First time buyer needing help

[Nystrom]

Hi
I got an offer from work to buy a bike at discounted price. I've been thinking of a e-mtb ever since I stopped with motocross so I thought this is a perfect opportunity to get one. There's not a whole lot to choose from but I narrowed my choice down to either an Specialized Levo Alloy or a Orbea Wild H20 but I'm having trouble deciding between this two. Can you give me any advice?

As I said earlier, complete newbie when it comes to Mtb but having raced and ridden motocross from a young age I think an e-mtb will be something for me. I will probably mostly start riding easy trails around here at home.

 

[Paulquattro]

Hi
Welcome to the site

 

[OC eMTB]

Newb here too. I'm also considering a Specialized Turbo Levo Alloy, so that would get my vote!

 

[Montana St Alum]

"Keep your powder dry". There are some really interesting bikes that have just dropped and I'm betting more will come out in the next 6+ weeks. Your options in Sweden may be quite different than your options in the U.S. We all have different priorities as well and there are some smoking deals going on that might get better as the new bikes roll out. What are "must haves" (power, torque, battery size, frame materials and components - those sorts of things) and what are deal breakers (non-removable batteries, weight, wheel size combos, known noisy motors and such).

 

[Nystrom]

"Keep your powder dry". There are some really interesting bikes that have just dropped and I'm betting more will come out in the next 6+ weeks. Your options in Sweden may be quite different than your options in the U.S. We all have different priorities as well and there are some smoking deals going on that might get better as the new bikes roll out. What are "must haves" (power, torque, battery size, frame materials and components - those sorts of things) and what are deal breakers (non-removable batteries, weight, wheel size combos, known noisy motors and such).

Thank you
Yes I understand your point, both the Levo and the Wild is at discounted prices. Unfortunately the company we get to choose from doesn't have a lot when it comes to e-mtb but I just found out they also offer Canyon.

My priorities is a good enough bike to be able to both start on and if I enjoy it that it's good enough to not having the need and want to have something better straight away.

As I'm said I'm coming from a motocross background and I've heard from other ex motocrossers that e-mtb can give you a bit more of that feel compared to a regular mtb with the torque feel. I'm also a single dad so I don't have a lot of free time so it might go weeks between rides. So that means I'm probably looking for something with a strong motor and reach as my cardio is not so strong anymore. Nice suspension would also be something I would like to prioritise. I understand the rock shox fork on both the Levo and wild leaves alot to offer? I just had a quick look at the canyon bikes and their forks seemed better if you compare the same price class?

 

[Paulquattro]

Just make sure whatever you choose you have good after sales service as you will probably need it at some point

 

[Montana St Alum]

I'm 71 and have mountain biked since 1989. I also live at 6500 ft elevation and am an "empty nester", so I have more time available to ride than you do. But I can empathize with your priorities! In my case, I need to limit the weight of the bike to under about 50 pounds (my shoulders aren't getting any younger). Also, I wanted full power availability (85 Nm) and a decent battery capacity. The compromise that worked for me was the Giant Trance X El 3.
46 pounds, 400 wh (my longest ride so far is 29.24 miles and 3700 feet of climbing) and the tuning on the motor supports my tendency to run at a low cadence (around 60 rpm). Also, very good price point for me as a new ebike owner. I see that in the U.S. these are currently heavily discounted.
For my mtn bike, I found rear suspension design to be very important for the climb in technically demanding conditions. After a season on an ebike, this has become a lower priority. Loss of efficiency on an ebike just isn't a big deal, so "single pivot" designs are now on my list of acceptable designs (Vs. DW/Maestro/VPP). That opens up the list of bikes quite a bit.
Mine came with really basic fork/shock options. I replaced wiper seals, optimized tokens for my riding and performed basic lower leg/can services and am very happy with their operations. And I'm a complete suspension/component snob on my mtn bike.
Moving forward, a bit more battery life would be nice, but "buying up" for weight reduction or component quality is not a high priority for me.
I could have afforded the EL0, but that's the same price as 2 EL3s.
In short, the sweet spot for many offerings out there could be the low end or second from cheapest options.

 

[Nystrom]

I'm sure the Giant is also great bikes but I don't have the ability to choose from then.

I found the Canyon Strive on Underdog is also available and right now that feels like my first choice! How would that compare to the Levo and Wild?

 

[Ark]

I'd get the Orbea wild for the Bosch motor.

mainly because My current Bike is Bosch and in my country there seems to be a lot more places to diagnose/warranty a Bosch motor than there are specialised/brose

 

[arTNC]

I'd get the Orbea wild for the Bosch motor.

mainly because My current Bike is Bosch and in my country there seems to be a lot more places to diagnose/warranty a Bosch motor than there are specialised/brose

I tend to agree with you on the Bosch option. We sell Trek, Specialized, and Santa Cruz at the shop I work part time at in my retired years. The Bosch motors have been the most trouble free overall. I've owned pedal-only Spec and SC bikes over the years, so I don't have any animosity toward those brands. I just think the Bosch motor may be a more solid choice as you get into the emtb arena.

Without repeating my background in dirt motors so I don't bore people to death, OP I think you will thoroughly enjoy an emtb. I run my Trek Rail 7 with the Bosch motor in Turbo mode exclusively. I still get a workout, but it comes closer to satisfying my dirt motor sense of power and speed. I did add a VOLspeed tuning device to mine to maintain a little more speed as I go past 15mph, and it has been awesome.

On the suspension issue, this is something you can upgrade over time if you find the need. My dirt motor past has me preferring coil springs front and rear, and that's one of the first things I did to my Rail. Still, there are lots of good air suspension components out there, and the suspension that comes on the bike you select will probably serve you just fine as you get deeper into riding an emtb.

 

[Nystrom]

I'd get the Orbea wild for the Bosch motor.

mainly because My current Bike is Bosch and in my country there seems to be a lot more places to diagnose/warranty a Bosch motor than there are specialised/brose

The Canyon also has the Bosch motor. And it seems to have better forks and removable battery so I'm getting more interested in the Canyon now.

 

[steve_sordy]

@Nystrom At the risk of repeating the good advice from @Paulquattro I will now almost repeat it.

A first-time buyer of an emtb will have the following new things to deal with:

Motor, battery, charger, display, wiring, fault codes, software, updates, apps, cleaning & maintenance of electrical items.

For your first emtb at least, you will find it beneficial if you have somewhere close that you can take the bike when it doesn't work. "Why is it not charging?" "Why has the range suddenly dropped?" What is causing this intermittent fault?"........

 

[steve_sordy]

@Nystrom Here is another reason to have somewhere reasonably close. Intermittent faults!

My display kept cutting out and the motor would stop. Then it would start again for no obvious reason. I took it to dealer and he wheeled it into the workshop. I'm glad he didn't have a lot to do that day and started straight away; also glad that I was poking about the shop before driving off. He came out from the workshop and told me it was now all good. I asked what he had done and he told me that he had done a reset. Just as I was thanking him and saying good bye I grabbed the bars and turned them. The display went dark and I didn't have to say a word, he just took the bike back and trudged back to the workshop.

The cause was a control wire that had been squashed when a replacement battery had been fitted (easily done apparently). The motor and battery had to come out, new cable (£7) and then all refitted without squashing the cable again. Thankfully it was a warranty job.

Imagine if I'd had to send the bike back to wherever it was needed, hours and hours away or in another country maybe?