Throughout my years of testing bikes and gear, I often got asked why I never tested the entry-level stuff. Why was it always the halo products that got tested? Well, now that I’m in the driver’s seat at SGFR, we’re doing just that — starting with the E11even M1x10 mountain bike.
To be honest, it’s not always easy to get bikes like this in for testing. Brands often want gear testers like me to focus on the halo products because they’re glamorous and eye-catching. But most of us simply won’t be dropping the cash on bikes like that. E11even has made it a point to create a bike that’s visually attractive, functional, and affordable. The M1x10 is a bike made for the entry-level mountain biker; the question is, will it grow with you as you develop your mountain biking chops?
Specs:
- $800
- 1×10 S-Ride drivetrain
- 29-inch wheels
- Suspension fork with remote lockout and 100mm travel
- Aluminum frame
- Hydraulic disc brakes
E11even M1x10 build and specs
This aluminum hardtail mountain bike comes with an RLO 100mm suspension fork up front. The fork features a remote lockout, which you can operate via the lever mounted on the handlebar.
The M1x10 also comes spec’d with an S-Ride 1×10 drivetrain. Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of S-Ride; I hadn’t either. But it appears that S-Ride components were designed from engineers who previously put in time at SRAM. That lends a bit of legitimacy to the component spec.
The E11even also comes stock with hydraulic disc brakes. These look and feel an awful lot like TRP brakes — that’s a good thing; it means they offer lots of power and modulation — but they are unbranded. E11even says that these are HD-220 brakes and they are a ‘house brand.’
The 29-inch wheels are shod in CST tires. This is another brand you may not have heard of, but CST actually manufactures tires for a lot of brands that you have heard of. In other words, it is a reputable company. E11even isn’t stocking the bike with junk parts just to keep the cost down. There’s a lot of quality here.
Notably, the E11even M1x10 comes with a sealed bearing bottom bracket with external bearings. That means you should get a longer life and better performance out of your bottom bracket. It’s mated to a 2-piece forged crankset.
Testing the E11even M1x10
Testing the M1x10 will look an awful lot like testing any mountain bike, with a small change. I intend to ride the E11even on tame gravel roads first, then work my way up to light singletrack and beyond. That’s generally how a new mountain biker will start his or her progress, so it stands to reason that I should follow that path.
I have a lot of questions about this bike. For starters, I want to know if the bike will grow with you as a mountain biker. A lot of entry-level riders never make it past dirt roads, which is just fine, but that’s not a tall order for a mountain bike. Can the E11even M1x10 handle light singletrack? Can it graduate to harder singletrack? Can I huck it off a jump?
the M1x1o came with me on a trip to Moab, so I’ve already got some miles on it on ‘real’ singletrack.
Be sure to click on the video above and give it a thumb’s up on YouTube. If it reaches 50 thumb’s ups, I will do a fully independent review of the E11even M1x10 mountain bike right here on Slow Guy on the Fast Ride.
