THE NEW FEZZARI TIMP PEAK eBIKE

ENDURO-READY eMTB

Words by Drew Rohde | Photos by Ryan Robbins & Brian Niles
Video by Brian Niles/Treeline Cinematics

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The new 170mm travel Fezzari Timp Peak eMTB will no doubt excite aggressive electric mountain bike riders for several reasons. With its lifetime warranty; all-around versatility; value-perspective and even an eMTB Frameset option – an industry rarity – there’s a lot to like. That’s right bike-building fans, Fezzari’s Timp Peak will be available for $4,999 as a frame-kit which includes the motor, electronics, and Fox Factory Kashima X2 rear shock. Taking what they learned from the previously reviewed Wire Peak and their hard-hitting enduro rig, the La Sal Peak, Fezzari threw everything at the development of their new big-mountain, do-it-all eBike. For this Dissected we went out to Lindon, Utah to visit Fezzari Bicycles and ride the new Timp Peak on the trails that helped create it.

As with all of our Dissected Features, this is not intended to be a long term review or endorsement of a product but is instead a chance for our viewers and readers to get a deep dive look into some of the newest tech and products in the mountain bike space. We thank Fezzari for the opportunity to create this feature and getting you some valuable beta on this new, Full Power Enduro eMTB.

FROM THE GROUND UP

Something that Fezzari really drove home during our visit and days on the bike was that they set out to make a great mountain bike first and foremost, then figured out how to make the motor, battery and electronics fit within those parameters, rather than the other way around. This makes sense since their 170mm La Sal Peak, which we could probably say is the Timp Peak’s Amish brother, has won a number of awards since it was released in 2022.

THE FRAME | Much of that frame design work went into the stiffness and durability, after all, slapping a lifetime warranty on a 170mm eBike isn’t something you do haphazardly, which is why this bike was tested to DH bike standards. Ty Bishop, Fezzari product manager, was one of the key players in making the bike happen. He told us “We found that if we made certain choices like using stainless steel bolts in key areas, we could get increased rigidity as well as 30-40% stiffness gains compared to other frames in our lineup. We also wanted this bike to be dual-crown compatible for people who wanted to run a DH fork. If you also look at the large head tube, you’ll notice we’re running 1.5” headset top and bottom so riders can fit reach or angle adjust headsets thanks to the ZS56 caps, and it increases the stiffness of the front end too.”

THE GEOMETRY | Other details to the Timp Peak frame include enduro-ready geometry with size-specific changes to the seat tube to yield a consistent effective seat tube angle of 77.5 degrees for riders on each size. The rest of the geometry numbers are certainly in the contemporary spectrum for a bike of this nature, with a 64-degree head tube angle, 630.6mm reach on our size large, 485mm reach and 437mm chainstays.

Of course, something that Fezzari Bicycles is well known for is their 23-Point Custom Setup program. If riders find that they are either slightly between sizes or simply want to customize their build and save themselves some work, Fezzari’s in-house build team are willing and able to do everything from cut handlebars to change stem lengths, dropper post lengths and a number of other key fitment options. This eliminates the time and effort that customers would otherwise have to spend in swapping out these parts to get the bike to fit comfortably.

THE SUSPENSION | Fezzari’s team worked with RockShox, Fox, DVO, EXT, MRP and Push to custom tune each shock for the kinematics and platform of the Timp Peak, giving customers the option to choose their preferred brand and get the best performance regardless. The added weight and mass of eBikes inherently changes how a suspension platform performs, oftentimes for the better, but in some cases for the worse. Fezzari was aware of these changes, and worked to keep the bike lively and active while still allowing it to climb well and handle the big hits that demand all 170mm of rear wheel travel. Overall, riders will be happy to know this is a rather progressive suspension design, and over our couple of days of riding the bike we weren’t able to find a hard bottom-out anywhere. In fact we could have even let a bit more air out as it did feel like some lighter riders could potentially find the rear end to be a bit stiff in high-speed chatter. This is something we look forward to dialing in on our home trails.

THE ELECTRONICS | Obviously, it wouldn’t be an eBike without the electronics, so let’s take a look at Fezzari’s integration of the Shimano STEPS EP8 drive unit and kit. Inside the Timp Peak frame’s relatively sleek downtube is a proprietary rail system. This modular rail enables Fezzari to mount the 504wh or 635wh battery securely and also keep it low on the downtube, producing a lower, more central placement of mass that yields the best performance. The power button, charge port door (and cover) as well as the wiring all look to be competitive with other offerings on the market, and we look forward to testing these features along with the rest of the bike in our long-term review. While some folks may see the Shimano EP8 drive unit as a deal break, we honestly can’t understand why after having ridden so many of them as their performance is certainly satisfactory. We’d much rather have a bike that rides well with a Shimano motor than a mediocre bike with a “Better” motor, and the Timp Peak seems to be a good bike so far. Preference aside, Fezzari worked with Shimano to modify the power delivery for the initial two pedal strokes, so that riders who are starting out on very steep or loose terrain won’t risk losing traction or looping out. Of course, Shimano’s app allows riders to easily tune performance parameters, but those who regularly find themselves climbing the steepest, loosest stuff they can find will enjoy Fezzari’s efforts here.

BUILDS AND SPEC | Ty Bishop shared that Fezzari concentrated on three key areas in their component spec selection: Suspension spec, heavy duty brakes, and the wheel and tire package. Being that Fezzari is a direct-to-consumer brand, the focus on value is certainly on their mind whenever a new bike is getting developed. That said, it’s clear to see that their employees are still focused on offering a reliable, high quality ride. “We spec this bike for real life use. We know how we want to ride this bike and assume everyone else is going to do the same, so we’re not going to skimp on key areas.” A prime example of this decision making is that even the entry level Timp Peak Comp comes with TRP DHR-Evo brakes, something that just about every other major brand can’t claim. Bikes in similar price points often come with SRAM G2 brakes, which are frankly dangerously under-powered for this type of bike, so we applaud Fezzari for knowing where riders are going to be taking this bike and how it’s going to be ridden. You can check out each of the Timp Peaks build options at the end of this feature.

Fezzari will offer the Timp Peak in three complete packages and one Timp Peak Frameset option. That’s right! We don’t even know how many times we’ve seen people ask, “When is a company just going to release an eMTB Frameset?!” Well, here you go custom bike builders, have at it!

THE WOLF’S FIRST IMPRESSION

As with all of our Dissected Features, the goal is to present new products and tell the story of their development, rather than offer a long-term review since we’ve only had a couple of rides on foreign terrain aboard the bike so far. The good news is our long-term review, Timp Peak loaner bike is currently on the way, and we are very excited to put it to work.

What we can say so far about the Timp Peak is that Fezzari has continued in their evolution as a mountain bike brand, offering better products year after year. The refinement of the finished product is competitive, pricing is respectable, and the performance seems to be on par with – if not better than – other major players on the market.

The trails we rode in American Fork Canyon, Utah were beautiful, fast, flowy and chunky. The Fezzari guys were kind enough to let me lead almost every descent and experience the “Oh crap” moments all day long. The diversity was a good mix and as someone who was riding the trails completely blind at pretty decent pace, the fact I wasn’t thinking about the bike as much as I was navigating the blind corners and unknown features ahead of me meant that the bike was doing exactly what it was supposed to. Now that I’m reflecting back, our days on the trail perfectly reflected the spirit of enduro: big mountain climbs and long high-speed descents on blind trails with a crew of smiling friends. It looks like Fezzari knew exactly what they were doing.

Overall, I found the bike to be very playful, fun and lively, which are all things I like very much, however it also felt like the rear suspension was a bit firm on fast, chattery hits, which is most likely just a lack of time to properly set up the suspension. The frame also feels pretty stiff, so I’d likely select a more compliant handlebar as I regularly seek out the rockiest and chunkiest descents possible, so comfort and compliance are things I value. It will be a lot of fun to get this bike on our home trails, tune it in and let it eat. Stay tuned for the long-term review, and in the meantime check out our other Fezzari Bicycles reviews here.

FEZZARI TIMP PEAK
COMP BUILD

Price: $5,999

Suspension: DVO Onyx E1
Brakes: TRP DH-R EVO
Wheelset: DT Swiss H1900 with star ratchet hub
Derailleur: SRAM NX Eagle

Drive System: Shimano EP8
Battery: Shimano 504wh or 635wh

FEZZARI TIMP PEAK
ELITE BUILD

Price: $6,999

Suspension: Zeb Ultimate/Super Deluxe Ultimate
Brakes: TRP DH-R EVO
Wheelset: DT Swiss H1900 with star ratchet hub
Derailleur: SRAM GX Eagle

Drive System: Shimano EP8
Battery: Shimano 504wh or 635wh

FEZZARI TIMP PEAK
ELITE LAUNCH EDITION BUILD

Price: $7,499

Suspension: Zeb Ultimate/Super Deluxe Ultimate
Brakes: TRP DH-R EVO
Wheelset: DT Swiss HX1700 with star ratchet hub
Derailleur: SRAM GX Eagle AXS

Drive System: Shimano EP8
Battery: Shimano 504wh or 635wh

FEZZARI TIMP PEAK
PRO BUILD

Price: $7,999

Suspension: Zeb Ultimate/Super Deluxe Ultimate
Brakes: TRP DH-R EVO
Wheelset: DT Swiss HX1700 w/ star ratchet hub
Derailleur: *NEW* SRAM 12-Spd

Drive System: Shimano EP8
Battery: Shimano 504wh or 635wh