Ampler Stout in review

The young company Ampler produce minimalistic ebikes that can be hardly distinguished from normal ones. Can the Estonian brand get to the top of our commuter bike group test with its concept or does it entail too many disadvantages? We rode the Ampler Stout and tell you how it performs.

Get an overview of the grouptest here: The best ebike of 2021 – The 19 most exciting concepts for everyday use

**Ampler** Stout | Ampler/336 Wh
16.80 kg in size M | € 2,490 | Manufacturer’s website

You snake your way through the back alleys on your bike to avoid the crowds in the bustling city centre. You come to a stop in front of the window of a new fast fashion boutique and ponder that there used to be an musical instrument store here. You ask yourself, “Why does everything have to look like its comes from the future? Does taste change so quickly or are there just no real alternatives to timeless design?” You don’t like the look of anything on display and you keep on pedalling. Maybe the encounter would have been different if you’d come past an Ampler store. We tested the minimalistic Stout E-city bike from Estonia to find out how it performs in everyday life and leisure!

Ampler Stout spec in detail

The Ampler Stout isn’t just minimalistic or sleek, it becomes sexy exactly because it focuses on what’s important. This impression already starts forming while unpacking the bike: you’ll get a wooden, cigarette-box sized toolbox as part of the package. The straight lines of the matte green aluminium frame give the ebike a solid and high-quality feeling. The shift cables and brake hoses run outside the frame and there are no additional cable runs for a display or remote, leaving you feeling like you’re just riding a conventional city bike. The bottom bracket in the frameset is unusual as it also contains the torque sensor for the motor. The bike is made city-ready with colour-matched, rattle-free mudguards, the Busch + Müller front light, the LightSKIN rear light integrated into the seatpost, the solid stand and the rear luggage rack. The rack is rated for an 18 kg load and comes with an elastic attachment strap. The Stout also has mounting points in the main triangle for a bottle cage or other accessories. For a € 25 surcharge, you can also order a trailer adapter. Without it, the Ampler costs an attractive € 2,490 and weighs 16.8 kg.

The motor control via a single button is about as intuitive as sending morse via a telegram. Luckily, you’ll also be able to control all functions in the app.

**Fewer buttons than an iPod Shuffle**
All functions are controlled by only one button. The open charging port underneath is unprotected from dirt.

**Maximum effort!**
The 50 Nm produced by the Ampler hub motor makes it one of the weaker systems in the field. At low cadences, on climbs or when carrying luggage, a lot of rider input is required.

Ampler Stout

€ 2,490

Specifications

Motor Ampler 50 Nm
Battery LG Li-ion Akku 336 Wh
Display -
Fork -
Brakes Shimano DEORE M6000 160/160 mm
Drivetrain MicroSHIFT ADVENT 1x9
Stem Ampler 80 mm
Handlebar Ampler 640 mm
Tires Continental Top CONTACT II 28 x 1.6"

Technical Data

Size M L
Weight 16.8 kg

Specific Features

LightSKIN rear light in seat post
Busch + Müller IQ2EYC headlight
tools included in scope of delivery
Smartphone app replaces display

**Eye-catching**
The LightSKIN light system in the seat post is functional and has a sleek design. Apart from Schindelhauer, it’s fitted by almost no other competitors.

**Carry it proudly**
The Ampler Badge on the Stout gives the impression that this is a brand with a storied history.

Size	M	L
Seat tube	550 mm	590 mm
Top tube	597 mm	602 mm
Head tube	153 mm	166 mm
Head angle	71.0°	71.4°
Seat angle	72.0°	72.0°
Chainstays	452 mm	452 mm
Wheelbase	1,078 mm	1,080 mm

The E-drive of the Ampler Stout

If you didn’t know, you wouldn’t find out: the Ampler Stout becomes an ebike thanks to the inconspicuous rear hub motor. On paper the 50 Nm hub motor of the Ampler Stout produces just as much torque as the mid-motor of the Diamant Juna Deluxe+. However, the power is delivered noticeably later and at low cadences, on climbs or when carrying luggage, a lot of rider input is required. The 336 Wh battery is fixed in the down tube and can only be charged in the frame. As such, your storage space should be equipped with a plug. On top of that, you should make sure that the charging cable and cranks don’t get in the way of each other.

The charging port and the motor controller have been placed out of view of the rider on the seat tube making it difficult to switch between assistance modes during rides. Complete control of the motor, such as turning the system on and off, changing between support modes and controlling the lights is provided via only one button. Similar to tapping out morse code on a telegraph, you’ll need to learn the codes to press the button with the right timing. The coloured LED ring around the button helps with the relatively unintuitive control, letting you know the battery charge by changing from green to red. While this system fits the minimalistic design and control is conceived as set and forget, unfortunately you’ll be missing a proper bar remote in many situations. Control is made easier if you connect your phone via the well-developed Ampler app. Then, apart from turning the bike on and off, you can control all functions with your smartphone. On top of that, the app can display all motor data during your ride, be used to navigate, display your rides with relevant ebike data and even modify the characteristics of the motor.

Ampler Stout on test

For the test of the Ampler Stout, the smaller people in our test crew had to take a break. The Stout is offered only in sizes M and L, with a relatively large standover height for size M and a relatively high riding position as a result of the long seat tube. Ampler recommend the Stout only for riders above 175 cm tall and, even more importantly, an inseam of 85 cm. We can’t recommend the Stout to anyone smaller in good conscience. The bars are curved backwards, resulting in a compact position where knees and hands can come close to each other in tight corners. The front is agile and reacts directly, even to small steering inputs, making the ebike particularly manoeuvrable. For experienced riders with road bike skills, that results in a fun ride carving the Stout around obstacles with a practised hand.

Tuning tip: smartphone mount for easier use of the Ampler app

On the other hand, newbies will first have to get used to the handling as well as how to deal with the large toe overlap. If you have your outside foot too far forward on the pedal through a corner, your foot will frequently rub the front wheel while pedalling. Neither the narrow 28 x 1.6″ tires nor the rigid frame produce enough comfort while riding to stay comfortable over long distances or even over short excursions on bumpy ground. On the other hand, the bike shines during short sprints and can be accelerated easily with your own input above the 25 km/h assistance limit on the flats. The motor remains unobtrusive even in the stronger Boost mode and never completely removes the need for you to maintain your momentum. If you ride less actively, you may have to get off and push up steep slopes. The MicroSHIFT ADVENT 9-speed drivetrain in combination with the 42 t chainring doesn’t provide a suitable ratio for steep sections.

Ampler Stout conclusion

The Ampler Stout stays true to a courageous concept with its minimalism and offers it for an attractive price. If you hail from a town with similar topography to Berlin, Tallinn or Cologne and have everything you need within a 15-minute ride, you’ll find a style-conscious E-city bike with sporty looks in the form of the Ampler Stout. For long tours, this ebike is missing the necessary comfort and is overshadowed by the rest of the test field.

Tops

invisible integration of the motor system
well-executed minimalistic design
high agility for all experience riders

Flops

lacking comfort
whining motor
toe overlap

Rider Type

The trans-urban mile muncher 1

The stylish city explorer 2

The Transporter 3

The short distance whizz 4

The passionate recreational cyclist 5

You can find out more about at amplerbikes.com

The testfield