Magnum Bikes Vertex E-MTB Review

The Vertex is a new release from Magnum, and is categorized as a Class 1, 2 or 3 electric mountain bike, but the first thing you’ll notice about the bike is that it is a front suspension only mountain bike.

Sam Tarling, Author and Gear Tester Talks about the Magnum Vertex E-MTB

About Magnum Bikes

Testing the Magnum Vertex E-Bike was my first introduction to the brand, which totes a wide selection of electric beach cruisers, town bikes, fat-tire bikes and mountain bikes. Magnum is based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and designs all their bike molds in-house.

Their mission is “to create and distribute high-quality yet affordable electric bikes giving people of all ages and fitness levels equal opportunity and access to the wonderful experience of electric biking.”

How Does the Bike Ride?

Despite the lack of rear suspension, we took the this Magnum Electric Bike straight to the bike park at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort to see how it handled some really tough terrain.

The Vertex performed surprisingly well at the bike park, but I would say the ideal usage of this bike is as a hybrid bike for the consumer who may want an e-bike they can use around town, for commuting on and off pavement, and be able to maintain the ability to range onto singletrack trails as well.

27.5+ Tires

At 27.5 x 2.8” tire size, the Magnum Vertex qualifies as a 27.5-plus bike, and the rolling size of the wheel with this larger tire is actually closer to 29”. The 2.8” wide tires provide extra traction and confidence descending through more technical terrain. The suspension fork is a Suntour XCM34 Boost, which comes with a lockout and up-to-date boost hub spacing.

Frame Size

This Magnum E-Bike features a high-step, aluminum, cross-country oriented frame that only comes in one size (17.5” seat tube), with a minimum rider height recommendation of 5’5’. However, at 6’2”, I did not feel like the bike was too small.

The frame also features very slick internal cable routing, a kickstand, and integrated battery. With the mid-drive motor and aluminum frame, the Vertex isn’t breaking any weight records, but the pedal assist and throttle capabilities soon make you forget about the weight, and I found the added weight actually carried a lot of momentum while descending and the bike carried speed over small rises quite effortlessly.

Mid-Drive Motor

This is Magnum’s first venture into mid-drive powered E-bikes, which generally have much smoother power application and better torque. The motor featured on the Vertex is 500W with a peak output of 750W, and unlike many mid-drive powered e-bikes, Magnum was still able to incorporate a throttle.

Additional Features

The integrated battery is a 15Ah/720 Wh, 48V battery with a claimed range of 25 (minimum) to 50 (maximum) miles. The beautiful 8 x 7cm display features readouts for battery level, assist level (5 levels), trip distance, odometer, range and trip time. It would be fun to see actual speed, but maybe that will come in a later model.

The hydraulic disc brakes, quality 11-speed drivetrain, integrated battery and mid-drive motor, all show the careful thought Magnum put into assembling this bike for a high quality yet cost-effective ride.

I would have loved to see a dropper post included.

Magnum Bikes Vertex E-MTB Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Versatile handling on various terrains.
• Powerful mid-drive motor for smooth application.
• Long range of up to 50 miles.

Cons:

• Limited Frame Size: Fits riders under 5’5′.
• No Dropper Post: Less ideal for downhill.
• Heavy: May be difficult to maneuver.
• Not ideal for aggressive mountain biking.
• No speedometer display for actual speed.
• Chain fell off during testing.

Overall Impression

The Magnum Bikes Vertex E-Bike ($2,999) is perfectly suited for the consumer who is looking to ride on bike paths, paved or gravel, dirt roads, and the occasional singletrack trail. The built in light is a nice touch for the commuter who may be arriving at, or leaving from, work in darker hours.

Overall, this bike is not the bike for everyday mountain biking or bike park use, unless your everyday trails are on the mellower side. I was, however, very impressed with how the Vertex handled a pretty intense test at a lift-serviced bike park. My chain fell off once, after I decided to test the limit of the bike through some small rock gardens, but in fairness, I did not check to see if I had enabled the derailleur clutch before riding.

Related E-MTB’s

1. Lankelsisi RV700 Full Suspension E-MTB
2. Cyrusher XF900 Full Suspension E-MTB
3. Hiboy P7 E-MTB