Could do with some help picking a bike!

[weza_1]

So I am trying to pick a bike but I simply cannot rest ride all of them so putting it out there what people think would suit me better. Open to any recommendations...

I come from a Motocross background, I'm 6'4 and weight about 90kg. Fairly fit and when I go riding I'm not hugely fussed about how I get up but more about going fast on the way down and hitting a few jumps/drops. Normally rode on my own but most friends have non ebikes. Occasionally I might commute when the weather is good but really don't mind how the geometry is for commuting. Unsure of whether to go full fat or lightweight, the idea of full fat is great, but only assistance up to 15mph is a limitation so after that the lightweights are loads better to push faster on a trail.

So far I have budget of £6500 to spend on a bike and I've narrowed it down to these:

Specialized kenevo either normal or sl?
Canyon spectral on cf9
Yt decoy
Orbea wild or rise

Suggestions welcome, any advice is appreciated.

 

[sneakycheese]

Wonder if any local hire shops would have one of the bikes you mention so you could have it for few hours rather than 5 minutes.

Don't they pretty much all do the same thing,

Seams like you've got a good idea what your after, and your right about the 15mph limitation being an ass, I've found my cube reaction race 650 to be heavy after 15mph on the road, it's a different ball game off road and makes riding fun.

If you can afford to go light weight then do it I suppose, then there's choosing what spec Shimano you want and insuring it, the price will go up and also if you want a better spec computer with a map built in and more functions with cadence energy levels.

My Bosch computer only does millage.
Puruion or something.

I'm same build as you, when I've ridden I like to keep a good pace, not really Into jumps n stuff just getting out there.

 

[weza_1]

Wonder if any local hire shops would have one of the bikes you mention so you could have it for few hours rather than 5 minutes.

Don't they pretty much all do the same thing,

Seams like you've got a good idea what your after, and your right about the 15mph limitation being an ass, I've found my cube reaction race 650 to be heavy after 15mph on the road, it's a different ball game off road and makes riding fun.

If you can afford to go light weight then do it I suppose, then there's choosing what spec Shimano you want and insuring it, the price will go up and also if you want a better spec computer with a map built in and more functions with cadence energy levels.

My Bosch computer only does millage.
Puruion or something.

I'm same build as you, when I've ridden I like to keep a good pace, not really Into jumps n stuff just getting out there.

Yeah that's some good advice, appreciate it. Unfortunately most ebike shops are pretty far away so it's a pain if I want to try them out, plus canyon and yt don't have that option.

Any of these options would work, it's just maximising my enjoyment considering I'm going to splash out a fair whack.

Have you considered chipping your ebike? Thought it was frowned upon but most people I have spoken to it have done it. Not sure if you can get it chipped and if anything goes wrong you can always undo it and sort it out on the warranty? Would make the decision for the full fat a lot easier.

 

[sneakycheese]

There's a good vid on YouTube about chipping and the pro and cons of it.

Worth a listen


Basicly it's illegal, so if your involved in an accident, you could get into some deep poo pretty quickly

Also you don't want to be held liable if you hit someone.

And it's an alteration to the bike which may affect any insurance you have.

 

[Tony4wd]

more about going fast on the way down and hitting a few jumps/drops

The long wheelbase and slack head angle of the Kenevo should put it ahead of, for example, the Rise which I own and probably most other bikes.

 

[Richywalker64]

Wheelbase have a demo day on May 13th at Hamsterly forest
I know it's a long way from where you are located but they might run something else closer to you or you could make a weekend of it as it's a great place to ride if you've never been before

WHEELBASE BIG DEMO DAY - JOIN US AT HAMSTERLEY FOREST!

Join us at Hamsterley Forest Trail Centre for our Wheelbase BIG DEMO Day and enjoy riding your dream mountain bike! Our Wheelbase North East Darlington and Stockton-On-Tees stores will be hosting an…

www.wheelbase.co.uk

 

[weza_1]

Yeah if your spending that amount of money on a bike, probably not a bad thing to try them out on a demo day. I can't make this one but I'll keep my eye out. Thanks for the heads up

 

[weza_1]

The long wheelbase and slack head angle of the Kenevo should put it ahead of, for example, the Rise which I own and probably most other bikes.

Any advice on full fat Vs lightweight kenevo?

 

[Tony4wd]

I like the feel of a lighter weight bike in general (I weigh 65kg) but more power is always nice going uphill, especially if you're doing long, steep uphills. Since you're 90kg anyway I'd lean towards full fat.

 

[Tekmotiv]

We are an hour and a half away with many choices so could offer test rides if that would help. We would suggest a look at motorbike brand Fantic as they now have a huge range of e bikes

 

[stratosa]

come from a Motocross background

Coming from a Motocross background myself, i suggest that the only way to fully enjoy an emtb is to buy a full fat and derestrict it. Be careful, BOSCH SMART SYSTEM with rim magnet cannot be derestricted.

 

[rod9301]

The only time you'd need more speed is on a paved bike trail.
Any uphill single track you'll be limited by the terrain

 

[Endoguru]

So I am trying to pick a bike but I simply cannot rest ride all of them so putting it out there what people think would suit me better. Open to any recommendations...

I come from a Motocross background, I'm 6'4 and weight about 90kg. Fairly fit and when I go riding I'm not hugely fussed about how I get up but more about going fast on the way down and hitting a few jumps/drops. Normally rode on my own but most friends have non ebikes. Occasionally I might commute when the weather is good but really don't mind how the geometry is for commuting. Unsure of whether to go full fat or lightweight, the idea of full fat is great, but only assistance up to 15mph is a limitation so after that the lightweights are loads better to push faster on a trail.

So far I have budget of £6500 to spend on a bike and I've narrowed it down to these:

Specialized kenevo either normal or sl?
Canyon spectral on cf9
Yt decoy
Orbea wild or rise

Suggestions welcome, any advice is appreciated.

Here’s my 2 cents:
I too come from a moto background. I bought a Yt Decoy pro build first. A very fun bike but 50 lbs is heavy. I sold and bought a Kenevo SL. The lighter weight is very noticeable for me when jumping and anything pointed downhill. I also own a Trek Fuel Exe with a 160 fork and 150 travel shock. I run a long travel dropper and Maxxis DD tires and the bike weighs 38 lbs. It is an amazing trail bike and the silent motor is awesome. I only use the Kenevo for really steep trails and the bike park now. You will work a little harder on the climbs than a full powered bike, though.

 

[#lazy]

As an ex mxer I would recommend a Spesh kenevo comp £5000 and and do the following modifications ;
Fox/zeb 29 180mm fork £800+.

Hope 29 front wheel just over £200.

29 front tyre £50

Renthal bar and stem combo to suit as the spesh bars are too flat for me plus Renthal are rad £150.

Derestrict it using a Planer3 cog device that bolts to the rear brake disc . Easy to install and remove with no electrical faffing . Believe me when I say “you will want it derestricted” I take mine off and it’s like riding an mx bike with 2gears . £100 .

You got the perfect Emtb for the grand total of £6300 of less if you sell the bits you’ve upgraded. Plus if you’re riding with non e-bikes the small 500w comp battery won’t be an issue

 

[weza_1]

As an ex mxer I would recommend a Spesh kenevo comp £5000 and and do the following modifications ;
Fox/zeb 29 180mm fork £800+.

Hope 29 front wheel just over £200.

29 front tyre £50

Renthal bar and stem combo to suit as the spesh bars are too flat for me plus Renthal are rad £150.

Derestrict it using a Planer3 cog device that bolts to the rear brake disc . Easy to install and remove with no electrical faffing . Believe me when I say “you will want it derestricted” I take mine off and it’s like riding an mx bike with 2gears . £100 .

You got the perfect Emtb for the grand total of £6300 of less if you sell the bits you’ve upgraded. Plus if you’re riding with non e-bikes the small 500w comp battery won’t be an issue

Thats spot on mate will deffo look into it. Have you tried the planet3 cog? Will it burn the motor out at all do you know? Otherwise think I'm onto a winner

 

[#lazy]

It’s been on the bike for 3 years. For trail riding I may only go over the limit a handful of times but it’s there when you need it ie I might need to pedal hard to clear a gap and it’s not good when the speed limit kicks in !

 

[Gilbo]

I’m on my 2nd cube stereo hybrid
Had No problems with them
A lot of spec on the bikes for the money and dealer network is great
Bosch motors have given me no problems
I compete in the odd event (over 50’s class) and bike has coped no problem.
Done over 5000 miles on x2 cubes with no issues.

 

[stratosa]

I’m on my 2nd cube stereo hybrid
Had No problems with them
A lot of spec on the bikes for the money and dealer network is great
Bosch motors have given me no problems
I compete in the odd event (over 50’s class) and bike has coped no problem.
Done over 5000 miles on x2 cubes with no issues.

I totally agree with you. I am on my 3rd Cube ebike. Most people like exotic names and pecculiar geometry when the best value for money and bikes they do it all belong to CUBE.