Newbie to E Mountain bike scene

[Rockyw]

Hi From Taupo New Zealand, decided to join this forum as am about to buy a couple of E Mountain bikes, one for the wife, and one for myself, still deciding what to get.

 

[Bonz]

Hi From Taupo New Zealand, decided to join this forum as am about to buy a couple of E Mountain bikes, one for the wife, and one for myself, still deciding what to get.

Welcome, my wife and I have Mereda’s.
There sure is a huge choice, even here in NZ. More updates coming up all the time as you can see in this forum.
Have fun and enjoy yourselves.

 

[Rockyw]

Welcome, my wife and I have Mereda’s.
There sure is a huge choice, even here in NZ. More updates coming up all the time as you can see in this forum.
Have fun and enjoy yourselves.

Thanks Bonz, Merida is one of the brands I have been looking into. Have your Meridas been reliable, and what models do you have ?

 

[ChrisB NZ]

Hi Rocky. Welcome to another NZ'er. We could form a club with husband and wife EMTB's couples here in NZ. There are a few of us on here. My wife and I both have Merida Eone sixties - the 800 version. We're loving them. So far they have been very reliable. I would have been tempted to get the 900 if I could have found one at the time - but the 800 is fine for a rider like me. Same motor and frame. - just a bit lower spec components.

I guess it comes down to how serious you are with your riding, what your main uses will be and how much you want to spend. My wife is not a serious mountain biker but still loves her Merida which she can ride anywhere - road or trail. I really like the Shimano motor and system but everyone has their favourite I guess. Having two identical bikes is useful for carrying spares, maintenance etc.

Specialized Levos are very popular - they closely mimic the look and feel of a legacy MTB. The Meridas have external batteries unlike a lot of the latest bikes. But I'm thinking a standard Shimano battery pack may have a longer life in terms of obsolescence than other internal packs - but who knows what you will be able to buy in 5-10 years.

 

[Bonz]

Thanks Bonz, Merida is one of the brands I have been looking into. Have your Meridas been reliable, and what models do you have ?

Hi Rocky,
Yes, our Merida’s have been very reliable. We have a great time on them. Trouble is we clock up a lot more miles so maintenance costs add up, especially NZ prices. I tend to get most parts in from Germany, tires, brake pads, chains etc.
I have an E160 900e and my wife has the E120 800.
I see the prices have just gone up heaps, especially my 900.
There is a huge amount of info on this site, E-MOUNTAINBIKE Magazine - The leading E-Mountainbike Magazine and Electric Mountain Bike Network - Home.
Enjoy.

 

[Rockyw]

Hi Rocky,
Yes, our Merida’s have been very reliable. We have a great time on them. Trouble is we clock up a lot more miles so maintenance costs add up, especially NZ prices. I tend to get most parts in from Germany, tires, brake pads, chains etc.
I have an E160 900e and my wife has the E120 800.
I see the prices have just gone up heaps, especially my 900.
There is a huge amount of info on this site, E-MOUNTAINBIKE Magazine - The leading E-Mountainbike Magazine and Electric Mountain Bike Network - Home.
Enjoy.

Thanks, will let you know what I end up getting.

 

[Rockyw]

The only annoying thing I have found with E Bikes is the low speed limit. Bosch bikes not assisting beyond 25 K and Shimano / Specialized 32 K. I think it needs to be slightly higher, say 40 K as I can easily peddle my Yeti mountain bike up to 35 K on the flat. Has anyone here modified the top speed on thier bikes ? I hear that this will void the warranty though ?