Mid power emtb-forever regretted?

[The undecided]

Hi to you good people
I returned my unused Whyte e160s for a refund in July as my wife just couldn’t get to grips with the sheer weight of it.What a cracking bike otherwise that ticked MANY boxes.
Due to security reasons it had to reside in our house and she couldn’t physically move it around whenever she needed to if I wasn’t in.
Having previously demo’ing and enjoying an Orange Phase Evo ltd
I pulled the trigger and bought one on sale.
Six months and only 68 miles later
(I’ve mothballed it for winter) I’m now better clued up on most things Emtb
and realise what a huge mistake I made buying a mid power bike with a non removable battery irrespective of the fact it rides and handles fantastic.
Does anyone else here bitterly regret making such an expensive mistake buying “similar”due to ignorance/lack of choice and are you honestly happy with your mid/low powered purchase.

 

[JP-NZ]

Interesting, what is it you don't like about the Orange?

I have a Trek Rail and in the 3,300km Ive done 95% has been in Eco & Tour+ hence a mid power bike is definitely in my future. My biggest dislike is the weight of the Rail on the trail, the rest of the bike is fantastic. I am fit enough to not need a full fat bike and think I'd be more comfortable on an EX-E or Rise etc

 

[Renton_Yorkshire]

Hi to you good people
I returned my unused Whyte e160s for a refund in July as my wife just couldn’t get to grips with the sheer weight of it.What a cracking bike otherwise that ticked MANY boxes.
Due to security reasons it had to reside in our house and she couldn’t physically move it around whenever she needed to if I wasn’t in.
Having previously demo’ing and enjoying an Orange Phase Evo ltd
I pulled the trigger and bought one on sale.
Six months and only 68 miles later
(I’ve mothballed it for winter) I’m now better clued up on most things Emtb
and realise what a huge mistake I made buying a mid power bike with a non removable battery irrespective of the fact it rides and handles fantastic.
Does anyone else here bitterly regret making such an expensive mistake buying “similar”due to ignorance/lack of choice and are you honestly happy with your mid/low powered purchase.

I'm also on a Rail, only since September. Yes it's unwieldy when it's not moving or being lifted, but aside from that I love it. Took a good few rides to get accustomed to it compared to my Fuel (and I was wondering if I'd made the right choice!), but its 'emtb' mode all the way for me, and look forward to getting out any time I can.

I do swap to the Fuel every now and again, to get some proper exercise - but it never takes too long on a ride to start wondering why I left the Rail at "Renton Retreat", with my legs screaming that enough's enough

How many rides constitutes 68 miles out of interest? Maybe still getting used to how best to get the most out of it perhaps?

 

[irie]

Wife has a 2022 alloy Rail. She's a fit older 5'7" medical pussykin who works out so has no problem with the weight of the bike. Screams when going down hill and only uses the brakes in emergency.

 

[Dax]

I am over the moon with my mid/low powered bike with a non removable battery. It’s all about how it rides and handles.

What don’t you like about the orange?

 

[Tooks]

I started off with a ‘full fat’ (for the time - 2019) EMTB with 70Nm, a 22.5kg Jam2. I have really enjoyed riding it, and have upgraded it quite a bit since then.

I also ride non-EMTB mountain bikes, and always enjoy the lightness compared to the powered bike. I also picked up a Turbo Levo and whilst I thought the handling, motor and extra power was great, it was even heavier at 24kg.

I started to think that a bike somewhere in between the Jam2 and my manual full suspension MTB would be worth exploring, and settled on a Turbo Levo SL, with only 35Nm.

Bottom line for me and my riding, it’s brilliant and it’s the bike I usually pick to take out now. I ride mostly alone though, so it doesn’t matter if I take a bit longer to get up the steepest hill, and I can go at my own pace which undoubtedly would be slower than a full powered EMTB.

It’s ‘only’ 4kg lighter than the Jam2, but feels so much lighter to ride, and with assist off is the closest I’ve come on an EMTB to a normal pedal bike. It’s also noticeably easier to lift onto a bike stand etc and is the best of both worlds for me.

If I could only have one bike, it would be the lighter Levo SL for sure.

 

[Suns_PSD]

I don't have much full power experience, but I ride in chunky 'hills', not proper mountains. Also, I'm a strong climber. So don't really need a full power. Lastly, I still love riding bikes so it's good to keep the legs working hard on every ride. For me, my Relay is really ideal.

Everyone that has time on mid power AND full power e-bikes, states that the handling difference is quite large in reality.

I'm getting older and know that in time I'll move to a full power, but I REALLY want that FF to weigh less than 46#s ready to ride with dual coil suspension, gravity tires, tools & pedals, just like my Relay weighs. Sadly, I think this is an impossible goal. I don't think anyone has gotten a properly set up Amflow under 49#s, and I'd consider that frame a step backwards so I'm going to gain more weight there.

 

[irie]

Battery weight is the biggest issue.

 

[The undecided]

Deep down I do actually like my Orange,but……
I’m never done reading on the internet how much dislike there appears to be for anything not ff and with non removable batteries.
I appreciate that we all like different things but seeing so many negative comments online has probably given me buyers remorse tbh,but its
heartening to read here tonight that there ARE people who are loving their mid/low power bikes.
Maybe we need to shout their praises louder?
And,I really need to get a PROPER ff demo-not just around a dealers car park to hopefully put my (expensive) purchase concerns to bed.
Thanks for your replies

 

[Dax]

Best not get too upset about what people on the internet like and don’t like, and decide what works for you.

Non removable battery is a big problem for some people and irrelevant for others. Do you store you bike in extreme cold? Can’t charge where you store your bike? Want to do big vert bike park laps all day? If the answer to the above is no, then go for an internal battery to save weight.

Full fat vs mid power is harder, you need to ride both (and not just around a car park). Full fat gives you the e-bike grin and is great for winch/plummet laps. SL/mid power handles better and rides more like a bike due to reduced weight, but still gives you enough battery for a decent day out (and has the option of adding a range extender id you want more range). It’s about figuring out what your use case is and what you prefer.

Personally I don’t care if the battery is removable and I rather a bike that was fun.

 

[cozzy]

I dont regret my sl. I purchased it knowing exactly what it is and its only used for uplift days.
My main bike is full power with removable battery, as i use 2 on a big day out.
For my usage i couldn't live with the sl as an only bike, for the reasons you mention, weak power and fixed battery. Im sure they suit others though.

 

[Dax]

I dont regret my sl. I purchased it knowing exactly what it is and its only used for uplift days.

You can get lighter bikes that are even better than a SL for uplift days…

 

[cozzy]

You can get lighter bikes that are even better than a SL for uplift days…

I aint pushing or pedalling a motorless bike uphill anywhere these days

 

[Dax]

I aint pushing or pedalling a motorless bike uphill anywhere these days

You know the great thing about uplift days…

 

[Mikerb]

As above lots depends on what sort of terrain you ride and how you store your bike. I admit part of the reason I changed from an ordinary fs mtb to and EMTB was advancing years....I made the change at 68....and to full power (Levo Comp). I was surprised by how much more I enjoyed riding and my skill level (modest!) Increased more than it had done in the previous 10 years! My preferred riding is gravity...the steeper and gnarlier the better .....a full fat is the best tool for that in my opinion. The climb back up is largely effortless leaving more energy for more runs. Techy uphill climbs are almost as much fun as the downs.
I store my bikes indoors so not that worried if the battery is removeable or not..as it happens neither of mine are but I probably only remove the battery once a year anyway.
I'm 74 now and still able to hit the trails harder than ever.....helped by bikes far better than my original Levo!

 

[cozzy]

You know the great thing about uplift days…

Yes. But very few pick you up right at the bottom and take you right to the top.
Okeford bikepark being the only one i can think of.

 

[Tooks]

You know the great thing about uplift days…

Years ago I spent a week or so riding around Kaprun, I was promised ‘downhill all the way baby’ by my host, and indeed there were cable cars up to the start of most routes.

However, to get to the trailhead on some of them required another couple of hundred meters of climbing (might not have been that much to be fair! ), which was a bit of a kick in the proverbials!

Any motor assistance would have been very welcome, alas the Levo SL was but a glint in the designers eye I suspect!

 

[cozzy]

Years ago I spent a week or so riding around Kaprun, I was promised ‘downhill all the way baby’ by my host, and indeed there were cable cars up to the start of most routes.

However, to get to the trailhead on some of them required another couple of hundred meters of climbing (might not have been that much to be fair! ), which was a bit of a kick in the proverbials!

Any motor assistance would have been very welcome, alas the Levo SL was but a glint in the designers eye I suspect!

Yes clusas (or something like that) in the alps was similar. Chairlift then an additional pedal to the top for the enduro trails. Plus transversing around.
A little assistance is most welcome. I would have had a shitty day on a pushbike.

 

[rushy46]

Happy Levo Sl owner here. I definitely prefer an e-bike that is close to my normal Enduro bike - don‘t like the tanklike feeling of a fullpowered EMTb on the downhills. I also like the modular approach - fixed Akku and range extender if needed.

 

[rod9301]

And i prefer the weight of my 180 180 e bike, 54 lbs with coil coil.
I rode with a friend with a low power e bike and he went thru 3 batteries. And i don't understand why it's better to carry 2 spare batteries than to have a heavier bike.

 

[Dax]

Yes clusas (or something like that) in the alps was similar. Chairlift then an additional pedal to the top for the enduro trails. Plus transversing around.
A little assistance is most welcome. I would have had a shitty day on a pushbike.

Oh man, that push up to the top of La Clusaz. I wouldn’t say it was a shitty day, but I was very happy when a mate lent me his e-lyte 150 for the last lap

 

[Al-ec]

All Orange bikes seem to generate marmite opinions, but I've loved all the ones I've ridden.
I'm 1,200 miles in and love my Lyke. The relatively low weight makes technical climbing, singletrack and tech descents a joy. Much prefer the handling to a full fat and 90% of what I ride isn't winch and plummet with full on DH charging so I can ride in eco most of the time, can easily do 4-5 hrs hard riding with no range anxiety. Ticks all the boxes for me but the internet may have other opinions.
In theory the battery is removable, but I rarely do except for maintenance. thought I might need this but turns out I don't really.
Sounds like you've got a cracking bike that you enjoy riding.

 

[The undecided]

I guess there’s plenty of more appreciative riders out there who would love to own and ride what I’ve got and I feel guilty about voicing my reservations.
Time now to enjoy it for what it is and stop obsessing about what it isn’t.
Whether its ff or mid power it still gets me out there with my arthritic knees.
But most importantly be immensely grateful to my amazing wife for allowing me to blow £6000 of our savings on yet another bike at my tender (62)years to keep me happy.