eBike part durability

[Tetsugaku]

My 2018 Turbo Levo has done 10,000K. Most of that on roads and bike paths for a commute. In the 16 months I have had it, it's had this many new parts:

1 new motor
1 new rear tyre
4 chains
3 cassettes
2 chainrings
1 battery cable
1 derailiur
3 sets of brake pads

This, to be quite frank, is bloody mad. The motor and battery cable were both replaced under warranty, the rest I had to pay for. I've done all the regular maintenance and serviced it with a Specialized shop every 3-4 months.

Now, you may say, all bikes are like this, and as someone who never rode before getting this, I don't know. But either way, it's insane. eBikes have motors in them, I'd quite like heavier, stronger parts please, so I don't need to spend an insane amount of money to ride my bike to work.

Is it me?
Is it the bike?
Is it bikes in General?
Is it using general bike parts on an ebike?


Grrr.

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

1 new motor - nope, shouldn't have expected to replace
1 new rear tyre - consumable, That's pretty good
4 chains - consumable 2500k a chain is good
3 cassettes - consumable again, 3333k a chain
2 chainrings - consumable as above, 5000 miles per chainring
1 battery cable - bad luck?
1 derailiur - wear and tear, 10k isn't bad!
3 sets of brake pads consumable 3333k a set, that's pretty good

Honestly, I don't think that's too bad. 10,000 miles and you're looking at several tyres, chains, pads, chainrings etc.

The only thing that I wouldn't expect to be a consumable is the motor and power (battery) cable.

 

[Jamsxr]

10k in 16 months is more like motorcycle mileage.

Other than the motor that seems like fairly normal wear and tear to me.

It’s a high performance bike designed to be lightweight, agile and fast. I would suggest it’s the wrong tool for commuting to and from work in all conditions. I would recommend getting a daily hack.

 

[Max-E]

Sorry but with the very greatest respect this is a bit of an odd rant.

Presuming you are riding say five days out of seven for 52 weeks a year = 40 miles every single day and you're complaining that you've gone through one tyre and a few drivetrain and brake consumables??

And somehow it is Specialized or the component makers fault??



Sorry but why on earth choose a 50 lb 150mm travel EMTB for a commute? Where is your commute that needs a heavy duty, inefficient, slow and expensive off road bike like that?

 

[Tetsugaku]

I'm impossible to offend don't worry.

If I bought a car, and I needed to replace 25% of the parts after 10,000K - there would be uproar. The fact that I've spent £500+ on a bike only 12 months old is still just mad. The fact that I'm doing most of the distance on flat terrain should mean it lasts longer, not less.

I have this bike because 1) I like to never worry about potholes 2) I don't want to own 2 bikes 3) I like to occasionally take it up and round the Downs near my house.

My point is that bike parts in general are optimised for weight and with a motor, that consideration is practically moot.

ebike specific parts could be made that are more durable and heavier - this will become more of an issue as and when more people use ebikes I would expect

 

[Jamsxr]

Your list of components is about normal for a standard MTB with that mileage so the fact it’s an eBike doesn’t make much difference.

If you’re riding on trails in all conditions you can treble that list....

It’s a bit like buying a Ford Raptor as a daily commuter and moaning about running costs ?

 

[Tetsugaku]

Your list of components is about normal for a standard MTB with that mileage so the fact it’s an eBike doesn’t make much difference.

That doesn't make it right though - it just makes it the default that riders have accepted

 

[Jamsxr]

That doesn't make it right though - it just makes it the default that riders have accepted

You don’t have to accept it, just buy a bike more suited to your riding ?

You know you should also fully service the suspension with that mileage...

 

[Tetsugaku]

The bike is suited to my riding - although I thank you for your concern

suspension being serviced along with the rest of it in a couple of weeks

 

[R120]

Ignoring the Motor and Battery Cable, I would say you have got pretty outstanding use out of the consumable components for any bike, let alone an EMTB!If you are still running the original front tire that's pretty remarkable. Also factor in you are using it year round in all conditions.

What you have to remember with bicycle components, is that they are inherently less heavy duty than motorbike/car components simply because they have to weigh less, even on an EMTB. Heavier duty EMTB specific components dont necessarily last longer, they just dont break as easily when be used in the environments MTB's are designed for, and under heavy aggressive trail use.

If it take your list and add a bit on, and run through the same on my bike which has done about 2k off road over the last 12 months, I have the following:


2 Full sets of tyres
3 chains
2 cassettes
2 chainrings
3 sets of brake pads
2 Disc rotors
2 full suspension serivices
3 sets of grips
2 sets of pedals
2 wheels bearing sets, one from, one rear
1 Saddle

There are lots of other bits that I have changed myself, but those are the main consumables off the top of my head, and the only thing that is above what I would expect on a normal bike are the chains

 

[Jamsxr]

The bike is suited to my riding - although I thank you for your concern

suspension being serviced along with the rest of it in a couple of weeks

I’m not concerned... you’re not happy with the service costs of your high end performance orientated bike...

You’re riding a sledge hammer to crack a nut. One of the compromises will be the cost of servicing, accept it or use a different bike. It’s like expecting Kia servicing costs when owning a Ferrari.....

 

[R120]

And the mileage you are talking about is almost unheard of for any EMTB outside of a demo fleet, and those will definitely be of the Triggers Broom variety in terms of make up.

 

[Tetsugaku]

Ooo I did replace the grips as well forgot that.

What you have to remember with bicycle components, is that they are inherently less heavy duty than motorbike/car components simply because they have to weigh less, even on an EMTB. Heavier duty EMTB specific components dont necessarily last longer, they just dont break as easily when be used in the environments MTB's are designed for, and under heavy aggressive trail use.

OK - so why does that have to be the case? Why can't components be made from more durable materials? I'm speaking as an utter novice here (but thats what happens when riding becomes more accessible thanks to motors being more popular). Is it cost of raw meterials? lack of suitable materials? Straight up weight?

 

[estoril]

I have to say that I agree with the other comments made here, you appear to doing pretty well out of the consumables, a non ebike would probably be cheaper as drivetrain components won't wear out as quickly due to only having rider torque put through them rather than rider and motor.

 

[Tetsugaku]

And the mileage you are talking about is almost unheard of for any EMTB outside of a demo fleet, and those will definitely be of the Triggers Broom variety in terms of make up.

Realistically - would the wear and tear on a dedicated road bike actually be any less? Nothing I listed was MTB specific was it? As far as I can see, the parts that have been replaced would be the very same parts for say a Specialized Turbo Vado right?

 

[Max-E]

I edited my post to add some suggestions that will save you money and make your bike more suitable but will cut and paste it here as you may have missed it.

If you do stick with this bike though you can run a much more suitable. hard wearing and economical (but in many ways superior) drivetrain. Go with 10 speed Shimano. A tough all steel SLX HG81 11-36 cassette is £28, KMC 10 speed chains can be bought for £10 or so. A Zee rear mech (one of the best all round mechs ever) is £40 and a Zee rear shifter (ditto) is £17. Buy the generic N/W 7075 34t rings from eBay for under £10.

If you work on these prices for your parts consumed plus say £60 for the tyre and sets of pads (Superstar pads are fine) then your running costs are about £1 per commuting day - not bad and you're getting fit too!

 

[Tetsugaku]

I have to say that I agree with the other comments made here, you appear to doing pretty well out of the consumables, a non ebike would probably be cheaper as drivetrain components won't wear out as quickly due to only having rider torque put through them rather than rider and motor.

But if my experience isn't unusual - and I can accept it's not - it still doesn't seem right, the bike has a massive motor in it, the parts I've replaced have obviously a great deal of load on them, why aren't those parts made to last longer? How have riders let themselves get into a situation where they do have to replace so much of a bike so often?

 

[Tetsugaku]

If you do stick with this bike though you can run a much more suitable. hard wearing and economical (but in many ways superior) drivetrain. Go with 10 speed Shimano. A tough all steel SLX HG81 11-36 cassette is £28, KMC 10 speed chains can be bought for £10 or so. A Zee rear mech (one of the best all round mechs ever) is £40 and a Zee rear shifter (ditto) is £17. Buy the generic N/W 7075 34t rings from eBay for under £10.

Ah you see now this is great to know - if it is indeed possible to replace parts with harder wearing items (I have no idea, I ride for fun and to commute, I'm not too mad into the detail) then I am glad to know it - I can mention that to the shop when I get them to do the next service (ext week) the cassette needs replacing yet again and if I can get a harder wearing (probably heavier) replacement I will thank you

 

[R120]

Ooo I did replace the grips as well forgot that.


OK - so why does that have to be the case? Why can't components be made from more durable materials? I'm speaking as an utter novice here (but thats what happens when riding becomes more accessible thanks to motors being more popular). Is it cost of raw meterials? lack of suitable materials? Straight up weight?

Well part of it relates to the fact you are riding a bike designed for performance mountain biking, and as such it is specified accordingly, with the components being designed for a mix of durability and weight saving. The bike is designed to be optimised for riding fast and well off-road, not cranking out the miles on road, so many parts will prioritise over durability in favour of performance gain on the trails.

Bikes do exist that are designed to be as maintenance free as possible, but they are not high end mountain bikes.

My father in law does about 5 k a year on his EBIKE, he rides it to the office and to pop around town. He has a Bergamont E-Ville, which runs the Bosch systems paired with an Alfine DI2 rear hub gear set up. The bike is designed for commuting and touring, it probably weighs a few kilos more than the Levo, but everything on it is designed for minimal maintenance, comfort and durability.

All he has had to change in that time are the tires, brake pads, and the chain and rear sprocket.

As someone who used to commute by bike for 10 plus years, I can tell you that (again ignoring the motor) for that milage you have done incredibly well to only have to replace the parts you have listed, to the extent that I would want a mechanic checking over my bike if that's all I had replaced over hat milage and I wasn't mechanically confident!

 

[estoril]

But if my experience isn't unusual - and I can accept it's not - it still doesn't seem right, the bike has a massive motor in it, the parts I've replaced have obviously a great deal of load on them, why aren't those parts made to last longer? How have riders let themselves get into a situation where they do have to replace so much of a bike so often?

I think the mileage you are doing is unusually high, most ebikes probably do around a quarter of your mileage each year. To make the components last that long they will be heavier and even more expensive, to the point that most people wouldn't buy it!

Obviously adding this extra weight would spoil the ride for the majority as well (less mileage per battery etc), they build bikes to a meet the average demand not for the highest milage.

 

[njn]

With that mileage, you would have likely replaced more parts on a normal bike. Seems like an ebike is easier on components.

Did the motor completely fail, or was it replaced as a courtesy?

 

[steve_sordy]

@Tetsugaku Sorry T, but I am with the majority here. I believe that apart from the motor, your bike has done amazingly well. However, it is my opinion that you have chosen the wrong bike for your mix of commuting and leisure. See the post of @R120 above.

 

[R120]

I wouldn't say the bike isn't suitable, its perfectly capable of doing a commute, but because its not a bike designed to do that then there are certain compromises you have to live with if you want to use it for that purpose.

 

[Gary]

OK - so why does that have to be the case? Why can't components be made from more durable materials?

They can. and are.

it won't change the fact your bike is driven by a chain made with rollers/pins which wear and that wear contributing to sprocket/chainring ring wear.
Sintered brake pads should last you 10000km of road use.
tough hard compound commuter tyres should last you 10000km of road use
a well maintained/looked after derrailleur should easily last 10000km of road use.

i can't remember the rest of your rant (or be bothered scrolling up) but you probably get the idea

I'm probably the one guy here who doesn't think your mileage is unusually high. I used to do that sort of mileage per year on regular bikes (the bulk of it on a roadbike).
on that bike tyres lasted 3-4k miles
brake blocks 6-8k miles
10 speed Ultegra/105 drivetrains (chain/cassette/2x rings) lasted roughly a year (7k miles?)
Drivetrain always cleaned after wet rides. and always lubed.
all lightweight performance parts rather than durable commuter parts

 

[Kingfisher]

On durability: your Mtb bikes are not suitable for long commuting. An mtb tire is soft, for extra grip. Road tires are harder and more durable.

Mtb brake pads are soft, intended to stop an 80kg rider on a 22kg bike on a 20 degree descent. Use them on the road and they melt.

An 11-48 casette will have the biggest cogs in aluminium. Light but wears out quick, while a road casette is all steel.

There is nothing wrong with those components on your bike. They are all a compromise, where durable isn’t a key factor in MTB riding. MTB parts are strong, they are not durable.

 

[Gary]

Mtb brake pads are soft, intended to stop an 80kg rider on a 22kg bike on a 20 degree descent. Use them on the road and they melt.

 

[outerlimits]

My 2018 Turbo Levo has done 10,000K. Most of that on roads and bike paths for a commute. In the 16 months I have had it, it's had this many new parts:

1 new motor
1 new rear tyre
4 chains
3 cassettes
2 chainrings
1 battery cable
1 derailiur
3 sets of brake pads

This, to be quite frank, is bloody mad. The motor and battery cable were both replaced under warranty, the rest I had to pay for. I've done all the regular maintenance and serviced it with a Specialized shop every 3-4 months.

Now, you may say, all bikes are like this, and as someone who never rode before getting this, I don't know. But either way, it's insane. eBikes have motors in them, I'd quite like heavier, stronger parts please, so I don't need to spend an insane amount of money to ride my bike to work.

Is it me?
Is it the bike?
Is it bikes in General?
Is it using general bike parts on an ebike?


Grrr.

Let us know when you’ve done 15000km on the motor. This is when they recommend you replace the drive belt. Given that the motor is not supposed to be opened, I don’t know how the belt is to be replaced.

 

[Kingfisher]

it’s the same with the tires. MTB pads are designed for stopping power, not durability.

Road pads are made of harder compounds, which have less stopping power (they don’t need as much) but are longer lasting.

Road pads are also less sensitive to oily pollutants. A road pad is going to screech less than MTB pads.

Changed the pads twice on my eMTb in the last 1.000km, the road ebike is still going strong on its first set after 2.000km.

 

[OlaGB]

With that kind of milage, i would consider a bike with a rohloff speedhub. They seem to last even forever.

 

[Indigo]

With that kind of milage, i would consider a bike with a rohloff speedhub. They seem to last even forever.

I was going to suggest that myself. Here is a link:
Rohloff Speedhub Conversion - Specialized Levo Expert

Also, an eMTB that comes with Rohloff Speedhub + belt drive:
NICOLAI RELEASE 14 SPEED EBOXX E14
... now that would be a low maintenance bike.

For commuting I use a road ebike with a hub drive motor. The motor provides much more power than I do and drives the rear wheel directly, thereby reducing force I put on the chain rather than adding to it, so I'm expecting its chain and cassette to last much longer, but I haven't had it long enough to comment on durability. However I can say, on the road, road bikes are much more fun.
For a bike with no rear suspension, a hub drive motor makes more sense. It's humans who need gears not electric motors.