First rides on the $3500 Pedal Titan II eMTB

Pedal Bikes are a smaller brand in the Australian market, but one moving ahead in leaps and bounds thanks to the thorough range of entry level bikes and e-bikes available exclusively via 99 Bikes. The Pedal Titan was their first foray into the world of full-suspension eMTBs, and they have just released the second iteration of the popular entry level eMTB, bringing some useful updates while maintaining an excellent price of $3499 for Club 99 members, which has a $5 membership cost.

The Pedal Bikes Titan II is designed to meet the needs of riders who want a full-suspension eMTB for moderate trails and light trail use, not hard-hitting trail, enduro and all-mountain action.

'For Titan II we aimed to have a bike that would suit a variety of riders,' said Tom Sterling from Pedal Bikes. 'We wanted a central rider position and modern mountain bike geometry to encourage riders to find confidence while finding their flow off road on any number of the new generation of mountain bike trails being constructed around Australia. But we also wanted Titan II to be a bike that allowed riders to be comfortable enough to feel like they had an epic rail-trail rubble insulator or even a dual-purpose super-commuter.'

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A closer look at the Pedal Bikes Titan II

The Titan II uses a mid-drive Ananda M100 motor and a 540Wh battery at the down tube. Some entry level e-bikes will use a hub-drive and external battery, but mid-drive is the expected norm for balance on the bike, keeping the extra weight low in the frame to maintain how the bike handles. The Ananda motor has 110Nm of torque, plus 5 modes and a walk mode – all toggled via a remote that sits next to your left grip.

The geometry is spot on for a modern trail bike, with a 65.5 degree head angle and 76 degree seat angle. On the large test bike reach is a little over 480mm, and medium and XL sizes are also available. The chain stays are a long 476mm, given the Ananda motor is a little bigger than some of the top end support systems. But that aids stability and climbing traction, which both suit the purpose of the Titan II. The Titan II is also available in medium and extra large.

To deliver on Pedal's goals of delivering a bike to suit a wide variety of riders, they designed the frame around 127mm of travel through a 4-bar linkage. It's active, it works, and the air shock allows adjustment for spring rate, while also offering rebound adjustment and lockout. The fork is a Suntour XCM 34 with 130mm of coil sprung travel and Boost spacing. This is a similar fork to what was on a few of the budget hardtails we tested in early 2023, however Pedal opted for the Extra Firm spring as stock. This means the fork is sprung to handle the weight of the bike (27kg) without diving into its travel. 

The frame has also had an upgrade with a straight seat tube to allow for a dropper post, plus some updates to the back end for ease of maintenance and better ride quality.

The build kit uses Shimano MT 200 brakes, 29mm wide alloy rims with Maxxis Rekon 2.4" tyres and the Microshift Advent X 10-speed group set with an 11-48 cassette. These are all smart spec choices that deliver features while helping Pedal Bikes deliver the Titan II at a stunning price.

On the trail with the Pedal Bikes Titan II

I was really impressed with the ergonomics of the bike from when I first got onto it. Even the stock cockpit has a good feel to the bars and a great position, no doubt helped by good design for the bike's geometry.

The biggest question mark was with the Ananda M100 motor. 110Nm of torque is pretty massive! I did find it responded with plenty of grunt, but a bit differently to a Shimano STEPS, Bosch CX or TQ HPR50, all of which I have ridden quite a lot. Instead of giving more assistance at a higher cadence, the Ananda motor tends to hit an assistance limit when your cadence is just over 100rpm (approximately). But if you go to a higher gear, it is akin to changing gears in your car and you get another surge of assistance. In a way, I think this is how a lot of people would expect an eMTB motor to work, with less reliance on cadence. It makes short work of fire trail climbs, that's for sure!

Given the firm fork I haven't found the Titan II really at ease on repeated hits, like extended rock sections. But the handling and balance is fantastic on some of my local trails that have received upgrades recently, at ease in the berms and pumping the back sides of rollers. The beenfit of the extra firm spring in the Suntour XCM 34 fork is that it supports the weight of the bike and the rider, and doesn't blow through travel like forks like the RockShox 35 does. I weigh about 72kg and would look at fitting a firm spring to access more of the fork's travel.

Still, that just means rougher or steeper sections need to be navigated a bit slower than I would approach them on a bike with a higher level build kit. And the geometry still responds well to this.

There is a lot to like about the Pedal Titan II. In terms of meeting the design intention I think Pedal Bikes have nailled it. It's a great complete build that can be purchased for $3499 for Club 99 members. I need to get some more trail time on it ahead of a full review, but it is proving to be lots of fun, despite lacking the overall refinement of an eMTB that costs twice as much, or more. And that shouldn't be a surprise for anyone! For anyone looking to get onto the trails with some assistance, or for a new bike for exploring rail trails, Pedal Bikes may have the e-bike you have been looking for.

Drop in to your local 99 Bikes for more details.