Does weight really matter on full fats....?

[IcePaws]

Hi All,

My first post (but long time lurker!), so go easy....

Having been mtb'ing for years, i'm looking at now buying my first emtb. I've decided (pretty much) on full fat and have narrowed it down to 3 options...

Whyte E160S (26kg+)
Trek Rail 7 (24.7kg)
Mondraker Crafty R (25.6kg)

Left field option: Orbea Rise H20

My question is - does it make any discernible difference in the weight being less on these bikes (all Bosch CX motors apart from the Orbea)?

I bit about me - I'd mainly be riding it on my own locally (SW UK) and also at the Forest of Dean. I'd also go to South Wales (Afan/Margam) a couple of times a year. I'm reasonably fit/healthy and almost hitting the big 4-0.
I have a Trek dealer 5mins away from me and a Whyte/Mondraker/Orbea dealer about 30mins away (for warranty etc). I'd mainly be riding trails and like the idea of the full fat power (compared to a lighter power option), though I've only ever experienced a Shimano 40nm 250w motor previously on a hire bike.

I think my ideal solution (as i'm concerned about Shimano reliability) would be an Orbea Rise with the new Bosch SX motor (which doesn't yet exist!). I may not be the only one!

The spec on the Whyte and Mondraker are better than the Trek and they both have larger batteries (750wh compared to 625wh on the Trek).
I'd be keeping the bike in my brick garage so a little concerned about the non-removable battery on the Mondraker...


Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[rzr]

i think 2-3kg more still makes a difference.
Trek Rail or Levo (carbon, 22.5-23kg) are still noticably better/more manoeuvrable/more nimble than 25+kg bikes.
there are some tight trails (with slow 90* turns) which are more difficult on my 23kg bike, and on +25kg will be more difficult.
If you ride technical trails, it's not about 'getting used to it', some of them will be just always harder.

 

[Paulquattro]

Hi
Having never been a weight weenie i would say No
You get used to the weight quite quickly starting out and it will build some upper body strength to
Its more about set up and geometry and fit for me but others will be completely different
What you need is a test ride ideally to see what suits you as we are all different and want different things from our bikes

 

[militantmandy]

I have an e160. I tested a Levo SL, Pivot Shuttle, YT Decoy and Merida e160.

For the riding I do, the Whyte was the best bike. It certainly didn't feel like the heaviest to ride (Merida). The only time I notice the weight is when I have to lift it and to be fair it is a bit of a PITA. Riding performance wise though, it's not an issue.

 

[The Hodge]

No.
Go for the Whyte..

 

[militantmandy]

I would also add, obviously personal preference and in the context of riding style and trails....the Whyte is absolutely superb! Probably the most fun bike I have ever ridden.

 

[irie]

First discard bikes without a Bosch motor, then after go for the LBS you most trust to deal with. You'll soon get used to a couple of kilos either way.

 

[Rando_12345]

Between the orbea and the rest, probably.

In between the rest, not really. I went from a 23.5kg Commencal, 150mm travel with 445mm chainstay to a 25.5kg Giant 160mm travel with 455mm chainstay. Difference is minimal despite thinking it would be quite bad. I have set my suspension to be much faster (very low rebound damping) and I have high quality, sub 2kg wheels, the new bike ends up being perfectly happy popping around playfully despite all numbers on paper suggesting it wouldn't be. And I ride horribly tight and twisty alpine stuff.

I also did some bikepark laps without the battery, so 21.5kg vs 25.5kg setup: definitely a difference, but not that critical, overall the geometry and suspension and unsprung weight matters more than overall weight.