Desiknio X20 Pinion: Stylish No-More-Worries Deal

For just under three quarters of a year the X20 rear hub motor has been on the market. So far, the number of ebikes equipped with Mahle’s lightest drive has been limited. Most of them are sporty models, i.e. e-road bikes like the Scott Addict RC eRide or e-gravel bikes like Titici’s Dynamika G. This phalanx has now been broken by a Spanish manufacturer. Desiknio has just presented an incredibly chic urban ebike. Apart from the X20, it has another highlight.

As an author, you like to build up a little suspense and pull crucial details out of the hat in a surprising way, just like a magician pulls a rabbit out of the hat. Desiknio foils this plan with a product name that describes the ebike like the abstract a scientific paper. The new model is called X20 Pinion. So you immediately know the basic concept – an ebike with the Mahle X20 and a Pinion gearbox.

Desiknio X20 Pinion

Carefree solution

The two complement each other skilfully, in terms of both function and quality. As a rear hub motor, the X20 per se protects drive components such as the crank, chainring or chain because the power is applied directly to the drive axle. As one of the lightest motors on the market, it weighs less than 1,400 grams, leaving a conventional hub gear like the Speedhub e14 from Rohloff with its 1,6000 grams clearly behind. In addition, there is the new clutch at the left drop-out end of the motor, the Automatic Motor Connection System. With its help, the rear wheel can be easily removed – without special tools, without the additional disconnection of any cables or other connections.

Mahle X20 rear hub motor

Lightweight and gentle on the material in the rear wheel – sealed, enduring and dispensing with any lubricant at the bottom bracket. The C1.9 XR gearbox from Pinion ensures that this formula works. Like its other variants, it is also optimally protected from any dirt by a magnesium housing. According to Pinion, maintenance is only due after 10,000 kilometres. With nine gears, distributed over a gear ratio range of 568 percent, you are equipped with a system on the ebike that would look great on any trekking bike. In addition, Desiknio uses the Gates carbon belt on the X20 Pinion. This removes another item from the list of things you need to take care of on a regular basis. Under normal circumstances, you basically only need to make sure that your battery is always charged and that the brakes work. The rest just runs and runs and runs.

Ebike? Which ebike?

That alone makes you look forward to riding the city runabout. This is further enhanced by the look of the ebike. Its geometry is clearly sporty. Its seat stays meet the seat tube far below the top tube. This is reminiscent of the frame construction of gravel bikes, where this design is supposed to provide a little flex and thus increase riding comfort. The TIG-welded tubes are polished by hand. Pretty much all the cables run inside them, so the outer appearance can be described as purist in the best sense.

Mahle iWoc One control unit integrated into the top tube

If you overlook the somewhat voluminous rear wheel hub, you will basically only recognise that this is an ebike by the Iwoc One control unit embedded in the top tube. Thanks to its small size, the 242 watt-hour battery in the down tube remains almost undetected. And even when lifting the ebike, some would probably still think it was a regular bike without electric assistance. The Desiknio novelty weighs just 13.5 kilograms. When equipped with mudguards and rear rack, it weighs 14 kilograms.

Range absolutely sufficient

Such a lightweight makes do with correspondingly less power when riding. On predominantly flat terrain in the lowest of the three support levels, the manufacturer calculates a maximum range of 100 kilometres. If mountains creep into the profile and you ride more often at the highest assistance level, it should still be at least 50 kilometres. For an ebike in city traffic that can perhaps also be charged at work, at university, while shopping or comfortably at home, this should probably be enough for many. However, the X20 Pinion is also prepared for expansion with the e185 range extender from Mahle. This increases the range by about 50 to 70 kilometres.

Watch out for sizes and colours

Desiknio has produced the X20 Pinion in two frame shapes. The classic diamond frame is available in frame sizes M and L, which are suitable for people between 165 centimetres and 195 centimetres tall. You can choose between four colours. The manufacturer combines the two matt colours Granada Red and Polar Blue with a black painted carbon fork. The models in the glossy colours Jade Green and Dark Grey have fork and frame in the same colour. However, this is an aluminium fork.

There is no choice whatsoever for the trapezoid frame. It is only available in one frame size, which the manufacturer calls Comfort and recommends for people between 155 centimetres and 175 centimetres tall. The only colour option available is the glossy Dark Grey.

Desiknio X20 Pinion with trapezoid frame in Dark Grey colour

Desiknio X20 Pinion at a glance

• Frame: 6061 aluminium
• Fork: Carbon Monocoque (for frame colours Granada Red and Polar Blue), Aluminium (for frame colours Jade Green and Dark Grey)
• Motor: Mahle X20
• Battery: Mahle iX250
• Control unit: iWoc One
• Drivetrain: Pinion C1.9 XR
• Brakes: TRP C1.8
• Maximum permitted total weight: 115 kg
• Price: from 5,895 euros

From the city out into nature

For Desiknio, it’s only a small step from an everyday object to a sports bike. Apparently enormously convinced by the lightest Mahle drive, the manufacturer presents the X20 Pinion as well as the X20 Gravel.

In this case, the focus is clearly on speed for riding on the road and off-road. To achieve this, Desiknio has combined the aforementioned package with a carbon frame and a carbon fork. This reduces the total weight by a few hundred grams compared to the X20 Pinion to almost exactly twelve kilograms. Since the welds also disappear due to the material, the e-gravel bike even looks racier than the sister model for the city.

Desiknio X20 Gravel in Sunlight Magic colour

A look at the specification reveals one or two expected differences. The most obvious one is the switch from Pinion’s manual gearbox to a derailleur. Desiknio uses Campagnolo’s Ekar groupset, a 13-speed solution specialised for gravel use. The carbon wheels are made especially for the manufacturer by the Portuguese specialist Prototype. They are fitted with 45-millimetre wide Cinturato Gravel H tyres from Pirelli. Unfortunately, the frame does not provide enough space for even wider tyres.

Campagnolo Ekar derailleur

Suitable for everyday use, but not for everyone

We were positively impressed by Desiknio’s decision to install front and rear lights as standard on the X20 Gravel. Ok, the rear light sits quite low on the dropout of the rear wheel. This is certainly not ideal in road traffic. But off the road, it’s sufficient. A Supernova Mini 2 lights the way to the front. Its 235 lumens and 100 lux ensure that you can extend your rides into the darkness at any time.

Supernova E3 Tail light on the Desiknio X20 Gravel

On the other hand, the corners of our mouth dropped when we looked at the available frame sizes. There is only one. Desiknio considers the M a suitable size for people who measure between 163 centimetres and 185 centimetres. This range seems to us to be much too large. Especially for a bike like a gravel bike, where the exact position on the bike determines control, comfort and efficiency when riding. Unfortunately, we cannot tell you the exact body size for which the model fits best. Both the X20 Gravel and the X20 Pinion will not hit the shops until May or June of this year. That’s why we haven’t been able to take a seat on either of them yet. Hopefully this will change towards summer 😉.

Desiknio X20 Gravel at a glance

• Frame: Carbon monocoque
• Fork: Carbon monocoque
• Motor: Mahle X20
• Battery: Mahle iX250
• Control unit: Mahle iWoc One
• Drivetrain: Campagnolo Ekar
• Brakes: Campagnolo Ekar
• Maximum permissible total weight: 115 kg
• Colour: Sunlight Magic
• Price: from 7,495 euros

Pictures: Desiknio Cycles SL