Simply put, titanium is not the right material for a high level/performance ebike. Over the years of working with titanium we have learned a number of things about where and how to use the material, but we still pushed to see if we could push the boundaries further. We spent a lot of time looking into how we could pull it off and what it would take to make an ebike out of titanium only to get to the same conclusion each time: when building the frame to a level of stability and robustness out of Ti the feature benefits of the Ti tubing is lost in the amount of material needed to secure a large battery and powerful drive unit. For short, we would need to use so much titanium in spots on the frame to make it safe to ride that legendary ride quality characteristics would be lost.

This is a two part answer: The Express is designed, engineered, tested, and assembled here in Steamboat Springs, CO by the same team that has sweated over all of the details of every Moots that has left the factory over the past four decades. The juicy part of the answer is that our composite components, the frame, fork, handlebar, stem, and seatpost are manufactured by two long term partners based out of China and Taiwan. We have produced Moots branded components with these partners for over ten years now and we’re proud to have them execute the manufacturing of our designs.

We are hardcore cyclists who look at every bike with a sharp eye and try not to be overly judgemental about how they are used or who they are for. We have seen the shift from our side of the industry of opening up access to more people riding bikes from bringing forward the technology of pedal assist platforms. As pioneers and current industry leaders of gravel bikes we knew we could make a top tier performance gravel ebike for people to enjoy of all abilities. Our mission became simple: create a gravel ebike that compliments our current gravel family and allows more users to experience the joy of riding on low traffic roads and exploring new terrain. We spent over two years designing and engineering the Express, we have been riding some form of the Express since the fourth quarter of 2022, and now are at the point where we are ready to share our outcome with existing Moots family along with many new to Moots customers.

To speak to this in a similar manner to how we talk about all of our other frames, the Express takes shape in a monocoque construction. The process to construct the Express frames is known as EPS (expanded polystyrene) molding. This process creates an inner mold that expands under heat to apply pressure to the prepreg carbon to have the carbon exactly match the shape of the outer mold. This creates a tighter compaction of the prepreg carbon layers, ultimately leaving us with a frame that is free of any cavities or irregularities. Eliminating any variance is the key to strength and durability within a composite frame. We have engineered strength in reinforced areas around the drive unit mount and other critical junctions within the frame to handle the torque output from the drive unit and the robustness for components like the battery. With that being said, the dropped seatstays, longer exposed seat post, and directional layup (reinforced where is needed and reduce where comfort can be added) were all design decisions made early on to create comfort for the rider while riding. Our geometry and components spec on this frame was selected to give the rider a more upright riding position that would keep them more comfortable, but also put them more in control. Our choices of designing this frame out of a composite material were to create stiffness and alignment where needed along with catering the layup and design to keep the rider’s comfort in mind.

We’ll break that down into three key things: Range, Reliability, and Capability. 

Throughout our early test rides we managed to get over 100 miles without just being on battery sipping eco mode. Our goal was to try and mitigate any range anxiety for the user when they set out and turn down a new road that is a little longer than expected. Our Shimano 504Wh battery is class leading and does not weigh the bike down. A ride ready medium comes in right at 33lbs. 

We made decisions with the design and the component selection that should also put the owners mind at ease, going with a full end to end Shimano system assures that there will be service and parts for many years to come. We built a large amount of tire clearance into the frame and created ways to make the things that are a necessity easily accessible and the ones that are not needed, hidden and protected. Case in point the system can be charged via a small access door on the seat tube. If the battery ever needs to be removed for any reason the battery access door on the downtube opens up with one bolt and the battery can be removed with a quarter turn of the battery release retention key. We also hid all of the wiring and brake hoses inside of the frame so there is not a gangly spider web of wires everywhere to get caught on the next thing that you pass by. 

Our thoughts of intended use were around creating a gravel bike that was not limited to smooth dirt roads and pavement, no we wanted the 4×4 capable chassis that feels totally at home on backcountry two track as it does cruising the bike path out of town. With large rubber standard in the stock trim and a gear range that will let you pedal up the steepest terrain you can find but also allow you to push up to 28mph, we think we have created the ultimate adventure ready gravel ebike. Along with the drivetrain the frame has a number of small features like fender mounts, three pack bottle mounts, low standover heights, and relaxed riding position to make the bike an easy platform to modify to your unique riding needs.

Our Routt ESC has similar geometry and offroad/adventure capabilities, check it out here. Without being undersold our Routt 45 is an excellent option for anyone looking to do it all from daily dirt laps, to the one gravel event on the calendar for the year, all the way out to some weekend warrior bike packing. Check out the Routt 45 here and if interested in a softail version check out the Routt YBB here.

Short answer 100+ miles. Long answer, the range fluctuates based on a number of variables starting with how the assist is used throughout riding, rider weight, road surface conditions, wind direction, tire pressure, ambient air temperature, and on and on. Simple rule of thumb, if you are looking to go far, pace yourself and moderate your surging speed. If you have a full battery and know you are only going across town or on a short lap, open up the taps and consume as much power as you’d like.

This is a class 3 ebike, what that means is there is pedal assist up to 28mph/45kph. You can pedal well past that under your own power, but you will not have any assist from the drive unit past 28mph/45kph.

Yes, the Express can easily be picked and weighs in at 33 lbs. The majority of wheel supporting bike racks on the market will confidently carry a 33lb bike, if not two.

We have yet to put a stopwatch to it, but we have charged a number of batteries in four hours or less with the supplied Shimano EC-E8004-2 charger.

If all items of the system have no damage, the answer is yes. The charger is UL listed and charges the battery in a format that when the battery is full the charger turns off. The charger and charging port are both waterproof to grade 5 (IPX5) or higher. The charger cycles the battery to 80% full in 2.5 hours and the remaining 20% charges at a lower amperage to eliminate any possibilities of damaging the battery. Be smart and safe, if your dog chewed the cord or your robotic vacuum is operating, it is probably not sensible to have your Express plugged in.

Frame

• Four sizes S, M, L, and XL
• All sizes have two water bottle mounts in the front triangle with the downtube mount being a 3 pack variant
• Each fork leg has 3 pack mounts
• Fender mounts front and rear
• Clearance for a 29×2.1 tire
• Suspension corrected for use with longer travel gravel suspension forks
• Removable battery via battery access panel
• Charging port in frame

Components

• Shimano EP801 drive unit – class 3 (28mph pedal assist)
• Shimano 504wH battery
• Shimano XT Linkglide 11 speed drivetrain
  • Linkglide is the ebike specific grouppo that allows the two features of Autoshift and Freeshift to function
  • The cassette is a full steel construction that can be shifted under full load without damage.
  • The chain and derailleur are a part of the linkglide system as well
• Shimano 47T front chainring @ 53mm chainline
• Shimano XT 170mm crank arms
• Shimano 11/50 11 speed rear cassette
• Shimano Ultegra R8170 shifters and flat mount brakes – 160mm rotor rear and 180mm rotor front
• Shimano EN600 display
• Shimano SW310 on/off and control switch
• Shimano GRX RX-870 carbon wheelset. 25mm internal @ 1461g
• Panaracer GravelKing SK + 50c tubeless tires
• Moots MOD internal routed handlebar
• Moots MOD internal routed stem
• Moots MOD 31.6 seatpost
• Lizard Skin DSP 2.5mm bar tape

Other

• Left shifter controls assists modes up and down
• Right shifter controls rear derailleur up and down cassette
• Top buttons on both shifter control the shifting modes – auto & manual
• On/Off switch selection button controls the display screen and the adjustment screen
• Tune has five levels of assist ranging from 25nM to 60nM across two profiles