Anyone else not sold on their new eMTB?

[carlbiker]

I'm more the "SL" of lenses kinda guy ... Track, follow quietly .. think you're at least 15 meters away .. then a head pops up only 4 meters away ... She was pretty though ..

View attachment 47185

This is the wife? ?

 

[carlbiker]

Well I switched bikes for a laugh with someone who flys around on his and I instantly hated it, felt like there was a handbrake on constantly and coming back up the trail hill was a delight for him and a mare for me!

I could get 3x more laps in than others (I've tested already) and probably not use much more energy, my body will fatigue much less and result in less wear and tear so I should be able to ride more frequently and much further. I'm more about seeing new places and taking on challenging terrain rather than aiming for max speed or doing 360s so I quite like that my bike is like an anchor and keeps the bike down; I wouldn't have a non mtb bike if you offered me one for free tbh....

 

[55plusmxinsanity]

The SL is my favorite. Try different power settings (like 25/100 across the board) and for a more lively ride, flip the chip on the shock.

 

[GizmoSL]

I think it helps to get some saddle time in. I t also helps if you're older. I started with ebikes when I was 73. 75 now and I ride an S-Works Turbo Levo SL that I enjoy because it doesn't feel that different from a regular (non-assist) trail bike. Yeah, I'm fortunate that money is not an issue and I have an Orbea Rise M-LTD and a Mondraker Crafty Carbon RR SL on order. I figure I'll decide which one I like best and sell the other two. That is, if I ever get the other two. That said, the S-Works is great with one or two gripes. First it's pretty expensive. Whether it's overpriced, IDK. The main gripe is the brakes. The Maguras are great but 180mm rotors are pretty anemic. Add that to an old geezer careening toward a broken hip and I get my thrill regularly.

 

[The EMF]

I think it helps to get some saddle time in. I t also helps if you're older. I started with ebikes when I was 73. 75 now and I ride an S-Works Turbo Levo SL that I enjoy because it doesn't feel that different from a regular (non-assist) trail bike. Yeah, I'm fortunate that money is not an issue and I have an Orbea Rise M-LTD and a Mondraker Crafty Carbon RR SL on order. I figure I'll decide which one I like best and sell the other two. That is, if I ever get the other two. That said, the S-Works is great with one or two gripes. First it's pretty expensive. Whether it's overpriced, IDK. The main gripe is the brakes. The Maguras are great but 180mm rotors are pretty anemic. Add that to an old geezer careening toward a broken hip and I get my thrill regularly.

Great stuff.....old geezers ROCK if only a bit slower !
Get more bikes my friend coz there ain’t no pockets in shrouds TOO THE MAAAAXXXXXX

 

[whiterabbit]

I dunno man, one of my most recent rides was with a 60 year old retiree and I had to push to keep up...

 

[The EMF]

I dunno man, one of my most recent rides was with a 60 year old retiree and I had to push to keep up...

You picked the wrong retiree man.....

 

[whiterabbit]

as I see it, he's the right one!

 

[GizmoSL]

I dunno man, one of my most recent rides was with a 60 year old retiree and I had to push to keep up...

Yeah, when I was 60, and still a roadie, I didn't think I'd ever get old. But it creeps up on you. You just keep moving.

 

[steve_sordy]

I dunno man, one of my most recent rides was with a 60 year old retiree and I had to push to keep up...

When I was 63, I felt like superman. I was fit and flexible, never ailed a thing. Because I was riding 3-5 times per week I was also bike fit. Most importantly I did not have a single ache in my body, apart from the occasional back spasm. I can clearly remember being told by a guy in his early 20's that he couldn't keep up with me, and that was on my analogue bike. Around that time, two guys in the early 30's asked me where "so and so" was on the trail. I offered to show them and set off at my usual speed expecting guys 30 years or more younger than me to keep up. They didn't and I had to keep stopping for them. That was my last good year. Then my knees started to ache, my fingers and thumbs started to bend, and the progress towards an emtb began! It took four years!

 

[GizmoSL]

When I was 63, I felt like superman. I was fit and flexible, never ailed a thing. Because I was riding 3-5 times per week I was also bike fit. Most importantly I did not have a single ache in my body, apart from the occasional back spasm. I can clearly remember being told by a guy in his early 20's that he couldn't keep up with me, and that was on my analogue bike. Around that time, two guys in the early 30's asked me where "so and so" was on the trail. I offered to show them and set off at my usual speed expecting guys 30 years or more younger than me to keep up. They didn't and I had to keep stopping for them. That was my last good year. Then my knees started to ache, my fingers and thumbs started to bend, and the progress towards an emtb began! It took four years!

And welcome! My younger riding buddies, who keep me around as "the canary in the coal mine" watch me carefully so they'll know what's in store. Yesterday the first one, 56, ordered a Santa Cruz Bullit. More to come, I think.

 

[The EMF]

With my Whyte E150-RS I’ve got the best of both worlds....I can keep up with the group (of much younger and fitter age group than me who ride non assist Mtbs ) on the climbs so we now all ride as one, plus I ride with The Hodge on Emtb rides so it’s win win for me. After all I’m getting out and having fun and some great craic.....loving it ?......

 

[Joepose]

Try another bike would be my advice. I'm grinning from ear to ear and that's exactly the way it should be paying £K's for a bike.

 

[#lazy]

Agree with the above , IMO the sl is pretty much a compromise bike which doesn’t please anyone , go full kenevo and embrace the e power ?

 

[whiterabbit]

Just remembered the one other thing that gives me pause on my kenevo. The front end is sooooo heavy. My regular bike just pops.

i need to figure out what to do to make the bike pop up better. I just put on a bar with 50mm rise and 10mm narrower (i dont dare go narrower than that) and more rear sweep. I’m hoping a higher torso helps. Haven’t ridden that yet.

Thats after putting seat as far back on the rails as possible and swapping stem for as much rise as i could find.
Really wish the front end was alot “lighter”

 

[#lazy]

Is your fork rebound to slow , go for a lightweight tyre with inserts , carbon bar .
it’s never gunna feel light !

 

[whiterabbit]

For jumping (or learning to jump) Fit faster rolling tyres and inflate them harder.
Most Eebs roll/accelerate shit. whereas jump bikes and bikes set-up to jump generally run faster rolling tyres.

also if easy to do, stiffen and speed up your suspension from trail settings
overdamped suspension kills pop. especially on big heavy draggy bikes. just back it off a little (not so much as to buck you) tho

well, I certainly run DH tires at absurdly low pressures. And suspension is soft and damped. too much, I’ve been tightening it up. 40lb spring in the fork and 400lb progressive spring in the rear now. every ride sees less damping also.

next order of business is to pump up the tires and try again, thanks for the tips! And back off damping just under the bucking point.

I pumped my tires up from 14 or less psi to 26 front, 28 back. I went from F/R spring rate of 35/400-prog to 40/450, and I went three clicks less rebound damping both front and rear.

Well, THAT was a mistake! Like riding a pogostick! I'm going to keep the higher spring rates but everything else goes back, or else this thing is just not rideable!

But still worth trying and I do appreciate the feedback and advice.

 

[Gary]

WTF?
28psi still isn't even high.
I ride 40-50psi daily. And only ever drop my rear tyre pressure below 40 for steep wet loose technical DH/Enduro descents.

Higher spring rates require more rebound damping.

FWIW (at 210lb) 28/38psi is as low as I ever go with the 2.5 exo DHF I run up front and 2.3 exo SS rear.
Tougher DH casings I could go down to 26/30ish.

 

[TrailBoB]

I pumped my tires up from 14 or less psi to 26 front, 28 back. I went from F/R spring rate of 35/400-prog to 40/450, and I went three clicks less rebound damping both front and rear.

Well, THAT was a mistake! Like riding a pogostick! I'm going to keep the higher spring rates but everything else goes back, or else this thing is just not rideable!

But still worth trying and I do appreciate the feedback and advice.

14psi. It’s a wonder they stop on the rim, or the sidewalks are not like a colander with ? bites. ????.

 

[whiterabbit]

Would you believe me if I told you I have a tube in the back wheel? Never burped the front or flatted the back

I weigh 145 lb, so that might have something to do with it (and the 35lb vorsprung spring, the 400 lb progressive rear spring...)

I'm surprised though. This forum is full of Michelin fanboys, so I would expect the folks here to be very well versed in the sidewall stiffness and strength of the DH22 and DH34 tires, which are doing all the heavy lifting here to prevent pinch flats.

Heck, I've gone as low as 12 psi, no issues on rough rocks.

 

[TrailBoB]

Would you believe me if I told you I have a tube in the back wheel? Never burped the front or flatted the back

I weigh 145 lb, so that might have something to do with it (and the 35lb vorsprung spring, the 400 lb progressive rear spring...)

I'm surprised though. This forum is full of Michelin fanboys, so I would expect the folks here to be very well versed in the sidewall stiffness and strength of the DH22 and DH34 tires, which are doing all the heavy lifting here to prevent pinch flats.

Heck, I've gone as low as 12 psi, no issues on rough rocks.

I run e-wilds myself, but only just gone over to them from minions. So still experimenting. ? Tubeless F+R. So far so good. Not as good as I expected them to be on semi compact trials. Think the minions were better. ?

 

[whiterabbit]

Thanks for the feedback on that one. I have DH22 on my Kenevo, and DH34 on my regular bike, and they stick to the ground like they are glued to it. I worry sometimes about tire longevity, but I'd hate to sacrifice the ridiculous levels of traction confidence for a little extra tire life.

 

[EebStrider]

Funny to read this is im just about to role those same dice...a nice new 2020 panigale v4..never rode a ducati,I just really like the look and sound of them...lol

I had a play with one of those a couple of months ago when out on my 1260 Multi. The sound those things pump out is phenomenal! I’ve just had the full Termi fitted to mine now though, and the sound from that is dangerously addictive.

 

[KarlosBoro]

Hi mate,

My first ride was on a beaten up hire bike from cyclewise a cube stereo ebike ful sus for a ride around whinlatter Forrest and I went home that evening and got straight on wiggle and bought a vitus e-sommet vrs 2020 model. Never looked back!

 

[EebStrider]

Back to the OP, the problem at the moment is that not many bike shops have demo bikes, due to demand levels, so we have to take a bit of a gamble. I bought my Cube without riding one, and have done the same with my new Whyte.

I always do loads of research, read reviews from the bike mags, owner reviews, watch endless YouTube videos, then read up on the ergos of the bike.

Having done a load of miles on a Bosch powered bike, I know that I wouldn’t go for anything else, as I like the characteristics of the motor, so that narrowed it down a lot for me. But it’s still a gamble, so I can understand why the OP changes his bikes regularly.