Test / E-Bikes: With the Qwic Atlas, we tested an extremely exciting and versatile e-bike. In its orientation, it moves somewhere in the field of tension between urban bike, trekking bike, SUV and adventure - and also feels comfortable in almost each of these areas. In the "Vario" variant with Enviolo gears that we tested, however, alpine passes should be taboo despite the powerful Brose Drive S Mag motor. Overall, however, the Dutch do a lot right with the Atlas and stand out pleasantly from the competition.
SUV e-bikes are in trend: That's not a big surprise, because with their mix of touring MTB, trekking bike and a dash of urban, they cover an area of application in which many potential buyers are likely to find themselves. At first glance, the Qwic Atlas seems to fit into this category: beefy looks, real MTB forks with 100mm travel and wide tires on 27,5 inch fields. In addition, luggage racks at the back and front (!), fenders, lighting - the SUV bike is done. Or not?
Brose motor with large 756 Wh battery
The Atlas gets the first surprised look when it comes to the choice of gears; In our “Vario” test bike variant, a stepless gear hub from Enviolo together with a carbon belt takes on this task. The relatively heavy hub is actually mainly found on urban bikes - but the bike still works as a complete package. The manufacturer from the Netherlands is thus demonstrating the courage to do things differently from the competition. This is exactly what the frame shows: It is only available in one form, namely as a unisex version with a deep-drawn top tube, and is visually extremely striking with its massive, angular aluminum tubes. At its heart, a Brose Drive S Mag motor with up to 90 Nm torque provides sufficient propulsion. A large 756 Wh battery is located in the top tube so that it lasts even on longer tours. The latter can be easily removed with the integrated loop, despite its rather high weight.
The frame is not only visually convincing, but also technically: With a maximum permissible total weight of 156 kg, the limit should not be reached even with a heavy load and a large driver. Speaking of heavy loads - in addition to the rear luggage rack, which is a matter of course in this class, the Qwic Atlas also has a small front carrier with a small pump attached to the underside for possible breakdowns - very nice!
Convincing choice of components
The choice of components is no less convincing: In addition to the aforementioned Enviolo gears, the very powerful disc brakes from Magura are particularly striking. So that comfort is not neglected, there is an air suspension fork from Suntour with 100mm travel at the front and the shocks of the unsprung rear are dampened by a parallelogram support before they reach the buttocks and back of the driver. The Dutch have also done their homework on the rather inconspicuous details: the metal mudguards are long enough, the angle-adjustable stem is very stiff and Ergon's expertise is trusted when it comes to grips and saddles.
Very safe driving behavior
According to the convincing technical data, the Qwic Atlas Vario is also very popular in practice. We were surprised by the very good-natured and safe handling, even off-road. Surprised because the center of gravity of the bike, which weighs over 30kg, is quite high due to the battery stowed in the top tube. However, there is no sign of wobbly behavior, which is certainly also due to the stiff frame. The Brose Drive S Mag cuts a fine figure in combination with the carbon belt and the Enviolo gears, although the range for the steepest mountain passes is likely to be a bit thin - if you ride here regularly, it's better to use the version with derailleur gears.
The drive itself is particularly pleasing due to its high power combined with its low volume. If you want, you can connect the bike to the Qwic app via Bluetooth and thus adjust the drive to your own needs or use the smartphone as a display replacement. GPS tracking is also possible, which costs a one-off fee of 199 euros at the time of purchase and 3,50 euros per month from the second year. In view of such modern features, however, the control unit on the handlebars, with its monochromatic display that is not always easy to read and the somewhat spongy control buttons, no longer looks quite up-to-date.
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