Hello everyone

[Another rider]

Not new to EMTB but new to this forum. Had by current bike, a Cube Reaction Pro hardtail for about 2 and a half years and I still love it.
I'm now thinking of buying a full suspension bike to join it - probably a 2021 model once they start to come into stock.

 

[GrandPaBrogan]

Not new to EMTB but new to this forum. Had by current bike, a Cube Reaction Pro hardtail for about 2 and a half years and I still love it.
I'm now thinking of buying a full suspension bike to join it - probably a 2021 model once they start to come into stock.

You’re gonna love a FS eBike. Besides the obvious handling and performance benefits, a motor nullifies the main disadvantage of a suspended rear end - energy-sapping pedal bob, especially when climbing.

Most EEBS come with a lockout switch of some sort on the rear shock unit for climbing, but I no longer bother using mine and just leave the shock fully open. What I do is remain seated and with a slightly higher cadence (but not quite spinning), I focus on pedalling in ‘circles’ as opposed to ‘mashing in squares.’

Because of pedal assist, it’s possible to maintain the right amount of pedal torque to get me up the hill without disrupting equilibrium that causes bobbing. Granted that my Giant Maestro linkage has an anti-bob component in its geometrical movement (as most other suspension designs also have) but for me anyway, lockout switches both front and rear are a thing of the past. Locking the rear shock would no doubt increase uphill climbing efficiency and therefore minimise battery drain (on paper) or get to the top faster if that’s the goal, but ignoring its use has never penalised my battery charge mileage for the kind of rides that I do (not day-long distances).

An old school hardtail diehard, wife inherited my first FS eBike by accident when I lent it to her one day. The reason I ended up with a Giant Trance e is because she wouldn’t give it back!

 

[Another rider]

You’re gonna love a FS eBike. Besides the obvious handling and performance benefits, a motor nullifies the main disadvantage of a suspended rear end - energy-sapping pedal bob, especially when climbing.

Most EEBS come with a lockout switch of some sort on the rear shock unit for climbing, but I no longer bother using mine and just leave the shock fully open. What I do is remain seated and with a slightly higher cadence (but not quite spinning), I focus on pedalling in ‘circles’ as opposed to ‘mashing in squares.’

Because of pedal assist, it’s possible to maintain the right amount of pedal torque to get me up the hill without disrupting equilibrium that causes bobbing. Granted that my Giant Maestro linkage has an anti-bob component in its geometrical movement (as most other suspension designs also have) but for me anyway, lockout switches both front and rear are a thing of the past. Locking the rear shock would no doubt increase uphill climbing efficiency and therefore minimise battery drain (on paper) or get to the top faster if that’s the goal, but ignoring its use has never penalised my battery charge mileage for the kind of rides that I do (not day-long distances).

An old school hardtail diehard, wife inherited my first FS eBike by accident when I lent it to her one day. The reason I ended up with a Giant Trance e is because she wouldn’t give it back!

I am looking forward to getting one but am in the lucky position that I can wait until the 2021 bikes come along. In theory there's so much choice but in practice I'm guessing it will still come down to availability. I'll be keeping the hardtail for myself for a while too. Coincidentally I've never really bothered with the front fork lockout even when riding on the road, I never felt it made that much difference.