Hello From Tamworth

[softtailcruiser]

Hello!

Older, fatter, time-restricted and frustrated at a lack of cycling!

But no more! Once my Trek Powerfly Sport hardtail arrives in a few weeks....

I’ve gone for this bike as I want to commute, tour a little bit, and do some off-road trails at the weekends, or on the way home from work.

I have agonised over getting a full-sus, but for what I want to do, and for my limited budget, I can’t justify the extra expense (although I’m happy to be convinced otherwise).

Imynot a downhiller, and simply love to explore the nooks and crannies of our beautiful country.

Hopefully see some of you out there on a group ride next year. Will I be the only hardtail...?

Simon.

 

[billwarwick]

Hi Simon
No, you won’t be the only hardtail. I got to go out now but will reply in more depth over the weekend.

 

[R120]

I too have a hardtail, its currently in bits as i am overhauling it, great fun and i ride it probably more than my FS EMTB

Vitus E-Sentier - EMTB Forums

 

[All Mountain Coaching]

Out of interest, why get a hardtail ebike? Surely you're sitting mashing the pedals more and comfort goes out the window?! And the weight disadvantages don't apply. Just maybe price and maintenance.

 

[R120]

In my case Fun, i love hardtails, and on my local tracks they are a blast.

 

[softtailcruiser]

The main concern right now is budget.

Also, I've had analogue hardtails for years, and ridden in various places on and off road throughout the UK, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The riding I prefer is a mix of road, bridleway and tracks. My main goal initially is to just get the legs moving again, the lungs going, and the wind in my hair (or through my helmet...er.... moving on...). I am too fat, very unfit and want to improve on both these things over the next year or two, but in a low-impact way. I hate gyms, and love being outdoors just bimbling around. I also hate hills!

I also plan to commute two days a week for 12.5 miles each way. This will be partly canal towpath, and partly back roads and lanes. On the way there, I want to be low-effort and low sweat. Keep a good cadence in Turbo mode, with an appropriate gear to maintain a steady 15 mph. Low effort on my part, and with no shower at work, lower sweat. On the way home I will be able to use Eco mode, and maybe take a longer route, looping out into the countryside, take in some woods and more gnarly stuff, and still be home for tea.

On top of this I may do a bit of cycle touring here and there at weekends. Micro-Adventures. E.g, leave work on a Friday at 4pm, get the train 50 miles away, cycle 25 miles back towards home, camp, cycle the remainder in the morning and be back home in time to take the kids for their Saturday morning swimming lessons. That kind of thing.

Finally, for work I travel round the country visiting clients, and plan to throw the bike in the back of the car on some of these trips and spend a couple of hours exploring new places. Wiltshire, Surrey Hills, Peak District, Yorkshire Wolds, Welsh Borders, Cotswolds, that kind of thing.

I'm a big fan of 'stacking' habits, and combining activities, to achieve more in the same amount of time. e.g. commute plus exercise and audio book, or client meeting plus exercise plus exploring plus photography, or driving plus audiobook plus exploring.

I am also not saying that I will never get a FS e-bike, it's just that the extra cost cannot be justified right now. We all have our own personal situations and compromises. Mine is a hardtail over a FS, and then spending the difference on a family holiday to Holland at Easter. (All on analogue bikes, I should add. They would hate me for taking the eBike!).

So, given the above, and what I will be using it for, a hardtail will be exactly perfect, and a real step-up from where I am at the moment.

Thanks for your comments, though. Keep them coming!

 

[steve_sordy]

There will be no "throwing the bike in the back of the car". Have you felt the weight of these things?

Welcome to the world of biking!

 

[All Mountain Coaching]

Yeah was only asking out of interest. My back prohibits me from riding a hardtail.

 

[softtailcruiser]

There will be no "throwing the bike in the back of the car". Have you felt the weight of these things?

I have, indeed. I had a test ride on one and did just that. I’ll manage, I think, until the point I do my back in and have to get a full-suspension, a towbar and towbar rack on prescription!

 

[billwarwick]

I’ve got a hard tail and as we don’t have too many mountains in Warwickshire, a lot of my local riding is bridleways, rights of way, old railway lines ,etc. I go to Cannock quite a bit and as I’m semi retired, I go in the week when it’s a lot less crowded. The hard tail copes with all of this no problem, and up to recently I would not have considered the extra expense of FS. I haven’t yet ridden a FS ebike and don’t know anything about suspension setup or the other faffing about that goes with it. The thing that has recently put doubts in my mind is going on the forum rideouts. At Swinley, out of 40 ebikes, only 2 were hard tails. I know that I’m getting on a bit and not as quick as the younger guys but still like to get round as quick as I can. I found that as I was chasing the bikes in front of me, I seemed to be bouncing and rattling round the trail and less in control that the FS bikes , who seemed to be almost gliding round smoothly. At times, I was pushing a bit too hard , just trying to keep up. It made me wonder if FS would have improved my ride, or whether I’m just too slow anyway. I’m thinking about maybe hiring a FS next time I join a rideout to see what difference it makes.
Simon....you say that you hate hills. Well, with an ebike you smile all the way to the top. As for your 50 mile mini adventure, don’t forget that you would need to charge your battery somehow.
But don’t be put off joining the rideouts. They are a great bunch of friendly people and it’s an enjoyable day out. You are not too far from Cannock either, where you could get used to your new bike.

 

[softtailcruiser]

I’ve got a hard tail and as we don’t have too many mountains in Warwickshire, a lot of my local riding is bridleways, rights of way, old railway lines ,etc. I go to Cannock quite a bit and as I’m semi retired, I go in the week when it’s a lot less crowded. The hard tail copes with all of this no problem, and up to recently I would not have considered the extra expense of FS. I haven’t yet ridden a FS ebike and don’t know anything about suspension setup or the other faffing about that goes with it. The thing that has recently put doubts in my mind is going on the forum rideouts. At Swinley, out of 40 ebikes, only 2 were hard tails. I know that I’m getting on a bit and not as quick as the younger guys but still like to get round as quick as I can. I found that as I was chasing the bikes in front of me, I seemed to be bouncing and rattling round the trail and less in control that the FS bikes , who seemed to be almost gliding round smoothly. At times, I was pushing a bit too hard , just trying to keep up. It made me wonder if FS would have improved my ride, or whether I’m just too slow anyway. I’m thinking about maybe hiring a FS next time I join a rideout to see what difference it makes.
Simon....you say that you hate hills. Well, with an ebike you smile all the way to the top. As for your 50 mile mini adventure, don’t forget that you would need to charge your battery somehow.
But don’t be put off joining the rideouts. They are a great bunch of friendly people and it’s an enjoyable day out. You are not too far from Cannock either, where you could get used to your new bike.

Thanks for that response. I used to go round Cannock on my old hardtail analogue bike, and had great fun. That was 8-10 years ago, mind you. Also did sime of the MTB Orienteering in the Peak District and other routes, too. All with no probs and with many smiles. I’m 50 now, though, and not really up for a technical trail. The bike I’m getting is fitted with mudguards, racks and lights out of the box, too, so very much a cruiser, although I’m sure Cannock will be eminently doable. Time wil tell....

Thanks again for your comment. Hope to meet some of you in the coming months and years.

 

[Northumbrian]

Hardtail are great fun, cheaper and less hassle, I have one and love it!
Sure, it’s not a comfortable as a plush full Susser but with larger tyres, ( mine are 2.6, 2.8s even better) lower pressures you get a fair amount of comfort over stones and the like, you just need to nurse the rear a bit when going quickly downhill ( all part of the fun, especially when your mate on a full susser cant leave you!)
Sure you will love it!

 

[MattyB]

Hello!

Older, fatter, time-restricted and frustrated at a lack of cycling!

But no more! Once my Trek Powerfly Sport hardtail arrives in a few weeks....

I’ve gone for this bike as I want to commute, tour a little bit, and do some off-road trails at the weekends, or on the way home from work.

I have agonised over getting a full-sus, but for what I want to do, and for my limited budget, I can’t justify the extra expense (although I’m happy to be convinced otherwise).

Imynot a downhiller, and simply love to explore the nooks and crannies of our beautiful country.

Hopefully see some of you out there on a group ride next year. Will I be the only hardtail...?

Simon.

My Dad bought a Powerfly 7 just over 12 months ago, uses it very much as you intend to and absolutely loves the bike. He has only made two significant changes.

The first was a spring change on the fork (it was way too hard for someone of his weight). Sourcing the right spring was a nightmare, as so few people do this on low end forks and the Rockshox parts numbers were difficult for even TF Tuned to work out. If starting again I think he’d probably just swap out the original fork for a basic air spring Recon or similar as that would be a lot less faff and not much more money, but perhaps parts are easier to source for the Suntour fork yours has. He also moved to bigger 2.5” (or possibly 2.6”, I can’t quite remember) Maxxis DHF tyres. Because he rides mostly pretty benign gravel tracks they can be run tubeless at 12-15psi. It probably doesn’t help the range, but that combination gives an amazingly plush ride for a HT, though obviously he’d never get away with it if riding aggressively. Having said that I’ve bought him a dropper for Xmas so maybe those tyre pressures will rise in future!

All in all it think you have chosen a great bike for your needs. Go enjoy it!

 

[softtailcruiser]

Right. Due to the huuuuge delays in delivery from Evans cycles of the Trek Powerfly Sport, which on Wednesday this week pushed eta from 13th Dec to 6 Feb, I have cancelled the order.

Gutted for about 5 minutes.

Then I thought that it was the universe telling me something, and ordered a Turbo Levo FSR from Rutland. It arrives end of next week.

I am so chuffed. The HT thing had been niggling at me, and the Bosch 15mph “wall” was also giving me pause for thought. So no need to worry about all of that any more.

Very, very excited now!

 

[softtailcruiser]

Got the courier’s email late this afternoon. Delivery tomorrow (13th). Needs a signature. Looks like I will be “working from home”. Sleepless night ahead!

 

[All Mountain Coaching]

Christmas come early.