Decathlon STILUS Full Suspension Electric Mountain Bike - SRAM SX

Tooks

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Subscriber
Mar 29, 2020
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574
Lincs UK
Got to go out to help a mate as soon as it is delivered :( so may not get to it until next week sometime :(

Well mates are more important than new bikes, in my humble opinion of course!

Your mate will still be there when the bike is left unloved in the back of the shed a few years hence, when nobody has replied to your pleas for help fixing a dead BMS or blown motor... ;)
 
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Timmoh

Well-known member
May 18, 2020
248
217
Wales
Going tubeless was the the best post bike investment I made.
Yup. Just converted mine using the original tyres, they pumped up and seated without sealant. When STANS was added, the have no ponprickes or bleeding at all. Guess I had the good rubber batch ?. Took about 30 mins each and way easier than the old Vigilantes I ran on the Norco to get on.
For those who are old school/tight/like faffing about in the mancave/workshop, attached are some pics of what I used to de-seat the tyre (frame clamp from aldis) as this a thumb breaker and much better than standing on a kerb to do!
Also made a quick jig that I screwed together while bored (and too tight to spend the 80 quid on a good stand). It really works a treat with or without the suspended tie downs tbh. Wood and a halved bit of conduit hanging around and that was that-made life easy and hassle free/cheap.
Now to ride ?

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Pigin

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2020
300
400
Saddleworth
So a longer ride today. The front shock is coming alive now with use and is heading towards what I would have rated as plush back in the day. I’m at around 5 psi below factory recommendation and it seems to take out the small chattery stuff. The next step will be lowering the tyre psi, I have yet to go tubeless.

Having never had a bike with a dropper I can tell the uninitiated that they are a must. I dropped the seat and flung it down a staircase ( not that extreme in reality) that on the acoustic was interesting, on this I nearly lost focus. The smile per mile is off the scale for me. This is part due to the fact it’s great to get on a bike again.

It was a mixed ride wanting to try out the different modes. It ‘s a down hill monster on the road, no issues at 60+ kph. On the flat I very quickly got to the point where the motor disengaged and I just kept going. The momentum of the bike helps with it being heavy but the slightest incline lets you know it’s a tank. Fire road type stuff had me spinning up the back wheel now and again, turbo mode really is the get out of jail setting and I’m actually finding it hard to not pedal as hard, yep more smiles. It‘s just so easy to climb! The front felt heavy enough to not lift up, perhaps I still have a little bit of skill.

On something a bit more technical and up hill I get the beauty of the 27.5 v 26. I also see the comfort in just going for it. The quicker I could go the smoother it was. I would not have been able to achieve such speeds on the acoustic and now I’m thinking I need to find more demanding stuff maybe.

I know I don’t have any other e bike to compare this with but to anyone thinking about getting into it this bike feels like a damn fine piece of kit at a cracking price point that will give you plenty to be getting on with. The more experienced e bikers on here giving their view point have bags of knowledge of other stuff and give comparison, I enjoy reading their viewpoints. I’m an chap getting back into cycling who was cautious of parting with the hard earned beer vouchers. It has been a wise investment that will hopefully give a good couple of years exercise before I feel I need to crank it up to the next level. There is bound to be the next new thing that we can’t live without by then.
 

TheBikePilot

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Oct 9, 2018
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I wonder what it would be like with a 29er wheelset on ?

Not sure. Probably very good but it would steepen the head angle a bit back to stock and raise the BB a bit.

Mullet, for me, was the perfect set up..

So, it’s the best bike ever as long as you throw a £7-800 quid fork on it, and invest in a 29” wheel and tyre?

Doesn’t that make it a £3.6k bike?

Stay with me here, so how does it compare in modified trim versus other £3.6k bikes?

I think the beauty of this bike is it’s remarkable value at £2.7k, and a good base to upgrade on when stuff wears out.

Like I say, even at £3.6k it’s below the price of a Cube Stereo and you’ve got an amazing front fork and updated Geo/Ride quality from the Upgrades. Even at £3.6k it feels like a £7k bike.

You absolutely don’t need to spend that. It’s great as is. Bang for buck, i.e. non marginal gain expenditure, that’s the reccomend.

It transformed the bike.
 

McNasty

New Member
Jul 17, 2020
37
69
Manchester
Another noob here who just pulled the trigger on the Stilus thanks to all the great advice on the forum and the comprehensive reviews from Rob and TheBikePilot, really glad I found this forum when I did. I actually bought the bike yesterday morning after seeing Rob’s review so I was really happy when I read TheBikePilot’s follow up review, feels like I’ve backed the right horse. (And missed the next wave of eager buyers!)


I’d been contemplating a new bike for a while (currently on a Specialized Hardtail) and have been waiting for some reviews on the Stilus so the positive things I’m reading on here finally got me to take the plunge.


I just thought I’d throw my two penneth in about the Decathlon purchasing process for people using the Cycle to Work scheme (I’d spotted someone asked a question about the C2W scheme a while back).
The actual Cycle to Work application couldn’t have been quicker, applied and had the certificate within a couple of hours. I’d already scoured the Decathlon website trying to see if there was anywhere I could enter my C2W certificate number to purchase but to no avail.


I’m lucky enough to live 5 minutes from my local Decathlon so popped my head in to see if they had any in stock (stupid question). The lad I spoke to in the shop was very helpful, I explained I’d used the Cycle to Work Scheme and he said they didn’t have any in stock and weren’t expecting any until September at the earliest. (This is where the oddities of the famous Decathlon order process kicked in). He said the best way to get one would be to order the bike online and pay for it using a bank card and get it delivered to the store, then once the bike arrives they’ll refund the money and then use the C2W certificate to pay for the bike! (I got the impression this was a work around and was probably the quickest/easiest option)


I went out to the car and luckily the bike was still in stock, I bit the bullet and ordered one, the actual website was fairly straight forward, I think it helped that my local branch was available for Click & Collect so I didn’t have to enter the delivery slot lottery, the only issue I had was that it wouldn’t let me pay on my American Express (even though the website said it accepted AMEX) so I just paid on my debit card which went through straight away. I’m not entirely sure what you would do if you didn’t have the money to pay for it in your account (I really should have asked thinking about it now) I expect someone at Decathlon would have to enter into a laborious order process with head office or wait until they eventually got some in stock so that the C2W certificate number could be redeemed.


I went back in and confirmed that I’d ordered and spoke to the chap again and got his name just in case there were any problems with the collection/refund.



The bike is currently still at the processing stage and expected delivery is 30th July.



One of the deciding factors on my purchase was how close I live to Decathlon and how helpful the bike team at Decathlon had been in the past. I’ve been in a couple of times previously and they’ve pretty much repaired some minor issues on my bike for nothing. I’m having it delivered in store so will ask them to set it up and I’ll give it a full once over before I accept it as I know some bikes have arrived damaged.


I was considering a Vitus but after reading some very mixed reviews of Wiggle and Chain Reaction’s aftercare service I decided that living in such close proximity to Decathlon this would be the sensible option. I was also considering a Radon Render but they have to be shipped over from Germany.


I’ll be mainly using the Stilus at weekends and using my Hardtail through the week for work. I’m also lucky enough to live on the edge of the Peak District so looking forward to doing some exploring (already found a Bosch service centre up there for the software update).


I’ll be leaving everything stock for now as I’m new to ebikes so will see how it feels without any mods, I’m 5’9ish so went for a large so don’t think I’ll have any issues with the small cockpit. I have got a spare 29” wheel and hub so will definitely consider the mullet upgrade once I’ve got the feel for the 27.5+. I think the stock fork will be fine for me also as I won’t be doing any Evel Knievel stuff just yet, I’m still a novice when it comes to the downhill stuff and as TheBikePilot points out the stock parts will be good for most.


Sorry for the long post but thought it might be helpful to anyone considering using the Cycle to Work scheme, I think you get close to a 40% saving (after National Insurance deductions etc.) so this bike becomes even more of a steal, I think it comes in at just under £2000 which was what I was considering paying for a full suspension MTB with no motor.


Once again thanks for all the really helpful advice.
 
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TheBikePilot

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Oct 9, 2018
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Another noob here who just pulled the trigger on the Stilus thanks to all the great advice on the forum and the comprehensive reviews from Rob and TheBikePilot, really glad I found this forum when I did. I actually bought the bike yesterday morning after seeing Rob’s review so I was really happy when I read TheBikePilot’s follow up review, feels like I’ve backed the right horse. (And missed the next wave of eager buyers!)


I’d been contemplating a new bike for a while (currently on a Specialized Hardtail) and have been waiting for some reviews on the Stilus so the positive things I’m reading on here finally got me to take the plunge.


I just thought I’d throw my two penneth in about the Decathlon purchasing process for people using the Cycle to Work scheme (I’d spotted someone asked a question about the C2W scheme a while back).
The actual Cycle to Work application couldn’t have been quicker, applied and had the certificate within a couple of hours. I’d already scoured the Decathlon website trying to see if there was anywhere I could enter my C2W certificate number to purchase but to no avail.


I’m lucky enough to live 5 minutes from my local Decathlon so popped my head in to see if they had any in stock (stupid question). The lad I spoke to in the shop was very helpful, I explained I’d used the Cycle to Work Scheme and he said they didn’t have any in stock and weren’t expecting any until September at the earliest. (This is where the oddities of the famous Decathlon order process kicked in). He said the best way to get one would be to order the bike online and pay for it using a bank card and get it delivered to the store, then once the bike arrives they’ll refund the money and then use the C2W certificate to pay for the bike! (I got the impression this was a work around and was probably the quickest/easiest option)


I went out to the car and luckily the bike was still in stock, I bit the bullet and ordered one, the actual website was fairly straight forward, I think it helped that my local branch was available for Click & Collect so I didn’t have to enter the delivery slot lottery, the only issue I had was that it wouldn’t let me pay on my American Express (even though the website said it accepted AMEX) so I just paid on my debit card which went through straight away. I’m not entirely sure what you would do if you didn’t have the money to pay for it in your account (I really should have asked thinking about it now) I expect someone at Decathlon would have to enter into a laborious order process with head office or wait until they eventually got some in stock so that the C2W certificate number could be redeemed.


I went back in and confirmed that I’d ordered and spoke to the chap again and got his name just in case there were any problems with the collection/refund.



The bike is currently still at the processing stage and expected delivery is 30th July.



One of the deciding factors on my purchase was how close I live to Decathlon and how helpful the bike team at Decathlon had been in the past. I’ve been in a couple of times previously and they’ve pretty much repaired some minor issues on my bike for nothing. I’m having it delivered in store so will ask them to set it up and I’ll give it a full once over before I accept it as I know some bikes have arrived damaged.


I was considering a Vitus but after reading some very mixed reviews of Wiggle and Chain Reaction’s aftercare service I decided that living in such close proximity to Decathlon this would be the sensible option. I was also considering a Radon Render but they have to be shipped over from Germany.


I’ll be mainly using the Stilus at weekends and using my Hardtail through the week for work. I’m also lucky enough to live on the edge of the Peak District so looking forward to doing some exploring (already found a Bosch service centre up there for the software update).


I’ll be leaving everything stock for now as I’m new to ebikes so will see how it feels without any mods, I’m 5’9ish so went for a large so don’t think I’ll have any issues with the small cockpit. I have got a spare 29” wheel and hub so will definitely consider the mullet upgrade once I’ve got the feel for the 27.5+. I think the stock fork will be fine for me also as I won’t be doing any Evel Knievel stuff just yet, I’m still a novice when it comes to the downhill stuff and as TheBikePilot points out the stock parts will be good for most.


Sorry for the long post but thought it might be helpful to anyone considering using the Cycle to Work scheme, I think you get close to a 40% saving (after National Insurance deductions etc.) so this bike becomes even more of a steal, I think it comes in at just under £2000 which was what I was considering paying for a full suspension MTB with no motor.


Once again thanks for all the really helpful advice.

Mate your gonna have a blast. Decathalon are by all accounts super helpful. One thing we didn't mention is there's a lifetime warranty on the frame.

If your planning on riding the peaks I really would change those tyres dude. That place is a tyre killer, we were there last month. The stock tyres are like £16 each online. Plus there is very little braking grip. Ask the shop if they can swap the tyres out for you tubeless and get a couple of Minion DHF's or Pirellis. Might cost you a £100 but trust me when I say those tyres aren't fit for the Peaks..! You wil get a puncture. Nor will a tubed setup last long on most riding ventures on them. The sidewall is too thin. Your gonna get punctures and it's a massive pain in the cakehole. Tubeless on a decent set of rubber and you really won't. If your planning on Mulletting it, do that straight off the bat with new rubber. I would get a new seat as well, it's very hard..!

When you pick it up, the shop should be able to upgrade the motor software for you also. I am not sure if it will be shipped with it. If not any Bosch service centre can, but they may charge. But again, trust me when I say, it is worth the money.

Happy we both were able to help man, and hope you enjoy the bike. You will!! It's a bike you can upgrade with your skill/interest level.
 

TheBikePilot

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I see Strava have introduced a new thing called "local legends" .
They really need to expand this for anyone who's (none celebrity queue jumpers ??) managed to buy a stilus.

Why aren't reporters flagging down stilus riders to interview and ask "but how did you do it"??

Hahaha!! I was in the Van with Rob when he ordered it, he didn't jump any queues. It was just as frustrating as others have mentioned hehe..
 

Johnny rider

Active member
Jun 28, 2020
134
91
Coventry uk
I see Strava have introduced a new thing called "local legends" .
They really need to expand this for anyone who's (none celebrity queue jumpers ??) managed to buy a stilus.

Why aren't reporters flagging down stilus riders to interview and ask "but how did you do it"??
Bloody hell you must know people to jump the que ????
 

McNasty

New Member
Jul 17, 2020
37
69
Manchester
Mate your gonna have a blast. Decathalon are by all accounts super helpful. One thing we didn't mention is there's a lifetime warranty on the frame.

If your planning on riding the peaks I really would change those tyres dude. That place is a tyre killer, we were there last month. The stock tyres are like £16 each online. Plus there is very little braking grip. Ask the shop if they can swap the tyres out for you tubeless and get a couple of Minion DHF's or Pirellis. Might cost you a £100 but trust me when I say those tyres aren't fit for the Peaks..! You wil get a puncture. Nor will a tubed setup last long on most riding ventures on them. The sidewall is too thin. Your gonna get punctures and it's a massive pain in the cakehole. Tubeless on a decent set of rubber and you really won't. If your planning on Mulletting it, do that straight off the bat with new rubber. I would get a new seat as well, it's very hard..!

When you pick it up, the shop should be able to upgrade the motor software for you also. I am not sure if it will be shipped with it. If not any Bosch service centre can, but they may charge. But again, trust me when I say, it is worth the money.

Happy we both were able to help man, and hope you enjoy the bike. You will!! It's a bike you can upgrade with your skill/interest level.
Mate your gonna have a blast. Decathalon are by all accounts super helpful. One thing we didn't mention is there's a lifetime warranty on the frame.

If your planning on riding the peaks I really would change those tyres dude. That place is a tyre killer, we were there last month. The stock tyres are like £16 each online. Plus there is very little braking grip. Ask the shop if they can swap the tyres out for you tubeless and get a couple of Minion DHF's or Pirellis. Might cost you a £100 but trust me when I say those tyres aren't fit for the Peaks..! You wil get a puncture. Nor will a tubed setup last long on most riding ventures on them. The sidewall is too thin. Your gonna get punctures and it's a massive pain in the cakehole. Tubeless on a decent set of rubber and you really won't. If your planning on Mulletting it, do that straight off the bat with new rubber. I would get a new seat as well, it's very hard..!

When you pick it up, the shop should be able to upgrade the motor software for you also. I am not sure if it will be shipped with it. If not any Bosch service centre can, but they may charge. But again, trust me when I say, it is worth the money.

Happy we both were able to help man, and hope you enjoy the bike. You will!! It's a bike you can upgrade with your skill/interest level.
Thanks very much! When I say riding the Peaks I meant up the main road to the tap house for a nice cold pint! ?

Great advice again though, I was actually looking for some new tyres online last night so will keep an eye out for a good deal on the ones you’ve recommended, will grab a new seat while I’m at it too. I find I do my most inspired purchasing after a few beers so will treat myself to some optional extras later.


Will speak to Decathlon about updating the software too. I’m hoping I get lucky (like a few others did) and it arrives early.


Thanks again!

(edit: Forgot to say I’ve already got some Stan’s sealant I can use from an aborted attempt to convert my Hardtail using some cheapo Continental tyres I got off Amazon, fairly sure the were counterfeit but you live and learn. You get what you pay for!)
 
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PhilBaker

Well-known member
May 6, 2020
333
411
East London/Kent
I had the same, sealant coming out of pinprick holes around the sidewalls. swapped straight to my E-Wilds, no more problems.
The SmartSams may seal eventually as they did for @PhilBaker but I was always going to go for bigger grip anyway.
I use Gorillatape Handy Roll (25mm). Good luck (y)

note:- After sloshing sealant around the SmartSams and getting the pinprick leaks I chucked then in the corner of the garage. I now see the sealant has dried to a shiny film, could be a good base for trying again? Did take about a week to dry though ?

My Smart Sams sealed ok on the tubeless ready rims without tape. I had to mess around with the valve cores a little as air was leaking through them both, but luckily not the spokes. They have been solid since although I've noticed that you have to run them REALLY low pressures to get decent offroad grip in dusty or muddy conditions.

I road Epping Forest yesterday, and was really losing the front compared to those on Magic Mary's (I know, totally different tyre ;)) and kept lowering the pressures till that felt like they were working better. When I got home I put a gauge on and they were less than 15 PSI which is way lower than I've ever run before but they still feel solid at that pressure.

Will probably try some eWild's at some point as everyone on here seems to rave about them!

Biggest problem with the Smart Sams is getting them off the rim (see my Decathlon Stilus review on this forum for tips) but whilst they are a total pig to get off, they do re-seat easily without any need for a special pump :p
 

Zimmerframe

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Jun 12, 2019
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Hahaha!! I was in the Van with Rob when he ordered it, he didn't jump any queues. It was just as frustrating as others have mentioned hehe..
But I wasn't talking about Rob... :) It was on faceflup, apparently it's so hard to get one that it's become the new billionaire competitive thing. Forget your latest Hypercar, a STYLUS ! One guy had three !!! Yes THREE !!! can you imagine trying to get three ! The really really rich people just buy two and keep one boxed - apparently in 50 years time if you have an unboxed Stilus it will be worth over €10,000,000 ... It's been called The Schrodinger's Stilus Paradox .... Is the frame damaged if you can't see if it's damaged ??? Only trying to order one hurts the head more...
 

PhilBaker

Well-known member
May 6, 2020
333
411
East London/Kent
But I wasn't talking about Rob... :) It was on faceflup, apparently it's so hard to get one that it's become the new billionaire competitive thing. Forget your latest Hypercar, a STYLUS ! One guy had three !!! Yes THREE !!! can you imagine trying to get three ! The really really rich people just buy two and keep one boxed - apparently in 50 years time if you have an unboxed Stilus it will be worth over €10,000,000 ... It's been called The Schrodinger's Stilus Paradox .... Is the frame damaged if you can't see if it's damaged ??? Only trying to order one hurts the head more...

Very good Zimmerframe ? ? ?
 

Jul 16, 2020
31
18
East Devon
It arrived on time and the box was straight and unbattered :)

two washers missing on the handlebar clamp bolts
One conical washer for the saddle clamp bolt missing.this is annoying as what are they called to try and buy one ?
and no uk adaptor for the charger

so i got off lightly it is quickly assembled and ridden round the garden :)

I now need to buy a bleed kit to sort and set up the brakes. sram guide re are these bleeding edge or not ? (before i buy a kit)
 

Gary

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Mar 29, 2018
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I used to guide/coach and maintain a fleet of 15 bikes (mtb hardtails) that all ran Smart Sams.
They are are the most consistent tyres in the industry. If you value consistently cheap and consistently poor performance in all conditions and all situations. Nah... they do have ONE decent trait, they roll fairly quickly on tarmac if you inflate them fairly hard.
Bin them for something with some actual thought put into the tread design and preferably an actual edge to lean over to. Or keep them for commuting on.

Talking of poor performance. I was looking on Decathlon's site tonight at cheap Ebikes for a neighbour. Zero actual details about any of their cheaper E bikes geometry or components. WTF?

Personally I don't think the Stilus is particularly good value. Just because it happens to be the cheapest FS bike out there with SRAM and Bosch components doesn't actually make it great value. The frame is quite cheap and nasty. design wise, like all of Decathlon's frames a lot of manufacturing corners have been cut. As seen if you take a closer look at the dropouts and supension pivot mounts etc. The geometry is quite odd*. SX Eagle is a very cheap groupset (but folk will overlook that because TWELVE, the Sun ringle wheelset is cheap (but ok, if heavy), tyres are terrible and finishing kit extremely poor (for a £2700 bike).

*Head angle is decent, reach is quite short (by modern standards). I do like the lowish BB height, but it's completely wasted with the rear wheel axle following so far behind at the end of those monster chainstays. I'm sure it rides "ok". But it "could" have been designed to ride excellently had someone at Decathlon known a little more about E bike handling before dropping their bulk order into the frame factory.
 

McNasty

New Member
Jul 17, 2020
37
69
Manchester
I used to guide/coach and maintain a fleet of 15 bikes (mtb hardtails) that all ran Smart Sams.
They are are the most consistent tyres in the industry. If you value consistently cheap and consistently poor performance in all conditions and all situations. Nah... they do have ONE decent trait, they roll fairly quickly on tarmac if you inflate them fairly hard.
Bin them for something with some actual thought put into the tread design and preferably an actual edge to lean over to. Or keep them for commuting on.

Talking of poor performance. I was looking on Decathlon's site tonight at cheap Ebikes for a neighbour. Zero actual details about any of their cheaper E bikes geometry or components. WTF?

Personally I don't think the Stilus is particularly good value. Just because it happens to be the cheapest FS bike out there with SRAM and Bosch components doesn't actually make it great value. The frame is quite cheap and nasty. design wise, like all of Decathlon's frames a lot of manufacturing corners have been cut. As seen if you take a closer look at the dropouts and supension pivot mounts etc. The geometry is quite odd*. SX Eagle is a very cheap groupset (but folk will overlook that because TWELVE, the Sun ringle wheelset is cheap (but ok, if heavy), tyres are terrible and finishing kit extremely poor (for a £2700 bike).

*Head angle is decent, reach is quite short (by modern standards). I do like the lowish BB height, but it's completely wasted with the rear wheel axle following so far behind at the end of those monster chainstays. I'm sure it rides "ok". But it "could" have been designed to ride excellently had someone at Decathlon known a little more about E bike handling before dropping their bulk order into the frame factory.
Anything else you’d suggest at a similar price point?
 

Gary

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Anything else you’d suggest at a similar price point?
You're missing my point.
I didn't say it wasn't a great price. I just don't think it's great value.
There are a LOT of better options out there. some for "relatively" little more.

eg. I paid less than £500 more for each of my (2019 & 2020) ESommets. with E8000, Superdeluxe/Lyrik,11spdXT. Nukeproof/BX finishing kit, Guide REs, DT/Novatec wheels, Maxxis rubber etc. but more importantly a far better thoughtout, designed and manufactured frame.
I believe you'd find many better options for a similar price.

I'm not in the market for another Eeb so couldn't tell you exactly what's available across the board or prices but the 2020 ESecarpe and ESommets start at £2800 with Fox options at £3300ish
 

McNasty

New Member
Jul 17, 2020
37
69
Manchester
You're missing my point.
I didn't say it wasn't a great price. I just don't think it's great value.
There are a LOT of better options out there. some for "relatively" little more.

eg. I paid less than £500 more for each of my (2019 & 2020) ESommets. with E8000, Superdeluxe/Lyrik,11spdXT. Nukeproof/BX finishing kit, Guide REs, DT/Novatec wheels, Maxxis rubber etc. but more importantly a far better thoughtout, designed and manufactured frame.
I believe you'd find many better options for a similar price.

I'm not in the market for another Eeb so couldn't tell you exactly what's available across the board or prices but the 2020 ESecarpe and ESommets start at £2800 with Fox options at £3300ish
Cool, thanks for the info, I wasn’t having a pop I was just interested to get your input. I was put off the Vitus by the aftercare service of Wiggle and ChainReaction where people have had problems returning bikes and basically saying that they weren’t particularly interested after they’d sold the bike to you. It a lot of money to part especially if something goes wrong and you’re left with an expensive coat hook. (Granted some of the issues may have been Covid related) The reviews looked very good though, I think some of the Vitus models also come with the SX Eagle iirc).

I think what swung it for me is I can literally freewheel down the hill to my local Decathlon branch so if anything goes wrong I can ride right through the automatic doors and up to the customer service desk.
 

Gary

Old Tartan Bollocks
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Mar 29, 2018
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Yeah I'm not slating the Stilus. Just being realistic about "why" it is the great price it is.
I own one Decathlon bike and loads of their outdoor kit.
 

Jul 16, 2020
31
18
East Devon
Why?
What's wrong with the bleed?
The brakes IMO are the best component on the bike

levers close to the bar and not sharp at all. i will go through the brakes and set/check everything next week.
as the cables/pipes run through the frame i guess you are relying on the skill/interest level of the bike assembler.
but i will need a bleed kit at some point anyway so may as well have it to hand when i start the job
 
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Timmoh

Well-known member
May 18, 2020
248
217
Wales
It arrived on time and the box was straight and unbattered :)

two washers missing on the handlebar clamp bolts
One conical washer for the saddle clamp bolt missing.this is annoying as what are they called to try and buy one ?
and no uk adaptor for the charger

so i got off lightly it is quickly assembled and ridden round the garden :)

I now need to buy a bleed kit to sort and set up the brakes. sram guide re are these bleeding edge or not ? (before i buy a kit)
The brakes are not bleeding edge as far as I know/researched. There was air present on mine (small amount) and bled quickly and cleanly with very little improvement felt at the lever end-proving air was minimal. . I "advanced" the pads/pistons (how to is in earlier post) and this transformed the lever throw and feel.
Glad not too much was missing for you.
Enjoy ?
 

Timmoh

Well-known member
May 18, 2020
248
217
Wales
levers close to the bar and not sharp at all. i will go through the brakes and set/check everything next week.
as the cables/pipes run through the frame i guess you are relying on the skill/interest level of the bike assembler.
but i will need a bleed kit at some point anyway so may as well have it to hand when i start the job
Just do the advancing the pistons/pads thing as Sram/avid recommend. It's a game changer for all you mentioned.
 

Timmoh

Well-known member
May 18, 2020
248
217
Wales
Yeah I'm not slating the Stilus. Just being realistic about "why" it is the great price it is.
I own one Decathlon bike and loads of their outdoor kit.
I used to guide/coach and maintain a fleet of 15 bikes (mtb hardtails) that all ran Smart Sams.
They are are the most consistent tyres in the industry. If you value consistently cheap and consistently poor performance in all conditions and all situations. Nah... they do have ONE decent trait, they roll fairly quickly on tarmac if you inflate them fairly hard.
Bin them for something with some actual thought put into the tread design and preferably an actual edge to lean over to. Or keep them for commuting on.

Talking of poor performance. I was looking on Decathlon's site tonight at cheap Ebikes for a neighbour. Zero actual details about any of their cheaper E bikes geometry or components. WTF?

Personally I don't think the Stilus is particularly good value. Just because it happens to be the cheapest FS bike out there with SRAM and Bosch components doesn't actually make it great value. The frame is quite cheap and nasty. design wise, like all of Decathlon's frames a lot of manufacturing corners have been cut. As seen if you take a closer look at the dropouts and supension pivot mounts etc. The geometry is quite odd*. SX Eagle is a very cheap groupset (but folk will overlook that because TWELVE, the Sun ringle wheelset is cheap (but ok, if heavy), tyres are terrible and finishing kit extremely poor (for a £2700 bike).

*Head angle is decent, reach is quite short (by modern standards). I do like the lowish BB height, but it's completely wasted with the rear wheel axle following so far behind at the end of those monster chainstays. I'm sure it rides "ok". But it "could" have been designed to ride excellently had someone at Decathlon known a little more about E bike handling before dropping their bulk order into the frame factory.
So, if I am getting this right, we all need to either go with this fairly damming assessment of the bike or we can go with Rob and The Bike Pilot reviews (plus all those owners who come from all walks of life and requirements) posted earlier, because the both views are pretty much at polar opposites regarding pretty much, let me see, oh yeah, everything.
Again, I ain't seen nothing close in price point to match this bike, (BTW, 3300 is more than 2700) and believe me I looked and weighed up the options as I have a bloody good reason to get the Maths/benefits right.
Obviously we have all failed miserably on this forum thread to do our homework properly ??.
I shall await with baited breath the onset of the "cheap and nasty" frame snapping and all the cheap components rotting into dust before my eyes, and that's if I don't kill myself before that on the crap tyres or the dropouts failing-at least Decathlon have a 365 days return policy and we have a good NHS. Lucky eh?
 

Johnny rider

Active member
Jun 28, 2020
134
91
Coventry uk
So, if I am getting this right, we all need to either go with this fairly damming assessment of the bike or we can go with Rob and The Bike Pilot reviews (plus all those owners who come from all walks of life and requirements) posted earlier, because the both views are pretty much at polar opposites regarding pretty much, let me see, oh yeah, everything.
Again, I ain't seen nothing close in price point to match this bike, (BTW, 3300 is more than 2700) and believe me I looked and weighed up the options as I have a bloody good reason to get the Maths/benefits right.
Obviously we have all failed miserably on this forum thread to do our homework properly ??.
I shall await with baited breath the onset of the "cheap and nasty" frame snapping and all the cheap components rotting into dust before my eyes, and that's if I don't kill myself before that on the crap tyres or the dropouts failing-at least Decathlon have a 365 days return policy and we have a good NHS. Lucky eh?
I’ll be going with rob review ?????? I’ve ridden the bike I like it rides great changes gears great same sort of bike I would of thought you would need to spend a lot more than £500 .
I think their is a lot of bike snobbery around nowadays
 

kriz

Member
Jun 29, 2020
47
30
Rochdale, UK
Just had the same then a follow up with an offer of 200 quid for the inconvenience.
I'm happy with that and have accepted. Hopefully it'll actually get paid in at some point quicker than delivery was ?.
Good luck ?.

I finally got an offer from Decathlon for the delivery/build issues, they were very slow until I emailed Decathlon CEO [email protected]. I'll have to think about it, deal!
 

Tooks

Well-known member
Subscriber
Mar 29, 2020
480
574
Lincs UK
So, if I am getting this right, we all need to either go with this fairly damming assessment of the bike or we can go with Rob and The Bike Pilot reviews (plus all those owners who come from all walks of life and requirements) posted earlier, because the both views are pretty much at polar opposites regarding pretty much, let me see, oh yeah, everything.
Again, I ain't seen nothing close in price point to match this bike, (BTW, 3300 is more than 2700) and believe me I looked and weighed up the options as I have a bloody good reason to get the Maths/benefits right.
Obviously we have all failed miserably on this forum thread to do our homework properly ??.
I shall await with baited breath the onset of the "cheap and nasty" frame snapping and all the cheap components rotting into dust before my eyes, and that's if I don't kill myself before that on the crap tyres or the dropouts failing-at least Decathlon have a 365 days return policy and we have a good NHS. Lucky eh?

I think you're coming across as a little defensive, to be honest.

Gary, love him or hate him, is just expressing a view, the same as everybody else.

I think you're right, there isn't much out there for the same or similar prices at first glance right now, and I'd happily buy one tomorrow if I was in the market for a new e-mtb. It doesn't break the laws of value though, it just makes some of the other stuff out there look over priced.

To be honest, I baulked at paying £2350 for last years Focus Jam2 6.7, but I'm glad I did as I really enjoy riding it.

That's what it's about at the end of the day, enjoyment.
 

Timmoh

Well-known member
May 18, 2020
248
217
Wales
I think you're coming across as a little defensive, to be honest.

Gary, love him or hate him, is just expressing a view, the same as everybody else.

I think you're right, there isn't much out there for the same or similar prices at first glance right now, and I'd happily buy one tomorrow if I was in the market for a new e-mtb. It doesn't break the laws of value though, it just makes some of the other stuff out there look over priced.

To be honest, I baulked at paying £2350 for last years Focus Jam2 6.7, but I'm glad I did as I really enjoy riding it.

That's what it's about at the end of the day, enjoyment.
Like you say, just expressing a view. ?
 

McNasty

New Member
Jul 17, 2020
37
69
Manchester
I think you're coming across as a little defensive, to be honest.

Gary, love him or hate him, is just expressing a view, the same as everybody else.

I think you're right, there isn't much out there for the same or similar prices at first glance right now, and I'd happily buy one tomorrow if I was in the market for a new e-mtb. It doesn't break the laws of value though, it just makes some of the other stuff out there look over priced.

To be honest, I baulked at paying £2350 for last years Focus Jam2 6.7, but I'm glad I did as I really enjoy riding it.

That's what it's about at the end of the day, enjoyment.
How did you get the Focus for such a good price if you don’t mind me asking? Just had a quick look around and they are still listed from about £3500 - £4000 for a 2019 model. Looks like a great bit of kit though, you’re right that it’s all about enjoyment.
 

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