Recreational Equipment Incorporated, also known as REI, is a popular outdoor goods and equipment distributor that’s best known for its membership shopping. Apart from selling stuff for the general outdoorsperson, the company also has its own in-house bicycle brand called Co-op Cycles. Up until now, the brand’s bicycles consisted of commuter and utility focused electric and non-electric models.
That being said, the all-new Co-op Cycles DRT e3.1 marks the brand’s first foray into the world of performance-oriented bicycles. It’s the first-ever dedicated electric mountain bike from the brand, and it’s packing a surprisingly impressive slew of technology. Right off the bat, it’s important to note that the DRT e3.1 is a Class 1 e-bike. This means that riders have access to the widest number of trails – pretty much anywhere a regular mountain bike can go, the DRT e3.1 can go, too.
At the heart of the DRT is none other than the Bosch Performance Line CX mid-drive motor. With 85 Newton-meters of torque on tap, the motor flattens even the steepest of climbs, while at the same time providing natural pedal assistance thanks to a built-in torque sensor. It gives the bike a top speed limited to 20 miles per hour, but of course, you’re free to go faster than this, provided you do so using your leg power.
When it comes to battery tech, Co-op Cycles has stuck to the whole Bosch package with the Power Tube 625. This is one of the highest capacity batteries produced by Bosch, with 625 watt-hours of juice on tap. As such, it promises hours of non-stop fun – more than enough to get you to the trails, have a ton of fun, and still have enough to get you back home. For added convenience, the battery can be slipped out of the frame and charged separately.
As for the tech that makes this eMTB an MTB, it’s rocking a Sram SX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain, allowing riders to select the precise gear ratio when tackling technical climbs. Suspension hardware comes from RockShox, in the form of a Recon Silver RL up front with 140 millimeters of travel, and a Deluxe Select Plus RT shock at the back. Lastly, the DRT e3.1 comes to a confident stop thanks to Tektro four-piston hydraulic disc brakes.
As is the case with all of REI’s products, members get first dibs on the new bike starting October 31, 2023. Priced at $4,999 USD, it’s quite a bargain, considering other bikes from other brands rocking the same equipment can easily set you back upwards of $7,000. Even better, after being made available to REI members, the bike is expected to be released to non-members, too.
