Emtb hardtails...can they still take a hit?

[Noobster]

Ordered a vitus e sentier this morning 2019.

Anyone have any info or experience on these? Bought because it looked head and shoulders above the rest of the competition in this price bracket.

While I am inexperienced (I would say so anyway) I have been having fun in the last year throwing my hardtail (calibre line 10l) around trails and doing 2-3 foot drops and maybe jumping for a max of 6 foot. With the extra weight and engine will the vitus be capable of all this and more so I can progress with it?

I do know something like the sommett would have been a wiser choice but over £3000 for a bike is just beyond my means at this time in my life. Just wondering if hardtail EMTBs are as good as there non motor counterparts in terms of being able to take them down pretty ruff stuff .

Thanks all !

 

[33red]

I never had a problem with a HT.
That xtra weight is just faster drops

 

[Gary]

I have one.
Yes. it''ll take way more than 3ft drops and little 6ft jumps and can be ridden down anything an FS can
is it fun to ride compared to an ordinary hardtail? No. it's pretty horrible TBH.
I sort of hate mine.

 

[Gary]

The fork is basic. (but fine)
finishing kit Ok.
midrange groupset is fine. (and probably makes more sense from a running costs POV than a high end groupset on an Emtb TBH)
motor is weedy (compared to E8000)
and brakes overkill (especially the rear)
Tyres are draggy.

it's a really harsh ride and way more effort to manual, pump, jump and change direction on than my E-sommet (despite it being 3lb lighter)

I bought mine to commute on. Which it's great for. (except I'm the kind of rider who hops kerbs, hits kickers wheelies uphills and manuals downhills during a commute)
The ESentier's 450mm chainstays are far too long to be playful.
and it's just too heavy

Oh... and it's kinda ugly too.

 

[routrax]

The fork is basic. (but fine)
finishing kit Ok.
midrange groupset is fine. (and probably makes more sense from a running costs POV than a high end groupset on an Emtb TBH)
motor is weedy (compared to E8000)
and brakes overkill (especially the rear)
Tyres are draggy.

it's a really harsh ride and way more effort to manual, pump, jump and change direction on than my E-sommet (despite it being 3lb lighter)

I bought mine to commute on. Which it's great for. (except I'm the kind of rider who hops kerbs, hits kickers wheelies uphills and manuals downhills during a commute)
The ESentier's 450mm chainstays are far too long to be playful.
and it's just too heavy

Oh... and it's kinda ugly too.

So that's a big thumbs up then?

 

[Gary]

Here it is


Since those pics it now has front and rear mudguards, a water bottle cage, a racier saddle and a 210mm One UP Components dropper post (to aid manuallability)

changes from stock also incl:
2.0 Schwalbe Big Ben street tyres (tubeless)
38T chainring
Steele Ind flats
35mm (length) stem
Sensus grips

 

[Noobster]

Cheers for the honest opinion Gary. I've read a few of your posts and you seem like a super experienced rider so maybe for someone like me I won't notice all these quirks . Especially as I can't even do the things you do on your commute ?. So maybe I won't notice as much as you? I did however think the tyre choices on it are draggy and was instantly going to change them to something like 2.4 rocket Ron's as I won't do any trail riding in the wet and I like faster rolling tyres.

Just out of interest how long did it take to arrive from ordering @Gary ?

Cheers

 

[Gary]

about 9 days I think.

No tracking info and no warning at all when it was arriving and the courier just left it outside my door all day

As Emtb hardtails go it's not a bad one. I've ridden a few others and they all have those traits. most are a lot heavier than the E Sentier and none have as good spec for the money.

check the bike over for shipping damage. They're not packed very well protected and couriers can be dicks with big packages.
if it's less then 100% unmarked/undamaged take pics of any damage and contact CRC/Wiggle. They'll offer you a paltry sum in vouchers at first. Refuse that and only settle for what you deem a decent amount of compensation.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Refuse that and only settle for what you deem a decent amount of compensation.

If you look at some of Gary's Instagram pictures you'll notice the large wooden kegs outside the house, which I'd assumed were just a normal trip to the off licence, but were probably said "decent amount of compensation".

I suspect in the hands of a mortal, it will be quite an outstanding bike. Keep in mind, if you get Gary on a week when his hair dryers not working he can be quite negative and direct.

 

[Gary]

Dude. I'm not an amature. I have back up hairdriers incase of such an emergency.

 

[Jamy]

Cheers for the honest opinion Gary. I've read a few of your posts and you seem like a super experienced rider so maybe for someone like me I won't notice all these quirks . Especially as I can't even do the things you do on your commute ?. So maybe I won't notice as much as you? I did however think the tyre choices on it are draggy and was instantly going to change them to something like 2.4 rocket Ron's as I won't do any trail riding in the wet and I like faster rolling tyres.

Just out of interest how long did it take to arrive from ordering @Gary ?

Cheers

I too went for a HT (CUBE 2020 SL625) over a FS. It wasnt the price difference that put me off, the SL was £3000 which isnt a million miles away from the FS bike. the main reasons were 1st the type of riding i'm doing. I use the bike to ride to work every day, 5 days a week so 90% of the time it will be commuting, I will use it every other weekend for local woodland trials, fire roads canal paths. The HT copes with these easily and a FS would be overkill
2nd was chainring size. Because of reason 1 a 34tooth front chainring seemed too small (all of the FS i liked had 34t) if I could have gone bigger than 38t (current) I would have.
My skill level just isn't there for a FS, I can't even ride no handed so I aint gonna be flying off any jumps
I would have also said maintenance but to be honest my mechanical skills are limited to changing a chain, tyre and adjusting the deraileur anything else would be done by my LBS