New member - recent convert to eMTB's

[Tori]

Hey guys, I'm an Aussie and I'm getting back into mountain biking after about 15 years off. In the interim I have been mostly riding moto (enduro dirt bikes etc). On a recent ride to Tasmania I had the chance to sample a few different types of eMTB's and I was blow away by the combination of tech and modern MTB components. The rides I did down there were fantastic, and the first bike I tried out was the Specialized Turbo Levo. I made a short video of my experience :


I rode Maydena Bike Park a few days after this; but on regular downhill/enduro bikes. I also sampled another type of eMTB - the Merida e120 500 - which uses the Shimano system. I'll post a link here once I've completed my video edit.

Looking forward to interacting with this community. I've been a lurker for a while now, learning what I can from posters. I have a bike on order - a Merida e160 900e, which should arrive in a few weeks. Can't wait to get out there!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

Welcome Tori. Cool video

Congrats on the new purchase. Bet you can’t wait to get it!

Rob.

 

[Tori]

Welcome Tori. Cool video

Congrats on the new purchase. Bet you can’t wait to get it!

Rob.

Yeah for sure . . . trying . . . to . . . be . . . patient . . . these first world problems have got the better of me

 

[Gary]

AWESOME MOTOCROSS GIRLS? Introducing themselves on a mtb forum?

On April the 1st?

Haha...

Only kidding. I'm new here too and not doing to well patiently waiting for my first Ebike either (Canyon Spectraln)

Welcome. And thanks for posting the vid. I haven't even ridden an E-bike yet. :/

 

[Tori]

AWESOME MOTOCROSS GIRLS? Introducing themselves on a mtb forum?

On April the 1st?

Haha...

Only kidding. I'm new here too and not doing to well patiently waiting for my first Ebike either (Canyon Spectraln)

Welcome. And thanks for posting the vid. I haven't even ridden an E-bike yet. :/

Ha! Nice one, Fry! We're hardly awesome motorcross girls though; we're just a couple of hack trail riders enjoying ourselves...

You're going to love the Spectral. I was looking for that bike here in Australia, but Canyon won't import it until sometime in 2019

The Shimano Steps system rocks, it's a very natural feeling response. The rest of the spec on the Spectral is right on point too. Great bike choice.

 

[Gary]

Hey Tori

Hey tori
Just watched the Embn show and your tyre question made the show.


Good question. I agree with your thoughts. Jonesey's reply was a little confusing. I also raced DH back when he mentions and the first michelin mud tyres were 2.1s and quite a stiff compound. They worked really well on the DH tracks back then that were cut into natural terrain but not so well on root/rock littered muddy trails. The width you need is going to depend on the consistency and material you're riding in. But also your weight. Way back those michelins had a very tough thick casing. partly for cut/puncture protection from rough DH and partly to allow low pressures. I'd actually be tempted to run full DH casings myself (I'm heavy though). whereas a light rider could easily manage with an exo or if there are minimal rocks etc. a notmal single ply. One other thing to watch out for (which is not a problem in moto) is that a lighter casing actually deforms too much at low pressures (and rebounds too much at high pressures). It's a shame my new bike is 650b as I have a huge stack of DH tyres in 26" I could test out. Everything from dry weather soft compounds through to every concievable style of mud tyre. (nohing bigger than a 2.5 though).
The Magic Mary they recommend is indeed a really great compromise as it's one of the few good mud tyres that still work well on hardpack. I suppose if you are planning on riding wet loam with no roots etc. one of those in a larger size, tough casing and harder compound might be the one.

Mtb tyre choice is massively subjective and also depends a lot on the rider's preference. (style, weight, experience come into that too).
For example. I'm a massive tyre geek but when I looked at the tyre thread on here I glazed over as I absolutely detest plus tyres and that's mostly what folk were talking about.

 

[Tori]

Hey Tori

Hey tori
Just watched the Embn show and your tyre question made the show.


Good question. I agree with your thoughts. Jonesey's reply was a little confusing. I also raced DH back when he mentions and the first michelin mud tyres were 2.1s and quite a stiff compound. They worked really well on the DH tracks back then that were cut into natural terrain but not so well on root/rock littered muddy trails. The width you need is going to depend on the consistency and material you're riding in. But also your weight. Way back those michelins had a very tough thick casing. partly for cut/puncture protection from rough DH and partly to allow low pressures. I'd actually be tempted to run full DH casings myself (I'm heavy though). whereas a light rider could easily manage with an exo or if there are minimal rocks etc. a notmal single ply. One other thing to watch out for (which is not a problem in moto) is that a lighter casing actually deforms too much at low pressures (and rebounds too much at high pressures). It's a shame my new bike is 650b as I have a huge stack of DH tyres in 26" I could test out. Everything from dry weather soft compounds through to every concievable style of mud tyre. (nohing bigger than a 2.5 though).
The Magic Mary they recommend is indeed a really great compromise as it's one of the few good mud tyres that still work well on hardpack. I suppose if you are planning on riding wet loam with no roots etc. one of those in a larger size, tough casing and harder compound might be the one.

Mtb tyre choice is massively subjective and also depends a lot on the rider's preference. (style, weight, experience come into that too).
For example. I'm a massive tyre geek but when I looked at the tyre thread on here I glazed over as I absolutely detest plus tyres and that's mostly what folk were talking about.

Hey Gary, yep, I just had a cuppa and put on the EMBN show (new episodes pop up in our morning here in Australia, so I usually watch them at the start of the day) and saw my question. Learning about tyre compounds and tyre choice is a big thing in the dirt-bike scene, it has a huge impact on your riding and it has taken me a while to get my head around it all.

Coming into MTB again, I have to try and figure tyres out once more, hence the question. I figure I'll work it out over time, and just as I type this I am preparing to head into the bike shop to pick up my Expert Turbo Levo!! I'm going to spend today riding the bike and getting to know it . . . the tyres on the bike are the Butcher Grid 2.8's - which I think are good for intermediate use - which should suit the riding here at this time of year, not too wet, not too dry, hardpack and some loam and rocks.

My Turbo Levo is set up with tubeless and I'm not going to run too low a pressures, probably won't go below 20 psi and might stay around mid 20's most of the time . . . and hopefully the Butchers cope well. I don't want to hit the lovely carbon rims with rocks . . . !

Anyway, I'd better go get this bike!!!

 

[Gary]

Butchers (being a blatant Maxxis Minion DHF copy, actually made by Maxxis too) have great tread patern which work best in pretty much exactly the conditions you describe above. Although I'd never go above a 2.5 (DHFs are a little undersized and a 2.5 drifts better than the old 2.7 and is less vague so better for DH except maybe on a track with nothing but rocks).
Have fun on your ride. Can't wait until my new bike turns up. not long now though,

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

Have fun Tori!

 

[Tori]

Here is the sexy beast, I took these shots on a ride yesterday :

 

[Gary]

Bike looks great.
b b but... what the hell is that light coloured stuff all over the ground?

 

[Tori]

Bike looks great.
b b but... what the hell is that light coloured stuff all over the ground?

Dried eucalyptus leaves?