EMTB newbie, Trek Rail excitement!

[Hotrod]

I've been a long time mountain biker going back to the days where 10 speeds were converted with motocross bars and knobby tires. A lot has changed over the years including my age. My last analog bike purchase was a Santa Cruz HT in 2020, I absolutely love the bike. However after moving into my early 60's I have noticed the climbs becoming much more difficult and being in So Cal, just about all the rides involve several thousand feet of climbing if you want the downhill fun. Add to this my wife also rides and being the same age she has been losing her desire to ride.

Advance to today and after a years worth of test rides, reading and watching reviews and vacillating on the cost of an EMTB, we finally pulled the trigger. Trek was having an amazing buy one get one free sale on Black Friday, luckily the 2022 Rail 9.7 was on the list. We had been renting and testing the mid power bikes which were nice but in reality the concern was they may not provide the power needed to carry us to age 70.

After a test ride on the Rail we were rather surprised at the power and rideable feel, the eMTB setting is crazy good. We decided to buy and after a couple days of "buyers remorse" due to the money spent, we got our first ride in and all that went away. On one of the steepest hills which my wife would have to get off her bike and push, she rode all the way up and actually laughed when she got to the top!

We look forward to putting some miles on the bikes and getting back to some trails we have been skipping due to the climbing needed.

 

[Stihldog]

Welcome to the forums.
Trek 9.7 is a great bike. You won’t be disappointed. I wasn’t disappointed.

 

[Julie_X1]

Great choice! My husband and I also bought his and her e-mtb’s. Yes, sticker shock but game changer, as you’ve noted.

Totally worth it.

 

[irie]

.On one of the steepest hills which my wife would have to get off her bike and push, she rode all the way up and actually laughed when she got to the top!

Same for us with his and hers 2022 Rails (Rail 5's but heavily modified). My (grandmother) medical wife rides downhill like a fearless teenager and screams at the same time!

 

[Paulquattro]

Welcome from another happy rail owner

 

[EMTBSEAN]

Welcome aboard mate, hope you enjoy your new bike

 

[Hotrod]

Thanks for the welcome! We got our second ride in over the weekend, I am blown away at how good this bike is, for a 53 pound bike it performs amazingly well. The power is crazy good and I easily climbed a very steep hill that would be hard to walk up let alone pedal up, and I got up to 37 mph on a long downhill run including small speed jumps all done with full confidence. A little more adjusting of the rebound and air pressures and it should be dialed in. I wish it was not winter as can't wait to get this thing on Mammoth mountain.