Our Review: Trek Allant+ 8
Let’s start with a couple caveats about the Trek Allant+ 8: it’s purpose is for everyday street riding and not much else, and it comes with a hefty price tag.
Having said that, Trek has a history of building quality mountain bikes (one of which is sitting in my garage right now), and the Allant+ 8 is a top-quality commuter bike if that is what you are looking for. If all you are looking for is an E-powered bike to get around town with and aren’t planning on hitting the trails with it, this is the right bike.
Some Features
Utilizing the COBI.Bike app, your smartphone becomes the computer to feed you information about your speed, how far you’ve traveled, what your altitude is, the weather, and much more. You can also start the bike right from the app. And no need to worry about killing your phone battery – the case charges the phone while you bike around town.
Depending on how fast you are riding, how large you are, and how much pedaling your are providing, the range of the bike can be anywhere from about 64kms (40 miles) to 200kms (124 miles). Bosch, the company that provides the pedal-assist system, has an online calculator to help you figure out your possible range.
Hidden within the frame itself, this bike’s removable battery doesn’t take away from the aesthetics of the bike. He also has a handle for carrying and is removeable without any extra tools, and can be charged either on the bike or off.
Our Thoughts
This is a smooth riding bike, both the ride itself and the feel of the bike when the drive train is in use including during gear changes and rides uphill. The motor packs a powerful punch for an e-bike, with excellent torque and sensitivity.
If you are into much longer rides, we do recommend getting a second battery and keeping it with you. One battery, depending on how much effort you put in yourself with pedaling and how many hills you climb, will be good for the average user around town, but if you’re on a distance ride or expecting high winds to slow you down, get that extra battery.
We couldn’t help ourselves and had to try The Allant+ 8 off-road. On a compact, light trail it did quite well, but I’ll say that you should avoid using it on anything more than that or a little bit of gravel.
Though this bike is slightly on the heavy side, this is to be expected in an e-bike, and you should have no plans to be anywhere where you need to carry your bike over rough terrain anyway.
Don’t expect to get your favorite color with the Allant+ 8 – at the time of writing, the only color to choose from was “matte metallic gunmetal,” which sounds pretty boring until you actually see the bike, but it definitely doesn’t shock you with pizzaz.
Final Thoughts
If you are a big-time commuter with a lot of plans to use this instead of a vehicle for your day-to-day travels around town, you want to consider the Trek Allant+ 8 as a solid option for your choice of e-bike. However, if the price tag is above your budget (which at $3,999 it certainly could be) or you are looking for something that can be both a commuter and an off-road companion, this may not be the bike for you.
