Bergamont E-Ville Pro Belt Premium under test: Great step-through for almost every application

Test / E-Bikes: With the Bergamont E-Ville Pro Belt Premium, we tested an excellent step-through e-bike that shows how versatile a modern e-bike can be. With its high-quality frame, high permissible total weight and all-round successful components, there are hardly any limits to the bike - even if the chic bike has its price.

The Bergamont E-Ville Pro Belt Premium is a shining example that a bike is far more than just the sum of its parts. Don't get me wrong: even the mere sum of the individual parts would result in an excellent e-bike: powerful motor, large battery, maintenance-free belt drive with automatic gearshift, chic design; someone did their homework here! But that is now the case for some bikes in the highly competitive e-bike market. The stylish step-through bike from the Hanseatic company becomes something special thanks to its coherent concept, which is reflected in the bike itself down to the last screw and down to the smallest detail.

Dynamic, sporty step-through

A very important part of this overall concept is the frame. The E-Ville is only available as a step-through model, unisex as Bergamont says on its website. But wait a minute: step-through? Many still associate it with boring, somewhat conservative bikes, which are usually moved at less than 10 km/h and rarely longer than half an hour at a time. However, this outdated image has changed enormously in recent years, also thanks to e-bikes like the Bergamont E-Ville. The seating position is comfortable, but at the same time exudes a touch of dynamism. In conjunction with the adjustable stem, you can make further fine-tuning.

A powerful Bosch Performance CX motor does its job in the heart of the frame, which is also visually convincing in every respect. With a maximum torque of up to 85 Nm, it is one of the most powerful mid-motors on the market - packed in a compact housing that only catches the eye at second glance behind the normal-sized pulley. Of course, so much power also needs to be supplied with energy - the E-Ville Pro Belt Premium has a 625 Wh battery in the frame for this. If you want the absolute maximum range without stopping at the socket, you can even mount an additional battery and then get up to 1.025 Wh in total.

High payload and great choice of components

Perhaps the biggest highlight of the frame - and thus of the entire e-bike - is not visible and is hidden in the technical data: The Bergamont E-Ville Pro Belt Premium has a maximum permissible total weight of a whopping 160 kg. Deducting the approximately 30 kg bike weight, there is still a good 130 kg left - for the driver, luggage ... and trailer! The step-through not only comes with mounts for a luggage rack at the front and a rack at the rear (including approval for child seats) but also the manufacturer's approval for a trailer. Thanks to the generous payload, all of these features can be used without operating the bike far from the specification.

The built-in components are perfectly appropriate for both the stately price of just under 5.000 euros and the suffix "Premium". First of all, of course, the built-in belt catches the eye, which replaces the classic chain. Not only does it have a much better service life (approx. 20.000 km compared to approx. 5.000 km with a conventional chain), it also requires less maintenance: the drive does not have to be lubricated - that also means: no dirty waistband and no crunching noises afterwards the rain ride more. The Bergamont e-bike comes with an Enviolo gear hub, which not only changes the gear ratio steplessly, but also fully automatically.

If you look at the components mentioned so far, the frame and the engine, the image of a high-quality urban bike with a good dash of sportiness emerges. The built-in suspension fork from SR Suntour emphasizes the latter in particular. This offers - unusual for an urban bike - almost ample 100 mm of spring travel and can be adjusted to the rider's weight by air. So you are prepared even for easy off-road excursions, although the comfort is also a pleasure on the bike path. The wide Schwalbe tires also contribute to this.

The E-Ville Pro Belt Premium deserves special praise where many bikes from the competition make cutbacks: The adjustable stem is not only highly variable, but also extremely torsion-resistant and offers a stylish integration for the Bosch Kiox display. The mudguards are made of metal, don't rattle and are dimensioned so that your feet stay dry in the rain. Even the luggage rack is a highlight: Produced by Racktime, it blends in nicely with the overall picture, has a spring clamp and a railing for appropriate bags. Oh yes: no savings were made on the light either. The Busch & Müller IQ-XS front headlight throws bright 70 lux onto the road, the rear light is integrated in the mentioned luggage rack.

Convincing in urban areas – and beyond

For a meaningful test, we first wanted to try the Bergamont E-Ville Pro Belt Premium in its "natural" environment: everyday life in the city. So we grabbed a Croozer Kid trailer and off we went. Two things are particularly noticeable in the first few meters. On the one hand, the extremely high level of comfort and excellent ergonomics. The seating position is extremely comfortable, the handlebars, grips and saddle are well-designed and so it's as comfortable as possible meter by meter. Thanks to the powerful drive, you'll be up to speed in no time, even if the motor doesn't always work completely silently in the higher support levels. At high speeds, the very well constructed frame, which convinces with high rigidity, comes into its own. Even in 2021, this is still by no means a matter of course for electric step-through bikes, especially if you attach an additional load to the rear frame with the trailer.

The E-Ville Pro only has a weary smile for all other tasks that urban everyday life has in store. The luggage rack is attached in such a way that even large bags can be attached in such a way that you don't brush your feet against it when you pedal. Thanks to the spring flap, additional loads can be easily attached at the top - and if that's still not enough, you can attach another carrier at the front. The step-through bike almost mutates into a cargo light.

Oh yes, circuit - there was something! You can forget this topic with the noble Bergamont E step-through step-through, the drive acts so unobtrusively in this respect. Thanks to the automatic transmission, there is no shift lever, no crunching thanks to the belt and the stepless adjustment of the translation is silent. More shifting comfort is not possible. The automatic gear changes at low speeds take some getting used to. For example, if you brake briefly in heavy traffic, the Enviolo switches to a very light gear ratio. That makes sense and is extremely helpful when starting off. As an Enviolo newcomer, however, you will occasionally step into the void at first.

The E-Ville Pro Belt delivered such a convincing performance that we also wanted to explore its limits. To do this, we climbed almost 500 meters in altitude over unpaved paths in the Bavarian Forest - with a trailer, of course! Thanks to the stable construction, the well-functioning suspension fork and the powerful motor, this was no problem at all most of the time. Only when it gets really, really steep does the Enviolo hub lack a slight gear ratio and the engine starts to sweat. On the descent, it's the stiff frame and the easily controllable brakes that bring us back down to the valley safely and reliably, even with a system weight close to the limit.