Radon Announces New 170mm Deft eMTB

May 5, 2022
by Mike Kazimer  
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The Deft is the latest addition to Radon's eMTB lineup, a long-travel, Bosch-powered machine with a 750 Wh battery. According to Radon, they wanted a bike that could handle rough, chunky terrain while still remaining maneuverable on tighter sections of trail (hence the name). That may be a little bit of a stretch considering the 29” wheels and relatively long chainstays, but I'll refrain from making too many assumptions until I actually ride one.

The new models all have 170mm of travel front and rear, and are powered by Bosch's Performance Line CX motor. The motor puts out 85 Nm of torque, and provides up to 340% pedaling assistance, whisking riders up the trail for lap after lap.
Radon Deft Details
• 170mm travel
• 29" wheels
• Carbon front triangle, aluminum swingarm
• Bosch Performance Line CX motor
• 750 Wh battery
• 64.6-degree head angle
• Sizes: M, L, XL
• Price: €4,369 - €5713
• radon-bikes.de

It's the Deft's price tag that really makes it stand out from the crowd – the base model Deft 8.0 is €4,369, followed by the 9.0 at €5041 and the top-of-the line 10.0 model at €5713. Those prices are impressive, especially considering that the bikes all have a carbon front triangle and aluminum swingarm, and a 750 Wh battery.

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Details

The Deft's frame design is very similar to Radon's 140 / 160mm Render, with a trunnion mount shock attached to struts that run between the top and downtubes. It's reminiscent of the previous generation Specialized Enduro frame shape, which isn't a bad thing. The design leaves just enough room to fit a water bottle inside the front triangle, although the kinked seat tube may make it difficult for some riders to run longer travel dropper posts.

I would really like to meet the person who's been pushing the 'cables routed through the headset' design – there have been far too many bikes released this season that use a variation of what's seen on the Deft. Yes, it looks clean, but it also makes it easier for water to get into the frame, and makes replacing the upper headset bearing more of a hassle than it needs to be.

Other details include a universal derailleur hanger, and an integrated speed sensor at the rear dropout. The battery can be charged while it's on the bike via the port on the non-driveside, or it can be removed after first unlatching the rubber strap that secures the protective cover to the frame.

photo


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Geometry

The Deft is available in three sizes - M, L, and XL, all with 29" wheels front and back. That larger rear wheel is likely part of the reason for the Deft's 459mm chainstay length - there simply isn't enough room to go much shorter. That number is on the longer side, but it's not unheard of for a long travel electric 29er. For comparison, the Norco Range VLT has 462mm chainstays, and the Transition Repeaster has 455mm chainstays.

The reach numbers aren't wildly long, ranging from 455 on the medium up to 485mm on the XL. The head angle is 64.6-degrees, which is a little steeper than we're used to seeing on a bike with 170mm of travel. Radon did mention wanting to make sure the Deft was more playful, and a head angle that isn't super slack can help speed up a bike's front end handling.



Models and Specifications


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Deft 8.0 / €4,369
Fork: Fox 36 Performance, FIT GRIP
Shock: Fox Float X Performance
Drivetrain: Shimano Deore shifter, cassette; XT derailleur
Brakes: Magura MT5
Wheels: SUNringlé Düroc SD37
Tires: Maxxis Minion DHF / DHR II, EXO
Seatpost: RADON Competition Dropper

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Deft 9.0 / €5,041
Fork: Fox 38 Performance Elite
Drivetrain: SRAM NX Eagle shifter, GX cassette & derailleur
Brakes: Magura MT5
Wheels: SUNringlé Düroc SD37
Tires: Maxxis Assegai / DHR II, EXO+
Seatpost: RADON Competition Dropper

photo

Deft 10.0 / €5713
Fork: Fox 38 Factory
Drivetrain: SRAM GX shifter, cassette, XO1 derailleur
Brakes: Magura MT7
Wheels: Newmen Evolution SL
Tires: Maxxis Assegai / DHR II, EXO+
Seatpost: Fox Transfer Factory


The Deft 8.0 and 9.0 are slated to be available in August, and the 10.0 should be available in October 2022.

photo


Posted In:
eMTB Reviews and Tech First Looks Enduro Bikes Radon Bikes Radon Deft


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80 Comments
  • 123 7
 Looks like an Spesh Enduro after a wife, kids and a dissappointing dead-end career.
  • 12 18
flag Dustfarter (May 5, 2022 at 22:43) (Below Threshold)
 LOL! This comment deserves a gazzilion more likes.
  • 4 22
flag Matt115lamb (May 5, 2022 at 23:56) (Below Threshold)
 @Dustfarter: unlike yours
  • 5 6
 @nofear259 I feel your pain. I really do.
But you know what?

With enough time on this planet you do aquire some wisdom and possibility to say "fuk it!" in the events of unfavourable conditions.

If you're in the snow storm you won't daydream about cheeseburger with double bacon because you're a bit hungry but you'll do whatever possible to drag yourself to that half ruined wooden cabin that you can see there in the distance and save your ass from the storm
  • 5 0
 @pakleni: ok I'm screening my life for spycams right now
  • 3 0
 I kinda like it. The black and the white ones will make me seem as if I'm riding on the back of Shamu. And I've always wanted to ride Shamu.
  • 53 1
 "I would really like to meet the person who's been pushing the 'cables routed through the headset' design"

Me to! They deserve a rock or pedal to the shin. What a great way to solve a problem that was already solved
  • 7 3
 Yep, Euro engineering lunacy. My Focus Sam2 ebike came with ‘CIS’ stem cable routing. So a crazy extreme knock block to avoid cable twisting, caable kinks that slowed the dropper, and then trauma to adjust stem length and height. The factory spacers are custom shaped and slotted for the cables - I managed to adapt (bodge) to normal spacers and a new stem - but lucky that the Focus still has cable ports in the normal top tube positions. So there are quite a few cables out the front now but what the hell, the knock blocks gone and the cockpit fits. These are serious mountain bikes (here we go - spare me, I rode and raced analogue for 30 years, still do at the Park, just get out there have some fun) so should be engineered for proper adjustment and use (It’s 170mm travel!) not for the stylee euro ‘touring’ market.

Also, I guess the value of these bikes is worth a global note on PB, but Radon are only available in a few central European countries, not for most of us.
  • 20 0
 Problem was solved 30 fookin years ago and is called external cable routing. Everything else is a step back, with the exception of that one canyon with covered downtube cables.
This headset shit is just a cost reduction method compared to holes + guides, it is pretty obvious. Exactly like press fit. Bike industry galore.
  • 3 0
 And beat them to death with a sock full of the bloody headsets
  • 4 0
 Probably the same person that put tan walled tyres on there
  • 7 0
 And me. Pretty simple, I won’t buy a bike with this nonsense.
  • 4 0
 On the plus side, they are putting me off buying an ebike.
  • 1 0
 acros-components.com/en/products/core/headsets
  • 2 0
 Same guy that decided that fake exhaust note from speakers is cool
  • 22 1
 I’m sure ebikes are as mind blowing as they are expensive. There’s a reason why I’ve never tried one and it’s the same reason I’ve never smoked crack; it’s a degrading lifestyle choice that I’d probably enjoy
  • 8 0
 these are REALLY well priced! i don't think i've seen an entry level ebike that actually looks good be priced so well! $4600 for a full power e-bikes with a reasonable spec is actually NOT bad at all. for comparison, specialized offers their cheapest levo at $5,500 with rockshox 35 silver and a deluxe rear shock. that is some shitty component spec to pay $5500 for. major props to radon for this
  • 7 1
 Go and check AstonMTB YouTube channel to see how crap they are out of the box. It was a review of their other, Render ebike, does not inspire confidence. Looks like you will need to spend much more to get it rideable, so not that cheap after all
  • 1 0
 I'm about to eat humble e-pie and pull the trigger on a Rail 5. How would.you say it compares?
  • 1 0
 @BenPea: The rail 7 is going to make you so much happier unless you plan on upgrading everything. The suspension on the rail 5 is adequete for leisure riding but if you are mtbing it will feel terrible and will fail. Additionally, the sx drivetrain and tektro brakes are fairly awful.

The rail 7 is a significantly better bike.
  • 2 0
 @bikerider0985: In the UK (where I am at the moment), the drivetrain is Deore and brakes are 4-pot Shimano. Fork is 35 Gold RL. For the price (under 5k). I'm thinking it's a pretty good deal. Rail 7 does look good though. Tubeless, XT mech, Deore 4-pots, Domain...
  • 5 0
 Do any e-bikers out there just go nuts and spec a 2.6" Assegai front and rear? If you have a motor more than doubling your power output, why not just go all out on the tire grip?
  • 4 1
 It was my understanding that the biggest Assegai comes in is 2.5. In my experience with Ebikes, 2.5 to 2.6 is the perfect amount. I felt like it had more bite than the 2.8. I live in the desert.
  • 1 3
 Yes and get a 1000 watt battery aka kilowatt for maximum boost and bragging rights.
  • 1 0
 @PHX77: Assegai is now available in 2.6. If you can find them.
  • 1 0
 In my experience the DHR2 actually provides more predictable braking control on rear..I've used both extensively.
  • 1 0
 Assegai in in the back is great for pedaling up steep and loose trails not just for braking.
  • 1 0
 @jbrown-15: yes, I bought one. Never seen them for sale since.
  • 1 0
 @PHX77: I bought 2.6 Aseegai 1.5 years ago, they exist, however only in maxterra and exo and exo+
  • 1 0
 Yes: Double Supersoft Magic Marys is great in winter. However, while you basically feel little to no difference instantaneously, putting heavy+knobbly+soft tyres does affect the range quite a bit. MM up front with something like a big betty or minnion/HR2 out back all in 2.4 + heavy DH casing (DD/supertrail up front) is the way to go personally.
  • 1 0
 I don't ride an ebike but I did put 2.6" Magic Marys on my bike F+R for a while. It actually wasn't as slow as I was expecting (still fairly slow though). I think even with a motor you would notice the difference on fast flowy trails though, where super grippy tyres like MM or equivalent just don't carry speed quite as well as something less knobbly.
  • 1 0
 As well as the general rolling resistance already mentioned (especially when going at speeds above the limiter) a pair of big heavy really sticky tyres also has a big impact on how many miles you get out of a battery.
  • 1 0
 @n734535: I ride Magic Mary 2.6 in soft. With low pressure it climbs not that well on tarmac and wears fast. I imagine super soft in the rear would be way worse.
  • 1 0
 I ran that setup on my 22 Range VLT, switched the back out for a DHR, I find ir corners better out back. Still run the AssyGuy out front.
  • 1 0
 @gooral: Oh gotcha. It’s probably because I was looking for them in double down casing at the time. I have become a convert to 2.6 magic Mary’s super trail with cush core since then
  • 9 2
 Looks like they don’t ship to the US. Bummer.
  • 3 0
 Just wantd to say - I'm on my 5th Radon MTB atm. Top quality, great specs, fantastic warranty service (I only had one or 2 issues with compenents, not the frames), and super interesting prices. I genuinely can't fault the company.
  • 8 4
 Radon is a serious problem here in Colorado. An odorless menace. Causes cancer. Great name for an e bike.
  • 5 0
 Its time that bikes get cheaper again!
  • 5 5
 This is one of the many reasons I've just hung up my tools and decided to finish being a bike mechanic , I had basically become an electrician it's just all ebikes now the industry is going in a direction that's not for me thanks but no thanks
  • 3 0
 Those are some great prices… to good to be true?
  • 1 0
 Seriously. The top model is under 8 grand in Canadian buckaroos. Brands actually sold in Canada would have that build in the $11,000 range. Because "razor thin margins" or something :/
  • 1 0
 @lostlunchbox: nope devinci and wait a couple of weeks, something sweet
  • 1 0
 @norona: I'll believe it when i see it and keep my fingers crossed in the meantime, but... Meanwhile in cananda....norco range vlt with factory suspension...$13000, Kenevo w/o factory suspension... $12000, kenevo sl with factory suspension...$20000!!!!, RM altitude 70 w/o factory... $11400, santa cruz bullit w/o factory...$14700, etc, etc ...and as far as devinci is concerned... the current BASE model "e-duro" STARTS at the same price as the top spec of these radons...
  • 3 0
 Check out Paul Aston's recent review of the previous model. He had a bunch of small issues, but once he got them sorted he liked the bike. This version is much slacker, has way more range, and great spec per price. Not sure how unlucky you might be with tolerances/alignement, but probably similar level as a YT/canyon/propain.
  • 2 0
 Is that a strap of some kind holding the battery to the frame?
  • 1 0
 Trolling Santa Cruz hard.
  • 1 0
 Steve boy will love this shock integration, yoke + trunnion. Bike industry learns nuffin.
  • 2 0
 lol, the 4,369€ for the base model is actually 5,199€
  • 1 0
 If only they were available in Australia! Would love one of their acoustic bikes!
  • 1 0
 Everyone doing ebikes while not even trying to have normal bikes in stock...
  • 1 0
 Thank you for the use of the word "normal". None of that "analog" or "acoustic" shyte.
  • 1 1
 It shows how far our acceptance of ebikes has come, when the Kashima bits on that lead photo are more visually offensive to me than the bloated frame.
  • 1 1
 i would have been sold...if it had shorter chainstays. 459! gonna drive like a boat.
  • 4 5
 More accurately you could say it drives like a moped. There's nothing more pathetic than capable people sucking on a new kind of motor. If you want a motor, go ride a motorbike on motorbike trails. The MTB community has fought hard for human powered access and has built trails and alliances for decades. Those trails should not be threatened and abused by new kind of thrill trail destroyers on mopeds.
  • 2 4
 Yeah 170mm e bike. For what? Shredding the alps? Do some narly enduro races? Or Freeriding. Man this market is so oversaturated. Whats next? E-Downhillers with 12 speed casette and mullet setup.
  • 7 0
 well my reasoning behind long travel e-bikes is "why not have as much travel as possible when you have a motor that can output 3-4x your leg power". you can get shorter travel e-bikes but with the way bike suspension is built, it isn't always super great at handling that extra heft so short travel e-bikes sometimes blow through all their travel really fast.
  • 1 0
 @abotchway: that travel makes it easier to straightline and shortcut every corner because speed is more important that tech.
And thats a real witnessed issue
  • 4 0
 I personally wouldn’t have them any other way. May as well be able to self shuttle proper dh…heavy as ebike on any other type of trail is pretty lame imo.

And yes, dual crown e bikes can be rad. I remember neko put a dual crown on the intense e he was sent and really enjoyed it. Believe he went in hating e bikes just like the rest of us did too.
  • 3 0
 Self-Shuttle. Sorry, it was a simple answer.
  • 1 0
 Actual seat angle less than 70 degrees, no thanks.
  • 1 1
 The geometry of this bike is mental. Reach is very short and the seat angle is very slack too. I’ll pass.
  • 2 1
 More like Radon Daft, amiright.
  • 1 0
 The nice jump in the end is that really on this bike?
  • 5 6
 Weight should be the first spec for ebikes.
  • 6 1
 Why? It's honestly the last thing I'd care about and is going to be hugely impacted by Wh rating, bigger battery = more weight = more run time, all tradeoffs. You couldn't compare weight unless you compared battery capacity too.
  • 1 1
 @RadBartTaylor: A power to weight ratio would be interesting
  • 4 1
 @RadBartTaylor: because handling on the way down.
  • 6 2
 Huh, have you ridden many serious, full power, ebikes? Mine weighs 55lbs but at the speed I’m going now it handles light as it needs to be - in fact even in the slower, tech stuff - up, along or down - I’d pick the ebike to ride every time. Up rock steps, easy, down through boulder fields, planted. Sold the downcountry bike because this is so much more fun on the same trails and no lightweight nervous twitching going down. Talked to a DH pro on the lift the other day and he told me if it wasn’t for his contract he’d prefer to ride his ebike on many of the courses. I guess if you want an ebike to ride in a similar way to your other bikes then low weight comes in to the equation, but the technique on an full power ebike is different and weight is much less important.
  • 6 0
 @bobjumpd: agreed. Once you get used to how a heavier bike rides, you come to really appreciate the grip provided by the low-slung weight. And the suspension feels similar to a dh bike. What’s also cool is when you get back on the regular bike it feels like a toy—you can throw it around like it’s nothing. E bikes are different and fun.
  • 1 0
 @bobjumpd: exactly true!!
  • 3 1
 @RadBartTaylor: It drastically changes the feel of the bike and consequently it's performance IMHO. After being an early adopter of the E-train I recently went to a Kenevo SL and would have a hard time going back to a heavy pig.
  • 1 0
 @Chondog94: or maybe a Wh / weight rating since the the power is artifically limited!?
  • 2 0
 @Dustfarter: I've always wondered how much weight matters, on one hand you lose maneuverability but may gain in stability? I need one to try out.

I was convinced I wanted a 900 Wh Norco coming from a moto background, but maybe I need to give the lighter ones a shot too.
  • 1 2
 Not interested in light weight. The last I want my ebike to ride like is a retro pedalbike. I tried one again not so long ago, horrible twitchy thing with no grip. Give me a 25kg ebike anyday.
  • 1 0
 @RadBartTaylor: Don't forget you will have to slow that mass down from time to time and lean it into a corner.
  • 1 1
 @pioterski: re; the braking comment, Greg Minnar isnt slower that Loris Vergier and I bet there is a 30+ lb difference there, more than that of a std bike vs Ebike so I don't buy that.

I don't think cornering is worse, maybe different.
  • 1 1
 How much does it weigh?
  • 3 3
 54lbs of heft.
  • 1 4
 Who's downvoting facts?







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