Not for the purists....

[Revelry73]

Hi all, new here from Rainford, St Helens. Looking to buy an EMTB Around the £3-4K mark. Price point will been it will most likely be a hard tail, current thinking is the Cube SL 500. My main worry buying this late in the year is new tech, specifically motors will surpass current models. Question is then.... should I wait?

 

[MattyB]

With a new Bosch motor nearly certain to emerge in the next few months I would not buy any Bosch powered bike at present unless a very substantial discount is offered.

New Bosch motors for 2020 - rumours? - EMTB Forums

Other than that I don’t think there is any other major tech advantages expected in the very near future; the only advantage with waiting til Autumn would be you may get some good clearance deals on 2019 bikes.

 

[Revelry73]

With a new Bosch motor strongly rumoured to be emerging in the next few months I would not buy any Bosch powered bike at present unless a very substantial discount is offered.

New Bosch motors for 2020 - rumours? - EMTB Forums

Other than that I don’t think there is any other major tech advantages expected in the very near future; the only advantage with waiting til Autumn would be you may get some good clearance deals on 2019 bikes.

I think the motor is my biggest concern!

 

[MattyB]

What sort of riding will you be doing? Geometry and suspension performance are both more important than the motor. Having said that if you are only tackling fire roads and gentle blues you can choose more on value IMO as the latest tech won’t make a big difference.

 

[Revelry73]

What sort of riding will you be doing? Geometry and suspension performance are both more important than the motor. Having said that if you are only tackling fire roads and gentle blues you can choose more on value IMO as the latest tech won’t make a big difference.

Suppose I’m wanting a good all rounder, I’d like to commute to work now and then whilst going to Llandegla at weekends. Cake and eat it springs to mind ?

 

[MattyB]

In that case I think it is worth trying to go full suss, either by upping your budget, waiting for the end of season clearances or via a secondhand bike.

There is a school of thought that says newcomers to mountain biking are best starting on a hardtail as it can help teach fundamentals like pumping, preloading and line choice. However with the increased weight of EMTBs I think the vast majority of beginners will be better on a full suss - the disadvantages are minimised with e assistance, the ride will be way more comfortable and with the increased weight of an ebike you are more likely to damage a HT if you make a bad line choice. It might also allow you to avoid an expensive future bike swap if you decide you really want a full suss.

 

[steve_sordy]

The pace of development in emtb is such that if you allow yourself to be put off until some stability occurs, you might be waiting a long time.

I agree the point about the Bosch motor, but I wouldn't have got a bike with a Bosch anyway. I didn't like the amount of drag with the motor off. I had a self inflicted motor outage today and had to pedal for two miles back through the woods. It was surprisingly easy on my Shimano Steps system. I would have had to push a Bosch bike up all the inclines instead of just shifting down and pedalling. The new Bosch will probably fix that design issue as it is one of (if not the main) criticisms of the motor. (IMO)

 

[Jamsxr]

£4K gets you a sorted full suspension eBike from a number of brands, no need to up your budget.

Commencal, Canyon, Specialized Kenevo, Merida...

 

[tedturbine]

3-4k can get a really good FS ebike:

Commencal used as an example as I've just ordered one after looking at all of the alternatives or there is the vitus esommet vr etc.