Hi all - just thought I'd get on board with this forum, as have watched a few videos to supplement my obsession with EMBN!
I'm probably in a minority here that have chosen to go down the route of modifying a cheaper hub driven EMTB to see what is possible.
I purchased my Carrera Vulcan E-Spec (around 1 month old, and virtually unused) for £600 (RRP £1250), and have switched over the stem and bars, switched the cheapo XC wheels for Halo SAS rims, shod in Schwalbe Magic Marys with a tubless setup.
I switched out the stock Suntour XCM fork for a Suntour Raidon, adjusted to 130mm travel.
I've also switched to a Shimano SLX clutched derailleur mated to an 11-speed cassette and chucked in a KMC gold chain for giggles.
It is a heavy bike at around 25kg, but it has been a hoot to modify, and I have actually learnt how to jump on this bike exclusively (which is daunting, as the back end is where all the weight is!). Even with the huge weight bias to the rear, the bike has undoubtedly forced me to improve my line choice, and has shown what a cheap emtb is capable of!
The Suntour HESC torque sensor based system is actually a pretty tidy and intelligent system for a budget emtb, except it does have a fair few gremlins, but those are mainly due to the lack of vibration protection on the display module and the battery pack (I have created youtube vids detailing such issues, and potential simple solutions).
PS: The photo was taken prior to receiving delivery of the front SAS wheel, so I'll post some others shortly!
I'm probably in a minority here that have chosen to go down the route of modifying a cheaper hub driven EMTB to see what is possible.
I purchased my Carrera Vulcan E-Spec (around 1 month old, and virtually unused) for £600 (RRP £1250), and have switched over the stem and bars, switched the cheapo XC wheels for Halo SAS rims, shod in Schwalbe Magic Marys with a tubless setup.
I switched out the stock Suntour XCM fork for a Suntour Raidon, adjusted to 130mm travel.
I've also switched to a Shimano SLX clutched derailleur mated to an 11-speed cassette and chucked in a KMC gold chain for giggles.
It is a heavy bike at around 25kg, but it has been a hoot to modify, and I have actually learnt how to jump on this bike exclusively (which is daunting, as the back end is where all the weight is!). Even with the huge weight bias to the rear, the bike has undoubtedly forced me to improve my line choice, and has shown what a cheap emtb is capable of!
The Suntour HESC torque sensor based system is actually a pretty tidy and intelligent system for a budget emtb, except it does have a fair few gremlins, but those are mainly due to the lack of vibration protection on the display module and the battery pack (I have created youtube vids detailing such issues, and potential simple solutions).
PS: The photo was taken prior to receiving delivery of the front SAS wheel, so I'll post some others shortly!
