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

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.

All functions are controlled by only one button. The open charging port underneath is unprotected from dirt.

Almost nothing on the Ampler Stout gives away that it’s an ebike.

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

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.

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
6You can find out more about at amplerbikes.com

The testfield
Get an overview of the grouptest here: The best ebike of 2021 – The 19 most exciting concepts for everyday use
All Bikes in this group test: Ampler Stout | Brompton M6L Cloud Blue (Click for review) | Cannondale Topstone Neo Carbon Lefty LE (Click for review) | Canyon Commuter:ON 7 (Click for review) | Diamant Juna Deluxe+ (Click for review) | FEDDZ E-Moped (Click for review) | FLYER Upstreet6 7.10 HS (Click for review) | Haibike Trekking 9 (Click for review) | Kalkhoff Endeavour 5.B Excite+ (Click for review) | MERIDA eBIG.TOUR 700 EQ (Click for review) | MERIDA eONE SIXTY 10K (Click for review) | Moustache Samedi 27 Xroad FS 7 (Click for review) | Movea Modo 20” (Click for review) | Riese & Müller Homage GT Rohloff HS mit DualBattery (Click for review) | Riese & Müller Packster 70 Vario (Click for review) | Riese & Müller Roadster Touring (Click for review) | Schindelhauer Arthur VI/IX (Click for review) | Specialized Turbo Vado SL 5.0 EQ (Click for review) | VanMoof X3 (Click for review)

… or the regular long-distance commuters. Your usual commuting distance is more than 15 km each way and you use your bike every day. Your ebike is used as a means of transport and is a real alternative to a second car or public transport. Practicality, reliability and utility win out over the ultimate bling factor because it’s primarily a functional machine↩
This type of ebike unites experts and early adopters from both the fashion and tech scenes. As hip trendsetters, they know exactly how to ride with style. Sci-fi, hi-fi, Wi-Fi – they know exactly what they’re talking about and can easily play the keyboard while half asleep. With a tendency to live out their passions eccentrically, emotional decisions come before rational ones.↩
Take the kids to kindergarten, head to the weekly market and later get a crate of beer – no problem for this type of ebike, even without a car. These riders love to combine things: rational and emotional motives go hand in hand because investments are made on the basis of knowing what they want and getting a suitable vehicle that suits their vision and mission.↩
You live in a 15-minute city like Paris. This means that all your daily needs are within a 15-minute radius by foot or ebike. For short distances of less than 2 km, you aren’t afraid to simply walk. For medium distances of up to 10 km, you get on your bike. Longer distances are easily covered with a mix of public transport and your bike. Short-distance bikers are active/sporty people who never want to commit to one thing, maintain a flexible lifestyle and like to be inspired by impulses. Due to limited space in the city, they often don’t have a car and if they do, it is mainly used for pleasure.↩
You have significant biking experience and enjoy riding sportily. This group encompasses mountain bikers and trail shredders, road bike fans and Strava heroes, as well as touring fans who enjoy (rural) excursions into the countryside outside the city. You change into sports gear for your daily commute before showering when you get there because you enjoy working on your fitness. Your bike is used for commuting during the week as well as for tours at the weekend and is a means of transport and sports equipment all in one.↩
Learn more about the different rider types in this article: Click here! ↩
Words: Rudolf Fischer Photos: Valentin Rühl, Benjamin Topf