Megamo Reason CRB 01 e-MTB

Megamo’s Reason CRB 01 is one of the few e-MTBs to don the Avinox motor, making it pretty desirable from the get-go. But, of course, a bike is much more than its motor, which means great things for the Reason as its heft of power is backed up by a solid trail-going ride that’ll please those with a hankering for versatility. However, its length can make it unwieldy in the corners; a longer dropper wouldn’t go amiss, and a range of creaks and rattles are rife throughout the frame.

Megamo Reason CRB 01 – Technical details

At the heart of the Reason is the Avinox M1 motor. It’s one that’s led the charge for a shift in how brands and consumers view drive systems, and to credit for the slew of higher power units that are so common today. As standard, it knocks out 105Nm with 1,000W of peak power, but in Boost mode, it ups its game to produce 120Nm. That motor is then paired with an 800Wh battery.

With that motor, the Reason is designed to blend lightweight with performance, as many e-mountain bikes do, but the brand has paid special attention to its suspension kinematic (as many brands do). Its leverage ratio rustles up 21% progression, and it benefits from 108% anti-squat, for pedalling efficiency at sag. There’s the 55% anti-dive curve for control under braking, and Megamo has slapped on a -20 degree anti-kickback value.

Available in alloy and carbon constructions, the CRB 01 model gets that carbon frame, and a rather flashy paint job to boot. Though if this orange colour is too loud for you, it can be picked up in blue or black, for the more subdued tastes out there.

As for frame features, it’s all rather modern with UDH compatibility, but to the distaste of many, there’s internal cable routing that runs through the headset. Brace yourselves for more involved headset maintenance. The bike then runs 160mm of suspension at both ends, and rolls on 29” wheels, but there’s no official opportunity to switch the rear wheel for a smaller 650b option.

Thanks to a flip chip on the shock yoke, the Reason presents geometry adjustment, as well as adjustments to the head angle via the headset. Speaking of geometry, this large frame is quite the unit with a 502mm reach, 457mm chainstay, 63.7-degree head angle and 77.2-degree seat tube angle. All of those measurements are taken with the flip chip in its high setting.

Megamo Reason CRB 01 – Componentry

Megamo has built the reason CRB 01 with a very decent specification, and for the £11,499 price tag, you wouldn’t expect anything less. But there are a couple of things that raise some eyebrows.

To start with the good, it rocks Factory-level suspension from Fox with a new-gen 36 fork and X2 shock. The former dons the latest GRIP X2 damper, and both are rather good bits of kit.

The drivetrain is top-shelf stuff, too, with SRAM’s XX Eagle AXS T-Type setup paired with Shimano’s latest Deore XT four-piston stoppers.

Those drive, and slow a pair of carbon DT Swiss 1501 HXC 30 wheels, but where things get interesting are in the tyres they’re wrapped with. Present is the new-classic Maxxis Assegai and Minion DHR II combo with a 2.5in wide tyre up front, combined with a 2.4in at the rear.

However, they’re in Maxxis’ rather wibbly EXO casings, which, to be very blunt, have no place on any e-MTB. They simply lack support and struggle to cope with the extra rigour that an e-mountain bike will put them through. For my test, I swapped these with burlier-cased WTB Verdict and Judge SG1 tyres.

There’s then Fox’s Transfer Factory dropper post with 180mm of travel. Ideally, I’d prefer more for a boost in standover height, with a shorter seat tube.

Elsewhere, Race Face provides its Era carbon handlebar, which is a lovely touch.

I’ve weighed the Reason at 21.57kg, but that’s with the EXO casing tyres. More suitable tyres will increase that weight, perhaps by an extra kilo, depending on which ones you choose.

Megamo Reason CRB 01 – Performance

Ever since riding the Amflow PL, excited about its motor, I’ve been incredibly interested in riding another bike with the same system after being left somewhat indifferent over its ride. The Reason is a notably different offering that feels like what the Amflow should have been. That said, it’s not without its issues.

But to start with, its rear end, Megamo has done a very solid job. It’s sensitive off the top of the stroke, where the rear wheel tracks trail imperfections without instilling any kind of discomfort. This leads to excellent traction, especially when climbing, and when paired with the motor’s mighty output, plentiful grip is incredibly important.

That translates very well into the descents, too, where it summons excellent traction, but without being too linear. This means that the bike is totally manageable over questionable terrain and rather forgiving. I would like a little more support during heavier compressions, but that’ll likely be fixed by throwing a volume spacer or two into the shock.

It’s a well-balanced climber, too. The seat tube is pretty much on the money for a trail e-MTB, but its chainstay is on the longer side, which works to keep the whole bike in check when pointed uphill. The front wheel stays glued to the ground, and the bike remains perfectly controlled. I would comment on pedalling efficiency, but being honest, the Avinox negates any need for effort.

On the descents, it’s an interesting bike. It leans more towards a heavier, harder charging ride that chews through roots and chunk, rather than the light and playful manner that I expected of it. That’s in part due to its lax suspension kinematic, but also the geometry.

The bike is undoubtedly long with that 502mm reach, which is lengthy on any bike. With that reach, long chainstay and 1,273mm wheelbase, the Reason is one stable bit of kit, which lends it towards that harder charging, straight-line ride. In fact, it rides as if it has more suspension than the 160mm it does have.

Though I found it to get a little nervous when tackling steeper tracks, where it threw a bunch of weight towards the front of the bike, loaded up the fork and effectively steepened its rather slack head angle. Although I had the handlebar fairly high on the steerer, I expected more support here, despite running a higher air pressure, and two more volume spacers in the fork than I usually would – three in total.

The length of the dropper post and taller seat tube add to this, too, forcing a raised centre of gravity, or rather, exaggerating my poor body position. A 180mm dropper post is by no means short, but with 200mm becoming the standard, a little more space over the bike would bring some real improvement. I suspect that the lengthy chainstay plays a role in this, too.

All of this has a knock-on effect on the bike’s cornering, too. It’s definitely a little more lethargic and requires a little more body English to wring out the best from it. On long, drawn-out and flatter corners, the length adds a good level of stability when it’s leaned over, helping it hold its line, but it really slows down through tighter turns, where it becomes difficult to hold momentum. It asks for much more pre-planning when it comes to corners, and benefits from high lines everywhere.

Despite its comparative lightweight, it’s still an e-bike that weighs upwards of 20kg, and where e-MTBs gather a lot of stability through their weight, there will be little harm in shortening the bike a touch, just to claw back some agility. Plus, a shorter seat tube and a lower standover would open up some space to move around on the bike.

Where the bike has become really disappointing, especially at this price point, is that it’s not a quiet bike, far from it. While compressing, the linkage creaks, and there’s a noticeable rattle coming from the motor, I believe. Neither is really fixable either, but I reckon the former creak is due to the internally routed brake hose rubbing against the frame’s interior, and in time, that may cause wear to the hose, which is rather worrying.

Another aspect of the bike that came as a real surprise is that I scraped the chainring on everything, and not even while the bike’s under compression. Choosing a smaller ring would help, but the 34t one fitted isn’t especially large.

Though despite its faults, the Reason has proven to be fairly versatile. Thanks to the efficiency of its motor, it’s primed for big days out on the hills, and owing to the level of forgiveness built into its suspension, it’s more than ready to stave off fatigue while battling extended descents. Generally, it provides a relaxed ride, that’s easy going, friendly and ideal for a bulk of trail centre riding the UK has to offer, but don’t expect it to whip around corners

Megamo Reason CRB 01 – Verdict

£11,499 is a lot of money to spend on any e-mountain bike, and there are a few options out there that are perhaps more attractive than what Megamo has on offer here. The clear competitor is Amflow’s PL Carbon Pro at £8,999. Its specification is similar, though it gets the previous generation Fox suspension (but the fork is equipped with the GRIP X2 damper) and 150mm of rear suspension, rather than 160.

While its rear suspension may not be as composed, it is a more agile bike and better-rounded. It doesn’t get name-brand wheels, but they are carbon, and it gets a slightly improved tyre specification with an EXO+ casing at the rear. It can also welcome a mixed wheel setup, which’ll make the Amflow PL Carbon Pro more attractive to a greater range of riders.

The Forbidden Druid Core 1 also brings the heat at £10,199. It gets 150mm of rear and 160mm of front suspension, but runs a mixed wheel size only. It runs RockShox’s Zeb and Vivid in their Ultimate builds, gets SRAM Maven Ultimate brakes, OneUp Components kit and properly cased tyres. It also gets carbon wheels from Crankbrothers. If I had £11,500 to spend, this is where my money would go, and I would spend what I save on a nice weekend away, or something.

If you do have £11,499 floating about in the back of your sofa, the Megamo Reason CRB 01 is one for those who are seeking versatility and don’t mind wrestling a bike around turns, or better still, are open to sizing down. Its rear suspension is very well designed, and more support is easily gained. It climbs with impressively little effort, too, but my experience with the bike was marred by its orchestra of creaks and rattles, and it’s a bike that would benefit from being a little shorter and having more robust tyre casings.