It was the kind of day I dream about all winter: 8 hours of alpine singletrack, grinding up punchy climbs and bashing down rocky descents above treeline. The bike? Salsa’s new Blackthorn 125 C GX ...

Not UL certified! Teeny-tiny display. No companion app in the US. Not as much torque as comparable electric mountain bikes. The highest-end legacy-brand e-MTBs retail for upwards of $14,000. So what ...