B’TWIN LD 920 E: How does Decathlon’s “star” electric bike stack up against the competition?

After long months of waiting, BTWIN LD 920 E is finally available for sale. A lot of ink was spilled when this urban bike was officially introduced, especially because of its exceptional autonomy and its fully automatic transmission, not to mention its many small technical refinements. But how does it compare with the competition?

Big Battery, Big Battery Life

Grieving people might say that it all finally feels like deja vu and exists on a competitive bike. let’s take a closer look.
Let’s start with autonomy. The B’Twin LD 920 E relies on a large 702 Wh battery, but there are even larger batteries: for example Bosch already offers a 750 Wh and it is possible to combine several batteries.

Decathlon also claims a range of between 80 to 150 km for its bike. Mustache has announced a range of 146 km for its Mondeo 27.5 Smart System with a 625 Wh battery. Obviously battery capacity isn’t everything. We must also talk about the efficiency of the engine and its transmission, without forgetting the parameters that can play a less important role such as tire size, frame geometry… Whether in terms of autonomy or battery capacity, the B’Twin LD 920 E doesn’t really revolutionize this area.

an automatic transmission from belgium

Next comes the automatic transmission. Decathlon has opted for the e2drive mid-engine incorporating an automatic continuously variable transmission reminiscent of the CVT gearboxes of the automotive world. The central motor developed in Belgium exhibits 65 Nm of torque, hence comfortable for urban use.

If competing brands often offer continuously variable transmissions, we think of the Enviolo system for example, there are few that have a truly automatic transmission. Cycle C’s MoBY does this by using Bafang-signed sets for it. And knowing the strength of the Chinese supplier, other manufacturers should follow suit.

connected and comfortable

In relation to the other technical refinements mentioned above, this is also deja vu. VanMoof has built a large part of its communication on the connected functions of its bikes, and the Batavian brand quickly followed suit. Rupees Is the suspension integrated into the steering tube? If today this system has become extremely rare, it is the charm of mountain bikes from the American manufacturer Cannondale. They also created the headshock suspension in 1992, the name used in the official technical description of the B’TWIN LD 920 E. It was designed to find a compromise between comfort, performance and limited maintenance.

big pot

So yeah, from a purely technical point of view, the BTWIN LD 920 E isn’t revolutionary. But is it a VAE like the others? Not completely. Bringing together automatic transmission, big battery, connected functions and quality front suspension on a single model is unique or at least extremely rare. Especially for the price of 2999€. This amount is certainly high, but much less than what a brand with a more reputable name would claim for such a device. The revolution has finally come, but it has been a feature of the decathlon since the giant’s debut from the north of France.

The bike is offered in three sizes (M, L and XL) with a classic or low step-over frame. But as of the time of this writing, it’s out of stock. It is difficult for us to know whether this was a victim of its own success or whether Decathlon simply had too few units available. Those who hurry will have to bear their loss.