People, as a newbie to the forum I thought I would give a little something first, as I am sure there will be much I will take from these great pages..
To give a little background, I have been using the Giant Trance platform for the last 15 or so years, and owned various different specs/models. I am a big fan of the Trance as you have probably guessed and particularly it’s rear linkage system which IMO works extremely well. They are also a great price for their spec and my last one (a 2019 X3) was indeed a great bike, the most surprising component of the lot being the Suntour AION 35 forks which left me stunned with their performance, having only used Rockshox and Fox previously. As a result, my first searches for an EMTB naturally led me to the Trance E+ range, however due to Covid supply issues I couldn’t find any anywhere, at least not in my usual Large frame size. So onwards I looked.
I had always been taken with how ‘aggressive’ Haibikes looked and I knew they had been doing EMTB’s for years. This wasn’t to be my first ebike, I had used an OxyDrive Bafang rear hub kit on one of my previous Trance’s which tbh I was impressed with and gave me many miles of riding pleasure until it got nicked. Obviously, it had severe limitations off road so I vowed that my next ebike would be crank drive. Although I was erring towards Haibike, I still looked at other manufacturers but again there wasn’t much available. I eventually found a 3.0 in an LBS quite local to me in Canvey Island, Essex (Les’ Cycles) but it was an XL. Now given my previous Large bikes (I am 6’ 1”), I would not even have looked at an XL had Les’ not been a 30min drive. Boy I’m glad I made the trip – Les’ were really good, pulling the bike from display and allowing me to ride up and down the street outside their shop. Straight away the bike felt very similar in size to my Trances. I was smitten! But the £4.5k price tag was more than I wanted to spend – I was looking around the £3.8k mark and had seen the 2019 AllMtn advertised for around this price so I had been aiming at that. And Les’ weren’t budging on the price – largely because the bulk of the cost would be funded by my C2W scheme (and for which Les’ lost a not insignificant 15%) but also because due to Covid it was clearly a sellers market. They would shift the bike at full retail no problem and I can understand their stance. So, knowing that the bike fitted and it was everything I wanted in all other respects (I also preferred the non-jockey wheel and bigger battery on the 2020 bikes) I bit the bullet. 2 weeks later I picked the bike up. I can’t rate Les’ highly enough, all staff were brilliant and even though they were steadfast on the price they did throw in a decent lock, water bottle, cage and some special cage mounts for the Haibike rail system. Definitely recommended as a good old-fashioned LBS.
The following will be my initial take on the 3.0, and for ease I have written my thoughts in sections rather than lump everything together.
FRAME: ‘Stout’ is the first word that comes to mind. It also looks heavy, I would love to know how much it actually weighs. As mentioned above it’s an XL and it feels perfect for me, the only thing I would change is a slightly lower seat tube so I could drop the post a little more but I would rather have this issue than go down a size and cramp the cockpit up. It’s a really ‘tidy’ looking setup, all the cables/hoses are as hidden as you can get them and some thought has gone into their placement. I can’t see there being any rubbing issues in the future. Overall construction looks good, my only gripe being that the void around the top of motor could have been put to better use (a small storage area?) or even just made the frame to ‘encase’ the motor neatly. It’s almost like they built the frame for another motor and at the last minute decided to fit the CX Gen 4. That said the paintwork is stunning and well finished.
FORKS: The RockShox 35 Yari’s didn’t impress me one bit at first and I was really disappointed. Massively harsh and small bump compliance seemed non-existent. They also had too much stiction for my liking. Way worse than my previous ‘lower spec’ Suntour AION’s. So of course I started off by dropping the pressure a little (to 25~30% sag for my 95kg), zeroed compression damping and backed off rebound to 4 clicks to give them the best chance possible of redeeming themselves. Better, but still not good enough, nor impressive. I noticed that there was no way I was going to use the current available travel (I am not a big hitter) so thought I would check for volume spacers – lo and behold there was two inside (I was supplied two with the bike so didn’t think there would be more than one fitted, if any) so both came out and this made a marked difference. After adjusting sag again I could now actually get the forks to move decently. There is still a little more stiction than I would like (I am a bit OCD with plushness) but this does seem to be improving with every ride. Maybe the seals just need bedding in. I may well change them out for SKF Greens just to see if it makes a difference. As it stands, I still wouldn’t say the Yaris perform any better than the AION’s, which I am surprised at given people don’t seem to have a lot of love for Suntours in general. Branding hype for RockShox maybe…?
REAR SUS: Very similar circumstances to the above, if not worse. I honestly thought the linkages were binding. I could barely get the shock to move, let alone use it’s full travel. Like the forks, it had higher pressure than I needed so once sag adjusted it was better but still very harsh. So off came the shock and I found that the lower bush wasn’t centered which I imagined wasn’t helping. I also thought I would again check for any tokens and once again I found not only two but three of the buggers inside. Out came the lot, refitted the shock, centered the bush, adjusted sag and finally it was working as I expected. How much the bush was affecting things I don’t know as I didn’t try it on it’s own but I’m just glad that things worked out. I can only assume that Haibike are expecting a 6’5” gorilla to be taking the bike down the blacks at Morzine to supply bikes setup stock like this. I totally accept that this is an XL frame and from Haibikes point of view it is probably safer to set up too firm than too soft but still. I haven’t put enough miles on the bike yet to decide whether the RockShox Deluxe Debonair is better/worse than the Fox RP types I have used previously but at the moment they do feel very similar which is fine by me.
BRAKES: One word - Amazing. And that's coming from XT's with 203's. Never used Maguras before and after bedding in these stop effortlessly with one finger. I haven’t taken this bike to Morzine yet (hopefully later this year) so can’t comment on how they handle heat but the power is there for sure. I can’t think of any improvements I would make at this point, the levers are nice too, which I think were changed on the 2020 model. No flex in them anywhere and have reach adjust.
DRIVETRAIN: Works very well. No issues with shifting or dropping chains. That said I have read numerous horror stories about the stock SX derailleur either breaking or failing in some way which I didn’t want happening in the middle of nowhere, let alone whilst on holiday with the bike. So 30 miles in, despite zero problems, I swopped out the mech and (for good measure) the trigger to Shimano SLX which I have used in the past and always been happy. I know the cassette is also a lowly SX but reports seem to be good as despite its weight this can actually be a bonus on an ebike as it’s all steel and therefore stronger. I can live with that. I may well however upgrade the chain when it wears. The 38t chainring seems about perfect for me, giving the ability to pedal up to about 20mph and still permits real low speed stuff on the 50t rear. A very nice spread.
MOTOR/BATTERY/DISPLAY: Very impressive. As iterated earlier though, I have not used a crank drive before. However, I am extremely pleased with how the CX Gen4 delivers, and all modes are good in their respective uses. I do quite a lot of road riding (I know, why need 160mm travel – it’s because I can only have one bike for everything) and the ECO and TOUR modes work really well for this. EMTB mode is where it really shines off road though, very smooth, no spikes, it really feels just like an extension of your own legs ability. I tested a few extreme hills yesterday and it went up them like a mountain goat. I honestly can’t see me wanting for more power although I may dongle it to get an assisted 20mph. The battery lasts well for a 625Wh, I can get 60 miles no problem on ECO although obviously this will drop significantly with off-road/hills use. It certainly seems enough for my use case. The battery retention system works well and no rattles/movement anywhere. The rubberized edge on the battery cover seals well against the frame to prevent water ingress although I did adjust the locking mechanism to achieve this, it was a little looser as supplied. Can be charged off the bike too, handy for me as I never leave it on the bike overnight (something less to go missing should the bike get nicked). The stock 4A charger is more than quick enough for me, being used to my previous ebike charger, most of which are generally 2A. The Purion display works well and I don’t think I would want anything bigger. It has all the info I need, the only thing I would change is the addition of a clock. Sounds daft I know, but I like being able to know the time without pulling my phone out and I don’t wear a watch. Easy to switch modes/reset trip too. Nothing in general I would want to change with the whole system though tbh.
WHEELS/HUBS/TYRES: All good here too. Straight as a die, run smooth and the 35mm rear with the 2.8 Maxxis Minion DHR2 sticks like the proverbial. The front isn’t a problem either with the 2.5 variant on a 30mm rim. The mullet does take a little getting used to but it certainly inspires confidence on the downs and I can’t notice any flexing anywhere.
FINISHING KIT: All pretty good to be frank. The 780mm bars are perfect for me, the short stem no problem, the dropper post works well although to raise it I do need to apply some weight onto it first before it will pop up. I don’t know if this is by design or whether it’s simply sticking. It’s not a big deal for me though. Pedals were pretty crap although I was surprised it came with any at all tbh. They were swopped out straight away for my usual DMR V12’s. I also swopped out the grips – the stock one weren’t bad per se but I just prefer the larger diameter RaceFace ones, and I could get them in blue (natch). The seat was the only thing I didn’t have a choice with – it had to come off. What Haibike were thinking with it I have no idea. I get that we are all built differently but to make a seat where the centre section is actually raised is bonkers for male riders. On went a new Ergon and it’s been great.
MODS: Aside from the previously mentioned SLX mech/shifter/grips and pedals, I also fitted a RockShox fender which, being designed by them, fits the forks really well. Oh and I had to get a black/blue one of course which matches the paint pretty closely. I also fitted some blue (of course) plastic inserts to the calipers, swopping out the stock silver ones. The aftermarket ones (from the Bay) are bigger and more noticeable. The colour isn’t a great match but it works. I also went with a blue (see the theme here..?) decal kit for the forks. I honestly can’t think of much more I want to do/change on this bike apart from maybe a dongle. I wouldn’t mind going to the 220mm disc for the front, if only to look better with the 29” rim.
SUMMARY: I can genuinely recommend this bike. It’s a great all-rounder for sure, but be prepared to lose some of the bloody tokens if you aren’t built like Arnie. Set it up to what suits you and I am confident you will get a lot of fun from this bike for many miles. Also bear in mind that IMO these frames run small. Don’t discount going up one size from your usual. No the bike isn’t cheap but are any decent ebikes? The only other thing I will mention is that if you can stretch to an extra £800~£1000 I would deffo go for the full carbon framed AllMtn 6.0 which also gets you Fox 38’s and an upgrade in some drivetrain components. I just couldn’t justify it myself, but for the difference in cost it would be a no brainer if I could. You do lose 25Wh of battery with the Yamaha setup but that’s not a deal breaker.
So there we are, I hope it helps give someone food for thought if you are contemplating the Haibike range, or the 3.0 in particular. I will update further as and when I have something else to say ?
To give a little background, I have been using the Giant Trance platform for the last 15 or so years, and owned various different specs/models. I am a big fan of the Trance as you have probably guessed and particularly it’s rear linkage system which IMO works extremely well. They are also a great price for their spec and my last one (a 2019 X3) was indeed a great bike, the most surprising component of the lot being the Suntour AION 35 forks which left me stunned with their performance, having only used Rockshox and Fox previously. As a result, my first searches for an EMTB naturally led me to the Trance E+ range, however due to Covid supply issues I couldn’t find any anywhere, at least not in my usual Large frame size. So onwards I looked.
I had always been taken with how ‘aggressive’ Haibikes looked and I knew they had been doing EMTB’s for years. This wasn’t to be my first ebike, I had used an OxyDrive Bafang rear hub kit on one of my previous Trance’s which tbh I was impressed with and gave me many miles of riding pleasure until it got nicked. Obviously, it had severe limitations off road so I vowed that my next ebike would be crank drive. Although I was erring towards Haibike, I still looked at other manufacturers but again there wasn’t much available. I eventually found a 3.0 in an LBS quite local to me in Canvey Island, Essex (Les’ Cycles) but it was an XL. Now given my previous Large bikes (I am 6’ 1”), I would not even have looked at an XL had Les’ not been a 30min drive. Boy I’m glad I made the trip – Les’ were really good, pulling the bike from display and allowing me to ride up and down the street outside their shop. Straight away the bike felt very similar in size to my Trances. I was smitten! But the £4.5k price tag was more than I wanted to spend – I was looking around the £3.8k mark and had seen the 2019 AllMtn advertised for around this price so I had been aiming at that. And Les’ weren’t budging on the price – largely because the bulk of the cost would be funded by my C2W scheme (and for which Les’ lost a not insignificant 15%) but also because due to Covid it was clearly a sellers market. They would shift the bike at full retail no problem and I can understand their stance. So, knowing that the bike fitted and it was everything I wanted in all other respects (I also preferred the non-jockey wheel and bigger battery on the 2020 bikes) I bit the bullet. 2 weeks later I picked the bike up. I can’t rate Les’ highly enough, all staff were brilliant and even though they were steadfast on the price they did throw in a decent lock, water bottle, cage and some special cage mounts for the Haibike rail system. Definitely recommended as a good old-fashioned LBS.
The following will be my initial take on the 3.0, and for ease I have written my thoughts in sections rather than lump everything together.
FRAME: ‘Stout’ is the first word that comes to mind. It also looks heavy, I would love to know how much it actually weighs. As mentioned above it’s an XL and it feels perfect for me, the only thing I would change is a slightly lower seat tube so I could drop the post a little more but I would rather have this issue than go down a size and cramp the cockpit up. It’s a really ‘tidy’ looking setup, all the cables/hoses are as hidden as you can get them and some thought has gone into their placement. I can’t see there being any rubbing issues in the future. Overall construction looks good, my only gripe being that the void around the top of motor could have been put to better use (a small storage area?) or even just made the frame to ‘encase’ the motor neatly. It’s almost like they built the frame for another motor and at the last minute decided to fit the CX Gen 4. That said the paintwork is stunning and well finished.
FORKS: The RockShox 35 Yari’s didn’t impress me one bit at first and I was really disappointed. Massively harsh and small bump compliance seemed non-existent. They also had too much stiction for my liking. Way worse than my previous ‘lower spec’ Suntour AION’s. So of course I started off by dropping the pressure a little (to 25~30% sag for my 95kg), zeroed compression damping and backed off rebound to 4 clicks to give them the best chance possible of redeeming themselves. Better, but still not good enough, nor impressive. I noticed that there was no way I was going to use the current available travel (I am not a big hitter) so thought I would check for volume spacers – lo and behold there was two inside (I was supplied two with the bike so didn’t think there would be more than one fitted, if any) so both came out and this made a marked difference. After adjusting sag again I could now actually get the forks to move decently. There is still a little more stiction than I would like (I am a bit OCD with plushness) but this does seem to be improving with every ride. Maybe the seals just need bedding in. I may well change them out for SKF Greens just to see if it makes a difference. As it stands, I still wouldn’t say the Yaris perform any better than the AION’s, which I am surprised at given people don’t seem to have a lot of love for Suntours in general. Branding hype for RockShox maybe…?
REAR SUS: Very similar circumstances to the above, if not worse. I honestly thought the linkages were binding. I could barely get the shock to move, let alone use it’s full travel. Like the forks, it had higher pressure than I needed so once sag adjusted it was better but still very harsh. So off came the shock and I found that the lower bush wasn’t centered which I imagined wasn’t helping. I also thought I would again check for any tokens and once again I found not only two but three of the buggers inside. Out came the lot, refitted the shock, centered the bush, adjusted sag and finally it was working as I expected. How much the bush was affecting things I don’t know as I didn’t try it on it’s own but I’m just glad that things worked out. I can only assume that Haibike are expecting a 6’5” gorilla to be taking the bike down the blacks at Morzine to supply bikes setup stock like this. I totally accept that this is an XL frame and from Haibikes point of view it is probably safer to set up too firm than too soft but still. I haven’t put enough miles on the bike yet to decide whether the RockShox Deluxe Debonair is better/worse than the Fox RP types I have used previously but at the moment they do feel very similar which is fine by me.
BRAKES: One word - Amazing. And that's coming from XT's with 203's. Never used Maguras before and after bedding in these stop effortlessly with one finger. I haven’t taken this bike to Morzine yet (hopefully later this year) so can’t comment on how they handle heat but the power is there for sure. I can’t think of any improvements I would make at this point, the levers are nice too, which I think were changed on the 2020 model. No flex in them anywhere and have reach adjust.
DRIVETRAIN: Works very well. No issues with shifting or dropping chains. That said I have read numerous horror stories about the stock SX derailleur either breaking or failing in some way which I didn’t want happening in the middle of nowhere, let alone whilst on holiday with the bike. So 30 miles in, despite zero problems, I swopped out the mech and (for good measure) the trigger to Shimano SLX which I have used in the past and always been happy. I know the cassette is also a lowly SX but reports seem to be good as despite its weight this can actually be a bonus on an ebike as it’s all steel and therefore stronger. I can live with that. I may well however upgrade the chain when it wears. The 38t chainring seems about perfect for me, giving the ability to pedal up to about 20mph and still permits real low speed stuff on the 50t rear. A very nice spread.
MOTOR/BATTERY/DISPLAY: Very impressive. As iterated earlier though, I have not used a crank drive before. However, I am extremely pleased with how the CX Gen4 delivers, and all modes are good in their respective uses. I do quite a lot of road riding (I know, why need 160mm travel – it’s because I can only have one bike for everything) and the ECO and TOUR modes work really well for this. EMTB mode is where it really shines off road though, very smooth, no spikes, it really feels just like an extension of your own legs ability. I tested a few extreme hills yesterday and it went up them like a mountain goat. I honestly can’t see me wanting for more power although I may dongle it to get an assisted 20mph. The battery lasts well for a 625Wh, I can get 60 miles no problem on ECO although obviously this will drop significantly with off-road/hills use. It certainly seems enough for my use case. The battery retention system works well and no rattles/movement anywhere. The rubberized edge on the battery cover seals well against the frame to prevent water ingress although I did adjust the locking mechanism to achieve this, it was a little looser as supplied. Can be charged off the bike too, handy for me as I never leave it on the bike overnight (something less to go missing should the bike get nicked). The stock 4A charger is more than quick enough for me, being used to my previous ebike charger, most of which are generally 2A. The Purion display works well and I don’t think I would want anything bigger. It has all the info I need, the only thing I would change is the addition of a clock. Sounds daft I know, but I like being able to know the time without pulling my phone out and I don’t wear a watch. Easy to switch modes/reset trip too. Nothing in general I would want to change with the whole system though tbh.
WHEELS/HUBS/TYRES: All good here too. Straight as a die, run smooth and the 35mm rear with the 2.8 Maxxis Minion DHR2 sticks like the proverbial. The front isn’t a problem either with the 2.5 variant on a 30mm rim. The mullet does take a little getting used to but it certainly inspires confidence on the downs and I can’t notice any flexing anywhere.
FINISHING KIT: All pretty good to be frank. The 780mm bars are perfect for me, the short stem no problem, the dropper post works well although to raise it I do need to apply some weight onto it first before it will pop up. I don’t know if this is by design or whether it’s simply sticking. It’s not a big deal for me though. Pedals were pretty crap although I was surprised it came with any at all tbh. They were swopped out straight away for my usual DMR V12’s. I also swopped out the grips – the stock one weren’t bad per se but I just prefer the larger diameter RaceFace ones, and I could get them in blue (natch). The seat was the only thing I didn’t have a choice with – it had to come off. What Haibike were thinking with it I have no idea. I get that we are all built differently but to make a seat where the centre section is actually raised is bonkers for male riders. On went a new Ergon and it’s been great.
MODS: Aside from the previously mentioned SLX mech/shifter/grips and pedals, I also fitted a RockShox fender which, being designed by them, fits the forks really well. Oh and I had to get a black/blue one of course which matches the paint pretty closely. I also fitted some blue (of course) plastic inserts to the calipers, swopping out the stock silver ones. The aftermarket ones (from the Bay) are bigger and more noticeable. The colour isn’t a great match but it works. I also went with a blue (see the theme here..?) decal kit for the forks. I honestly can’t think of much more I want to do/change on this bike apart from maybe a dongle. I wouldn’t mind going to the 220mm disc for the front, if only to look better with the 29” rim.
SUMMARY: I can genuinely recommend this bike. It’s a great all-rounder for sure, but be prepared to lose some of the bloody tokens if you aren’t built like Arnie. Set it up to what suits you and I am confident you will get a lot of fun from this bike for many miles. Also bear in mind that IMO these frames run small. Don’t discount going up one size from your usual. No the bike isn’t cheap but are any decent ebikes? The only other thing I will mention is that if you can stretch to an extra £800~£1000 I would deffo go for the full carbon framed AllMtn 6.0 which also gets you Fox 38’s and an upgrade in some drivetrain components. I just couldn’t justify it myself, but for the difference in cost it would be a no brainer if I could. You do lose 25Wh of battery with the Yamaha setup but that’s not a deal breaker.
So there we are, I hope it helps give someone food for thought if you are contemplating the Haibike range, or the 3.0 in particular. I will update further as and when I have something else to say ?
