Riese & Müller have done it again and brought an ebike to market that has yet to find its equal. Does the full-suspension step-through bike with an S-pedelec motor, DualBattery system and an electronic Rohloff hub gear win the gold medal in our search for the best commuter bike? Or is its 35 kg weight too much for the win?
Get an overview of the grouptest here: The best ebike of 2021 – The 19 most exciting concepts for everyday use
35.5 kg in size 58 | € 10,048 | Manufacturer’s website
German bike manufacturer Riese & Müller have never cared much about what others think. Since being founded in 1993 by its two namesakes, Markus Riese and Heiko Müller, the company has developed several bikes, starting with the full-suspension folding bike Birdy, that initially faced ridicule but have since cemented their position on the market. As such, it’s not all that surprising that R&M also sent an S-pedelec version of a full-suspension step-through bike into the test. Also unsurprising is the fact that it draws lots of interested looks with its brutish looks and suspended luggage rack. We found out whether the Homage cuts a fine figure on the way to work.
Riese & Müller Homage GT Rohloff HS spec in detail
One of the highlights of this bike is the previously mentioned suspended luggage rack, which adheres to the MIK standard, for safely transporting shopping, a laptop and other delicate objects. There’s no doubt that the electronic Rohloff E14 hub gear is the second highlight of the R&M S-pedelec. In this configuration, the bike can take pride of place in your garage for € 10,048.40. Alongside the massive range of 526%, the Rohloff E14 hub gear shines in combination with the GATES carbon belt which requires extremely low maintenance – perfect for a commuting bike that will have to face wind, weather, storms, hail, salt and dust daily. If you prefer a classic derailleur system, the Homage GT comes in a Touring version with a Shimano XT groupset, which is available from € 6,099. As usual for Riese & Müller, almost everything can be configured and customised. As such, the bike is available in three frame sizes and can be ordered with or without a front rack. The dropper post and off-road tires fitted to our test bike are also optional. If you ignore the cargo bike and FEDDZ E-moped, the R&M Homage GT is the heaviest bike in our group test at 35.5 kg. Carry it down the stairs to the cellar? Maybe not…
Thanks to the clever guide pulley, the belt doesn’t enclose the chainstay, saving the developers at Riese & Müller from having to develop a splitter for the chunky frame.
The MIK standard luggage rack is part of the main frame and separated from the rear end. That makes it part of the sprung mass, ensuring that its contents arrive at home safely and without damage.
The MAGURA brakes activate the brake light, letting the traffic behind you know to slam on the brakes too.
Riese & Müller Homage GT Rohloff HS mit DualBattery
€ 10,048
Specifications
Motor Bosch Performance Line Speed 85 Nm
Battery 2 x Bosch PowerTube 1250 Wh
Display Bosch Nyon
Fork SR Suntour Aion 100 mm
Seatpost X-Fusion Manic 70 34.9 mm 70 mm
Brakes MAGURA MT4/MT5 180/180 mm
Drivetrain GATES CDX/Rohloff SPEEDHUb 1x14
Stem Satori R&M Custom 90 mm
Handlebar Satori R&M Custom 700 mm
Wheelset RODI TRYP 35
Tires Schwalbe Johnny Watts 27.5 x 2.35"
Technical Data
Size 49 54 58
Weight 35.5 kg
Specific Features
DualBattery setup
ABUS BORDO 6000 foldable lock
online configurator
suspended rear rack
The two Bosch PowerTube batteries can be removed from the side of the down tube and can be taken with you to charge at home.
The bulky S-pedelec is solid and has the brawn to take on hard corners and edges, making the Homage one of the most characterful bikes in the test!
The dropper post, available for a surcharge of € 99.90, is actuated by a bar-mounted remote and lets you put your feet on the ground to make stopping at the lights easier. Stops and starts in town become child’s play thanks to the automatic downshift function of the Rohloff E14 hub gear, which shifts to a user-defined starting gear when at a standstill.
| Size | 49 | 54 | 58 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube | 490 mm | 540 mm | 580 mm |
| Top tube | 585 mm | 610 mm | 640 mm |
| Head tube | 160 mm | 160 mm | 160 mm |
| Head angle | 69.0° | 69.0° | 69.0° |
| Seat angle | 73.0° | 73.0° | 73.0° |
| Chainstays | 505 mm | 505 mm | 505 mm |
| BB Height | 305 mm | 305 mm | 305 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1,170 mm | 1,190 mm | 1,220 mm |
| Reach | 385 mm | 410 mm | 440 mm |
| Stack | 660 mm | 660 mm | 660 mm |
The riding position on the Homage is very relaxed – possibly too much for our test rider Rudi.
The motor of the R&M S-pedelec: 45 on paper only
The Riese & Müller is the only S-pedelec in the test to fit a Bosch Performance Line Speed motor with 85 Nm torque, combining it with two 625 Wh batteries which are stowed in the down tube and can be removed from the side. For the display, a Bosch Nyon is used which stands out with great features like the navigation functionality and can be removed. Thanks to the eShift function of the Bosch system, the motor and gearing communicate, allowing the current gear to be shown on the display, as well as making shifting easy and precise depending on the current motor support – with Multishift mode, you can shift up to three gears at once with a long press on the shifter.
45 km/h on the flats? If you have the legs of Egan Bernal!
The Homage GT Rohloff HS accelerates from a standstill at a leisurely rate – the 35.5 kg can’t help here. Accelerating up to cruising speed takes comparatively longer than the FEDDZ bike and you’ll notice quickly that you’ll be riding this S-pedelec exclusively in Turbo mode. Unfortunately, it’s only possible to reach the maximum assistance speed of the Bosch Performance Line Speed motor when heading downhill. On the flats, you need the legs of Egan Bernal to actually stay at 45 km/h. In practice, your cruising speed levels off between 40 and 43 km/h, which is fairly easy to reach without too much effort – admittedly, that’s already pretty quick! Here, the FLYER S-pedelec is superior to the Homage GT.
Riese & Müller Homage GT Rohloff HS on test
The R&M Homage GT demands some respect. After all, with its 35.5 kg weight, the ebike weighs around half of one of our test riders. That limits it to taller or larger riders for shopping trips. With a maximum permissible weight of 140 kg, after the bike is accounted for, there’s a little more than 100 kg left for the rider, their clothes and shopping – somewhat meagre given the look of this colossus. The touring-suited riding position in combination with the large range of the DualBattery system and the high level of overall comfort thanks to the suspension fork, shock and tires, leave this bike destined for long days in the saddle. However, people with short legs will be frustrated by the long seat tube and, if in doubt, should go for a smaller frame size. For one of our test riders with an inseam of 85 cm, the middle size 54 was already at the limit with the saddle slightly too high.
Tuning tips: RX-Connect is a must if you don’t have it already | pay the € 70 upcharge or get a suitable bag for the front rack
The sedan amongst commuter bikes: the R&M Homage GT convinces with masses of comfort. Small obstacles like cobbles and kerbs are hardly perceivable.
Compared to a derailleur, the Rohloff shifting is a little sluggish and underlines the leisurely character of the bike when it comes to acceleration. As a result of the front-heavy weight distribution, you always have pressure and grip with the front wheel and there’s no danger of the front lifting even on steep slopes. At high speeds, the R&M Homage GT convinces with its good straight-line stability but remains manoeuvrable enough at low speeds to carve through tight and winding alleys. As such the S-pedelec can be recommended to newbies too, as long as you’re not looking for a bike that has to be carried up two floors to your flat.
Riese & Müller Homage GT Rohloff HS conclusion
The Riese & Müller Homage GT Rohloff HS is a forceful reinterpretation of a step-through and completely hits the mark. Thanks to the unique suspension, the concept results in huge comfort for rider and luggage. Together with the large battery capacity and the relaxed riding position, this makes the S-pedelec suited to long tours too. If you can live with the high weight, the fact that you’ll rarely reach 45 km/h and that you’re legally limited where you can ride, you’ll get a great bike for your daily ride to work.
Tops
- unique comfort
- DualBattery for extensive range
- first-class spec
- can be easily individualised in Riese & Müller configurator
- only bike with suspended luggage
- maintenance-free drivetrain
Flops
- 45 km/h is only possible with a tailwind, your own power or a suitable slope
- legal limitations on where you can ride an S-pedelec
- very unwieldy
- seat tube too long for people with short legs
- overloaded cockpit
Rider Type
6You can find out more about at r-m.de
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 (Click for review) | 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 | 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: Aaron Steinke Photos: Benjamin Topf
