europe with a few making their way to the US in 2016. I got to test ride the E-Sub Tour model with Chris Nolte from Propel Bikes in Brooklyn and came away impressed by the price point, matching accessories and comfort it offered. While $3k might seem like a higher price now that some Bosch powered models are reaching the $2,500 mark, it was quite an achievement in 2016 and I’ve seen some sales putting this bike closer to that price now that it’s a last-season model. Considering it has integrated LED lights from Busch & Müller and Spanninga, ultralight Aluminum fenders, a Racktime carry rack, Shimano disc brakes with an upgraded 180 mm front rotor and uses premium puncture resistant tires… you really do get a lot of bang for your buck. The ten speed drivetrain is mid-level but offers a comfortable range for reaching and even exceeding the top assisted speed of 20 mph. I found myself outpacing the motor on several occasions just riding on flat city streets in New York City. The bike blends in fairly well, being black, because the motor and battery are also black. I love how they sort of surround the battery at the top and bottom to help it blend into the frame and noticed the downtube was a bit longer and flatter than normal to give it strength and protection. This is a purpose built electric bicycle with internally routed cables and reinforced build to handle the weight and pressures of electric assist.

The motor powering this bike is a standard Bosch Performance Line Cruise producing up to 63 Newton meters of torque. While it’s rated at 250 watts nominal, it peaks above 500 and has a maximum powered RPM of 120. I say that because some other centerdrive systems max out around 80 to 100 and I like spinning fast (especially on road bikes). You can see this demonstrated towards the end of the video review above. The motor does whine a bit but it’s not as loud as it seems on the video, the sound is amplified by the way I mount my cameras. So in addition to power for accelerating and climbing, the motor is very smart and efficient. It measures your rear wheel speed, pedal speed and pedal torque 1,000 times per second and spins a smaller than normal 18 tooth chainring about 2.5 times per crank revolution. This makes it quick and give the motor a mechanical advantage, usually electric motors are most efficient at higher RPM but that’s part of what produces the noise so it’s a trade-off. The other cool thing about the motor and its controller is shift sensing. It’s not perfect and you can still grind the gears and wear your chain, sprockets and derailleur if you aren’t thoughtful, but the bike tries to limit motor power when it notices you shifting. I usually pedal up to speed then ease back a little while shifting to reduce the possibility of mashing.

Powering the bike is a standard Bosch Powerpack 400 offering 36 volts and 11 amp hours. I’d call it standard sized, especially now with the 500 Powerpack being available. The weight is minimal at ~5.4 lbs and it’s very easy to charge on or off the frame. I love that the pack has a loop at the top for secure carrying and was very impressed that the key used to unlock the battery from the frame is the same on used to lock the included cafe lock. If you’re someone who appreciates value, you could buy the last-season Scott E-Sub Tour at a discount and replace the battery in a few years using a Bosch Powerpack 500 with no problem because they use the same casing design and cross compatible. Some people will notice that this is an ebike given the on-frame battery vs. integrated but Scott did a fairly good job blending the frame and as mentioned earlier, the black frame matches the motor and battery quite well. Note however that future battery packs will not have the cool green stickers on them and may stand out more.

Operating this e-bike is just like other Bosch models where you charge and mount the battery then press an on button at the lower left corner of the display panel. It comes to life remarkably fast and is easy to read, being large and centrally mounted on the handlebar. From here you can see your battery charge level, current ride speed and a bunch of trip stats like average speed, trip distance etc. but the real action is to the top right where assist level and a power graph are shown. With four levels of assist, you can maximize range or emphasize speed but I usually opt for the middle ground with Tour mode. If you press the i button on the right side of the Bosch Intuvia display panel or the same i button over on the independent button pad near your left grip it will cycle through to a menu called range. Here you can see how far the bike thinks you can go depending on the chosen level of assist, remaining battery capacity and your performance over the last three miles of riding. This menu is way more useful than the five-bar battery info graphic and unique to higher-end drive systems. Just like the battery, the display panel is removable and it has one more cool but semi-disappointing feature. You can plug a Micro-USB plug into the top right edge to fill your phone or portable electronic device… except for iPhone and some other products which require higher current (the display just puts out 5 Volts at 500 milliamps. The display is also constantly backlit and cannot be turned dark which would be nice. To change from mph to km/h or set the clock just hold the reset and i button on the display for a few seconds to get to the settings menu.

I wish I could have reviewed this e-bike sooner because it truly impressed me. I love the Bosch drive system for its balance, efficiency and durability and am willing to pay more for a product that will last… especially if it’s being used in place of a car and needs to get me to work on time. The puncture resistant tires, visibility options and three frame sizes make it a great candidate for urban mobility and the good reputation of Scott and neat color scheme make it something I’d be proud to own and use. Yes, I wish they had squeezed a bottle cage mount onto the seat tube… it really feels like they could have given the small frame size I tested, even a side-mount bottle cage would work and lots of people use these mounting points for locks and other accessories. I suppose the rack makes up for it, there really aren’t too many gripes to share here besides the limited availability in the US and lackluster marketing support from Scott. I think they could have sold more of these if people knew about them and they had them in more dealers. What good is three frame sizes if only one demo bike is in 2% of US shops? These are all made-up numbers but I’m only aware of two shops that carried this bike and that’s a little sad. Ultimately, even though it may be difficult to find, I feel confident that it would hold up well and that the electronic parts would be easy to come by since they are from Bosch.

Pros:

I like when companies put extra effort into the Bosch battery interface so it blends with the frame and Scott has done that here, both the top and bottom have alloy and plastic cover pieces to help it blend in
The grips, saddle, wheelset, fenders, battery graphic, suspension fork, stem riser and seat post clamp are all color matched to the frame which creates a professional sharp look, lower-end ebikes don’t go the extra mile to do this
Three frame sizes, an adjustable angle stem and slightly swept-back handlebars allow for comfort and improved fit
Interesting “bulging” grips produce an ergonomic feel, an upgrade from flat grips for urban riding or commuting situations in my opinion, and the suspension fork and saddle round things out to create a comfortable setup
This ebike would be good for commuting because it already has light weight fenders, integrated LED lights and a carry rack that match the frame and feel sturdy
Tires have reflective sidewall strips which increase the visual footprint of this bike and that’s great considering it only comes in black
While the black frame isn’t as visible as white or silver, it does hide the motor and battery well,
even the cables blend in and most are internally routed so they won’t get snagged
One neat extra that isn’t always included with bikes is the cafe lock, this is a useful accessory for quick stops and particularly relevant on ebikes that are too heavy to lift and run away with (basically it secures the rear wheel for quick stops), I love that they keyed the cafe lock the same as the battery so you don’t need to carry along extra keys :)
Excellent plastic chain cover that extends back pretty far to keep your pants from getting dirty or snagged while pedaling
Both wheels use standard quick-release skewers making maintenance and flat fixes easier… even hauling the bike becomes easier and lighter if you take the wheels, battery and display off, hopefully flats aren’t a big issue here thanks to upgraded tires that have puncture protection lining
Excellent weight distribution, the motor and battery are positioned low and center on the frame which improves balance and handling
Narrow high-PSI tires are efficient but I like how the E-Sub opted for slightly fatter tires to smooth things out, the suspension fork is minimal with 50 mm travel and the lockout feature is nice for flat terrain (to reduce bobbing), I’d consider a 31.6 mm seat post suspension like the Thudbuster ST, Suntour NCX or Body Float
The Bosch Centerdrive motors are responsive, powerful enough to help climb on even mid-sized hills if you’re heavier or carrying weight and offer shift-sensing which takes some of the torque and strain off of the gears as you shift
Nice hydraulic disc brakes, usually I see 160 mm front and rear but this bike has 180 mm at the front for added power, adjustable reach levers fit large and small hands and work better if you’re wearing gloves
I was delighted to see reinforcement eyelets on the rims because that adds strength and allows for more weight… given the 700c wheel size (28″) I can see how they would be nice to have with larger tires and the power of the motor

Cons:

They didn’t make room for bottle cage bosses on the seat tube and it really seems like there was space (I was looking at the small frame after all and it was very open here)… I like having the option to add a folding lock or mini-pump directly to the frame but one option is to add a trunk bag with a bottle holster on the rear rack since this frame doesn’t have bosses
Scott ebikes weren’t available at many dealers in the US when this model was released in 2016, they are a bigger more established company but it’s still nice to try different sizes and see the bikes in person given the $3k+ price point
The bike looks sleek and I was expecting it to be fairly light but at ~53 lbs I’d call it average,
not necessarily a “con” just worth considering as there are other city commuting models in the 48-50 lb range
One accessory the bike does not have is a bell, these are very handy for city riding and you can grab one inexpensively online like this
Because this bike has such efficient wheels and tires I had no problem hitting and maxing out the 20 mph top assisted speed, there are Class 3 ebikes that assist up to 28 mph that might be worth upgrading to if you like to ride fast
Sometimes adjustable stems can come loose (especially with lots of bumpy riding) so keep an eye on it and consider replacing with a fixed stem if it becomes an issue

Resources:

Official Site: https://www.scott-sports.com/
More Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/7SsLx3jjfqgf2jfW6

January 29, 2024 (11 months ago)

Scott E-Sub Evo Review

MSRP: $4,199
MODEL YEAR: 2016

Sporty commuter style electric bike with light weight fenders and chain cover, a premium RackTime cargo rack, integrated fender-mounted LED Lights that point where you steer and reflective tires. Smooth and powerful hydraulic disc brakes from Shimano, internally geared drivetrain offers eight speeds, can…...

Read Review

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