Test winner MYBIKE 2025: The 8 best bikes for touring - e-bike, trekking & gravel
Adrian Kaether
· 15.02.2026
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E-touring bike: Cube Kathmandu Hybrid SLX 800
Cube has been offering value for money for a long time. In our tests, the bike giant reliably offers equipment that makes even mail order companies like Canyon and Rose envious. The new Kathmandu is no exception. Although Cube fully utilises the price limit of our comparison test, it offers high-quality components as far as the eye can see. What's new: with polished weld seams and beautiful details on the frame, the Cube also scores points for its superior workmanship, which is not the norm even with many more expensive manufacturers. The bike is, for example available here at a reduced price.
When riding the Kathmandu, you feel like you're on a throne: always confident and comfortable. The geometry is inspired by mountain bikes, with a slightly slacker steering angle and a longer wheelbase. This results in stable directional stability. Only in city traffic could the large Kathmandu be a little more agile. Otherwise, the Cube cuts a fine figure. The fine tyres roll well on asphalt, but are not ideal for gravel riding.
The new Kathmandu from Cube is a real hit. In addition to the usual strong equipment, the new e-trekking bike also scores with a surprisingly high-quality frame and intelligent details such as the partially integrated pannier rack. The balanced riding characteristics are also impressive. Chapeau!
Light e-bike: Centurion Speeddrive weighing just 18 kilograms
Really light and yet fully suitable for everyday use: with the Speeddrive, Centurion comes extremely close to the perfect e-bike for commuters and riding fun without breaking any price limits. The concept is well-balanced, the equipment is functionally selected. At 18 kilos, you can even carry the bike down steep basement stairs. Only the permanently installed battery can be a serious disadvantage. You need to be able to park the bike near a power socket to charge it.
On the Centurion Speeddrive you sit sportily and with a slight saddle cant. This makes handling fun and direct. The lightweight Bosch SX responds sensitively and even delivers the high performance of larger motors in short sprints. This means that you arrive fresh at your destination even on longer journeys, but you pedal a little harder than on a classic e-bike. However, the aluminium frame of the Speeddrive offers little suspension, while the 45-millimetre tyres provide comfort on a par with traditional trekking bikes. The powerful brakes are just as pleasing as the wide range of derailleur gears. The minimalist carrier even carries heavy panniers with surprising ease. Minor improvement requests: The seat post could flex more for additional comfort. The saddle and grips are stylish but not comfortable in the long term, and the favourable gear system only offers nine gears.
The Centurion Speeddrive is inspiring. The bike is sporty, fast, manoeuvrable, light and suitable for everyday use - great! If you can put up with the fixed battery, you get a top all-rounder without any significant weaknesses at a fair price.
Trekking classic: VSF T-500 anniversary edition
The VSF is oldschool in the best sense of the word and right now, the slim and comfortable steel frame of this classic bike captures the spirit of the times. Retro instead of modern, reduced to the essentials for maximum riding pleasure. A calculation that still works. You have to invest 1,500 euros for the anniversary version of the trekking classic in chic blue. Unfortunately, you can't expect flawless premium equipment for this price.
On the other hand, the VSF plays its trump card when riding. The comfort in particular is surprising. Bumps and small edges are never hard on the rider, even without suspension. In comparison, the Many fashionable aluminium gravel bikes (tested here) significantly firmer. Gravel and the T-500, a lopsided comparison? Not necessarily, because despite its classic look, the VSF offers a sporty riding position that encourages you to pick up the pace. That makes sense, because if you want to sit upright, you'll usually opt for a bike with motor assistance anyway. And the dynamic position favours propulsion and steering. Bike travellers can look forward to a sturdy pannier rack and wide mudguards. Criticism can only be levelled at details such as the cheap screw-on grips or the somewhat undefined gear levers. With slightly wider tyres, there would be even more comfort.
Classic look, sporty character, yet good comfort. The trekking classic from VSF is still top of the range. Its versatility and suitability for touring are clearly superior even to many gravel bikes. A clear tip as an uncomplicated all-rounder.
Cheap gravel riding with the Canyon Grizl 6
A gravel bike for beginners, affordable and good? The answer from Jens, test manager at our sister magazine TOUR, comes straight from the gun: "Canyon Grizl 6". At 1499 euros, the Grizl 6 is the cheapest bike in Canyon's gravel range and is also one of the cheapest gravel bikes on the market. The equipment of the Grizl 6 shows: The strengths of the entry-level model should also lie in sporty off-road use. Canyon has fitted particularly grippy studded tyres ex works. If you still want to tackle long distances, you'll be pleased with the 2 x 10 gears with a wide gear ratio and fine gear gradation. The biggest disadvantage of the Grizl 6: At 10.7 kilos, the bike is not exactly light for a gravel bike.
The weight of the Grizl 6 is quickly forgotten during the ride test anyway. Everything simply fits here! The handlebar is sporty, but not too low. A little flare makes for a very comfortable position. The Canyon feels stiff when pedalling and the relatively short stem provides direct handling. This means that the Canyon also cuts a fine figure off-road. This is also where the grippy tyres come into their own. Even easy trails are great fun with the Grizl 6, and the crisp gears and good brakes do the rest.
Canyon also builds the most affordable gravel bike, the Grizl 6, as a consistent off-road bike. The ergonomics and handling of the bike are particularly impressive across the board. The brakes and gears of the affordable GRX put many more expensive trekking models in the shade. This makes it a great gravel athlete, not just for beginners.
Full suspension over all mountains: Specialised Tero X
With the Tero X, Specialized has long shown that the iconic US brand no longer has to be taken seriously only in the sporty segment. The Tero X has already won several test victories and anyone who gets on the bike from everyday to off-road will understand why. The Specialized is not an off-road extremo or a comfort bomber, but shines with balance and the compromise of actually conflicting characteristics. It hits the nail on the head.
First test: Commuting and everyday life. Here, the Specialized scores points with its pleasantly sonorous Brose-based motor and a balanced riding position between sport and comfort. The mudguards leave a little less space for the tyres, but are pulled down low, and the high beam provides plenty of light. The fact that the pannier rack has no platform is the biggest drawback. On the other hand, the minimalist design can easily carry heavy panniers. The Specialised Tero X 5.0 is available, for example, from Bike Components or Bicycle XXL.
If you turn off-road after work, you will also be pleasantly surprised. The deliberately low-maintenance rear triangle with just one pivot works perfectly, while the high front end, the mountain bike tyres and the telescopic seat post with plenty of adjustment travel convey riding confidence en masse.
Only the ageing Sram drivetrain and the Code brakes didn't quite convince us. The display and controls are beautifully designed. The fact that the motor only offers 70 Nm was only felt in practice in the most extreme situations. Even the model with 50 Nm in the more favourable Tero X 4.0 we found to be absolutely sufficient for everything except steep mountain tours.
With its extremely balanced character and wide range of use, the Specialized Tero X is the test winner despite its relatively low price. The criticism is limited to details, the brakes and gears could do with an update. Nevertheless, it is still an impressively good all-rounder.
Velotraum Finder 2: With wide tyres to the touring bike test victory
At Velotraum, great freedom is the programme. As one of very few bikes on the market, the Swabians have developed the Finder specifically as a model for adventure travelling. No path should be too far, no trail too difficult for this deliberately robust candidate. Compared to more classic trekking concepts, the Finder therefore has a number of advantages, which our test bike also translates harmoniously into reality. The extra wide tyres (60 mm!) are particularly striking.
With the right tyre pressure, no other bike in the touring class rolls as safely and comfortably as the Finder. Even nasty bumps on the road are no problem. If you increase the air pressure a little, the Velotraum also accelerates surprisingly willingly and, thanks to the small wheels and adapted geometry, whizzes around tight corners quickly despite the wide tyres. Riding fun without luggage? Definitely there. Then there are the powerful brakes and the well-adjusted XT 3 x 10 gears, which combine an enormous range with fine gradation. Ideal for a trekking bike. There are hardly any weaknesses, only the price of the bike is high.
Velotraum's Finder is robust and of high quality. As a versatile touring bike that is designed to cope with difficult routes even with a lot of luggage, the concept works perfectly. It remains to be seen whether everyone will like the wide tyres. Objectively speaking, however, the bike has hardly any weaknesses and thus narrowly secures the test victory in our competitive touring bike class.
Perfect from touring to everyday use: Cube Nuroad gravel bike with mudguards
For Cube, the Nuroad with everyday equipment is a success story. The lightweight aluminium frame shines with unshakeable smoothness, while the decent comfort values and the modern twelve-speed drivetrain score a lot of points in the test. Apart from the somewhat fiddly seat post clamp, the Nuroad has a pleasantly simple design and is absolutely uncomplicated to ride. The extremely upright riding position suits novice racers, the gears are crisp and the brakes are powerful. Price-performance: Check! The Cube Nuroad gravel bike is available, for example available here.
The Nuroad also comes with all the accessories you need for an everyday bike. Even a sturdy kickstand is on board. Minor points of criticism: The rear rack does not offer a platform, but favours a low centre of gravity with a load. The mudguards could be a little wider for more weather protection and the rear light is discreet and not clearly visible from the side. Limitations that hardly affect the great line: It's hard to imagine a better bike for sporty commuters at this price.
Cargo versatile and practical: the Muli Motor EU in the test
Cargo bikes are big and bulky? Muli shows that this doesn't have to be the case. The Cologne-based company's trademark is the foldable basket in the front of the classic Long John design. It is simply locked and unlocked with a locking latch. The handle can also be used to lock the basket with a classic U-lock. When folded, the Muli with its small wheels takes up hardly any more space than a normal bike.
In keeping with the short wheelbase, the Muli is very lively and almost a little nervous without a load. With a week's shopping in the cargo area, the bike rolls noticeably more smoothly. A Eurobox in the standard 60 x 40 format also fits in the basket, which can be loaded up to a maximum of 70 kilos. The optional pannier rack (130 euros) for additional panniers is a practical feature. The equipment of the EU model, with as many parts as possible from European production, has been selected with great care and is beyond reproach. Even the Muli steel frame comes from Germany. The biggest disadvantage: the Muli has no suspension. This is good for durability, but as with most cargo bikes, passengers and cargo are shaken around a bit.
The Muli cuts a super figure as a particularly compact and lightweight cargo bike. Due to the system, it does not have maximum lifting power or comfort, but it is versatile, space-saving when parked and very well thought-out overall. Not everyone may need the sophisticated features of the limited edition European model, but the powerful new Bosch motor is a clear argument in its favour.
From gravel trekking to gearboxes: our personal highlights of the 2025 test year
Still haven't found the right one? No problem. Just to keep the selection in this article reasonably compact, we had to leave out a few models. Here are five more bikes, ranging from affordable to high-quality, which are perhaps not quite so universal, but which we personally found particularly appealing.
Right at the forefront, of course the gravel interpretation of the trekking classic Kattegat from Norwid. With its excellent workmanship and high-quality paintwork, it is a real feast for the eyes that is simply fun to ride, from everyday use to long journeys.
Our choice for excessive off-road use would be the excellent Centurion Numinis EQ from Centurion, which won the trail tip in our SUV test. If we prefer not to have full suspension, we can hardly decide: Diamond's Zing Trip Plus offers versatile and lively riding characteristics with an extra portion of comfort thanks to wide tyres and is very light thanks to its classic battery design.
Also Canyon's new Pathlite:On is convincing and probably the best choice under 4000 euroswhen you don't even know what the future holds. This bike can actually do everything except for tough trail riding.
Technically extremely exciting and our tip for those who don't like service is the Rockrider E-ACTV with Owuru geared motor for under 3000 euros - Attention: There has just been a recall from Rockrider. If you are interested, it is definitely worth checking whether the topic is still up to date.
Adrian Kaether
Editor
