EMTB high budget... buy now or wait till end of 2019?

[xcentric]

Wait. There's a better motor coming sometime soon. And bigger batteries. And better control software. And better frame geometries the account for the slight additional weight. And then slightly lighter motors. And then regenerative braking so that you can recover most of the battery power on the descents, so you can have a smaller lighter battery. And then motors that help with the regeneration. And slightly different geometries to work better with the smaller batteries. Maybe hydrogen fuel cells.

And then 10 years will have gone by, and you'll be in the same position.

If you can afford it, and you want to ride one, then get one and ride it. If you find it doesn't meet your needs in a few years as one of the possible improvements is much better suited, sell the first one and buy the upgrade. Looking back on a ride is more fun than looking back on wishing you had done a ride.

All bikes lose money. Yes, eBikes possible depreciate slightly faster because tech is moving - but they have got to a very good position now and a bike that works for you now will still work for you in a few years time.....

 

[EMTBehave]

Does the YT use the stock Shimano charger? I doubt it as battery is bespoke. Shimano has just released a smaller ("portable") charger, but it only works with their batteries - Apparently will charge 504wh to 80% in 2 hours.

Its called the EC -E8004:

EC-E8004

Hmm interesting thanks I guess I will need to check with YT! I will ask them and report back here.

Buy now, now, now!

Three reasons:

1) Businesses can by fickle, your employer might change their policy, so don't miss out on this great offer.
2) There will always be something better around the corner, but these two bikes are already amazing. Buy now and you will be a year nearer to buying your 2nd e-bike, and just think how good that one will be.
3) It's spring, don't miss out on a whole summer's worth of riding to get something slightly more bling.

Don't look back, head for the sunset on your shiny new (half price) e-bike.

Enjoy!!!!!!

My policy goes until the end of 2020, so not too much rush! I do agree though that the YT looks amazing and would give me so much fun this summer.

How long is the battery and would it be practical to carry? The levo 2019 is too long in my opinion (I know Rob managed to cram one into a evoc pack).

Not too long to fit into my backpack I am sure... where there's is a will there's a way.

Wait. There's a better motor coming sometime soon. And bigger batteries. And better control software. And better frame geometries the account for the slight additional weight. And then slightly lighter motors. And then regenerative braking so that you can recover most of the battery power on the descents, so you can have a smaller lighter battery. And then motors that help with the regeneration. And slightly different geometries to work better with the smaller batteries. Maybe hydrogen fuel cells.

And then 10 years will have gone by, and you'll be in the same position.

If you can afford it, and you want to ride one, then get one and ride it. If you find it doesn't meet your needs in a few years as one of the possible improvements is much better suited, sell the first one and buy the upgrade. Looking back on a ride is more fun than looking back on wishing you had done a ride.

All bikes lose money. Yes, eBikes possible depreciate slightly faster because tech is moving - but they have got to a very good position now and a bike that works for you now will still work for you in a few years time.....

I am not concerned about depreciation, I will get 50% paid by my company. But I am a savvy buyer in general and I know well the pitfalls of buying a major purchase at the beginning of a new generation of technology. Hence I was just making sure nothing significant was in the near horizon that would cause me to regret.

 

[dirt huffer]

I think if you dig into when Shimano or Brose/Specialized started designing ebikes and ebike motors... you'd have to look back as far as 2010 (Shimano), and probably earlier for Specialized.

So while eBiking is just now catching on, stuff has been in design and engineering for almost a decade or longer. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[Ross1137]

New member here so hello and hope you are all doing well! I am in the lucky situation where my workplace will pay half of any EMTB purchase (they will contribute up to 5000EUR, so a 10000EUR bike max). This means that I have the luxury of making a significant EMTB purchase, though of course I do not want to spend more than I need to.

So far my front runners are:

• YT Decoy CF Pro - 5000 EUR - Seems like amazing value and initial tests are very positive.
• Canyon Spectral ON 9.0 - 5500 EUR - Good value, long warranty and well reviewed.

Now as much as I want one, this can not be considered an "urgent" purchase. So my questions are:

1. Of the YT and the Canyon, which looks like a better buy? Any others I should seriously consider that match either of these for performance and value?
2. Is it worth holding off to the end of 2019... will there be new technology arriving that will make waiting worthwhile considering I am aiming to keep the bike for 5+ years?

Thanks in advance for your input!

Cheers,

EMTBEhave.

My only question is why would your employer pay for half of an e-bike mine won't do that hahaha

 

[Kernow]

Any more opinions please guys?

Commencal would be similar , , also the Merida and of course the epic value vitus all with shimano external battery to thier advantage . Canyon is nice but check out the threads with problems concerning supply and poor customer service

 

[R120]

The reality of EMTB's right now is that the power of all the motors is good enough, and the software is now very advanced, and at a stage whereby the "cycling" experience is very natural.

For my own personal experience, the single most annoying thing is battery capacity and the range that results.

I would expect to see more bikes coming out with higher capacity batteries over the next year.

If I was looking to buy right now, the only two bikes I would consider (because I want to have a removable battery, so ignoring the likes of Norco) would be the Specilized Levo or the YT, as both have or will have the ability to run a 700wh battery that is easily removable, and have Apps that allow you to tailor the power delivery and support to further fine tune the riding experience.

There are other bikes such as the Fantics with big removable batteries, but they are not as well sorted overall machines. You also have the Focus's which have the ability to use an add on battery that extends the range, but I am not sold on the placement of the piggy back battery placement and how it puts weight higher up the bike..

There are also aftermarket range extender batteries, mostly for Specilized's, but again these involve doing work tot he bike that will likely cause warranty issues if you have a problem.

Members on here with the bigger battery fitted to their Levo's are getting 35 miles and 4000 + ft of climbing out of them. where as the max I can get out of my Shimano 504wh battery is 25 miles and 3000ft of climbing. I do have a spare battery, which is fine at trail centres or when riding a loop, as I can leave the battery in the car and swap it out, but its a pain to carry nearly 3kg on your back if you want to take the battery with you.

If you think you are going to be riding over 25 miles and 3000ft of elevation on a regular basis, then you are going to want to go with a big battery option.

 

[EMTBehave]

My only question is why would your employer pay for half of an e-bike mine won't do that hahaha

CO2 saving scheme to promote eco-friendly purchases. $

Commencal would be similar , , also the Merida and of course the epic value vitus all with shimano external battery to thier advantage . Canyon is nice but check out the threads with problems concerning supply and poor customer service

Hmm didn't know they had CS problems, interesting will check out the posts, thanks for the heads up.

The reality of EMTB's right now is that the power of all the motors is good enough, and the software is now very advanced, and at a stage whereby the "cycling" experience is very natural.

For my own personal experience, the single most annoying thing is battery capacity and the range that results.

I would expect to see more bikes coming out with higher capacity batteries over the next year.

If I was looking to buy right now, the only two bikes I would consider (because I want to have a removable battery, so ignoring the likes of Norco) would be the Specilized Levo or the YT, as both have or will have the ability to run a 700wh battery that is easily removable, and have Apps that allow you to tailor the power delivery and support to further fine tune the riding experience.

There are other bikes such as the Fantics with big removable batteries, but they are not as well sorted overall machines.

Members on here with the bigger battery fitted to their Levo's are getting 35 miles and 4000 + ft of climbing out of them. where as the max I can get out of my Shimano 504wh battery is 25 miles and 3000ft of climbing. I do have a spare battery, which is fine at trail centres or when riding a loop, as I can leave the battery in the car and swap it out, but its a pain to carry nearly 3kg on your back if you want to take the battery with you.

If you think you are going to be riding over 25 miles and 3000ft of elevation on a regular basis, then you are going to want to go with a big battery option.

I think (or rather, assuming) that I can handle carrying an extra battery as long as it fits in a good and supportive backpack. in the end, I would hope that the power-assist from the EMTB compensates for the drag of the additional weight you are carrying as long as they are well balanced on your body in a good and supportive backpack. Plus, I am 71KG so not too much of a stress for a motor.

I guess I would just need to see how long the bigger batteries are when the specs are released and if they are even indeed carry-able from a dimensions perspective.

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

YT chargers. Not sure the connector type.

 

[Eckythump]

I was hoping they were using the RoPD connectors. That looks similar but not the same?

 

[Andy A]

The reality of EMTB's right now is that the power of all the motors is good enough, and the software is now very advanced, and at a stage whereby the "cycling" experience is very natural.

For my own personal experience, the single most annoying thing is battery capacity and the range that results.

I would expect to see more bikes coming out with higher capacity batteries over the next year.

If I was looking to buy right now, the only two bikes I would consider (because I want to have a removable battery, so ignoring the likes of Norco) would be the Specilized Levo or the YT, as both have or will have the ability to run a 700wh battery that is easily removable, and have Apps that allow you to tailor the power delivery and support to further fine tune the riding experience.

There are other bikes such as the Fantics with big removable batteries, but they are not as well sorted overall machines. You also have the Focus's which have the ability to use an add on battery that extends the range, but I am not sold on the placement of the piggy back battery placement and how it puts weight higher up the bike..

There are also aftermarket range extender batteries, mostly for Specilized's, but again these involve doing work tot he bike that will likely cause warranty issues if you have a problem.

Members on here with the bigger battery fitted to their Levo's are getting 35 miles and 4000 + ft of climbing out of them. where as the max I can get out of my Shimano 504wh battery is 25 miles and 3000ft of climbing. I do have a spare battery, which is fine at trail centres or when riding a loop, as I can leave the battery in the car and swap it out, but its a pain to carry nearly 3kg on your back if you want to take the battery with you.

If you think you are going to be riding over 25 miles and 3000ft of elevation on a regular basis, then you are going to want to go with a big battery option.

I have the Focus Jam2 and had my TEC pack on the bike today and you can't tell it's on there the bike feels like normal and handles the same as normal it is a brilliant idea that works really well

 

[steve_sordy]

I have the Focus Jam2 and had my TEC pack on the bike today and you can't tell it's on there the bike feels like normal and handles the same as normal it is a brilliant idea that works really well

I agree with the "brilliant idea that works really well", but I can tell it's there, especially when doing left/right/left/right swoopy stuff.

 

[R120]

I think its a good idea, I just think that it needs refining. A longer slimer battery would be better.

 

[OlaGB]

Shorter, wider, placed further down you mean?

Weight placed low and center, instead of forward and high..

 

[Andy A]

I think its a good idea, I just think that it needs refining. A longer slimer battery would be better.

I agree with you there longer and slimmer would be better but at this moment for me it works really well I took it out today and did 32 miles with 2500 feet of climbing I used the TEC pack first two bars then switched to the internal battery and when I got home I still had the three bars on the TEC pack and strangely it was still showing 4 bars on the internal battery!!!!! My wife said are you sure it was turned on

 

[R120]

The concept is great, Haibike doing something similar now too but with a 500wh ? that goes on bottle cafe mounts.

I just think the Focus are such slick bikes generally in terms of design and integration, that it’s a shame the TEC pack looks like an afterthought in relation to the design overall

 

[Andy A]

The concept is great, Haibike doing something similar now too but with a 500wh ? that goes on bottle cafe mounts.

I just think the Focus are such slick bikes generally in terms of design and integration, that it’s a shame the TEC pack looks like an afterthought in relation to the design overall

I really love my Focus but you are right with the design of the TEC pack I wish it was a slicker design BUT I am happy to have the option of a bike with 754wh of battery I don't often take it out and the Jam2 looks superb then

 

[steve_sordy]

...........

I just think the Focus are such slick bikes generally in terms of design and integration, that it’s a shame the TEC pack looks like an afterthought in relation to the design overall

If the TEC pack was the same colour as the frame it would help in that respect.

Now that's an idea! (honesty it has only just occurred to me). I am fortunate that my Focus blue is the same shade as Peugot Aegean blue metallic. So I could get the TEC pack sprayed.
Hmmm..... I have to ask myself does it bother me THAT much, will it look like I'm trying too hard, do I even care? Hmmm....

 

[R120]

You could get it wrapped.

 

[Gary]

Hmm... isn't the Tec pack black?

it makes way more sense to murder out the frame and every single component