Carver 2025: The German manufacturer with headquarters in Frankfurt and production in Herford is entering the new year with a broad range of products. E-bikes in all categories and interesting gravel bikes are now also available in their own online shop.
The end of the 20th century was an exciting time in the bicycle industry. A surge in innovation in mountain bikes, new gear systems, full suspension on everyday bikes and a growing interest in cycle racing meant that cycling was on everyone's lips. And the first electric bikes, which were shown to interested parties in the trade press, provided a glimpse of what the bicycle world would look like in the coming decades.
In short: 1999 was a good year for founding a bicycle brand - the same year in which Carver was born. The Frankfurt-based company had a sporty focus from the start: in addition to fast trekking bikes, which were to experience a boom in the coming years, the young company focused on mountain bikes. Early models such as the SL 9000 were still based on relatively simple suspension systems; the Drift series later became a four-pivot bike that was well received in the trade press. Carver broke new ground with the "Internet Community Bike": the geometry, frame features and specifications were determined using feedback from users; the result was a trail bike with long suspension travel that was easy to ride uphill. And last but not least, Carver made itself popular with cyclists thanks to its good price-performance ratio. Carbon frames, electronic gears and lightweight system wheels for under 3.000 euros - many competitors ran out of arguments.
Sporty brand with a focus on e-bikes
The brand's sporty focus was probably the reason why Carver only turned to e-bikes in 2016, relatively late. And this also marked the beginning of a new era for the Frankfurt-based company. As the market share of electric bikes increased, the emphasis shifted away from "bio-bikes" and, like most manufacturers, Carver's portfolio in 2025 is heavily focused on e-bikes. With the Strict platform, a single hardtail is currently available in four variants; the Trekking Sport base includes two fast everyday bikes with the new Shimano Cues components.
Carver Strict.E: Hardtail with Bosch CX motor
The electric alternative is called Strict E and is currently available in four versions. The distinguishing feature of the E-hardtail is the motor that is completely enclosed in the frame; all models use the Bosch Performance CX, combined with different batteries. The cheapest version, the Strict E.510 with a 500 Wh battery, can be offered for well under 3.000 euros. All models have 120 mm of suspension travel at the front, with the top model Strict E.540 being equipped with a RockShox air suspension fork and a Shimano twelve-speed gear system.
Carver offers an all-mountain all-rounder with a four-pivot rear triangle in the form of the Drift-E, again equipped with Bosch CX and with 160/150 mm suspension travel, geared towards difficult terrain. The E-Fully also features a dropper seat post, which enables optimal positioning of the body's center of gravity on difficult downhills.
Carver SUV E. LR and FS: Border crossers between Trekking and MTB
Of course, it makes sense to use the respective platforms for the E-SUV format as well. With the SUV E. FS, Carver has designed a fully that, with a slightly reduced suspension travel of 130/130 mm, is well suited to everyday use and touring. With the E.510, E.530 and E.550, there are three models in the portfolio, the cheapest of which is already equipped with an air suspension fork. Other features of the Carver SUV.E FS include the stable rear carrier and a tidy cockpit thanks to cables integrated from the stem.
Carver's SUV hardtails are also based on the high-torque Bosch CX motor, flanked by the latest "Smart System" components such as LED remote and the large Kiox display. There are 2 x 3 models on offer, namely SUV E.510, E.530 and E.550 in the normal and LR versions, which stands for "Long Range". The difference lies in the battery - the LR versions have 750 instead of 625 watt hours in order to achieve a longer range. Depending on the model, there are ten or twelve gears and a steel or air suspension fork with 120 mm travel.
Two touring models for everyday use
In the E-Trekking sector, Carver differentiates between "Comfort" and "Sport", which corresponds to the "Tour" and "Route" model families. The former are two bikes with hub gears, Tour E.420 and Tour E.410, which differ significantly in terms of equipment. Let's start with the frame - the 420 already has the more modern version with the practical charging socket on the top tube. This bike is also equipped with the powerful Bosch Performance Line, as well as the E-bike-specific five-speed hub Shimano Inter-5E with gear levels adapted to the support. The partially integrated battery has a fairly long range at 545 Wh.
The Carver Tour E.410 is the stripped-down version, so to speak, which makes the very attractive price of currently just under 2.000 euros possible. The harmonious Bosch Active Line works in the high-quality aluminum frame, which offers quick acceleration and solid support on medium gradients. With its 400 Wh battery, the E.410 is definitely tailored to everyday use. The eight-speed gear hub from Shimano is tried and tested and solid, and with a solid rear carrier, safe brakes and smooth-running 50 mm tires, Carver also uses high-quality material on the peripherals.
Carver Trekking Sport: nine models from “entry-level” to “high-end”
At Carver, "Trekking Sport" stands for nine models with derailleur gears that differ fundamentally in terms of motorization and frame shape. Two product lines can be distinguished, Route E.5 and E.4; the first category offers the high-torque Bosch Performance CX with a fully integrated battery; there is also a charging socket integrated into the top tube. The Route E.510 is the simplest variant with a 500 Wh battery, ten-speed derailleur gears and steel suspension fork; the top model E.540 has a 625 Wh battery and twelve-speed gears. The other equipment of the four bikes is fortunately the same - this applies to the bright headlights and the puncture-proof Schwalbe tires, for example. The two top models are upgraded with air suspension forks.
Below the Route E.5 is the E.4, which is available in five variants. The E.400 and E.410 with nine-speed derailleur gears are equipped with the "Bosch Active Line" motor; the difference between the two models is the battery with a capacity of 400 or 500 watt hours. This is followed by three models with the powerful Bosch Performance motor, which offers very balanced performance: the E.420 already has a ten-speed gear system and a 545 Wh battery; from this model onwards, the modern "Smart System" components from Bosch are also standard. The E.430 and E.440 have twelve gears and a brighter front light; the 440 is also trimmed for extra range with the large 800 Wh battery.
Carver 2025: Affordable aluminum gravel bikes with a beautiful frame
Carver is not entirely focused on e-bikes, of course. With the gravel bike, the opportunity was seized to add bikes with racing handlebars back to the model range, and the brand's Frankfurt-based product developers have done their job pretty well. The portfolio includes two "Gravel Street" models with full equipment and four "Gravel Sport" models, with all bikes based on a beautifully made aluminum frame. Its pipe transitions, made using the "liquid aluminum" process, create organic shapes with a carbon look - the material couldn't be processed more elegantly.
Gravel riding in everyday life and during sports with different equipment variants
The fully equipped Gravel 220 Street and 210 Street models show some significant differences in the level of equipment, which accounts for the price difference of 400 euros (1.799 vs. 1.399 euros): The 220 comes with a complete Shimano GRX 2×11, bright Supernova spotlight and 40 mm wide Continental tires. The 210 with 2×10 gears and FSA crankset has many components that are a little simpler, although important features - the hub dynamo, the compact rear carrier and the integrated shift cables - are the same on both models.
The sporty models Gravel 210 and Gravel 220 are constructed like the corresponding street versions. The Gravel 220 1BY is the most racing version with a wide-ranging twelve-speed sprocket (10-51 teeth), and the 230 is a top model with the complete Shimano GRX-RX820, which shifts 2×12 gears.
Numerous threaded eyelets make the bike suitable for bikepacking; Carver also lures customers with attractive prices for gravel bikes: the entry-level model Gravel 210 costs just 1.200 euros; the Gravel 210 1BY is just under 1.500 euros. A feature of all of the brand's gravel bikes is the complete internal routing of cables and rear brake lines from the stem; thru axles are just as standard as a carbon fork with the option of mounting a luggage rack.
Complete assembly in our own factory
Many bike manufacturers never even see their bikes anymore. The bikes assembled in the Far East are delivered in a box and forwarded to the dealer, who unpacks the bike and carries out the final assembly. Things are different at Carver: All bikes and e-bikes are assembled in their own factory in Herford. This also includes time-consuming work such as the aforementioned internal routing of the cables and lines on gravel bikes. Against this background, the brand's price-performance ratio is also remarkable - in the readers' choice of the "Nimms-rad" platform, the manufacturer from Frankfurt only had to admit defeat to its major competitor Cube and clearly relegated direct mail order company Canyon to third place.
Also available via direct sales since 2024
Carver, which was previously positioned as a pure specialist retail brand, has also opened up to this sales channel since 2024. Anyone who wants to can order from the online shop - practical, for example, if there is no authorized dealer nearby. At the moment, it is particularly worth taking a look at the homepage in view of the various special models - like elsewhere in the industry, Carver also has to reduce stocks to make room for future model years. These will have one or two interesting new products to look forward to; so it is worth following how the innovative brand will develop further.