Heart says Rail7, head says Merida e160 700…which way would you go

[Doug Stampfer]

And here was me thinking you were testing out the stealth military model

Actually it that colour because hides the mud - I'm too lazy to clean it

 

[Sidkop]

Thanks everyone. I decided in the end to go with the Trek Rail 7 2022. It was as much decided by the support the bike shop would give me for a complete refund if not happy, whereas the Merida shop would only do a swap.

 

[Doomanic]

the support the bike shop would give me for a complete refund if not happy

Really? Wow! That's really good service.

 

[Arron M]

Yep, my Trek dealer offers the same deal, 30 days return for full refund. But I certainly won’t be returning mine, and I’ll be surprised if you return yours

 

[aimage]

This might not help your decision but back in June I went to my lbs to purchase a Rail 7, they couldn't find one in stock in my size and colour at any of their stores. Not wanting to see someone walk out with that coin to spend they knocked down a bright orange 2021 Rail 9 which cost me $NZ900 more than the 7. Spec wise, that was a massive upgrade and well worthwhile. Super happy with my purchase.

 

[1oldfart]

From my experience and what i read i would suggest for a reliable and affordable Ebike to check the Giant Trance.

 

[Sidkop]

This might not help your decision but back in June I went to my lbs to purchase a Rail 7, they couldn't find one in stock in my size and colour at any of their stores. Not wanting to see someone walk out with that coin to spend they knocked down a bright orange 2021 Rail 9 which cost me $NZ900 more than the 7. Spec wise, that was a massive upgrade and well worthwhile. Super happy with my purchase.

Just looked up the difference, and yes the 9 is one hell of an upgrade. Not sure I can stretch that far but very tempting.

 

[aimage]

Just looked up the difference, and yes the 9 is one hell of an upgrade. Not sure I can stretch that far but very tempting.

Not what I was expecting to purchase but as a long term acquisition, the deal was worth it. It's great to ride but it's only an option if you can find a deal like that.

 

[Yoak]

I replaced the motor twice on my Rail under warranty. So the Bosch isn’t foolproof either. It took only a few days. Great support. That said, I’m on my second Rail, and My next ebike will be a Rail as well. I think they are awesome

 

[aimage]

I replaced the motor twice on my Rail under warranty. So the Bosch isn’t foolproof either. It took only a few days. Great support. That said, I’m on my second Rail, and My next ebike will be a Rail as well. I think they are awesome

I had my motor replaced under 200km, wasn't right out of the box, took 2 weeks in NZ plus experianced the usual battery ejection but Trek have been good with the latest cage install so still super happy with the product. It's a beast.

 

[Kevlasultanpus]

I think my heart really wants the Trek Rail 7, something about the brand, the specs, the motor, etc. My brain says I should consider the Merida e160 700 for about $1,500 AUD cheaper. Not as taken by the design or maybe even the brand, but that price difference is a real difference.

Anyone else have to make a head v heart decision, how did it go? Any regrets

When i built my house i skimped on heaps of stuff i regret now. I had a budget stuck to it but missed on some features i now wish i had. There is a moral there somewhere.

Then again $1500 would pay for one great mtb get away...


I suggest trek have a better sales network so that probably leads to better after sales service. I have owned several trek bikes and would personally rate them over merida. Impo caveat there.

Also everytime you ride you dont want to think of 'what could have been'

 

[folmonty]

Enjoying my Rail 7 which have had for 6 months now. Can't speak to any others as I've never ridden anything else. Compared to my old analog Trek Fuel EX9 this eMTB steers very slow and feels like a monster with the 29" wheels. But it's sure comfortable and climbs like a mountain goat. Plenty of fun!

 

[Kernow]

Having changed from an e8000 shimano powered bike very similar to the Merida to the trek rail with bosch I would say the trek is well worth the exra , it’s a more capable up to date bike and the bosch has almost twice the range of the shimano with more features it’s quieter more powerful and smoother in its integration and operation .youll Get what you pay for here

 

[dypark]

Don't know about Australia, but here in the US the wait for a new Rail is close to 2 years. I've had a 9.7 on order since March, estimated delivery date is 11/2022.

 

[folmonty]

@dypark there's half dozen or more between 3 stores here in No CA and they came in the past few weeks. All Trek owned stores.

 

[MOTO13]

I own both a '20 Rail 9.7 with the gen4 Bosch and a '21 Husky HC7 with the EP8. Everything else aside, the Bosch motor is my favorite. No contest.

 

[Bad Mechanic]

Because there is a high possibility that at some point in its life, the E8000 will develop a software fault that will kill the motor. When we used to service these motors one or two would fail within the next 12 months and as we were the last people to touch the motor and we guarantee our work, we inevitably got the blame. Although this was nothing to do with us, try telling that to someone looking down the barrel of £1,000 for a new motor.
Having to buy someone a new motor wipes out any profit from fixing Shimanos' for the next year!
Hence, now we don't currently service them.

Isn't there anyway to clear the fault?

If the motor is out of warranty, does Shimano simply expect you to buy a new one?

 

[Bearing Man]

Isn't there anyway to clear the fault?

If the motor is out of warranty, does Shimano simply expect you to buy a new one?

The fault is a software error or a calibration issue, depending on which fault. It cannot currently be removed as far as I am aware.
Yes, if your motor is out of warranty, the current thinking is, you will be happy to pop out and buy a new motor.

 

[PatrikM]

The fault is a software error or a calibration issue, depending on which fault. It cannot currently be removed as far as I am aware.
Yes, if your motor is out of warranty, the current thinking is, you will be happy to pop out and buy a new motor.

Hi,
so based on your experience with different motors, which brand would you go with? Simply considering the latest models for Bosch/Yamaha/Shimano/Brose/Bafang.
I'm now looking for a new model and while I incline to Giant (and their Yamaha) on the other threads I can see issues with moisture, bearings etc.

Thanks
Patrik

 

[Zimmerframe]

Hi,
so based on your experience with different motors, which brand would you go with? Simply considering the latest models for Bosch/Yamaha/Shimano/Brose/Bafang.
I'm now looking for a new model and while I incline to Giant (and their Yamaha) on the other threads I can see issues with moisture, bearings etc.

Thanks
Patrik

He might not be able or willing to say whilst trying to stay in a position of neutrality.

As a rough guide, the Bosch Gen4 seems to be the most reliable setup at the moment. That's not to say it can't and doesn't also suffer some failures, but they seem to be less than the others and at the same time the motor gives good efficiency/range whilst still providing lots of support if you want it. The downside is generally ugly displays/switch gear.

The newer giants with the Yamaha PW-X3 haven't really been around long enough to get a good indication of long term reliability. There appear to be a few oversights with the latest bikes and mixed views on range. Some have reported getting better performance after 500km's or so, though others haven't. Whilst some have found them fine from new.

 

[PatrikM]

He might not be able or willing to say whilst trying to stay in a position of neutrality.

As a rough guide, the Bosch Gen4 seems to be the most reliable setup at the moment. That's not to say it can't and doesn't also suffer some failures, but they seem to be less than the others and at the same time the motor gives good efficiency/range whilst still providing lots of support if you want it. The downside is generally ugly displays/switch gear.

The newer giants with the Yamaha PW-X3 haven't really been around long enough to get a good indication of long term reliability. There appear to be a few oversights with the latest bikes and mixed views on range. Some have reported getting better performance after 500km's or so, though others haven't. Whilst some have found them fine from new.

I was looking also Focus bikes, especially because of the Bosch motor, but they switched to Shimano with 2022 range.

 

[Zimmerframe]

I was looking also Focus bikes, especially because of the Bosch motor, but they switched to Shimano with 2022 range.

The Jam2/Sam2's "6" bikes are nicely put together and ride really well. It's worth doing a bolt check on the suspension linkages though as someone in the assembly area doesn't know how to use a torque wrench. There are a few still out there for sale, though not many and possibly a few still working their way through. Personally, I think the move to the Shimano setup for the 7 bikes is very unfortunate and rules me out to upgrade.

 

[Bearing Man]

He might not be able or willing to say whilst trying to stay in a position of neutrality.

As a rough guide, the Bosch Gen4 seems to be the most reliable setup at the moment. That's not to say it can't and doesn't also suffer some failures, but they seem to be less than the others and at the same time the motor gives good efficiency/range whilst still providing lots of support if you want it. The downside is generally ugly displays/switch gear.

The newer giants with the Yamaha PW-X3 haven't really been around long enough to get a good indication of long term reliability. There appear to be a few oversights with the latest bikes and mixed views on range. Some have reported getting better performance after 500km's or so, though others haven't. Whilst some have found them fine from new.

What he said!
Personally, I say... buy a bike with your heart not your head. What you see on the forums does not show a true representation of the thousands of people happily riding around on all different makes of motors suffering no issues what so ever. A bike should make you smile when you look at it and giggle when you ride it. If it does this then who cares what motor it has in it

 

[PatrikM]

The Jam2/Sam2's "6" bikes are nicely put together and ride really well. It's worth doing a bolt check on the suspension linkages though as someone in the assembly area doesn't know how to use a torque wrench. There are a few still out there for sale, though not many and possibly a few still working their way through. Personally, I think the move to the Shimano setup for the 7 bikes is very unfortunate and rules me out to upgrade.

Yeah, that's what I thought, but finding a bike to fit me it's kind of near impossible
With 192 cm and 115 kg, the list of things available is really limited. I liked the Focus/Giant for the total system weight allowance.

 

[PennywiseTheDancingClown]

So what was the end result?

 

[Paulquattro]

This is a fine thread revival