Heavyweight looking for suited EMTB

[Gary]

I'm 6'3" and 322lbs / 23st (1.9m and 146Kg) and ride a base model Turbo Levo. Forks at 70psi, shock at 170. Sag and ride are absolutely fine, the bike is set up perfectly for my weight. "

This doesn't sound correct at all.
what fork? at what travel?
The shock sounds way off too.

 

[Supratad]

This doesn't sound correct at all.
what fork? at what travel?
The shock sounds way off too.

All as stock 2020 Levo
Fork is RS 35 150mm travel.

 

[Canakris]

Without checking, I think for the shock, max PSI is 350, and that's what in mine, giving me about 35% of sag. Works for me.

 

[pgtips]

Hi there. I just posted this elsewhere and I thought it suitable to post here too.
"'I'm 6'3" and 322lbs / 23st (1.9m and 146Kg) and ride a base model Turbo Levo. Forks at 70psi, shock at 170. Sag and ride are absolutely fine, the bike is set up perfectly for my weight. "
I've not had any problems yet with the Levo regarding my weight. I'm not exactly hooning it about or jumping but it's all been fine for me. Set up by BikeScene in Guisborough UK, according to my weight.

Yea that sounds off!
I'm 105kg rider and my shock is on 265psi and my fork is on 123psi to archive the correct sag for my weight!

 

[Gary]

All as stock 2020 Levo
Fork is RS 35 150mm travel.

Yeah. There's absolutely no way on earth 70psi is the correct spring pressure for a 322lb guy riding a 150mm RS 35. Double that would be closer.
Sounds like you have way too little pressure in the shock too

 

[Supratad]

Just been out and checked. Set up doc from shop said 70 and 170, so when I serviced lower legs on weekend I put 70 back in. Just checked sag and it was a little high so with 95psi it seems fine.
Shock however was never at 170. Gauge maxed out so plus 300psi. Sag is at 40% there though, so only losing weight will sort that.
However, bike has performed fine by my standards for last 6 months.

Dunno why bike shop put wrong pressure on forms.

 

[Gary]

when I serviced lower legs on weekend I put 70 back in. Just checked sag and it was a little high so with 95psi it seems fine.

However, bike has performed fine by my standards for last 6 months.

Serious question: do you ever ride the bike stood up? or down anything vaguely steep?
95psi is still absolutely way off for your weight.
Weighting the front when leant over properly in turns too soft a fork will dive so badly I'd not be surprised if you were thrown off the bike.
Get someone to help you set up your sag with you STOOD on the bike in a neutral position. aim for 20-25% as a starting point.
trust me, your bike will handle way better with decent support from the fork.

At you guys weights. Because stiffer spring rates require greater damping forces to control the rebound, damping may also be a bit of an issue .

 

[Supratad]

Certainly no downhilling. It’s a slow road back to riding. My riding is mostly old school XC but I do stand and crouch in the saddle. As said above, I’ve just been out to set up suspension properly, following the guide video you posted. It feels ok, but I’m not going to be flying over rooty descents like that chap in the video.

 

[Gary]

No worries. so long as you like how the suspension feels for you and your riding.
But I certainly wouldn't go recommending your preferences to everyone else in your weight range.

 

[Leroidulacanau]

Yeah. We do.
15 minutes footage of absolutely shit riders constantly falling off on pretty standard natural Alpine terrain. They're the main reason I couldn't think of anything worse than queuing up from 4am to "race" the Mega.


I'm still of the opinion, Why do you want FS?
I wouldn't have thought Antwerp would have the knarliest of mountain bike terrain
The definition of "clydesdale" rider is 220lb+, You're a clydesdale and a half so still way past the norm.
As for wheels, it depends how you ride just as much as your weight. I'm 200-210lb and Don't have a single set of wheels I wouldn't feel confident sending a 15ft drop or 50ft jump with. But I'm a smooth experienced expert level rider (skills wise). All would last just fine for a 330lb beginner rider just riding around and not jumping etc.
I have 11 bikes and quite a few spare wheels so somewhere around 20 sets in total.
All my wheels are fairly standard 32 spoke 3 cross patern, on decent sealed bearing hubs built onto good 21-30mm (internal) rims in the 550g region. Even my DH wheels are sub 2000g.
I am a very experienced bike mechanic/wheelbuilder but many of my wheelests are pre-built off the shelf wheels (as even with everything at trade prices, pre-built wheels are cheaper) but obviously I have the advantage of being able to tension a pre-built wheel myself to my own preference.
At your weight, I'd consider going to 36 spoke hubs/rims for added stiffness, and I'd consider FR rims of around 600g for the same reason. 36 spoke wheels are far less common pre-built and far less common at bargain prices, so if going this route you're going to have to go to a wheelbuilder/shop to have something built. If you went for something off the shelf you still have the option of taking the brand new wheels to a good wheel builder for a tension/true. (about £20-30 per wheel). whatever you buy, pay particular attention to the spokes used. you want a reputable brand and do not want to be going for anything with overly light butted spokes
Whatever wheels you have you are going to have to run properly supportive tyre pressures or you'll end up denting the rims.

Do YT stil spec E13 wheels on the Decoy?
If so, I'd remove them before even riding the bike. infact I have a set of unused E13 wheels here taken off my 2017 Capra (I meant to put up for sale and never got round to it).
E13 wheels have been nothing but problems on all the YT riders bikes I service. There are numerous reasons for this I won't bother going into here but trust me, get rid of them if you do go YT

Yes Gary ... I'm living in Antwerp but the Ardennes are not that far ..
For the rest I'm spending a lot of my "free" time (summer/winter) in Les Gets and this not only during the Morzine Harley days when riding on my other full suspension bike 2019 FLHXS. So now you probably understand why FS ... on the other hand ... people call it also mid lifecrisis or/and perhaps I'm mentally impacted by the StayHome virus.
At 58 I still want to give my life (probably) a "last" kick/boost by exiting my sofa and doing a lot of "fun" things.

YT is still using the e*thirteen wheels in fact : E13 E*SPEC RACE CARBON / 29" x 30 mm | 110 x 15 mm / 27,5" x 35 mm | 148 x 12 mm

I'm currently looking at Simplon (like their concept to configurate your bike : Rapcon Pmax - configurator.Simplon Konfigurator), Moustache, YT, Radon, Specialized, Devinci ...

Understand the FR 36 spokes remark. what about DT SWISS ? any suggestion

thanks for your advice

 

[Supratad]

No worries. so long as you like how the suspension feels for you and your riding.
But I certainly wouldn't go recommending your preferences to everyone else in your weight range.

Well ok but the OP was asking about getting an FS ebike and IME the turbo levo is just about OK for our weight. It might not be bang on and is operating at the edge of its spec but I’d rather he got a bike and got out there rather than spend on a hardtail or be told to lose 25 kg first.

 

[R120]

Riese and Muller do a Heavy Duty package for their Supercharger 2 range of touring hardtail, that is rated for up to 160kg. They also have two batteries that give you a 1000wh total, with the new Bosch motor

 

[Hellfirejack]

I'm 58 years old, 175 cm/5 ft 9, and putting 145 kg / 320 lbs. on the scale
Driving my Harley supports perhaps my mental, but certainly not my physical health.
So I decided to go back into MTB. (Last bike was Specialized Epic Marathon Carbon)

So one of the main reasons is to look for a brand-new EMTB.
My biggest concerns is … is there any EMTB on the market that supports my "healthy specifications" … 145 kg ?

Currently I'm looking into Specialized Turbo bikes, radon RENDER 10.0 HD, Orbea Wild FS ...
Hope to get tips and answers on the Forum

Regards
Leroidulacanau

I was 135Kg when I got my Turbo Levo Comp and have been dropping off a couple of Kgs a week. I ride over 50kgs a day, mostly road and have gone through a set of tyres, as I live so far away from the hills. But when I do get out to the hills I do a good 6hrs on the bike.
I love it!

 

[SussexSi]

As someone who is looking to buy my first emtb in the next few months and weighs in at 150kg I've been doing a bit of research and speaking to brand reps as well as dealers and they have all given me the same advice "buy a hardtail and then if you find you get down to the circa 310-320lb range look to switch to a full susser if you feel the need to. For my riding, general cross country i doubt i'll bother. I have whittled my choices down the either a Trek Powerfly 7 or a Cube Reaction SLT 625 both are rated for riders up to 150kg but i believe this is more due to the forks than anything else.

 

[Gary]

I was 145 kg when I started riding again , I bought a levo ht, got down to 100 kg, reversed my type 2 diabetes then rewarded myself with a full suspension levo, the hardtail handled my "powerfuly built body" no problem.

That's absolutely awesome mate!
Long may your good health continue.

 

[Shane(NZ)]

I was 145 kg when I started riding again , I bought a levo ht, got down to 100 kg, reversed my type 2 diabetes then rewarded myself with a full suspension levo, the hardtail handled my "powerfuly built body" no problem.

How long did that take?
Great commitment, well done ?‍?

 

[Supratad]

Firj

Fork at only 70psi or 170psi sounds better!!

Maybe they wrote it that way in the handbook to make me feel better.
"What did you set the shock at for this guy? "
"Dunno, it was off the f***** scale"
"I'll put 170, we want him to come back when he breaks it"

 

[Supratad]

That 9230m of climb was hard won then.

 

[Joeri]

Giant Reign E+. rider weight max 156 kilo

 

[R120]

I have to say Pedal Assit Ebikes, EMTB or not, are a great way for someone who hasn't done much activity to get fit and healthy, and by that I dont mean getting ripped or anything, but getting yourself back on track.

Aside from the physical benefits, and being able to tailor the assist levels to get the most out of your efforts, just getting out on a bike and into the fresh air, and exploring, has huge mental benefits - throughout my whole life since I could ride a bike, it has been my number one way of relieving stress, parking day to day worries, and clearing my head.

As much as I love mountain biking, I think I love the time and space that being on any bike gives me most

 

[Ryan]

What did you end up with @Leroidulacanau?

I’m in the same spot at the moment and there’s a tonne of these kinds of threads with no conclusion.

At the moment after doing some research and speaking to a couple of local bike shops, I’m looking at a Kenevo Expert myself with a couple of upgrades. LBS suggested upgrading the rear shock to a Fox Float X2, but I’m also looking at upgrading to 220mm discs with stronger Spank wheels and stronger tubeless tyres. There’s very little definitive info online in terms of what you must upgrade. I’m fully prepared to service the thing more regularly or accept that consumables like tyres and brakes will wear out faster - small price to pay for getting out there, getting some exercise and enjoying myself.

Even though we’re over the stated weight limit for the Kenevo, local dealer assures me that Specialized won’t leave me in the lurch, plus being alloy I can get the frame repaired If necessary.

I haven’t ridden a MTB in many years, most recently riding a full carbon frame analogue roady which has had no issues with my weight. Now after a couple of years battling chronic fatigue, I like the idea of an eMTB as a way to get back to exercise and riding without overdoing it.

 

[Canakris]

I rode a Levo 19 at 1.95m and 185kgs, exceeding all sag limits but comfortable rides and drops. Since Corona 5000kms further and 40 kgs lighter so currently at 145 kg and now within all sag limits doing mild downhill and 1 meter drops. The bike has not failed on me so happy and healthier customer ( still some road to go).

 

[urastus]

At your weight, I'd consider going to 36 spoke hubs/rims for added stiffness,

Look at merida aluminium framed bike. They come standard 36 rear, 32 front - one of the things I appreciate about them.

 

[Ryan]

I rode a Levo 19 at 1.95m and 185kgs, exceeding all sag limits but comfortable rides and drops. Since Corona 5000kms further and 40 kgs lighter so currently at 145 kg and now within all sag limits doing mild downhill and 1 meter drops. The bike has not failed on me so happy and healthier customer ( still some road to go).

Thanks, exactly what I was looking for. Did you make any changes? Was it a carbon or ally Levi?

 

[Canakris]

Thanks, exactly what I was looking for. Did you make any changes? Was it a carbon or ally Levi?

Alloy. It still boggles my mind how sturdy the bike and all components are. 145/150kgs puts the rear suspension right at the edge of the saglimit with 320 bars - front suspension not an issue at all.

As a treat this christmas I bought myself Hope wheels with fortus 3 rims, but the stock ones also survived the WorldCup circuit at Houffalize/Belgium.

 

[Ryan]

Alloy. It still boggles my mind how sturdy the bike and all components are. 145/150kgs puts the rear suspension right at the edge of the saglimit with 320 bars - front suspension not an issue at all.

Brilliant thanks very much. All depends on how hard on the gear you are I guess, not all about mass.

 

[Leroidulacanau]

What did you end up with @Leroidulacanau?

I’m in the same spot at the moment and there’s a tonne of these kinds of threads with no conclusion.

At the moment after doing some research and speaking to a couple of local bike shops, I’m looking at a Kenevo Expert myself with a couple of upgrades. LBS suggested upgrading the rear shock to a Fox Float X2, but I’m also looking at upgrading to 220mm discs with stronger Spank wheels and stronger tubeless tyres. There’s very little definitive info online in terms of what you must upgrade. I’m fully prepared to service the thing more regularly or accept that consumables like tyres and brakes will wear out faster - small price to pay for getting out there, getting some exercise and enjoying myself.

Even though we’re over the stated weight limit for the Kenevo, local dealer assures me that Specialized won’t leave me in the lurch, plus being alloy I can get the frame repaired If necessary.

I haven’t ridden a MTB in many years, most recently riding a full carbon frame analogue roady which has had no issues with my weight. Now after a couple of years battling chronic fatigue, I like the idea of an eMTB as a way to get back to exercise and riding without overdoing it.

at the end is was between YT decoy and BH. I've bought the YT Decoy ... although BH score better on supported weight 160 kg vs 150 kg is was the subjective element of look that made my decision in favour for YT decoy

Be carefull with dealers "saying ... won't leave me ... " will they put it on paper ? Guess not ...

btw ... the decoy survided Les Gets ... so did I ;-)

 

[Dustjunky]

These bikes aren’t made for that kind of weight ....most have a max weight limit .....Get a cheep one and if you loose weight then think about a pucker ebike other wise your just gonna wast your money ...

 

[Ryan]

at the end is was between YT decoy and BH. I've bought the YT Decoy ... although BH score better on supported weight 160 kg vs 150 kg is was the subjective element of look that made my decision in favour for YT decoy

Be carefull with dealers "saying ... won't leave me ... " will they put it on paper ? Guess not ...

btw ... the decoy survided Les Gets ... so did I ;-)

Yeah I know what you mean, but at least if it’s alloy frame I can get any frame issues sorted myself worst case scenario.

glad you’re enjoying your decoy!

 

[Ryan]

These bikes aren’t made for that kind of weight ....most have a max weight limit .....Get a cheep one and if you loose weight then think about a pucker ebike other wise your just gonna wast your money ...

They can support it no problems. And I want something I’ll enjoy riding, not some cheap bike I’ll hate using. Plus they have weight limits too...

very unhelpful