Merida eONE-SIXTY 9000 vs YT Decoy Pro Race

[2Old2SendIt]

Hi All,

Looking to buy my first ebike soon and the two front runners are the Decoy and the 160.
Looking for reasons to go for one over the other, or things I may have not considered from the Merida people here.

My thoughts at the moment:
- I prefer Shimano brakes. That's a tick for the Merida
- DPX2 shock is simpler and I just want something to work out-of-the-box. Tick, Merida.
- If the uphills are taken care of, why would I not go for the more downhill focused YT?
- At 180cm (5'11") It seems I could go M or L. What do most borderline people do?

Looking for any comments and thought on these points, or anything else I should consider. Cheers!

 

[Beatn1K]

I had similar thoughts.
The YT is a great looking, and well priced machine. Its hard to deny...
I think you have to be honest with yourself...
I dont have serious downhill on my doorstep. Am I really going to make use of it ?
Probably not.. If you dont care about suspension adjustability, are you serious about a serious downhill machine yourself...? That said, I do agree in principle with what you are saying- eBikes tend to level the playing field with respect the way they go up hill, and down. I feel like that about weight too though to some extent. You have a motor...dont be a weight weeny !!
I went for the outgoing Merida e160 900e. Great spec, great reputation (it seems to have been very well received in review since is release...)
Warranty maybe a thing. YT are quite remote as an online only business model..Who knows. I bought from across the country..so Im in a similar boat anyway perhaps..
My Merida is top spec. No need to complain about brakes and find yourself spending out to get them replaced...
I wanted a Shimano motor - no regrets. So far so good!
Also didnt realise that I was going to be dead set on 27.5" wheels..29ers just seem huge. Regarding size. Im 187+ and went with a large...Id rather a smaller bike for this type of machine if Im on the cusp, but we are all different; as are the frame manufacturers.

I wont lie - price was a big issue. These eBikes are a small fortune. I can buy the latest 2T MX machine for the same or less money..Makes you wonder.
Would I have gone Merida if Id had to pay full price..? Probably not.
We all have our own ideas about these things. And each their own redline when it comes to budget , no doubt. I paid way more than I intended for an eBike, being a newbie. So much for redlines !
Thing is - the better the bike and it's running gear, the less you need to dig for the talent to ride around it's shortcomings...and the more fun you can have...
I rode a Lapierre recently ( Bosch Gen3 full carbon, full suspension) A bike I nearly bought TBH...
I can't believe how much better my Merida is...Phew...!!

Have good reasons for the choice you make, it'll be fine. Better than trying to satisfy yourself with the opinions of others...And this brings me to a very important point IMO. Try before you buy. (Is that even possible with YT...?
I bought mine having never ridden one. I think I lucked out a bit TBH- Not the best way to proceed. But there it is. Reputation counts for something....!

 

[2Old2SendIt]

Thanks for the detailed response, Beatn1K. Much appreciated.

I live in Germany and I am okay with wrenching, so I am not nervous at all about buy from online only German DTC brands. At worst, I can drive to YT in an hour and a half.
The prices can be crazy, but I am lucky enough to be able to have this as a 'company bike' with a salary sacrifice scheme. So, prices end up about 40% cheaper in the end.

I hear what you're saying about testing out bikes, but my only MTB experience is with XC bikes (80mm front and rear), so I don't really trust my own judgement. Everything I get on is going to feel like a monster truck by comparison and I don't think I can properly judge the subtle differences. I think there's more work getting me used to any modern, long travel bike, than there is differences between the best ones. For that reason, I am heavily weighting peoples opinions as long as I can appreciate where they're coming from.

And you're right, I do need to be honest with myself. I am not going to be a big jump crazy down-hiller any time soon (or ever).

 

[Beatn1K]

Sorry - this is in English ( Australian! )...
Perhaps it is of interest....?