Bergamont wants to meet the growing demand for sleek and lightweight urban e-bikes with two new series of bikes: this year, the brand from Hamburg St. Pauli is launching the electrified version of the sporty urban bike Sweep, which is hardly noticeable for its electric drive. The equally new E-Vitesse, on the other hand, is designed for a little more comfort and is equipped with the new motor from TQ.

Slim and lightweight: the Bergamont E-Sweep with Mahle X35+ drive system

Let’s start with the E-Sweep: this one features the drive system from Mahle, which is now widely used in this segment and should therefore be considered the market leader. The well-known X35 system is used, which consists of a 250 W hub motor in the rear wheel, powered by a built-in battery with 250 Wh capacity in the down tube. Despite the fact that the system does not have a torque sensor installed, it rides quite pleasantly in everyday use (as has already been shown in some of our tests 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Analogous to the entire drive system, the user interface is also very inconspicuously integrated into the bike. On the one hand, with the iWoc One called button on the top tube — which is, however, somewhat cumbersome to operate. All the more pleasing, therefore, that Bergamont also installs the iWoc Trio on the E-Sweep. A compact thumb button on the handlebars, with which the e-drive can be operated much easier and more intuitive!

Like the fork, the diamond shaped frame of the E-Sweep is made of aluminum, and there is no comfort frame version. But there are two variants, which can be recognized by the different frame colors:

• Bergamont E-Sweep Tour, Shimano Deore derailleur with 10 speeds, 17.2 kg, color Matt Dark Green, 3,599 euros
• Bergamont E-Sweep Sport, Shimano Claris derailleur with 8 speeds, 17.5 kg, color Matt Rusty Orange, 3,399 Euro

The further equipment of both bikes is identical and quite extensive: in addition to mudguards, side stand and lighting system (tail light Herrmans H-Trace Mini, headlight Litemove SE), a rack from Racktime is also installed. The brakes are in line with the shifting from Shimano and as tires are mounted Schwalbe Spicer Plus with 40 mm width. Nice detail: the cables and wires are routed at the cockpit directly into the stem, which contributes to a clean look.

More power and a belt drive with hub gears as an option: the Bergamont E-Vitesse with TQ drive

The second new bike, the E-Vitesse, is even more exciting. This has the brand new TQ-HPR50 mid-drive motor, which is currently only available in a few urban e-bikes. With a torque of 50 Nm, the drive offers sufficient power in urban use, but is integrated just as inconspicuously as the somewhat weaker hub motors. There is also the option of combining this a mid-drive motor with a hub gear in the rear wheel including a belt drive.

The battery of the E-Vitesse has a capacity of 360 Wh and is permanently installed in the frame — so you also have to take the whole bike to the nearest power outlet to charge it. The user interface consists of a small thumb button on the handlebars, and there is also a compact display in the top tube; among other things, the ride data and battery capacity are displayed here, which should always be easy to read thanks to the OLED technology.

For a more upright and comfortable seating position provides not only the frame geometry with rising top tube, but also the adjustability of the stem. So everyone can adjust the individually fitting seating position. Also the tires of the type Schwalbe Marathon Efficiency is designed for more comfort on the E-Vitesse with a width of 55 mm, what should compensate for the lack of a suspension fork. The advantage of this omission is reflected on the scales: at around 20 kg, the bike is comparatively light — compared to other bikes with conventional mid-drives. In addition to the two frame variants with a diamond shape and a comfort frame with a trapezoid shape, the E-Vitesse is also available in three equipment configurations:

• Bergamont E-Vitesse Expert: Shimano Nexus hub gears with 5 speeds, Gates CDX belt drive, 20.4 kg, color Matt Khaki Green / Shiny Cassis Red, €4,999
• Bergamont E-Vitesse Elite: Shimano XT derailleur with 11 speeds, 19.6 kg, color Matt Rainbow Black, 4,899 euros
• Bergamont E-Vitesse Sport: Shimano Deore derailleur with 10 speeds, 19.8 kg, color Shiny Stellar Blue / Shiny Taupe Brown, €4,599

The variant with a belt drive and hub gears is certainly interesting here, since such a combination with a mid-range motor is rather rare (we have a compilation of such bikes here). However, the extent to which the Nexus hub’s five gears are sufficient for everyday use remains to be seen in a test.

The E-Vitesse’s other equipment is also very comprehensive and includes mudguards, kickstand, lighting system and luggage rack — everything that is useful for everyday use. Not only useful but also beautifully solved are the equally integrated cables and wires on the cockpit or the rear light integrated into the luggage rack.

Conclusion

With both bikes, Bergamont offers attractive new releases in the field of slim and lightweight urban e-bikes in 2023. However, while the E-Sweep faces numerous competitors with comparable models, the E-Vitesse is clearly more independent — currently there are only a few urban bikes that have one of the two new mini mid-mounted motors from TQ or Fazua installed.

More info on the new bikes can be found on the Bergamont website.