Decathlon STILUS Full Suspension Electric Mountain Bike - SRAM SX

Jamm13dodger

Member
Jul 1, 2020
90
91
Burwell, UK
Have you been contemplating how to manage the bike on technical terrain? I’ve had a few moments on rough terrain where I’ve struggled due to the weight of the bike, I’m a bit gung ho, just chuck myself down big hills on it, but don’t want to come a cropper, I need to improve My technical riding and probably increase upper body strength
So far ive got away with anything I’ve tried. Its been a bit close on slow tight turns but its been ok. Definitely more inclined to fall to the side than my analogue bikes though.
 

RustyMTB

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Jul 22, 2020
2,849
6,892
UK
Have you been contemplating how to manage the bike on technical terrain? I’ve had a few moments on rough terrain where I’ve struggled due to the weight of the bike, I’m a bit gung ho, just chuck myself down big hills on it, but don’t want to come a cropper, I need to improve My technical riding and probably increase upper body strength
I definitely got caught out by the weight of the thing. The circumstances were I was bombing down a wide, rutted chalk trail in dry conditions I've ridden a hundred times but not since the NT rangers had dug a couple of drainage channels across it twenty feet or so apart. I gapped the first one, saw the second a touch too late, tried to manual to clear the front wheel but went up then down, front wheel caught the far end of the ditch & that was that.

Bunny hopping & jumping is pretty routine stuff for me, so on the techy side of riding, I'm not too fussed about a skills gap but I would say I'd enjoyed the first ride so much, I rushed out for another the following day when I was still unfamiliar with a heavy, long bike. Lesson there for me, no?

Best bit was the X-Ray guy was a downhiller. He said where did you crash? Told him Cissbury ring & he said - Really? You're not very good then are you?? So I binned it on the single techy bit of a very non techy hill. 25mph on Strava though :cool:
 

taxidriver50005

Active member
Jun 17, 2020
211
137
Skelmersdale
BUMP ! For the first time in weeks the mighty Stilus thread has dropped off the first page !!!!

With limited availability, sizing has become irrelevant . "What size did you buy ?" ... "IT's a STILUS, I'VE GOT A STILUS !!!! " ..

Maybe there should be a "Swap a Stilus" thead.. You see one, you buy it then hope you can swap to the right size later ?

I know a lot of people who wanted an XL are were disturbed than Rob seems to like his and will be keeping it. There was rumour of a £2,600 a ticket prize draw to win the bike, with upgrades - limited to only 100 entries.
These stilus's now have a mythical status, there was very little info on the Internet about them and what there is mostly reverts back to this thread.
They are not made of unabtainium and you don't need a golden ticket to bag one, you do have to be lucky though.
I think there is a little bit of hype going on here and the harder it is to get one has everyone else believing they are missing out. I baged 2 a month ago and while I think its a great bike for its price and I'm unlikely to be modify it I also think there are better bikes out there for a little more money.
Do I wish I'd waited to buy something else.... No..... This suits my skill level well enough and anything else would be more of a waste than this is already.
As the 2020 model year comes to an end and the sales start will decathlon stick to there pricing on this model and if they do and other dealers have sales the Stilus may no longer be the bargain it is right now. ?
 

RustyMTB

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Jul 22, 2020
2,849
6,892
UK
Demand for all & any bikes is sky high right now, I wouldn't necessarily rely on the October clear out this year.. OTOH, when it gets cold & wet, I suspect lightly used bikes will pop up on Ebay like spots on a teenager...
 

Rap Dance 9000

Active member
Jul 15, 2020
230
149
Yorkshire
These stilus's now have a mythical status, there was very little info on the Internet about them and what there is mostly reverts back to this thread.
They are not made of unabtainium and you don't need a golden ticket to bag one, you do have to be lucky though.
I think there is a little bit of hype going on here and the harder it is to get one has everyone else believing they are missing out. I baged 2 a month ago and while I think its a great bike for its price and I'm unlikely to be modify it I also think there are better bikes out there for a little more money.
Do I wish I'd waited to buy something else.... No..... This suits my skill level well enough and anything else would be more of a waste than this is already.
As the 2020 model year comes to an end and the sales start will decathlon stick to there pricing on this model and if they do and other dealers have sales the Stilus may no longer be the bargain it is right now. ?
come on, come on, name the better bikes for a little more mular? :)
 

taxidriver50005

Active member
Jun 17, 2020
211
137
Skelmersdale
come on, come on, name the better bikes for a little more mular? :)
I should have said as the sales come in there are better bikes for a little more money, all depends on decathlon and pricing but as demand is sky high can't see them dropping at all, you do see certain models of other bikes now being reduced.?..availability is still an issue though.
 

Rap Dance 9000

Active member
Jul 15, 2020
230
149
Yorkshire
I should have said as the sales come in there are better bikes for a little more money, all depends on decathlon and pricing but as demand is sky high can't see them dropping at all, you do see certain models of other bikes now being reduced.?..availability is still an issue though.
Urgh, all fur coat and no knickers you
 
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Johnny rider

Active member
Jun 28, 2020
134
91
Coventry uk
Made a few upgrades

Shimano XT 12 Speed Drivetrain
Hope Fortus 29 Wheelset (to give it a go vs Mullet which is my favourite so far)
Loads of Hope stuff (800mm carbon bars, stem, V4 Brakes, Crank Arms)
170mm Brand X Dropper

Basically everything is changed on the bike from stock for, as you do, experiments....

View attachment 37913
What chain ring spider did you use rob and what chain ring size
 

Rob Rides EMTB

Administrator
Staff member
Subscriber
Jan 14, 2018
6,260
13,700
Surrey, UK
What chain ring spider did you use rob and what chain ring size
Wolf Tooth Shimano 12 Speed chain ring and just a standard Bosch Gen 4 spider. I really didnt want to spend a lot but this was the only Bosch Gen 4 / Shimano 12 speed HyperGlide compatible stuff I could find.





chainring.jpg
 

Johnny rider

Active member
Jun 28, 2020
134
91
Coventry uk
Wolf Tooth Shimano 12 Speed chain ring and just a standard Bosch Gen 4 spider. I really didnt want to spend a lot but this was the only Bosch Gen 4 / Shimano 12 speed HyperGlide compatible stuff I could find.





View attachment 37995
Thank you rob much appreciated
 

GunplaMad

New Member
Aug 1, 2020
58
32
Glasgow
Wolf Tooth Shimano 12 Speed chain ring and just a standard Bosch Gen 4 spider. I really didnt want to spend a lot but this was the only Bosch Gen 4 / Shimano 12 speed HyperGlide compatible stuff I could find.





View attachment 37995
PS I so jealous of anyone who has a Stilus now! ?
 

Stiggy

Member
Aug 9, 2020
40
14
Bolton UK
These stilus's now have a mythical status, there was very little info on the Internet about them and what there is mostly reverts back to this thread.
They are not made of unabtainium and you don't need a golden ticket to bag one, you do have to be lucky though.
I think there is a little bit of hype going on here and the harder it is to get one has everyone else believing they are missing out. I baged 2 a month ago and while I think its a great bike for its price and I'm unlikely to be modify it I also think there are better bikes out there for a little more money.
Do I wish I'd waited to buy something else.... No..... This suits my skill level well enough and anything else would be more of a waste than this is already.
As the 2020 model year comes to an end and the sales start will decathlon stick to there pricing on this model and if they do and other dealers have sales the Stilus may no longer be the bargain it is right now. ?
I guess the simple reality is that if there were other bikes actually available at a “little more money” I would wager that most of us wouldn’t still be here as there are better things to do with our time like riding :unsure:
 
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Bobajobbob

Active member
Aug 5, 2020
55
45
Kent UK
I could see summer ebbing away so pulled the trigger on a VItus E-Escarpe. I really didn't want to up the budget but equally I want to get out there and not still be chasing a unicorn in 3 months time. Vitus arrives today which is pretty exciting and I still wish everyone luck locating a Stilus before too long.
 

Timmoh

Well-known member
May 18, 2020
248
217
Wales
I could see summer ebbing away so pulled the trigger on a VItus E-Escarpe. I really didn't want to up the budget but equally I want to get out there and not still be chasing a unicorn in 3 months time. Vitus arrives today which is pretty exciting and I still wish everyone luck locating a Stilus before too long.
Can't blame you really. Enjoy the one thing we all have in common-love of riding ?.
 

Stiggy

Member
Aug 9, 2020
40
14
Bolton UK
Im increasingly close on pulling the trigger on this

Wow nice!
I think this is going to be my choice too.
Anyone any opinion good or bad on the spec/value (ignoring the Stylus unobtanium framed super bike)
 

Mcfanner

New Member
Aug 2, 2020
32
16
Scottish Borders

StilusBoy79

New Member
Mar 31, 2020
42
21
Uk
Asking for a friend..... ?has anyone using the volspeed3 braved the software update yet?

Apparently the volspeed3 made the bike everything it should have been in the first place, obviously offroad on private land...

So still on original firmware, 200 miles of riding since install and no issues - until: stood talking whilst sat on the bike and experienced a 503 error after 20 mins chatting. Seemed to be in a limp home mode until 2 on/off cycles and then business as usual.
 

PhilBaker

Well-known member
May 6, 2020
333
411
East London/Kent
Hi please could any current owners advise if I have my calcs right and that I would be looking at a medium as the geometry and measurements are all a bit of a mystery to me. BTW my arms are 600mm shoulder to palm if that helps.

Hey Stiggy,

I spent “forever” trying to work out what size frame to get. Luckily I had “forever” time available as that’s how long it took to get one ;-)

I’m not sure your Crank to top of seat tube 450mm measurement is correct/comparable to the spec charts you read.

I couldn’t find your specific bike but found this “vintage” Trek specs doc (love the word vintage! You have a classic ?):


It shows the liquid 20, liquid 30 and the liquid 55 as having a 400m seatpost length which is exactly what the medium Stilus is.

Sounds like the your mate upgraded the stock 40mm stem to 140mm which is a big difference, but of course you can make that cheap upgrade to the stem yourself to give you extra room in the Stilus cockpit, although I wouldn’t personally ride with a stem that long due to the handling.

My advice would be your leg length is important here and your existing bike seat post and the Stilus medium seatpost are 400m, so I would suggest you go medium.

You can always get a longer stem (checkout my Stilus review on here in the reviews section, I posted a link and photos for a cheap replacement stem).

A guy on here was 5’9” on a medium and he felt like that was the max height you would want on a frame and that was with the stock 50mm stem I believe.

The other reason I would go medium Stiggy, is from my experience and this thread, medium is the least in demand frame size, so use your size to your advantage and bag a medium ???
 

PhilBaker

Well-known member
May 6, 2020
333
411
East London/Kent
Here’s a link to the review/stem info:-

 

StilusBoy79

New Member
Mar 31, 2020
42
21
Uk
Hi please could any current owners advise if I have my calcs right and that I would be looking at a medium as the geometry and measurements are all a bit of a mystery to me. BTW my arms are 600mm shoulder to palm if that helps.

I’m the 5’9” guy I think. 31” inseam if I’m measuring correctly. I’m kind of measuring the inside of arm and shortest method possible to end of wrist and getting 20” or 21” inch max.

That reach is shorter than yours and I felt near the maximum. I guess it depends how chuckable you want it to be, a stem would indeed give slight increase.

Edit just out riding now, if the difference in reach is so borderline I’m sure you would be fine with medium all other aspects being similar
 
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Tallguy888

Member
Aug 4, 2020
101
49
Salisbury
Get all the air out the tube. Move tyre into the centre of the rim so its off the wider part of the rim and sitting in the middle, this is the narrow part of the rim. Then get a tyre lever, move one side of the tyre to the outside of the rim, get your tyre lever under it and pop the side of the tyre off the rim. Then use the tyre lever to remove the rest of the tyre by sliding it round the rim, forcing the rest of the tyre off. Once you've got one side of the tyre off you can just pull the entire tyre off.

It is honestly pretty easy with this tyre and rim. The tyre is so flexible its not a hard job compared to some heavy tyres.
Hi Rob, sorry to hijack the thread could I ask you a question about your Stilus, you have put Hope ebike cranks on which I’ve purchased today however Bosch recommendation is 40nm on bolts but Hope 50nm, may I ask what you did? Thanks
 

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