Power Unleashed: Testing the Ultra-Equipped Scott Axis 20 Wave Electric Bike!

In the cycling world, Scott has established its reputation with road bikes and, notably, mountain bikes, with champions like Nino Schurter leading the charge. Over the years, like its competitors, Scott’s catalog has diversified to include electric bikes and models better suited for everyday use, beginning in 2011 with the Venture. For the hybrid bike category, Scott offers the Axis, designed to bridge urban cycling and electric mountain biking.

The Axis line is extensive, featuring a fully-suspended model, the Axis FS eRIDE FS, while the hardtail Axis eRIDE comes in several versions – 10, 20, 30, 40 – and two frame styles (open or closed). We tested the mid-tier Scott Axis 20 Wave, priced at €3,599. Can this Swiss company compete against numerous rivals, such as France’s Moustache Xroad and Cube Kathmandu Hybrid? We put this model to the test over 100 km. Here’s what we found.

Technical Specifications

This review was conducted on a model provided by the brand.

A Hefty Scott Axis

While carbon is prevalent in its competition models, here Scott opts for an aluminum frame. Bulky in the closed version, it appears quite elegant in the open frame. Despite its off-road experience, the brand maintains style, with an appealing light blue paint that has beautiful reflections, coupled with polished welds.

This electric hybrid bike manages to conceal the bulky central motor and slim down its diagonal tube, which houses the battery whose cover matches the frame color. However, the battery cover tended to be insecurely attached and even fell off during a ride.

Despite its sleek appearance, don’t forget that the Axis 20 Wave is substantial with its 29-inch wheels and a longer geometry (total length of 195 cm). The bike is hefty, weighing just about 30 kg, far from the Lumen eRide! But it can support up to 160 kg, which is quite rare in the market.

Impressive Equipment on This Electric Bike

The aforementioned weight also includes the equipment. The aluminum mudguards are thick and very protective, although they could be a bit longer. A kickstand is included, similar to the rather light luggage carrier on this substantial Scott. The luggage rack can handle up to 27 kg and is compatible with Snapit attachments.

The Lezyne lighting is standard at the rear and features a brake light function, while the front light lacks angle and power (210 lumens, 65 lux) for venturing off well-lit streets. Moreover, it’s not height-adjustable, being fixed under the stem.

Other additions include a top chain guard to protect it from gravel or grease, but no lock is included, although there are fixtures on the rear triangle for one.

A Well-Oiled Bosch Ecosystem

By choosing a Bosch assistance system, Scott also gains access to the Bosch Smart System connected ecosystem. As for the display, it’s not the top-tier Kiox model – reserved for the high-end Axis 10 – but the Intuvia 100 that sits at the center of the handlebar.

This large LCD display shows plenty of information, including range depending on the mode. However, it’s only backlit when the “LED Remote” control is used with the left hand, which scrolls through the display or changes modes. It’s disappointing to settle for an Intuvia 100 given the bike’s price. Note that it is removable to prevent theft when parked on the street.

The Flow app can function as a bike computer from your smartphone. It also allows for customizing the assistance levels, viewing ride history, or using the automatic eBike Lock feature. As usual, everything is smooth and bug-free, but upgrading to ConnectModule and Flow+ (€40/year) is necessary for an alarm and more security features.

More of a Mountain Bike than an Urban Cruiser?

The riding position of the Scott Axis eRide is quite sporty, as the saddle is at handlebar height (variable depending on your height). But it’s the more aggressive steering tube angle that really sets its sportier temperament apart from a more traditional electric hybrid bike. The small chainring (36 teeth) and the 12-speed derailleur, rare at this price level, especially in the Shimano Deore XT range, offer lightning-fast and super-smooth shifting.

This electric bike handles like a mountain bike. It climbs steep slopes in the forest as easily as it navigates small urban obstacles. Its large Schwalbe Advanced Hybrid tires provide good comfort on bike paths and cobblestones, and excellent grip even in heavy rain. It’s not perfect because the seat tube is rigid, unlike the Axis 10 model which has a suspension post.

A Nervous Scott, Perhaps Too Much for the City?

On very rough terrain, the front suspension Suntour XCM34 Coil (spring) with 120 mm of travel shows its limits, behaving quite harshly compared to its hydraulic counterpart. But when caught off-guard, it’s easy to get moving again thanks to the transmission and small chainring, and especially the very responsive motor.

The Bosch Performance Line CX motor, which after an update peaks at 100 Nm, has more than enough torque for versatile use. The Scott Axis hits 25 km/h in a matter of seconds with the maximum Turbo mode, which is preferred for off-road use with elevation changes (or the eMTB mode for more responsiveness).

In the city, even the Auto mode is quite zippy on acceleration, which requires tweaking in the app or switching to Tour+ or Eco mode. The motor is also quieter in these settings, with the usual high-pitched whine under load, which is less noticeable in this Gen5 model.

The bike’s nervousness extends to braking, which was just breaking in on our test model. The system forcefully locks the 4-piston Shimano MT420 calipers, which can be almost too surprising in the city. It’s important to balance the front and rear levers to avoid going headlong or drifting on the cobblestones of the Champs-Elysées (yes, that’s from experience).

At Least 70 km in Max Mode

With a motor that kicks in at the slightest pedal stroke and a high weight, and knowing the high consumption of the Bosch CX, there was some concern about battery life. Additionally, this version of the Scott Axis 20 features a 600 Wh battery, compared to 800 Wh for the higher-end “10” model.

However, this electric hybrid bike reassures, as it only consumes 8 Wh/km on average on our first discharge in Turbo mode. The mild 15°C temperature and dry conditions were favorable, allowing for 74 km of range. On a less demanding route and in Auto mode, efficiency comes into play with a measured range of 94 km at 10°C, or 6.3 Wh/km. This is a significant improvement over previous performances!

A Rather Slow Recharge

Surprisingly efficient, the Scott Axis 20 Wave disappoints a bit when it comes to recharging. Despite its somewhat premium positioning, there’s no fast 4A charger, just the standard 2A charger.

In 1.5 hours, the battery recovers 33%, which is surprising. Indeed, compared to other Bosch systems we’ve seen, the initial charge on this Scott seems very fast before slowing down. The next 33% takes more than 2 hours, and reaching 85% requires 6.5 hours. For a full charge, we measured 8 hours, which is exactly the theoretical value expected (16 Ah divided by 2A).

Like the backlight, monitoring the battery percentage during charging requires manual action: you have to tap the display to turn it on. You can also use the app if you’re connected via Bluetooth nearby. The removable battery can be accessed with the provided key. It’s accessible via the cover, which unfortunately is not locked with a key, and must be carried with you when parking the e-bike due to the risk of theft.

Positioned as a High-End Model

The Scott Axis eRide has dropped its basic “40” version, and now starts its range with the “30” version. Starting at €3,149, the electric hybrid bike continues its climb in quality with the Axis 20 we tested at €3,599, and peaks with the Axis 10 at €4,199. These amounts represent a significant decrease compared to the previous generation.

All models offer the open Wave frame or the classic frame, with varying colors: a single cypress green for the Axis 30, icy blue or night gray for our Axis 20 Wave, the classic frame variant Axis 20 in gray, yellow, or green, while the Axis 10 opts for light gray.

For this price, even Cube doesn’t achieve such a price-to-performance ratio with its Kathmandu Hybrid PRO 800 (€3,799), which indeed has an 800 Wh battery, a Kiox 500 display, and a suspension seat post, but with a 100 mm fork and especially a significantly higher price.

The Moustache XRoad 4 (€3,699), lighter, features a Purion display, a fast charger, a suspension seat post, a Bosch PX motor, but less effective brakes and derailleur. Finally, the O2feel Vern FS 7 Adventure we tested has significantly reduced its price to €3,299, a good alternative with a Shimano motor and dual suspension.

Scott offers a 5-year warranty on the frame, or three years if no annual service is done at a partnering bike shop. The warranty drops to 2 years for the Bosch electric assistance. As for customer service, it’s possible to contact the electric bike retailer, the nearest partner, or directly with the brand (phone only, as the form on the official website is invalid).