The silhouette of the bike would not give away the fact the eScultura benefits from a permanent tail wind.

Cheating? Not when you're having this much fun. The eScultura 400 brings all the benefits of a pedal-assist motor to a serious road bike, delivering a way to keep up with the pack on the hills without a heavy, draggy feel when you're pedalling above the assistance limit. Shimano's benchmark 105 groupset and hydraulic disc brakes to deliver a ride that's as sporty as a regular bike.

MAHLE's ebikemotion system uses a 40Nm rear hub motor powered by a fully integrated 250Wh battery hidden in the downtube.

The low system weight combined with a carbon fork and sophisticated aluminium frame means the bike also feels lively even without power assistance. There is almost no drag at all from the motor when it is not engaged.

The system has an iWoc button for controlling support levels and a sophisticated app provides an opportunity to adjust the riding feel as well as offering post-ride analysis features.

The frame has mounts for mudguards and rack and a neat hidden kickstand mount. Cable routing is through the frame with cables entering through a specific headset cap to keep the cockpit nice and neat.