Scott's sleek Patron e-bike doesn’t even look electric

Swiss bike maker Scott has unveiled its newest e-bike, the 2022 Patron eRide, and it’s quite a sleek-looking adventure vehicle. The bike, which rocks a 750Wh battery good for up to 62 miles of assisted pedaling, integrates the electronics and rear shock neatly into the frame and out of view. That makes for a bike that’s tightly packaged and durable enough for tough trail rides.

Cleverly concealed — Some people may not like that the shock is integrated so tightly in the frame, as it looks kind of cool when you see the suspension on a bike springing as you race up and down bumpy hills. But that’s really just a cosmetic concern. Scott says the rear suspension here offers 160mm of travel, and it can alternatively be locked at 115mm in “traction mode” for times when you want a firmer ride and less bounce.

Some e-bikes look big and hulking because they have cables strewn all over them and a giant battery affixed to their frames. The Patron eRide just looks like a normal bike — that’s great because onlookers will be none the wiser to the fact that an electric motor is giving you support up the hills. When the battery needs a recharge, it’s easy to drop it out of the bottom and charge it. The motor in the eRide is an 85Nm Bosch Performance CX.

Additional modularity — There is some cabling visible on the handlebars for the e-bike system — a Kiox 300 display includes GPS, speed, and cadence readouts, and there’s an ability to connect your phone through Bluetooth so you can record rides. There are also thumb levers on the left handlebar for adjusting the suspension, which seems excessive to us. Also, we do worry about the display being mounted on the top center of the stem. Easy to read? Sure. But also easy to destroy in the event of a crash. Scott says it’s at least removable and you can use your phone to control your bike’s settings instead.

Unfortunately, all of this comes at a steep price of $6,499 for the base model. Gulp.