Located in central Ma, I've had a Stumpjumper and a Niner. As anyone here knows there is lots of singletrack - some challenging like Leominster state forest and some more picturesque like groton memorial town forest. I enjoyed the stumpjumper - I could throw it around and even pop it up in the air ( I wear bike shoes with clips). Then the 29" fad came and eventually I caved and got a niner. The bigger wheels made downhill better, climbing was a little easier, but I felt more ponderous. Maybe it's my imagination because I was older but I always felt the stumpjumper was more nimble, better acceleration. I am not a speed freak so bombing downhill is not my thing-anyway, there are not a lot of fire roads and trails like out west where you can see forever. It's like our ski trails, narrow, twisty and more technical in the trees. So now I am looking a an eMTB. I now know nothing (as Schulz used to say - probably none of you are old enough to remember Hogan's heroes on a thing we used to watch called TV). But a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and the internet and youtube is telling me to get a specialized comp, a pivot shuttle, or a norco VLT-1. So for anyone from the northeast who is familiar with our trails, do you have any experience to share if you've ridden any of these bikes? I cannot imagine that carbon adds that much to the kind of riding I do. 500 grams is nothing compared to the water and stuff I put in my pack. I can save that weight by emptying my bladder before the ride. Fine tuning the suspension is a splitting hair exercise at low speed. At speed tho I could tell the difference between fast and slow rebound. So I don't know what a 'fox factory shock and fork' would add over the fork specialized puts on their bike.
Yes I know that NEMBA is anti eMTB and supported legislation banning eMTBs . But I think that is a decision born out of ignorance. They imagine little kids without helmets flying off of jumps at 30 mph. I am an old fart who needs some help getting up climbs that I can't do anymore. Class 1 eMTBs are limited to 20 mph and the assist cuts off. I routinely used to hit that downhill on fire roads.So yes, I have been warned.
But getting back to the business of living and chasing happiness, I am looking for a reliable bike from a dealer. I am NOT going to deal with some mail order company when I am using new tech without a track record.
Yes I know that NEMBA is anti eMTB and supported legislation banning eMTBs . But I think that is a decision born out of ignorance. They imagine little kids without helmets flying off of jumps at 30 mph. I am an old fart who needs some help getting up climbs that I can't do anymore. Class 1 eMTBs are limited to 20 mph and the assist cuts off. I routinely used to hit that downhill on fire roads.So yes, I have been warned.
But getting back to the business of living and chasing happiness, I am looking for a reliable bike from a dealer. I am NOT going to deal with some mail order company when I am using new tech without a track record.
