Newbie to E-MTB

[Bobthebiker67]

Morning everyone some advice would be appreciate, 55 year’s old new to mountain bikes and E mountain bikes, my riding will be mostly gravel roads forest tracks bumpy mountain paths and some very very slow down hill stuff, I have been binge watching youtube videos from most of the big brands to narrow down my choices but i came across one on the Focus Thron2 6.7 which in theory seems to fits the bill pretty well,, so your opinions on that bike and also Focus bikes in general would be much appreciated as Focus as a brand is completely new to me. Thanks in advance Bob

 

[Pete2033]

Morning everyone some advice would be appreciate, 55 year’s old new to mountain bikes and E mountain bikes, my riding will be mostly gravel roads forest tracks bumpy mountain paths and some very very slow down hill stuff, I have been binge watching youtube videos from most of the big brands to narrow down my choices but i came across one on the Focus Thron2 6.7 which in theory seems to fits the bill pretty well,, so your opinions on that bike and also Focus bikes in general would be much appreciated as Focus as a brand is completely new to me. Thanks in advance Bob

Hi Bob,

I have just joined the Forum too. I'm not very experienced yet in all things Emtb but I do own a Focus and I had another before this.

I have a Sam² 6.9 now and had an Aventura² 6.6 previously. I found both bikes to be very robust and well put together. There will be lighter bikes out there, but the weight and robust build, certainly in my mind, means it should be able to deal with anything you can throw at it. I think the Thron² is fitted with Bosch CX motor which you won't be disappointed with. In my opinion, It'll be perfectly suited to the type of riding you want to do and if you end up taking the plunge I'm sure you won't be disappointed

Pete.

 

[Bobthebiker67]

Hi Pete Thanks for the reply mate, Very robust sounds good to me, I couldn’t find that many reviews on Focus bikes out three so it’s good to hear from someone with personal experience of the brand, it does indeed come with the Bosch cx motor which would be my preferred choice going by what I have read, I have had several motorbikes on the roads over the years and sometimes it’s the heavier ones that feel more stable and planted, and at 55ish I am not planning on carving up many switchbacks anytime soon. Cheers. Rob

 

[Zimmerframe]

Also have a Focus - Jam2 6.9 - certainly robustly made and their spec/price is normally fairly reasonable.

Not sure which version you're looking at as they all recently were re-done for 23 with the addition of the "smart system" basically the same motor, but with some upgrades to enable more configuration and phone connection.

Previous - motor mounted flat :

Newer - motor leaning back to allow space for the longer 750wh battery.

It used to be a good idea to check all the suspension bolts are torqued correctly as they were often not tight from the factory, though hopefully they've sorted that out by now.

 

[LankyLancs]

I know beauty is in the eye of the beer holder, but the motor area on the 2023 bikes looks to have been beaten to death with the ugly stick. I know it's so they can fit the 750 battery in but still, it looks bulky. The bike does have an increased system weight for 2023 too, so if you're of a bigger build, on paper this should be the better bet. In fairness the 2022 models looks like they would survive a nuclear war without much fuss. I also have a 2022 SAM2 6.9.

 

[Bobthebiker67]

Yep definitely agree when your are spending thousands on a bike you want it to put a smile on your face when you open the shed door,think the colour scheme on the 2023 model that zimmer posted with the black paint around the motor dose it no favours, I was also considering a Haibike allmt3 with the Bosch motor now that is a real mess around the motor area and not a big fan of the swing arm design on that so think that’s out as a contender , Did come across a lapierre am 5.6 at a decent price last night, now that is a nice looking bit of kit but with 160mm suspension travel I think it’s too much bike for the gentle use I will putting it to, The only big air I will be catching will be on the easyJet flight to Majorca

 

[CraigR]

Hi Bob, I was in your position 4 years ago. I was 55 too. And in addition, I was over weight and wanted to start bike riding to get in shape/loss weight. I don't like riding on roads with cars and wanted to do Mt biking. I got a cheap MTB and started riding. I quickly found that I couldn't do much "Fun" riding and as I was always walking the bike up steeper hills. Riding the MTB I lost a few lbs, but after 45 minutes or so I was done riding. A year into riding and the COVID pandemic I found a local bike shop that had a Giant Stance eMTB. After several years of riding the bike I have lost 60+ lbs. I now ride 3-4 days a week 2-3 hours each time and can ride on any trails (within my skill limits) no matter how steep. I would highly recommend an eMTB. I love it and have a great time both riding alone and with friends who have eMTB's. My only regret is I bought the Stance model (Which I love, great starter bike, but...). I wish I had bought a Trace or Reign mostly for the greater travel on the shocks. There are many other brands out there too, I just find the Giant bikes a little bit on the less pricy side compared to other brands. But bottom line any eMTB is going to be fun.

 

[Thrön2]

Hi.
The new thron is supposed to be a bit better at riding trails than the former one. I bought a thron about three years ago, and I have ridden enduro trails and bike parks it may not be the most suited for the job, but it did handle it well enough! And I rode the eqv version! 28kgs with heavy tyres. Stable as a tank in the rock garden

I got a jam2 now, but haven't really got to ride it enough yet. It got a lot shorter chainstay, so I hope it will be better in technical stuff. I bought last years version. It's definitely more sexy in my eyes. And it has a shorter chainstay than the 23 version. Can't fit a "proper" (big n' cool) rear shock on my 22 version unfortunately. I guess the 23 version is a bit more enduro orientated than the last one that was supposed to be made for fun. (I'm only talking about the bosch versions)
Last words.. focus frames (at least mine) handles the ruff stuff.

Good luck finding your new bike

 

[steve_sordy]

Focus is a good German company.
If the Thron 6.7 floats your boat, then buy it with confidence.
I had a Sam2 for several years and loved it.