Rethinking mobility – The Ultima Mobility Multipath Trekking Allroad ebike with Valeo motor and Effigear automatic gearbox in review

Where to start? The Ultima Mobility Multipath ebike is full of innovations: a Valeo motor with automatic gearbox, a composite frame that can be customised with four different forks and components sourced almost entirely in Europe make this trekking ebike one of a kind. We put it through its paces for you.

With the Multipath, Ultima Mobility claim to have created the ultimate ebike, suitable for both urban commuting and trekking. And, according to Ultima, it is a unique mobility solution. As a young French start-up, Ultima Mobility are still a one-hit wonder, with only the Multipath in various guises in their portfolio. But who cares if the Multipath satisfies all the requirements you could possibly want in an ebike?

Ultima have adopted an intriguing concept. The frame is made from a blend of recycled carbon and plastic, then paired with one of four different front forks, depending on the intended use and specific customer preferences. Powered by a Valeo Cyclee (yep, the double “e” is correct) motor with 130 Nm torque and equipped with an internal 7-speed automatic gearbox from Effigear, the Multipath is designed to meet all the needs of the ebike enthusiast. You can choose between a 500 Wh and a 630 Wh battery. The manufacturing process, which almost qualifies for French citizenship itself, is closely linked to the use of components sourced almost solely from the EU and assembled mainly in France.

The city bike version from Ultima Mobility, equipped with a standard (smaller) battery, starts at € 3,847. Our test bike, the Trekking Allroad version of the Multipath, with a 630 Wh battery and suspension fork, costs € 5,330 and weighs a moderate 24.34 kg when ready to ride.

One frame, four uses – What is so unique about the Ultima Mobility Multipath?

Ultima aim for maximum return with minimum effort, striving to deliver an exceptionally sustainable product by maximising the use of a single frame. All Multipath frames are uniform, available in a single size and can be adapted to the rider’s height using the saddle extension and attachments. Riders from 140 cm to 190 cm tall should find it a comfortable fit.

The main frame itself is injection moulded and consists of a single piece. For this, they’ve partnered with ProtoForm Bourgogne, an injection moulding specialist based near Ultima’s own micro-factory in Lyon. As mentioned before, the material used is a composite of plastic and carbon. Importantly, recycled materials are not only used in the moulding of the frame. The entire Multipath frame is designed to be recyclable at the end of its life! Hopefully, this pioneering concept will be widely adopted. For example, with the RECO One, ADVANCED already offer a city ebike based on the same manufacturing process.

Because the main frame is a single injection moulded piece, Ultima didn’t follow the classic frame tube design of other ebikes. The step-through frame has more material and support where it is needed, and cut-outs where weight and material can be saved, such as on the head tube, above the motor mount and on the seat tube.

The whole frame looks very organic and is a real eye-catcher. The chainstays resemble the gills of a shark. The rear wheel is snugly enclosed by the seat tube. The company’s logo on the head tube and the Ultima lettering on the down tube are moulded directly into the frame. Ultima also offer frame engraving at an additional cost and can supply the frame in any colour required. However, our test bike, which was covered in a frame wrap full of decals, will probably remain a one-off.

The Ultima Multipath City

Ultima achieve the four intended uses (City, Compact Cargo, Cargo Familly and Trekking Allroad) primarily through the choice of a front fork and the equipment package selected in the online configurator. The City version is equipped with a rigid fork, manufactured with the same process as the frame. The configurator also allows you to add accessories such as a handlebar-mounted basket, mudguards and a pannier rack to the City bike.

The Ultima Multipath Compact Cargo

When you select the Long Range version with 630 Wh battery in the configurator, two additional front fork options become available. If you choose the Compact Mini Cargo fork it replaces the 29″ front wheel with a smaller 20″ wheel and includes a rigid aluminium fork. The fork can then be paired with either a spacious soft bag or a wooden box. According to Ultima, the wooden box has a capacity of 60 litres, the equivalent of 7 stacked pizza boxes – an illustration for pragmatists looking for real-world examples. A trailer hitch can also be selected in the configurator.

The Ultima Multipath Cargo Familly

The second fork option is the Cargo Familly fork. Instead of a wooden box or soft bag, this option features a child seat mounted over the front wheel. Designed for children aged one to five, the seat is fitted with a safety belt, footrests and a spoke protector for the front wheel to prevent anything getting caught in it during the ride. Both the Compact Cargo and Cargo Familly versions have a central stand that jacks up the front wheel, facilitating loading of the bike.

Although the Multipath is only designed for riders weighing up to 100 kg, the maximum payload is 150 kg. The child seat or the cargo box at the front can each carry 30 kg. The configurator also offers a rear carrier with a permissible load of 27 kg. This means that an additional child seat can be fitted behind the rider, making it possible to travel with three people.

The Ultima Multipath Trekking Allroad

If your kids have outgrown the child seat or you’ve moved from the city to the countryside, Ultima offer for you to send them your Multipath to meet the changing needs of the next stage of life – a bit like upcycling to ensure continued use. For example, an exciting option in this case would be the single-arm flex fork, as fitted to our Trekking Allroad test bike.

The fork arm is made in the Ultima foundry. However, the spring technology is derived from the La City suspension fork from French suspension experts MOTION Engineering. Rather than using an air or steel spring, it uses a composite leaf spring that spans a smaller lever arm and offers 40 mm of undamped travel. With no air or oil chambers and very few components, this articulated fork is advertised as being extremely low maintenance and cost-effective for mass production.

The Trekking option comes with knobby tires, but Ultima offer their customers plenty of flexibility when it comes to other components. Even the Trekking version can be ordered with rear mudguards, or even a basket on the handlebar.

To optimise the use of resources and eliminate the need for a large warehouse, Multipath ebikes are built exclusively to order. By using local suppliers and short-distance logistics, you can expect the customised ebike to be ready to ride 21 days after the order is placed. Despite the wide range of use scenarios, the same Valeo and Effigear motor system is always installed, which has been designed to meet all the possible uses

French 7-course menu – The Valeo Cyclee motor and Effigear automatic gearbox powering the Ultima Mobility Multipath

It’s no coincidence that the Ultima team chose a Valeo motor for their versatile ebike. Jerome Mortal, one of the founders of Ultima Mobility, worked in Valeo’s development department until 2022. Valeo’s team members are highly skilled in automotive electronics and are venturing into new areas of mobility with innovations such as the Valeo Smart eBike System and the Valeo Cyclee ebike motor.

According to the manufacturer, the Valeo Cyclee motor delivers an impressive 130 Nm torque. In compliance with EU regulations, it will be restricted to 250 watts of continuous power on the domestic market. But, in markets where these regulations do not apply, such as the US, the motor is expected to deliver 750 watts of continuous power and peak outputs of over 1 kW. When it comes to motor support, Ultima and Valeo specify a maximum of 800% in relation to your own pedalling power.

According to the spec sheet, the Valeo motor is one of the most powerful we’ve ever come across. And we can safely say that we weren’t disappointed. It is therefore no surprise that Valeo have designed the Cyclee motor also for use in sporty eMTBs and cargo bikes. For cargo bikes in particular, it offers other practical features, such as energy recovery or a reverse gear to get heavy cargo bikes out of tight parking spaces, for example.

Valeo are working with the French gearbox experts at Effigear to ensure that the high motor power doesn’t lead to frequent transmission failures. The Valeo Cyclee motor integrates a 7-speed gearbox with a ratio range of 450% and the ability to shift gears automatically. They claim that gear changes take less than a tenth of a second, thus minimising power loss.

The motor gearbox unit requires virtually no regular maintenance. By eliminating the need for a conventional derailleur – a notoriously high-maintenance component on ebikes – the Multipath itself becomes very low maintenance. Although an even more maintenance-friendly belt drive could be an option, Ultima have opted for a conventional chain. This means that despite the presence of several low-maintenance parts, you still need to lubricate the chain regularly. However, the robust single chain, which is not subject to the rigours of heavy shifting, is expected to last significantly longer than when used in conjunction with a derailleur system.

The large case of the motor gearbox unit protrudes from the frame of the Ultima Multipath and doesn’t integrate too nicely. Similarly, the somewhat dated LC-display, housed in a clunky case, doesn’t exactly give this ebike motor a high-tech feel. However, the USB-C charging socket on the underside of the display provides a charging current of almost 1 amp.

The Ultima’s state-of-the-art motor system really shines when you add the Ultima GPS tracker as an extra feature in the configurator. Of course, this tracker allows you to trace the location of the Multipath. But here’s the standout feature: a neutral gear can be configured as an anti-theft device via a mobile phone app. If someone tries to pedal, the crank spins, preventing the Multipath from moving forward even a millimetre.

Once you’ve registered the Multipath using the dedicated app (activated via Bluetooth connection on the display), you can access the anti-theft system without having to have your smartphone with you. To activate the neutral mode, just press and hold the power button. A four-digit code can also be stored using the buttons on the display and remote (The code needs to be set in advance using the app). Only someone who knows the sequence can reactivate the Multipath – a handy feature if you leave your bike outside for a moment while you run into a shop.

The system is powered by a built-in battery located in the down tube. You can choose between the standard 500 Wh battery or the Long Range version with 630 Wh, available at an extra cost of € 200 in the configurator. As the battery isn’t removable, Multipath riders should make sure they have access to a charging socket in their parking space for convenient recharging.

Eurotrip – The features of the Ultima Mobility Multipath in detail

It’s not just the manufacturing process and main components such as the frame and motor that come from the Lyon region, the rest of the equipment list reads like a line-up for the Tour de France, followed by the Giro d’Italia, with a detour through the Deutschland Tour.

Our test bike is equipped with a Neogy battery from France. The aluminium Mavic Speed City Wheels with reflective decals and the Hutchinson Skeleton knobby tires are another source of national pride for French ebike aficionados. Even the LOOK pedals, the shock-absorbing BARAMIND BAM City handlebar and the Stronglight carrier are French.

The Ursus kickstand and the padded Selle Italia ST 7 Superflow saddle with integrated reflective tape come from Italy. For the remaining parts, Ultima get support from their German neighbours. The MAGURA MT Trail Sport 4/2 piston brakes provide pleasant modulation when the small 160 mm discs face increased stress under higher loads. The solid aluminium mudguards come from German partner Hebie, as do the Busch + Müller IQ-X E 150 lux front light and the comfortable Ergon wing grips.

Tuning tip: Tall and heavy riders should opt for larger brake discs and the adjustable Ergotec stem.

Alors on danse – Was kann das Ultima Mobility Mulipath Trekking Allroad im Test?

Before heading out on a tour, make sure the Multipath is clean and shiny, and that your hair and make-up are in place. The Multipath is a real eye-catcher and often attracts the interest of curious passers-by, resulting in us being the subject of several smartphone photos.

Swing your dancing shoes over the Multipath’s low step-through and the dance… er, sorry, the ride can start almost immediately. The Multipath doesn’t have the lowest step-through among city bikes (that distinction belongs to the Centurion Easy), but people with limited mobility should still find it has good accessibility when getting on and off.

Our Trekking Allroad version features a dropper seatpost for easier mounting. However, its lever is positioned under the saddle, following the old-school approach, rather than using a handlebar remote to operate the dropper. This setup is inconvenient if you want to put both feet on the ground during an impromptu break in stop-and-go traffic, or if you try to lift the ebike by the saddle and accidentally hit the lever. Nevertheless, the functionality remains straightforward and eliminates the complexity of routing cables through the frame.

Sitting on the Ultima Multipath with the dropper post extended, taller riders will quickly realise the limitations of the one-size-fits-all concept. The riding position is quite compact. The slack seat angle increases the distance to the handlebar when the saddle is extended. However, the handlebar height remains unaffected by this. Shorter riders will enjoy a comfortable upright position, while taller riders over 185 cm will find themselves leaning forward and down to reach the handlebar. To solve this problem, we recommend that you select the adjustable Ergotec stem in the configurator because it offers greater flexibility in adjusting the handlebar height.

Even when taller riders have to lean heavily on the handlebar, their hands and arms remain remarkably relaxed, no matter how bumpy the road gets. The single-arm suspension fork, complemented by the robust flex of the BARAMIND handlebar, effectively absorbs road imperfections. This combination provides a smooth ride that is particularly effective over small bumps, surpassing the performance of many telescopic suspension forks.

However, when riding at a 90° angle over raised edges such as kerbs, the fork reaches the end of its 40 mm travel rather harshly and rebounds quickly. Heavier riders, in particular, will feel the discomfort as the leaf spring can’t be adjusted to their weight. Here, conventional forks with more travel, a damping cartridge that works in both directions, and more adjustment options are technically superior.

The single-arm suspension fork design has another small disadvantage: it has to make do without a mudguard. The Hebie mudguard on the rear wheel doesn’t offer much protection from splashes, either, so you’re in for a dirty back and damp trouser legs on wet days.

The 2.15″ narrow Hutchinson Skeleton tires have limited shock absorption capacity due to their relatively small volume, but the flat tread pattern rolls quickly on city streets and gravel roads. Experienced riders who know the limits of the ebike’s traction will be able to take short rides on off-road paths. However, beginners may be overwhelmed on softer terrain or wet surfaces. The MAGURA MT Trail Sport brakes offer good modulation, but too much force on the levers can cause the tires to slip. To improve grip and comfort, the frame and fork could have been given more tire clearance, allowing the use of larger tires with more tread.

There is no active suspension at the rear, and the moulded plastic frame offers only limited shock absorption. While small bumps under the front wheel are well absorbed, the saddle does get shaken when riding over potholes and the like – a suspension seatpost would have been a welcome addition.

The Ultima Multipath’s Valeo Cyclee motor and Valeo Smart e-Bike System in the test

You select the riding mode using a button on the display, choosing from Off, Eco, Predict and Turbo. In Eco mode, the Multipath accelerates smoothly. You don’t feel any of the motor power. Switching between modes while riding, however, can be awkward, requiring either an uncomfortable reach for the display or prolonged pressure on the thumb throttle of the remote.

The thumb throttle also serves as a push assist. If you use it while sitting on the bike and pedalling, the Multipath will go into Turbo mode and the motor will give you a strong push. This feature also works when pedalling without motor support, providing electric assistance on challenging climbs.

Even in Turbo mode, the Ultima Multipath provides a smooth thrust, so you won’t feel like you’re about to fall backwards out of the saddle. The speed increases effortlessly up to the 25 km/h limit, which the motor maintains comfortably even on slight inclines. As a result, the Ultima Multipath offers a dynamic and enjoyable riding experience, even at a leisurely pace.

Keep an eye on your remaining range because the powerful motor will naturally drain the battery. For a quick check, press and hold the light button on the display. You can toggle between trip distance, total distance travelled and remaining range in kilometres. There’s no need to worry about accidentally draining the battery in Turbo mode. At high speeds in Turbo mode, the motor emits a noticeably loud, high-pitched hum accompanying the ride.

Predict mode lies between the very restrained Eco mode and the powerful Turbo mode. It dynamically adjusts motor power, but is much closer to Turbo mode than Eco mode. In addition, Predict mode offers a unique feature: while Eco and Turbo modes allow manual shifting, Predict only offers automatic shifting.

How does the Effigear automatic gearbox in the Valeo Cyclee motor select the right gear?

The gearbox uses sensor data from the motor system to determine the optimal gear selection. It takes into account speed, cadence, pedal pressure and, using a tilt sensor, the position of the bike. The Ultima’s primary aim is to maintain a pre-set cadence. We were unable to adjust the cadence ourselves on our test bike.

Theoretically, as you approach an incline, the front of the bike rises, your speed and cadence drop, and the pressure on the pedals increases. This prompts the shift command to select an easier gear. Conversely, as you gain speed downhill or on flat ground, the opposite happens and the gearbox shifts to a harder gear.

In practice, the Valeo-Effigear unit can be a little sluggish when it comes to shifting gears. Thanks to the high motor power, you can reach 25 km/h in a few seconds on flat terrain. However, it often takes three or four quick revolutions of the cranks before the gearbox recognises that the cadence is no longer suitable and gives the shift command. Nevertheless, the shifting process itself is quick and doesn’t result in any loss of power.

The Effigear gearbox is even more careful when shifting down: if you are riding towards a hill at a low cadence of, say, 60 rpm and at a high speed of 25 km/h, your speed and therefore your cadence will initially drop significantly. But the gearbox shifts down only after you take some pressure off the pedals. Although this means some loss of dynamics and uphill momentum, it prevents the rider from pedalling into the void.

The speed of shifting down doesn’t increase in manual mode. When the minus button on the remote control is pressed, the gear indicator on the display changes to the lower gear and starts flashing. The display continues to flash until the gear has been shifted successfully. This process can take several seconds as the gearbox waits for you to release pressure on the pedal, even in manual mode. A sporty riding style with fast gear changes is not possible with the Ultima Multipath.

Furthermore, the gear steps are too wide, averaging 28.5% between the 7 gears within a 450% gear range. In comparison, the Pinion MGU E1.12 with 12 gears offers finer steps of 17.7%, although it operates in a wider range of 600%. (Similarly, the MGU E1.9, with 9 gears and a range of 568%, offers steps of 24.3%). As a result, riders often find themselves pedalling in gears that are slightly too easy or too hard, rarely achieving their desired cadence.

However, the sheer power of the motor quickly puts this minor concern to rest. If your aim is simply to get from point A to point B comfortably, the Predict mode provides sufficient propulsion in most riding scenarios, even with minimal pedalling. Also, when riding with a lower cadence, it’s unlikely that you’ll come to a standstill on a slope, and you’ll usually be able to maintain a high speed.

Conclusion on the Ultima Multipath Trekking Allroad

The Ultima Multipath has a pioneering, versatile and sustainable concept quite unlike any other ebike. The powerful and low-maintenance motor gearbox unit makes it fun to ride and easy to handle. Some aspects, such as the standardised size concept and certain features, still require some fine tuning. Apart from that, the Ultima Multipath is more than worth the price.

Visit ultima.dev for more info.

Words: Rudolf Fischer Photos: Julian Schwede