I wasn’t completely sold on an E mountain bike until I visited Simon at The Cycle Agents a few months ago. Simon was kind enough to let me test ride his shiny new Thok TK-01 Demo. I had discovered the brand when looking at the Ducati eBikes, which Thok manufacture. The Cycle Agents in Hitchin (whose co-company, The Car Agents, sold my car recently and did a great job), are my nearest Thok retailer. I took it out with my wife and we spent a good hour riding around the pretty trails near Hitchin. That ride convinced me that I needed a Thok in my life, so I ordered the 'R' version and have ridden it around a dozen times in the 3 weeks I have owned it.

I cycle a fair amount, mix of 60% road and 40% MTB. The Thok is extremely well built, great spec on drivetrain and suspension. Personally, I noticed the difference between the standard TK 01 and the R in the brakes and plushness of the upgraded suspension, which was worth the extra cash to me. I am finding that I only want to ride this now, which is making the rest of the stable jealous of the gorgeous Italian thoroughbred in the garage...

Riding this bike over any terrain is so easy, it's ridiculous. I am going over way more challenging jumps than I normally do, as the way the bike handles instils confidence. Brakes are superb and the geometry, combined with the extra tyre volume, makes for a very comfortable but controlled ride. It's back end weighted which really helps as it's easy to get the front wheel up, especially with Boost mode on. I have done some longer rides recently and found 25 miles in the middle “Trail” setting; that used one of the 5 power bar indications, so theoretical range is 125 miles, which I consider very decent for such a capable bike. I will need to get a stand to make oiling the chain easier - as you can’t spin the chain backwards due to the electric drive which I’m guessing is the same on most E bikes.

The only mods I spec’d were tubeless conversion (rims are ready), rear tyre liner, and frame protection kit. Also the Thok extended warranty is a good investment and comes with a load of cool goodies. Insurance is a good idea too, several companies doing this now for Ebikes, I found Direct Line easy to set up and very helpful, and a wearable Litelok One is what I use to secure this beauty. I got the size Large which is perfect for me at 5’10” and also with the dropper seat post its easy for my wife to hop on (5’7”)

Upsides - Looks amazing, rides just as well, inspires confidence, feels solid, great range, brand is top of the line (Thok make the new Ducati Bikes).

Downsides - well it's no lightweight but you only notice that in the garage or crossing stiles! For the capability it is a fair compromise.

I rate this bike 9.5/10 and it's only a half point off for the weight. Highly recommend Thok for a top spec Bike and The Cycle Agents are superb too!

I had been considering an eMTB and looking at the market to see what was out there, when on a Sunday ride I met Simon with two friends out on TCA’s demo bikes.

I was drawn to them by their striking good looks (the bikes), which is typical of Italian design. Simon talked me through the model range and invited me take a test ride.

We arranged a test ride of the Thok TK01 that week and I chose to ride from TCA’s Hitchin site with Simon joining me on a Thok MIG-R, to enable me to try out both bikes back to back.

We rode a mixture of road and trails which provided a great experience to really test them for over an hour.

I chose a buy a Thok TK01-R as it is like the demo bike, but with some upgrades. This model was not available from his stock, so Simon needed to source one, which he did within 24 hours and it duly arrived at Hitchin 3 days later for preparation. The bike was set up for me and I chose to collect it from Hitchin. The bike is a blast to ride and after taking delivery I took it to Scotland with me for some fun.

I can thoroughly recommended both the bike and the exceptional service received from Simon and his team at TCA.

The TK01-R is a stylish bike with great looks and high level of equipment such as SHIMANO XT brakes/levers and ROCK SHOX front and rear suspension providing 170mm of travel. The brakes have massive stopping power and the tyres install great confidence in the corners

The Shimano EP8 motor gives the bike a great feel, which can be tailored to the ride and conditions, with the maximum assistance, that of BOOST, being a real blast. Battery life is excellent, having yet to use up more than 60% in any one ride. I did find the charge port cover rather fiddly, but this does require a tight seal so is to be expected.

Overall this bike is a great package and capable of much more than its rider. It has bought out the big kid in me and I’m always looking forward to my next ride.

Thanks again to Simon and his team, and may we all have great riding.