Moustache vs Riese and Müller: A Dealer's Comparison

I am in an unusual spot. ebikeist is one of a small number of shops in the UK that sells both Moustache and Riese & Müller, so I ride both, hand both over to customers, and fix both when they come back in. We've been experts in Riese & Müller for years now, and added Moustache to our range in late 2025 because they're a great fit for the sort of touring and adventure ebikes that we sell.

So here is the short version. Riese & Müller is the brand to beat for comfortable, configurable, go-all-day touring, commuting and cargo. Moustache is the one I reach for when someone wants something sportier, more playful and capable off road. The gap between them is narrower and more interesting than that sounds, and the right answer depends almost entirely on the kind of riding you do.

Two philosophies: German engineering, French character

The quickest way to understand these two brands is to look at how they let you buy a bike.

Riese & Müller builds one model and then offers it in a spread of versions. Take the Charger5: you can have it with a derailleur, with an Enviolo hub, with an automatic Enviolo, with a Pinion gearbox or with a Rohloff hub, in standard or speed-pedelec form, and then add options like ABS, a range extender or an off-road kit on top. It is German, methodical and deeply configurable, and every bike arrives fully equipped with integrated lights, mudguards, a rack and tracking built in.

Moustache works the other way round. Instead of configuring one bike, you choose a trim, and the spec climbs as the model number climbs. It is a more design-led, more characterful approach, with a much broader spread into proper off-road and gravel territory. You get less choice on any single bike, and in return a range that goes places Riese & Müller does not. You can see the spread across the full Moustache range, and the same for the Riese & Müller range.

Where each brand wins: Moustache vs Riese & Müller

This is the part that we often get asked: we stock both, because the two are strongest in different places.

Riese & Müller owns the comfort-and-distance end. The Load5 cargo bike has no equivalent in our Moustache range. The Superdelite5 carries two batteries for 1,200 Wh, which is more range than anything Moustache makes. The Homage5 is a full-suspension step-through that is hard to match for comfort. Riese and Müller bikes ooze quality and feel solid.

Moustache owns the more playful and mtb end. The Game is a serious electric mountain bike, and the Clutch is a playful Pinion-gearbox enduro and SUV, neither of which has a Riese & Müller rival in our range. The Dimanche 29 Gravel is a drop-bar e-gravel bike, a category Riese & Müller does not build at all.

The main place they go head to head is the all-road, do-everything hybrid. Riese & Müller's Charger5 and Nevo5, with their upright touring comfort and hub-gear options, sit directly against Moustache's full-suspension Xroad FS. If that is the bike you are after, the rest of this article is about which of those two you choose.

Do Moustache and Riese & Müller use the same motors?

Both brands are, overwhelmingly, Bosch. Riese & Müller runs the Bosch Performance Line CX and PX across most of its range. Moustache runs the same CX and PX, plus the lighter Performance Line SX on its Dimanche gravel bikes. So the motor itself is rarely the thing that separates them, and you can read the foundations of motors and gearing if you want the groundwork.

The interesting exception is Pinion. The Pinion gearbox is a motor and a 12-speed gearbox sealed into one unit, and you can read how the Pinion gearbox works if it appeals. Riese & Müller offers it as one option among several. Moustache builds its entire Clutch range around it. Both brands can sell you a maintenance-free gearbox, but Moustache has made it the heart of a bike.

On batteries, Riese & Müller has the edge for distance. The Superdelite5's dual-battery 1,200 Wh setup is in a class of its own, and most of the Bosch-powered Riese & Müllers can take a PowerMore range extender on top. We have not confirmed range-extender support across the Moustache range, so if maximum mileage is your priority, that points to Riese & Müller.

Gearing: where they diverge most

If you care about gears, this is the section to read twice.

Riese & Müller's whole pitch is choice. A single model can be had with a Shimano derailleur, an Enviolo continuously variable hub, a Pinion gearbox or a Rohloff hub, most of them on a low-maintenance belt drive. At the top sits the Rohloff E-14, a 14-speed electronic hub with a huge gear range and a lifespan measured in tens of thousands of miles. If you are weighing the hub options, Enviolo and Rohloff compared is the piece to read, and which gearing suits your riding walks through the whole decision.

Moustache ties its gearing to the model. Its premium options are the Pinion gearbox on the Clutch and SRAM's electronic AXS shifting on the top Game trims. What Moustache does not offer, anywhere, is Rohloff. So if you have your heart set on a Rohloff hub, that decision is made for you: it has to be Riese & Müller.

Ride character: comfort versus playfulness

Specs only tell you so much. The brands feel different under you.

A Riese & Müller feels planted and calm. The full-suspension Delite5, Homage5 and Superdelite5 are tuned for comfort over distance rather than attacking a trail, and the hardtail Charger5 and Nevo5 are built to eat up commutes and tours in an upright, relaxed position. You sit on a Riese & Müller and it feels like it wants to keep going all day.

A Moustache feels livelier. The Game and Clutch run modern, slack mountain-bike geometry, the kind that makes you want to point the bike at something and grin. Even the Xroad FS, which is a sensible all-road bike, carries more of that sporty, eager character. If you find most touring e-bikes a little sedate, Moustache is the antidote.

Equipment, build and warranty

Riese & Müller arrives ready to ride across its touring, urban and cargo bikes, with the lights, mudguards, rack and tracking all integrated. Moustache is more varied: some bikes come fully equipped and some come stripped for the dirt, with the mounts there if you want to add kit later. Both are covered by warranty, and we hold yours so any claim comes through us.

Price and value

Both brands sit firmly at the premium end, comfortably above £4,000 once you are into the bikes we stock. Riese & Müller tends to command a premium for its configurability and for options like Rohloff. Moustache often lands as strong value for the spec, and that is about to get sharper: Moustache has refreshed its pricing for the coming model year and several bikes have come down, so it is worth checking current numbers rather than going on last year's. Exact prices depend on the model and how it is specced, so the product pages and a quick call to us are the fastest way to a real figure. If you want the wider context on what justifies a premium e-bike, the best touring and premium e-bikes in the UK sets the scene.

The verdict

If you want comfort, distance, cargo or the freedom to spec a bike exactly your way, buy Riese & Müller. If you want something sportier, more capable off road, or a drop-bar gravel e-bike, buy Moustache. That is the headline. Here is how I would choose:

• Touring long distances, or commuting in comfort: Riese & Müller (the Charger5, or the Delite5 if you want full suspension). If you are torn between the Riese & Müller touring bikes, Charger5, Delite5 and Superdelite5 compared breaks it down.
• Maximum range, two batteries, no compromise: Riese & Müller Superdelite5.
• Carrying children or cargo: Riese & Müller Load5.
• You specifically want Rohloff: Riese & Müller, the only one that offers it.
• Trails, mountains and proper off-road mtb fun: Moustache Game or Clutch.
• Gravel and drop-bar adventures: Moustache Dimanche 29 Gravel.
• A fully-equipped, full-suspension do-everything bike with a sporty edge: Moustache Xroad FS or the Riese & Müller Delite5 as the calmer, more configurable alternative.

Both brands are bikes I am happy to put my name to, which is the whole reason we sell both. The best way to settle it is to ride them back to back, and because we stock both, you can do exactly that in one visit.

And both brands are on the floor at our South West showroom if you want to ride them back to back.

Frequently asked questions

Is Moustache as good as Riese & Müller?
Yes, they are both premium brands we are happy to sell. They are simply strongest in different places: Riese & Müller for comfort, distance and configurability, Moustache for off-road capability, gravel and a sportier ride.

Do Moustache and Riese & Müller use the same motors?
Largely, yes. Both run Bosch motors across most of their ranges, mainly the Performance Line CX and PX. The bigger difference is gearing: Moustache builds its Clutch around the Pinion gearbox, while Riese & Müller offers Pinion and Rohloff as options.

Which is better for touring, Moustache or Riese & Müller?
For long-distance touring and commuting comfort, Riese & Müller, especially the Superdelite5 with its 1,200 Wh dual battery. 

Does Moustache offer Rohloff gears?
No. Moustache does not offer Rohloff anywhere in its range. If you want a Rohloff hub, it has to be a Riese & Müller. Moustache's premium gearing option is the Pinion gearbox on the Clutch.

Can I test ride both Moustache and Riese & Müller in one place?
Yes. ebikeist is the Riese & Müller and Moustache dealer in Dartmouth, Devon, and we keep both in stock, so you can ride them back to back and feel the difference for yourself.

Come and ride both

If you already know roughly what you want, the Bike Finder will get you to a shortlist in five minutes. If you would rather talk it through, call us on 03330 151 979 or book a test ride and come and ride both. That is the bit that usually makes the decision for people.