Scott Sub Tour 40

The Sub Tour 40 sits at the £2,799 entry point of Scott's Sub Tour range, and it's aimed squarely at riders who want proper motor assistance for commuting, errands and weekend rides without giving up the practical bits that make an e-bike easy to live with day to day. Both builds share the same Bosch-powered platform, a five-speed hub gear that shifts even when you're stood still at the lights, and everyday kit like lights, mudguards and a proper rack fitted from the start. Where they differ is the frame: a classic diamond shape or the lower, easier-to-mount Wave, each with its own battery-removal method and a slightly different claimed weight.

Bosch power and a gear hub built for stop-start riding

Both builds use a Bosch Performance Line BDU346Y motor paired with a 540Wh PowerTube battery and the simple Purion 200 display, plus a 2A charger for topping up overnight. Like every EU-spec e-bike, assistance is limited to 25 km/h, after which you're pedalling under your own steam. Scott doesn't publish a distance-per-charge figure for this specification, so treat the 540Wh capacity as a headline number rather than a promised range: how far you'll get depends on terrain, assistance level and how much you're carrying on the rack. Shifting is handled by a Shimano Nexus Inter 5e five-speed internal hub gear, a sensible choice for commuting because you can change gear from a standstill, there's no derailleur hanging in the wind or grit, and the mechanism is largely sealed from weather. It's worth knowing that despite belt-drive language used in some Sub Tour marketing, Scott's own detailed specification for this bike lists a conventional KMC Z1 chain with a Miranda 38T chainring and Shimano 27T sprocket. If belt-drive low maintenance was part of the appeal, confirm the actual transmission fitted to the specific bike you're buying rather than assuming it from the model name alone.

Classic frame or Wave: which one fits you

Both frames carry the same £2,799 price and the same Bosch platform, so the choice comes down to how you want to get on and off the bike, and how you'd rather handle the battery. The classic frame removes its battery from the side, while the Wave frame's battery lifts out from the top, which some riders find easier when the bike's parked against a step or a kerb. Scott also quotes a lighter claimed weight for the classic frame at around 28.1 kg, against approximately 29.7 kg for the Wave, a difference worth noting if you'll be lifting the bike onto a rack or up a step regularly. Both frames are specified across sizes S to XL, but their geometry isn't identical between classic and Wave versions, so it's the frame-specific numbers that matter for fit rather than the size label alone.

Comfort, control and everyday equipment

An SR Suntour NVX 32 coil fork gives 100 mm of travel with a lockout lever, useful for smoothing out rougher tarmac or the moderately graded unpaved paths this bike is rated for, and for firming things up when you'd rather put your effort into moving forward on a smooth road. Shimano's BR-MT200 disc brakes work with 180 mm and 160 mm Center Lock rotors front and rear, giving more stopping power at the front wheel where it's needed most. Wide 55-622 Schwalbe Big Apple tyres on Syncros X18 rims add cushioning and a stable, unhurried feel that suits errands and commuting more than fast road riding. The fitted Lezyne lights and Curana mudguards mean you're set up for dark or wet commutes without buying extras, and the adjustable Syncros stem lets you fine-tune your riding position. The rear rack is a Racktime unit rated to 25 kg and compatible with SnapIt 2.0 accessories, so you can add matching bags or a child seat later on the classic frame without swapping the rack itself. Keep in mind that the bike's overall 160 kg maximum system weight covers the bike, rider, equipment and luggage together, not a separate 160 kg allowance for the rider alone, so it's worth adding up your own weight plus a loaded rack before assuming you're within limits.

Buying the right generation

Sub Tour 40 listings you find online won't all describe the same bike. This page covers the current UK-specification build with its 540Wh battery and Nexus 5e hub gear, but some later UK offers, often labelled 2027, describe a different specification with a Gates belt drive and a 30 kg-rated rack. That's a materially different bike in terms of maintenance and load capacity, so match the transmission, rack rating and battery details of the actual listing you're considering rather than assuming every Sub Tour 40 offer is built the same way.

For the daily commute or a weekend pottering along canal paths, having the lights, mudguards and rack already sorted means less to think about before you head out, and the hub gear's ability to shift while stationary is a genuinely practical touch for stop-start city riding where you don't always have the luxury of soft-pedalling before a junction.