2020 enduro E-bike choice - HELP

[guillaume]

Which wheelsize do you prefer riding and why?

I know MY answer to this question and could fill this page with my reasoning. MY reasons shouldn't really affect anyone elses choice though. Surely you must also have a preference of some sort?

Love my 29er sb5.5c that climbs and rolls over anything but never ridden 27.5 so...

 

[Gary]

so... go and ride some
and 20" and 26" and 700c

bikes are awesome*!

RIDE MOAR

*except plus tyre bikes

 

[guillaume]

If agility and playfulness is most important, the Cube appears to be the better choice. That's just based on specs though. The Action Team seems to be the lightest of the three bikes (~24kg incl pedals), and the rear end is considerably shorter. Climbing with a 442mm chainstay should be just fine. Out of these 3, I've only ridden the Crafty. It's about 25kg and 455mm chainstays. It's a confidence inspiring and fast bike. But the long wheelbase slows it down a bit in tight switchbacks. The 29er wheels adds to the feel of a fast and stable bike that will ride over "anything". But the 27.5x2.6 on the Cube offers lots of grip too, and it helps keeping the rear end short. The chainstays on the Stereo 140 with 29er wheels are 15mm longer, right between the Crafty and the Game.

So apart from prefering 27er or 29er, what would be on the paper the plus and cons of 140 and 160 Cube models? Which of these two has the better balance between climbing well without front wheel lifting up and stability and agility when shredding down?

 

[Gary]

you're asking ridiculous unanswerable questions

 

[BigLee]

Which wheelsize do you prefer riding and why?

I know MY answer to this question and could fill this page with my reasoning. MY reasons shouldn't really affect anyone elses choice though. Surely you must also have a preference of some sort?

Simple for me, 29er cos I'm 198cm tall and they fit me better ? on my local trails my old 26er used to try and loop me out on a certain section, got my 29er and climbed it no problem ?? got a 2020 stereo 140 Tm on order in 29er flavour up from last years 27.5 140 ???

 

[Gary]

It's not really that cut and dried

This guy who favours 26" wheels is the same height as you


Whatever you think 26" wheels don't try to loop anyone out whatever the trail. Poor weight distribution from the rider does.
Comparitively speaking a 26" wheel changes direction/trajectory easier than a 29" wheel. As does a shorter wheelbase


There are positives and negatives to all geometry, wheelsizes and suspension preferences and all choices are still a compromise

 

[Pukmeister]

It's not really that cut and dried

Comparitively speaking a 26" wheel changes direction/trajectory easier than a 29" wheel. As does a shorter wheelbase

There are positives and negatives to all geometry, wheelsizes and suspension preferences and all choices are still a compromise

Makes perfect sense (instead of following the belief that 29" must always be better).

I still enjoy riding an old medium framed Cannondale 26" Hardtail I have tucked away at the back of the shed sometimes, it can runs rings around my other bikes with 27.5" and 29".

Good video too, Christ that kid has some Skills.

 

[BigLee]

It's not really that cut and dried

This guy who favours 26" wheels is the same height as you

Whatever you think 26" wheels don't try to loop anyone out whatever the trail. Poor weight distribution from the rider does.
Comparitively speaking a 26" wheel changes direction/trajectory easier than a 29" wheel. As does a shorter wheelbase

The op's question was what wheelsize do you prefer and why. That's what my post was, why I prefer it, not what you should ride. Contrary to what you two think I'm right, it's what I want, nobody else ?? I'm not bothered if a 220cm bloke prefers to downhill on a 20" wheeled bike, that's him, not me ??

 

[Gary]

Contrary to what you two think I'm right

There is no "right" only preference.

This was my entire point.
I didn't really think this would need pointing out

 

[BigLee]

There is no "right" only preference.

This was my entire point.
I didn't really think this would need pointing out

It's right for ME, that was MY point.
I didn't think I had to reiterate this.

 

[Gary]

No. It's still not "right". it's simply YOUR preference.

ditto on the reiteration front

 

[BigLee]

No. It's still not "right". it's simply YOUR preference.

ditto on the reiteration front

Ffs, "I'm right, it's what I want, nobody else" I posted. It's right for ME, not you or anybody else ? Same as I'm right when I get my clothes to fit ME, not you cos you're short ?
I bet you're one of these people if somebody says "oh I like that" you'd say "ohhh no you don't" ?
The op asked for each person's reasons for THEIR bike not to try and berate others for their choices or which is the best to get and why ?

 

[Fivetones]

I tried the Levo after doing tonnes of research about the right bike etc. It was just ‘quite’ good. I also fancied trying an Orange Alpine 6E (a very different bike to the Levo) and test rode that the next day.

The Orange felt so different and, to me, much more fun.

I ordered an Orange (Surge, as it happens). I love it to bits.

Regardless of what I chose you really need to try the bikes if you have the questions your asking. It will definitely help.

 

[lamerecycles]

Hi there!
I'm about to buy an e bike but currently struggling to find the proper one! I do big all-mountain / enduro rides in the walliser swiss alps. I m a 75kg confirmed to expert level rider. I look for an e-bike capable of climbing long and technical uphill as well as rough gnarly descents and tight switchbacks. The bike has to be reliable, fast, agile and playful.
I can not make up my mind between the moustache game 8, the mondraker crafty RR and the cube stereo hybrid action team 160. The Moustache is lighter but has lower range equipment. The Cube has the longest travel but is not a 29er and is supposed to be less playful and not as efficient at climbing. The Crafty looks interesting but pretty heavy. So hard to make up his mind!
I'm begging your expert opinion, taking in account the specificities and caracter of each bike as well as their range of equipement. Which one do you think would fit me the best? Price apart, which one would you go for?
Thank you so much in advanced for your appreciated recommandation!
Regards, Guillaume (Switzerland)

Well if you want the lightest 5" travel eMTB we would love to build you up a LaMere Diode any way you like with the Shimano E8000 motor and XT or XTR Di2 shifting that runs off the main battery. Once you get an eMTB down to around 40lbs it rides like a regular bike almost, so you can catch nice air and have a blast in the woods..... whatever eMTB you end up buying make them tell you the weight or weigh the bike first! Check out our Diode here: https://www.lamerecycles.com/diode

 

[guillaume]

Well if you want the lightest 5" travel eMTB we would love to build you up a LaMere Diode any way you like with the Shimano E8000 motor and XT or XTR Di2 shifting that runs off the main battery. Once you get an eMTB down to around 40lbs it rides like a regular bike almost, so you can catch nice air and have a blast in the woods..... whatever eMTB you end up buying make them tell you the weight or weigh the bike first! Check out our Diode here: https://www.lamerecycles.com/diode

View attachment 17833

Nice one! Amazing weight! Didn't know this brand before! Not spread in Switzerland for sure... Thanks for the tip!

 

[khorn]

Well if you want the lightest 5" travel eMTB we would love to build you up a LaMere Diode any way you like with the Shimano E8000 motor and XT or XTR Di2 shifting that runs off the main battery. Once you get an eMTB down to around 40lbs it rides like a regular bike almost, so you can catch nice air and have a blast in the woods..... whatever eMTB you end up buying make them tell you the weight or weigh the bike first! Check out our Diode here: https://www.lamerecycles.com/diode

View attachment 17833

I would be more impressed by your product if you stepped up and gave Rob a little extra as an official Trader, if you wanna advertise for your bike brand.

Btw is that frame the same as the open mold emtb frames you can find in online Chinese bike shops, by the looks it’s quite identical ?

Karsten

 

[EbikeCurious]

I’m 213cm, and have 26, 27.5, mullet, 29, 29+, and full fat acoustic bikes. Like them all for different reasons...for me feels like the frame and geo are more important than wheel size. My GG metal Smash is really playful, even w 29 and 530 reach and somewhere around 680 stack. My 29+ 160mm steel custom is also quite playful for what it is...425mm chainstays help there IMO.

In really loose and loose over hard like we have in SoCal, plus and fat give some advantages...can turn an almost sandpit of a trail into nearly normal ride feel. Better riders than me may not need such a crutch.

Gotta say I have experienced tire up the bum on 29, even at my height. Caused a crash on the North Shore a month back.

I’m stoked that the new Kona 160 I’m getting can go 27.5 or 29.

 

[helipilottim]

Vitus e-sommet VR...one hell of an enduro bike with an amazing price £3800/€4200...170mm Lyrik forks, Deluxe Rockshox sus...the bike is so playful it’s unreal for its weight...on Sat I managed to do 64km and 5000ft climb all on one battery (40psi tyres). All reviews pretty much 10/10...look at Rob’s review of it.

 

[Bikerson]

Liteville 301CE MK1
Just search....carbon frame, 29" 170mm front / duolink 27'5 or 29 160mm rear, , 610Wh battery and Liteville quality.....A total beast!

 

[helipilottim]

A total beast...with a beast of a price ! Why carbon...seems pointless to me at the mo for the cost...unless cost isn’t an issue! I’d rather have two e-sommet vr’s.......

 

[Gary]

...and with Shimano's shitty motor durability and CRC/Wiggle's hellishly slow warranty procedure you need two

 

[helipilottim]

Ha ha your probably right...which is why I do....

 

[BigLee]

A total beast...with a beast of a price ! Why carbon...seems pointless to me at the mo for the cost........

All I can assume is that its easier and quicker to mould shapes for motors and batteries and also a bit stiffer for the weight of an ebike.

 

[Ktm300excjohn]

Yeah. Across the board the Mondrakers have that very unique (sub par balance) ride, I spend forever setting up suspension to help with it but it’s like splitting hairs and at that point other bikes ride nicer even set up wrong.

I’m surprised you felt the Spesh was dead feeling, do you think spending time with suspension tuning would help? It sure did for me, messing with volume spacers and keeping sag to 27% both front and rear, the big one for ebikes is the rebound, MAKE THAT SH*T FAST! It’s what makes any ebike start to be very lively.

I’ve had a lot of experience with tuning bike setup for customers here at my home shop, and my gut says give a 2019 Levo another look, (comp or expert model) SET YOUR SAG and disregard psi until you hit the % front AND rear you want TOGETHER with all your weight on JUST the cranks while applying FRONT BRAKE to get the front to sag in properly.

Thanks for reading

brilliant wright up Brian I am new to ebike's and would like a little more info on setting up my levo comp carbon.

 

[Bryan Wells]

i'll make a video today.