That’s what Zimmerframe on the emtbforums forum asked me. Am I a fat guy? Why would he ask me that? I thought the answer was obvious!? But it turns out it isn’t. So many lightweight emtbs have been launched lately. Are they better than the full fat emtbs? What do I prefer? Am I a full fat or lightweight kind of rider?
The 2022 Merida eOne-Sixty 975 is a proper full fat emtb
Lightweight and stingy, the 2023 Pivot Shuttle SL
A smaller motor is more lightweight. The lower power means a smaller battery will do, saving more weight. And then there’s the low noise of these motors. They affect the riding experience. I didn’t really care about a bit of motor noise. But it’s almost liberating riding in near complete silence. I don’t feel like I’m standing out on the trails anymore.
The TQ HPR50 is lightweight and very compact.
So, I like these stingy lightweights. And so do most bike journalists. And the people making these bikes does of course love them. But we’ve all got one thing in common. We’ve ridden bikes for years, or even decades. We’ve ridden and loved the non-assist bikes, and most of us still do. So, the stingy lightweights are perhaps made for us. Coming from a non-assist bike, these feel powerful.
2022 Forestal Cyon Halo, a great compromise between power and weight
The more generous lightweight emtbs could be my thing. I’ve ridden the Orbea Rise and Forestal Cyon, 19 kg lightweights with generous motors. The Orbea EP8-RS is a bigger and heavier motor. The Forestal EonDrive motor is the same weight as the Fazua. But it has a different shape, it sits visibly in the frame the same way the EP8-RS does. You sacrifice the stealth and almost complete silence with these two.
2022 Rotwild R.X375 Core
2022 Specialized Kenevo SL. Who says a lightweight emtb can't be a burly bike?
Compare that to the previous full fat Specialized Levo, some models were about 21 kg with a 500 Wh battery. Still, no one claim the old Levo belongs to the lightweight category. And there are many other full fat emtbs at a similar weight, like the Mondraker Crafty or the new Orbea Wild.
Does it make sense buying a weaker lightweight bike if there are full fats weighing the same? Well, yeah. A lightweight full fat is expensive, the Orbea Rise H30 is much cheaper. If you go with a stingy lightweight, you get a quite different riding experience.
Orbea Rise H30, the best bike that doesn't belong to a category?
Having said that, I think the bikes I call generous lightweights will blend with the full fat category. It will be harder and perhaps pointless to draw the line between those. The stingy lightweigts seem aimed at a slightly different customer base, I can imagine the lightweight category will be dominated by these bikes.
By including the third option, it seems 70% of the emtbforums members will be buying a full fat, while 40% will go lightweight. Yeah, allowing people to vote “both” messed up the percentage a bit. 79% of the users on the Norwegian facebook group will be buying the full power bike while 24% goes lightweight.
It seems most people still want the heavier bikes. Not everyone cares about stealth, nimble or lightweight. I think a lot of people want an ebike for the power and range. Emtbs made more people buy full suspension trail bikes, not just the hard-core non-assist crowd. It makes no sense for manufacturers to give up on the full fat emtbs, and I’m sure they won’t.
You can't have enough bikes!?
The 2022 Merida eOne-Sixty 975 is a proper full fat emtb
Skinny
I’m really excited about these lightweight bikes. They seem to be going in two directions. The new bikes with the Fazua Ride 60 and TQ HPR50 motors prioritize a natural riding experience. The power is there, but it feels stingier, you have to work for it. It’s a different experience to the full power, full fat emtbs we’re used to.Lightweight and stingy, the 2023 Pivot Shuttle SL
…and stingy
There are a few advantages to these stingy lightweight bikes, I think. The compact motor takes up very little space in the frame, so it’s easier getting the frame geometry and rear linkage right. It’s possible to build these bikes very similar to a non-assist bike. This can of course affect handling.A smaller motor is more lightweight. The lower power means a smaller battery will do, saving more weight. And then there’s the low noise of these motors. They affect the riding experience. I didn’t really care about a bit of motor noise. But it’s almost liberating riding in near complete silence. I don’t feel like I’m standing out on the trails anymore.
The TQ HPR50 is lightweight and very compact.
So, I like these stingy lightweights. And so do most bike journalists. And the people making these bikes does of course love them. But we’ve all got one thing in common. We’ve ridden bikes for years, or even decades. We’ve ridden and loved the non-assist bikes, and most of us still do. So, the stingy lightweights are perhaps made for us. Coming from a non-assist bike, these feel powerful.
More generous
But how many are there really of us? Is there a big market for these bikes. And coming to think of it, I’m not so sure I belong to this category anymore. I moved to emtbs and completely abandoned non-assist bikes because life happens, and I need a bit of motor assistance to keep going. I’m excited about the stingy lightweights, but there are times I need more.2022 Forestal Cyon Halo, a great compromise between power and weight
The more generous lightweight emtbs could be my thing. I’ve ridden the Orbea Rise and Forestal Cyon, 19 kg lightweights with generous motors. The Orbea EP8-RS is a bigger and heavier motor. The Forestal EonDrive motor is the same weight as the Fazua. But it has a different shape, it sits visibly in the frame the same way the EP8-RS does. You sacrifice the stealth and almost complete silence with these two.
Old rider, not fat rider
Nothing descends like a heavier full power emtb. It’s so easy getting used to the increased stability, it’s an intoxicating experience. But can it be too much of a good thing? Mountainbikers are getting older every day. At some point, people will become more risk adverse. Riding rock gardens at 50kph is an accident waiting to happen. A 140-150mm travel generous lightweight emtb usually is less capable going downhill. It doesn’t inspire me to go as hard. Instead, the lightweights make the flatter and slower riding more interesting. That’s probably good for life expectancy.2022 Rotwild R.X375 Core
Blurry lines
Not all mild emtbs are slow descenders though. I’ve only ridden the Kenevo SL of the ~170mm travel lightweights, and it’s a confidence inspiring bike. Also, not all lightweight bikes are actually lightweight. Take the Orbea Rise H30. Even though it’s about 21kg, you can argue it belongs to the lightweight category because of the detuned EP8 motor. I think it’s a really interesting bike regardless of categories. The 540Wh battery isn’t that small, and the motor is generous, it offers some of the full fat riding experience at a good price.2022 Specialized Kenevo SL. Who says a lightweight emtb can't be a burly bike?
Compare that to the previous full fat Specialized Levo, some models were about 21 kg with a 500 Wh battery. Still, no one claim the old Levo belongs to the lightweight category. And there are many other full fat emtbs at a similar weight, like the Mondraker Crafty or the new Orbea Wild.
Does it make sense buying a weaker lightweight bike if there are full fats weighing the same? Well, yeah. A lightweight full fat is expensive, the Orbea Rise H30 is much cheaper. If you go with a stingy lightweight, you get a quite different riding experience.
Orbea Rise H30, the best bike that doesn't belong to a category?
Having said that, I think the bikes I call generous lightweights will blend with the full fat category. It will be harder and perhaps pointless to draw the line between those. The stingy lightweigts seem aimed at a slightly different customer base, I can imagine the lightweight category will be dominated by these bikes.
Does anyone want a lightweight?
There are reasons for going lightweight, even if it doesn’t save that much weight. But do the customers agree? We did a survey on emtbforums and one on a Norwegian facebook group. What will people buy next, full fat or lightweight? Or both?By including the third option, it seems 70% of the emtbforums members will be buying a full fat, while 40% will go lightweight. Yeah, allowing people to vote “both” messed up the percentage a bit. 79% of the users on the Norwegian facebook group will be buying the full power bike while 24% goes lightweight.
It seems most people still want the heavier bikes. Not everyone cares about stealth, nimble or lightweight. I think a lot of people want an ebike for the power and range. Emtbs made more people buy full suspension trail bikes, not just the hard-core non-assist crowd. It makes no sense for manufacturers to give up on the full fat emtbs, and I’m sure they won’t.
You can't have enough bikes!?
