Ok not strictly true I rode some e-bikes at the NEC show but this is the first time I've ridden them on something resembling a trail. Granted Rother Valley isn't the most exciting collection of trails but certainly had enough variation in terrain to get an understanding of the different motors.
I took out the Cube Stereo Hybrid 160 Action Team first and my initial feelings of the bike is that the geometry hasn't changed much from the Fritzz I owned in 2014, not a bad thing as such but it certainly feels 'old skool' in comparison to my current Trek Remedy. I'd already realised from my short rides at the NEC that I wasn't a fan of the Bosch system and this was just as apparent on the trails. The motor offers good power for climbs and for smashing up fire roads it was on par with the shimano system, the problem is everywhere else its just not very good. In emtb mode on descents the motor kept trying to kick in when I was dropping into berms and I frequently felt the motor trying to push on when getting on the brakes. There was also a suitably moist set of switchbacks that showed how 'digital' the motor was, it just feels like its either on or off. I also ran out of battery towards the end of the test and pedalling this system without assistance is a chore, felt like the motor was full of treacle!
The 2nd bike I took out was the Haibike Nduro 8.0, this also used the Bosch system so nothing further to say on that and to be fair to the bike testing out a 180mm enduro bike around Rother Valley was pretty pointless. Saying that I really didnt like the geometry of this bike, the bars (personal preference) have a really strange sweep which loads up the outside of your hands and the bike was anything but telepathic when trying to choose a line with the front wheel. Overall pretty disappointed.
The 3rd bike was the new Specialized Turbo Levo which was an absolute joy, the geometry is so playful and I could have ridden it all day. The new Brose motor was fantastic, the motor was almost silent and felt like an extension of my legs. Climbs seemed to lack the power of the Bosch and Shimano bikes I rode but still completely acceptable and descending and tight switchbacks provided perfect control. My only concern with the system was battery life, I was only out for 40 minutes and burned 3 bars of juice.
The final e-bike I rode was the Merida Eone-twenty which has about 30mm travel less than I'm used to but this played to its strengths on these trails. The bike was super playful and like the Specialized I could keep doing laps all day. The shimano system is an absolute diamond, the only downside was motor noise but everything else about the system was equal to or better than the competition. The bike felt like it had more shove up the hills than the brose with marginally better control and is in a completely different league to the bosch system on everything other than outright power. Confirmation to myself that my first e-bike purchase will be fitted with a Shimano motor
I did also take out a non e-bike in the form of an Orange Segment 6, this provided a very interesting back to back comparison of pure leg vs e-bike power
So now I'm left with a quandry, Merida Eone-sixty 800 or Commencal Meta Power Essential, I'm currently 80/20 favoring the Commencal. Does anybody have an argument to change this?
For reference Strava Ride here - 29.2 mi Ride Activity on October 6, 2018 by Tom B. on Strava
I took out the Cube Stereo Hybrid 160 Action Team first and my initial feelings of the bike is that the geometry hasn't changed much from the Fritzz I owned in 2014, not a bad thing as such but it certainly feels 'old skool' in comparison to my current Trek Remedy. I'd already realised from my short rides at the NEC that I wasn't a fan of the Bosch system and this was just as apparent on the trails. The motor offers good power for climbs and for smashing up fire roads it was on par with the shimano system, the problem is everywhere else its just not very good. In emtb mode on descents the motor kept trying to kick in when I was dropping into berms and I frequently felt the motor trying to push on when getting on the brakes. There was also a suitably moist set of switchbacks that showed how 'digital' the motor was, it just feels like its either on or off. I also ran out of battery towards the end of the test and pedalling this system without assistance is a chore, felt like the motor was full of treacle!
The 2nd bike I took out was the Haibike Nduro 8.0, this also used the Bosch system so nothing further to say on that and to be fair to the bike testing out a 180mm enduro bike around Rother Valley was pretty pointless. Saying that I really didnt like the geometry of this bike, the bars (personal preference) have a really strange sweep which loads up the outside of your hands and the bike was anything but telepathic when trying to choose a line with the front wheel. Overall pretty disappointed.
The 3rd bike was the new Specialized Turbo Levo which was an absolute joy, the geometry is so playful and I could have ridden it all day. The new Brose motor was fantastic, the motor was almost silent and felt like an extension of my legs. Climbs seemed to lack the power of the Bosch and Shimano bikes I rode but still completely acceptable and descending and tight switchbacks provided perfect control. My only concern with the system was battery life, I was only out for 40 minutes and burned 3 bars of juice.
The final e-bike I rode was the Merida Eone-twenty which has about 30mm travel less than I'm used to but this played to its strengths on these trails. The bike was super playful and like the Specialized I could keep doing laps all day. The shimano system is an absolute diamond, the only downside was motor noise but everything else about the system was equal to or better than the competition. The bike felt like it had more shove up the hills than the brose with marginally better control and is in a completely different league to the bosch system on everything other than outright power. Confirmation to myself that my first e-bike purchase will be fitted with a Shimano motor
I did also take out a non e-bike in the form of an Orange Segment 6, this provided a very interesting back to back comparison of pure leg vs e-bike power
So now I'm left with a quandry, Merida Eone-sixty 800 or Commencal Meta Power Essential, I'm currently 80/20 favoring the Commencal. Does anybody have an argument to change this?
For reference Strava Ride here - 29.2 mi Ride Activity on October 6, 2018 by Tom B. on Strava
