Saracen Ariel 50E review

If you need one electric mountain bike to do it all, Saracen is confident the affordable £4,999.99 Ariel 50E deserves serious consideration. It dishes out 150mm of rear travel with a 160mm fork.

There are four sizes, from small to extra-large. The small and medium bikes come set up with mixed wheel sizes – 27.5in at the rear and 29in on the front. The large and extra-large bikes use a pair of 29in wheels.

All four sizes come with a link that can fit either a 27.5in or 29in wheel, increasing the bike's versatility.

The Ariel 50E looks good on paper. Trail geometry is aggressive, including a long reach of 480mm for a size medium and a 65-degree head tube angle. Saracen has made sensible spec choices too, including a Marzocchi Bomber Z1 fork and Shimano’s Deore gears and brakes. But just how good is it?

Well, the Saracen is a good bike, but there are compromises. The aggressive geometry helps you feel confident and the suspension works well, but the tyres, poor battery cover and long chainstays might not be to everyone's preference.

Saracen Ariel 50E frame, suspension and motor

Built using Saracen’s Series 3 custom-butted hydroformed 6013 aluminium, the frame features slender tubes and a straight-lined silhouette to give it a clean and simple aesthetic.

The medium frame I tested had mixed wheel sizes, but it's possible to swap for a 29in rear wheel if you wish with the supplied convertible CNC push-link, the suspension piece that connects the stays to the top tube swing link.

The change in link length adjusts the geometry to enable the use of different wheel sizes. That gives riders the versatility to set up the bike to best suit them.

If the frame tubes are slender, the 38mm main frame bearing is anything but, helping provide a stiff connection between the front and rear of the bike, improving suspension performance by minimising lateral loads on the shock.

Practical details include internal cable routing (not through the headset), space for a water bottle and modest chain protection. Less commonly, the frame features 12x157mm Super Boost rear hub spacing that may make finding a replacement wheel in a hurry trickier.

The 150mm of rear travel comes from Saracen’s Signature TRL (Tuned Ride Link) suspension layout, using a single-pivot design with a linkage to drive the shock. This linkage gives the bike a progressive leverage curve to increase suspension support at the shock as it moves through the travel.

Fitted inside the bike's alloy frame is Shimano’s E7000 electric bike motor and Darfon 720Wh battery. While the motor uses the same bolt pattern as Shimano’s top-spec EP8 and EP6 units, this model is a similar weight to the EP8 and around 210g lighter than the EP6 motor. It delivers a lower 60Nm torque and 250W of continuous assistance.

This torque might be considered lightweight electric mountain bike territory when compared to modern lightweight ebike motors such as the Fazua Ride 60, but its large 720Wh battery keeps its range equivalent to, or maybe greater than, some full-power eMTBs.

The battery is removable with a key release and simple plastic cover.

Saracen Ariel 50E geometry

The frame blends aggressive length numbers with more modest angles, feeling more compact than the geometry charts suggest. There are four frame sizes available, from small to extra-large.

My size-medium frame features a lengthy 480mm reach and stable 465mm chainstay. With a trail-oriented 65-degree head tube angle, it sports a long 1,275mm wheelbase.

The moderate 76-degree effective seat tube angle and sensible 632mm stack, combined with the reach, helps keep the effective top tube acceptable at 637mm.

The seat tubes are short, with a stubby 410mm length on my medium test bike. The 25mm bottom-bracket drop helps balance stability and agility.

Saracen Ariel 50E spec

Saracen has been smart in its spec choice, with practical and well-performing products, even if they’re not the most desirable.

The Fox Float X Performance shock is a capable unit and well matched to the smooth, 160mm-travel Marzocchi Bomber Z1 fork.

The drivetrain is Shimano’s tried-and-tested 12-speed Deore with an SLX derailleur. While the Shimano Deore brakes are the two-pot M6100 versions, they pack a punch with 203mm rotors.

The rest of the kit consists of branded products, with a Race Face Chester 35 cockpit and KS Rage-i dropper post.

Maxxis Minion DHR II 3C MaxxTerra EXO rear and Maxxis Minion DHR II EXO front tyres shroud DT Swiss H522 rims laced to KT hubs.

The Ariel 50E tips the scales at 25.56kg (size medium, without pedals).

Saracen Ariel 50E ride impressions

I tested this aluminium-framed, Shimano-E7000 powered eMTB around trails in the South West of England and South Wales, giving me a varied testing ground – from mud and roots to rocks and rubble.

I ventured out on mellow flowing trails and trail-centre laps, making sure to include plenty of steep and troublesome trails for good measure.

I mixed up steep and mellow descents with smooth fire-road and tricky singletrack climbs, trying to discover where the Ariel 50E comes unstuck.

Saracen Ariel 50E setup

To get 30 per cent sag at the shock for my 75kg kitted-up weight, I inflated the Fox Float X Performance shock to 135psi. I settled on 11 clicks from closed out of 13 for the rebound speed I wanted. Most of the time, I ran the shock's two-position switch in its open setting.

I settled on 75psi in the fork to give me the necessary support. The rebound was set to balance the rear suspension. That was set at 15 clicks from closed out of 23. I left the sweeping compression dial open.

I needed to run higher tyre pressures than usual, due to the flimsy Maxxis EXO casing on this 25kg ebike. I settled on 25psi in the front and 28psi in the rear, which balanced grip and protection.

Saracen Ariel 50E climbing performance

Don’t be put off by Shimano’s older E7000 motor. This little powerhouse packs a punch for its 60Nm torque and will power its way up all but the steepest climbs. It delivers plenty of assistance for most situations.

During testing, I rode the E7000 side by side with more powerful motors and it held its own. It doesn't quite have the top-end punch of motors with more torque, but it's not far off.

A bonus of the lower power is the large 720Wh battery lasts longer than with full-power ebikes when you're sensible with the power modes.

I managed 30km, 1,200+ metre rides with around 18 per cent battery remaining. Of course, range is specific to the rider and the way they use the bike.

Given the Ariel E50’s decent range, its seated position is comfortable and feels surprisingly compact considering its geometry numbers.

While it doesn't have the steepest effective seat tube angle, at 76 degrees, I never found this an issue or felt my seated position was too rearwards. Pedalling felt natural and I could spin easily when needed.

The long 465mm chainstays give plenty of traction and stability on steep climbs.

It helped keep my body weight centred, meaning I didn’t need to move around the saddle to get the rear tyre to grip and keep weight on the front wheel.

The suspension provided a suitably stable pedalling platform and I rarely reached for the shock's compression lever on smoother trails.

I only tested it to see what difference it made and quickly came to the conclusion that I didn’t need to firm up the rear suspension when climbing.

Even with its long wheelbase, the Saracen wasn’t a pain to ride, and wiggle around tight corners and awkward sections of trail.

Saracen Ariel 50E descending performance

Overall, the Saracen has a pretty active ride feel and lively suspension for an electric bike of this weight. That gives it an engaging ride quality, keeping riding fun and entertaining over a wide variety of trails.

Its 150mm-travel TRL suspension design provides a sensitive initial part of the travel that helps to smooth trail chatter and finds traction over small bumps and rough trails.

The additional weight of the motor and battery help give the Marzocchi/Fox suspension combo a plush breakaway feel.

However, the suspension doesn't wallow and the progression builds smoothly through the mid-stroke, giving a firm platform to push against.

That benefits stability through high-load turns and enables the bike to maintain speed on the trail.

Harsher square-edge bumps are blunted well, and even though the fork and shock dampers are more basic, it’s brilliant at dealing with stinging bumps and not spiking or transferring harsh feedback through the pedals and handlebar.

The Saracen is versatile and will enable those who like an active ride feel to get the most from it. The bike provides a platform to pop and play – as much as you can with an eMTB – on the trail, while still giving hard-charging riders enough capability to mute the worst bumps.

The Saracen hides its size well and feels surprisingly short considering its 480mm reach. The long reach, paired with its 465mm chainstay length, meant I was able to keep my body weight centred between the wheels easily and didn't have to use a lot of body language to control the bike.

Considering its 1,280mm footprint, the bike is surprisingly agile and can be manoeuvred on the trail with ease.

One area for improvement is the tyres. On slower, more technical trails the compliant EXO casing is good at moulding itself around roots and rocks.

However, on fast trails and with high forces, the casing instability gives a more nervous feeling, with the tyres prone to squirming.

Overall, the Saracen can cover a lot of different terrain, from steep natural tech to meandering singletrack, and ride it well.

For its relatively modest £4,999.99 price, it delivers plenty of thrills and smiles on the trail. Range, value and functionality are good. If you need one ebike to do it all, the Saracen Ariel 50E should be on your list.

How does the Saracen Ariel 50E compare to the Marin Rift Zone E2?

While the Marin runs 140mm of travel front and rear, it's intended to be a do-it-all thrasher ebike. It gets Shimano’s more powerful EP801 motor, but a smaller 630Wh battery.

For those hunting the most range, the Saracen's bigger battery, powering its less powerful motor, should be able to tick off a fair few more miles.

Marin specs more suitable Maxxis EXO+ casing tyres, which are fitted with Cushcore tyre inserts as standard. This enables you to attack rough sections of trails with disregard for wheel safety. On the Saracen, you have to be far more precise with line selection so as not to slice the tyres open.

The Saracen and Marin both have modern geometry, and can be carved through turns with impressive stability and predictability. However, the Saracen’s extra 10mm of rear and 20mm of front travel gives you more margin for error on bigger hits and helps boost its suitability on rougher trails.

Each bike is a capable trail machine that meets its demands in different ways. With a tyre upgrade, the Saracen would have more downhill ability, along with its greater range for all-day riding.

Saracen Ariel 50E bottom line

There’s a lot to like about the Saracen. Its less powerful motor and large battery deliver decent range, but if you’re trying to keep up with more powerful eMTBs it will drain it more quickly.

The handling and suspension are great, and help make most trails feel fun and engaging, even for its 25kg weight. Its big hiccup is the light tyres, which hold back a good bike. Otherwise, there’s little to complain about.

The Ariel 50E will suit riders who are looking to do a little bit of everything; it's a true trail eMTB for a decent price.