The Italian brand Olympia has just turned 130 years old. Interesting fact: After its foundation in 1893, the Italians not only manufactured bicycles, but also motorbikes. The path to the e-mountainbike was therefore laid in Olympia's cradle, so to speak. Despite its long history, the E-Enduro Hammer can confidently be described as exotic. Bikes from Olympia are not something you come across every day on the trail. On top of that is the e-drive, in the stylish carbon fibre chassis of the Hammera real speciality. Oli's Edge motor also comes from Italy and we have never seen it in the EMTB test lab before. Reason enough for our readers to vote the Italian combination of Hammer and Edge into our "Most wanted" test.
You have chosen which bikes we should test: Readers most wanted - the most popular E-MTBs of the year! Under this motto, we have selected the most exciting e-mountainbikes from our readers' suggestions. Exotic specialists, absolute blockbusters or cheap discounter bikes? All of them had to face the objective EMTB test in the lab and in practice. Your favourites from Alutech, Bulls, Cube, Haibike, Husqvarna, Olympia, Rockrider and Scott. The following have already been published:
- Test of the Alutech eFanes Nextgen AXS: Brushed e-bike jewel
- The Cube Stereo Hybrid ONE55 SLT on test - Cube e-mountainbike with Bosch CX on a diet course
- The Bulls Sonic EVO AM SL1 on test: How good is the affordable lightweight after the update?
- The Haibike Nduro 8 Freeride on test: A clear edge for rough daredevils
- The Husqvarna Mountain Cross MC5 on test: Stylish all-mountain bike with motorbike DNA?
- Rockrider E-EXPL 520S test: Does Decathlon build the best e-bike fully for under 3000 euros?
- Scott Patron ST ERIDE 900 Tuned on test: The new Scott - the ultimate all-mountain E-MTB?
- An overview of the test of our readers' dream bikes can be found here
The facts about the Olympia Hammer CC04
- Motor: Oli Edge, 90 Nm max. torque
- Battery: 900 Wh (removable)
- Frame material: Carbon
- Suspension travel: 170 mm
- Wheel size: 29 / 27.5 inch
- Frame sizes: S/M, M/L, L/XL
- Price: 6999 Euro
- Weight: 25.3 kg (test bike in size L/XL, EMTB measurement)
- Permissible total weight: 120 kg (manufacturer's specification)
The Hammer is a racy enduro bike for serious off-road use. The carbon chassis provides 170 millimetres of suspension travel and comes with mullet wheels: 29 inch at the front, 27.5 at the rear. The geometry is also quite extreme. Difficult descents, enduro trails and downhill tracks are clearly on the Olympia Hammer's list of uses. But back to the exotic Italian drivetrain: the powerhouse uses the same mounting points as a Shimano EP8, but is significantly heavier at 3.2 kilos. On paper, however, it delivers a mighty 90 Newton metres of power.
As if that wasn't enough of the extravagant key points, the drive system comes with a huge 900 watt-hour battery. However, the range in our standardised test procedure is not as outstanding as we know it from other bikes with a 900 watt battery. Considering the large battery and heavy motor, the total weight of the bike of 25.3 kilos is okay. After all, the Hammer is a powerful enduro bike with a thick ZEB fork. Off-road, the bike impressed us with its good suspension and balanced handling.
The e-bike drive
With 90 Newton metres, the Italian Oli Edge is nominally a real powerhouse. However, at 3.2 kilos, its weight is also significantly higher than the competition from Bosch, Shimano, Brose and Yamaha. The battery with a whopping 900 Wh (4.8 kg) is secured with a lock and can be conveniently folded forwards out of the down tube.
On our first test rides with the Oli Edge, we were less than impressed by the somewhat sluggish response behaviour of the engine. Although the power was noticeable, it was rarely available on technical climbs. Only when we used the extensive and somewhat hidden fine-tuning options were we able to elicit a more direct response from the Oli Edge. Even then, however, the drive feels really comfortable at very high cadences. This is unusual for a drive with so much torque. However, the Italian can't quite keep up with the extremely successful tuning of a Bosch Performance CX. In addition, the drive occasionally reduced its performance under hard continuous load after a heat warning - earlier and more clearly than we know from the competition à la Bosch, Brose and Shimano.
The geometry of Olympia Enduro e-bikes
Length runs: A mature reach and a slack steering angle result in a very long wheelbase, which speaks in favour of a very smooth ride. The steep seat angle and moderate rear triangle length are just as modern. We were given a test bike in L/XL, which is the largest of three sizes. Compared to the average of other brands, this actually corresponds to an intermediate size between L and XL.
EMTB measurements at a glance (frame size L/XL)
- Seat tube length: 445 mm
- Wheelbase: 1295 mm
- Reach: 488 mm
- Stack: 653 mm
- Steering angle: 63.5 degrees
- Seat angle: 77 degrees
- Chainstay length: 446 mm
The features of the Olympia Hammer CC04
Olympia has invested heavily in good suspension for the Hammer CC04. Rockshox Ultimate components with ZEB forks pay for themselves on rough descents, so this is a sensible investment. The Formula brakes also work very well off-road, and the 2-millimetre discs ensure stability. The Vittoria tyres also come from Italy. The grip of the tyres is good, but more puncture protection would be desirable for the riding performance of the bike. The cheap SX/NX shifting components from Sram and the heavy Mavic wheels are of little value.
- Fork / shock: Rockshox ZEB Ultimate / Super Deluxe Ultimate
- Gear system: Sram SX/GX, 12-speed, 11-50 teeth
- Brakes: Formula Cura 4, 200/180 mm (standard bike should have 220/200 mm discs)
- Wheels: Mavic E-Deemax
- Tyres: Vittoria Mazza Trail 29 x 2.6'' / Martello Trail 27.5 x 2.8''
- Special features: Various motor presets can be selected directly on the display
Practical test: How the Olympia Hammer CC04 rides
Let's start with the Hammer's core competences: demanding downhill trails. The bike is really plush, the rear suspension follows large and small bumps very confidently. This gives the rear a lot of traction, yet there is hardly any lack of feedback. That's what we want! Coupled with the long geometry, this gives the bike an enormous amount of confidence, even in difficult terrain. Strong fork, powerful brakes, grippy tyres - you can really burn down nasty enduro trails. At least until the tyre carcass, which is too thin, runs out of air. If you use the bike properly, you should plan a tyre update at least at the rear. The traction of the Mazza-Martello combination from Vittoria convinced us in the test, but the puncture protection is too weak for such a downhill E-Enduro with over 25 kilos.
Surprisingly, the Hammer retains a pleasantly lively handling despite all of its take-off qualities. It can be precisely manoeuvred around bends and fluffily pulled into the air, which is really fun. Only on trails that are too flat does the heavy bike and the somewhat overweight wheels sometimes lack momentum. On flat terrain, the modern riding position is striking, with the rider sitting centrally above the bottom bracket. This allows you to maintain good control on the climbs, and the rear triangle generates plenty of traction here too. On steep stretches, however, you have to be active to keep the front wheel on the ground due to the short rear end.
In order to elicit a harmonious driving experience from the engine, a little experience is required with the fine adjustments. Then it can score points with good power and strong response behaviour. However, it is only really lively at very high cadences. In the standard setup, we had problems on technical climbs as the drive was unable to deliver its power to the point. The fact that even basic parameters such as the Motor overrun but deserves a lot of praise and could take the edge off some nasty uphill steps.
EMTB evaluation of the Olympia Hammer CC04
Strengths
- Strong downhill characteristics, balanced handling
- High-traction rear suspension
- Good range
- Quiet on the descent
Weaknesses
- Motor needs experience and patience for fine adjustment
- No lightweight
- Tyres too puncture-prone for intended use
The EMTB conclusion on the Olympia Hammer CC04
The underdog from Italy impressed us with its strong downhill characteristics and high-traction chassis. A successful E-Enduro, despite the heavy giant battery! The Oli motor is powerful and offers many adjustment options. - Christian Schleker, test author EMTB Magazine
Florentin Vesenbeckh
Editor CvD
