2023 Saracen Ariel 50E - A First Look

The Saracen Ariel 50E is more than the sum of considerable parts. Great geometry, great suspension, great parts allied to a capable Shimano STEPS motor and capacious 720Wh battery from Darfon. . This particular model is the Saracen Ariel 50E. It is the entry level e-bike Ariel in a three bike range. This 50E retails direct from Saracen for £4,999. . The next model up is the 50E Pro with Shimano EP-8 motor and Fox 38 Performance fork and Float X2 rear shock for £5,999. Topping out the electrified Ariel range is the Ariel 50E Elite with a Fox 38 Factory and the oh-so-cool DHX2 coil rear shock for £6,999. . Aluminium frame. In a particularly banging shade of Neon Red. Uses an e-bike specific version of Saracen’s much-admired TRL linkage design to give out 150mm of rear travel. This TRL layout is an oft-overlooked aspect of the new generation Ariel E-bikes. Single pivot linkage activated goodness. Super supple around sag point and quickly rising in progression to give the rider loads of support and feel. . We have a Large size Ariel 50E here, which is 29in wheel front and rear, as too is the Extra Large. The Medium and Small Ariel Es come in mixed wheel mullet configurations. Truth be told, on regular bikes I’m personally not massively sold on mullets but on full-bore e-bikes like the Ariel 50E, I must confess to finding the extra manoeuvrability and the increased arse-clearance very useful. . Up front we have 160mm travel forks. In the 50E’s case, the fork is a 160mm travel Marzocchi Bomber Z1 with some well-executed custom colour matched decals on its legs. Nice. Air sprung. Rebound adjust, ‘sweep adjust’ Grip compression damping. It’s a really, really good fork that is well up to the rigours of e-bike ragging. . The rear shock is a Fox Float X Performance unit with rebound adjustment and 2-position compression (it’s got a climb switch in other words). This is not a tinpot weedy shock. 230mm eye-to-eye delivering a full-on 65mm of shaft stroke. . It’s things like this that are easily missed on spec sheets but have a massive effect on how well – and consistently – the bike rides. Not to mention how more forgiving they are in terms of setting up. Dinky, weedy shocks suck on e-bikes. A lot. Kudos to Saracen for making the considerable effort to package proper shocks into these bikes. . Oh, the decals are colour coded on the Float X shock as well. Neat. . It’s worth pointing out that Saracen have a comprehensive and – for once – actually accurate and useful suspension setup guide for this shock on this bike. Hours of faff saved. Even the most suspension-phobic tweak-freaked riders can get a decent there or thereabouts suspension set-up. Again, well done Saracen for going the extra mile. .