Can an ‘eSUV’ e-bike really go from trail to town?

Have you ever wanted an electric bike that easily transitions from the drudgery of urban asphalt to adventures in gravel and dirt? That's what a subclass of so-called “electric SUV†(eSUV) e-bikes claims to do, with their wide, all-terrain tires and front and rear suspension, plus practical accessories like fenders and racks.

So, that's what I set out to test on a new TL Carbon e-bike from Amflow, the DJI offshoot that upended the mountain bike industry a few years ago with its incredibly small and powerful Avinox motors.

After a month of testing in the heart of Amsterdam — including a three day bikepacking trip along coastal bicycle superhighways and single-track forest routes — I can confirm what you might already expect: there are compromises. But for €3499 / $3,899 you do get a crossover e-bike that can help you fetch groceries during the week and conquer trails on the weekend.

I rode my first crossover in 2024 when Cowboy launched its appropriately named Cross. That e-bike, like the vast majority of SUV automobiles, is more at home on pavement than dirt. But it looks burly, which attracts a certain kind of buyer hoping for transference. Today, these eSUVs are more popular than ever. Canyon, for example, makes one. Specialized, too. As does Riese & Müller and now Amflow.

The Amflow TL Carbon is built upon the same Avinox drive system that threw the electric mountain bike (eMTB) industry into a tizzy two years ago. The TL Carbon is a bit less powerful, sporty, and springy than the impressive Amflow PX Carbon Pro I tested over the summer, but its eMTB roots are undeniable.

I tested the TL Carbon on a bikepacking adventure from Amsterdam to the island of Texel at the tip top of the Netherlands. The 170km trip was about 70 percent asphalt, 20 percent gravel and dirt, and 10 percent rutted, hilly, single-track dedicated to mountain bikers. I was more than a little nervous riding the latter on a 19.2kg (42.3lbs) bike loaded down with an 87kg (190lbs) rider and about 20kg (44lbs) of gear. But Amflow's compact mid-drive Avinox M2 motor, with its 125Nm of torque and 1100W of max output, flattened long, technical hills that other mountain bikers (not loaded down with gear) had to hike. As an eSUV, the TL Carbon has bonafide off-road credentials.

I was also pleased by the range I extracted from the 800Wh battery, despite bikepacking on a very windy weekend. Amflow offers an optional battery extender that adds 480Wh to the total capacity, but I didn't miss it.

I rode in a mix of modes, spending the vast majority of the time in battery-sipping Eco mode, only switching into the adaptive Auto mode when facing a strong headwind, and Trail only when trying to dominate a highly technical or steep single-track. On my longest day, I arrived at my destination with 22 percent charge remaining after riding 82.3km (51.1 miles). That works out to an exceptional 7.58Wh per km (or 12.2Wh per mile) for a bike carrying so much gear.

And because the TL Carbon's battery is removable unlike Amflow's premium eMTB, it can be easily charged behind a bar, at a cafe, or inside a home. I had no problem finding public chargers along the way, but I'm blessed to live in a country with excellent bicycle infrastructure.

Still, as an eMTB, the Amflow TL Carbon makes plenty of compromises. The 27.5-inch front wheel is fine in town but it doesn't roll over roots and rocks as well as 29-inch wheels found on modern mountain bikes (there's clearance to swap a 29er in if you want). The geometry is also more upright than many would want on a trail, and the suspension travel at the front and rear is relatively short, tuned more for potholes than 1-meter drop-offs (yet it handled those fine). And the things you definitely want on a city bike — like the TL Carbon's integrated lighting, kickstand, bell, mudguards, front rack, and rear rack — are not designed for quick removal and add considerable weight to the otherwise lightweight (just 2.9kg) carbon-fiber frame. Removing everything to go full eMTB could take up to an hour, and then again to return to city mode.

If the Amflow TL Carbon is your only bike then it certainly gets the job done in urban environments. But it's a little like putting leather seats and a stereo inside a WWII-era jeep and calling it a city car.

In town, the Amflow TL Carbon looks out of place. For one thing, it screams I'm expensive, and the gas shock, Fox branding, and wide knobby tires make it stand out from basic city bikes — not something you want in places where bicycle theft is a problem. I wouldn't feel comfortable parking it on the street overnight which is otherwise the common thing to do in compact, bicycle cities like Amsterdam. Amflow does equip it with Apple Find My to help locate it.

The tires on the TL Carbon is where the compromises are most apparent. Amflow selected Maxxis Crossmark II tires which are better suited for trails. The deep tread adds rolling resistance and noise to city commutes and the tires lack advanced anti-puncture features found on tires made for commuting and touring. That makes them more vulnerable to flats caused by glass and construction debris commonly found on city streets. And that knobby tread makes fast cornering on pavement feel squirmy, at least until those nubs are eventually ground off by the asphalt.

Likewise, there's no chain guard on the Amflow TL Carbon. That's fine for mountain biking but a nuisance in the city where that exposed drivetrain can snag trousers and skirts, or leave them stained with grease when heading out for a night on the town.

The dropper seat post is as useful on trails as it is in the city. Droppers are pretty mainstream for mountain bikes these days, and they also make the bike easily shareable with riders of different sizes. But the seatpost and saddle can't be easily locked when parked making them a target for thieves.

The front rack paired with a (bring your own) bungee cord makes fetching errands a snap, and the rear rack can be equipped with an MIK HD-compatible bike seat to carry a kid to daycare. The quick-release Amflow-branded panniers and top bag I took bikepacking also work great for city trips. Just remove the panniers when you arrive at the market, fill them with groceries, snap them back to your bike, and away you go.

I really enjoyed my time with the versatile Amflow TL Carbon e-bike. It's no poseur on the trail where it feels surprisingly agile and powerful even when fully loaded. Its hauling capacity also makes it fine for daily life in the city, if you don't mind the incongruity of riding a mountain bike around town. The Amflow TL Carbon definitely lives up to the title of “sport utility vehicle,†which is more than I can say for most of its gasoline-powered peers.

All photos by Thomas Ricker / The Verge.