Soo who's got the Thron?
I ended up deciding to go for the Thron because it was my first mountain bike and i wasn't sure how much i was going to get into MTB. I felt that the slightly less aggressive position (seated more upright) would be a bit more jack-of-all-trades as i can use it for just riding around the streets also instead of going for the Jam which would be more suited for off-road riding.
Originally i was wanting to just buy an e-bike with the whole covid thing going on, i was looking at all these 'hybrid' e-bikes with the front fork and rear pannier racks, but then as i went further down the rabbit hole i started to get sucked into full suspension.
Originally, i actually pre-ordered the Focus Jarifa hardtail e-mtb, and i swapped it out to the Thron on an impulse because i wanted the extra comfort offered by the full suspension.
But now that I've had it for a while (and worked through some initial kinks!), i've been really enjoying riding it off-road on trails. Just green and blue stuff.
I keep having thoughts like ohh i wish i got the Jam it has more suspension would feel more plush etc but i think a lot of that is just misplaced internet hype about how much suspension you need. For the things i ride, i think the Thron is probably better suited to me then the Jam. I'm riding a pretty even mix of gravel/tarmac/green and blue trails, so i think its perfect really for what i'm riding. And then in a couple years if i feel i am becoming under-biked i can sell the Thron and get something else with a bit more suspension.
It was a bit of a headache at the start, my bike had some problems (it was shipped with the FSA G4 34t megatooth chainring, which is an 11 speed chainring (doesn't support 12 speed). Also the shifter was faulty and i had a lot of brake rotor rubbing noise (against the springs actually! Not the pads, had to bend the springs out a bit). So my new bike experience was pretty crappy, but now that its sorted i've really been able to enjoy it. I've had it for about a year now.
In terms of upgrades, I went for the 6.9 model because i really wanted the Fox suspension, really glad that i did. I replaced the saddle because the stock one is so firm it violated me
, I went for the Ergon SM E-Mountain Core Prime and i cant sing enough praises for it. I replaced the handlebar grips with Ergon GA-3. Swapped out the handlebar for PNW range KW with a bit more backsweep. Swapped out the dropper lever for PNW Loam Lever (feels amazing). Pedals i went for RaceFace Chester composite pedals. I purchased an AVS-Racing motor bash guard which looks really nice, and is much lighter then i thought it would be. Swapped out the super long 170mm cranks for 155mm Hope e-bike cranks (bit expensive, they are optimized for reducing peddle strikes and have much less overhang past the pedal compared to the stock FSA ones). The bash guard + the short cranks make for much more confident ride through techy uphill stuff. The short cranks also make the ride feel more comfortable for me, i really like how it changes the feel of the bike. I switched the kiox mount for a KTM Kiox mount to get it off the stem and out of the way so its a bit more protected. I put a Proguard Bolt-on front mudguard on the Fox fork to stop sand flying up into my face, it also protects the stanchions from getting dirt on them. And the last thing i swapped out was the stem cap, i installed the Oneup EDC Lite stem tool, which lets you store a little multitool right in the stem for easy access.
When it wears out, I'm planning on swapping out the front wheel to something with a bit more grip to try to help make up for the lack of weight over the front wheel while going uphill because of the less aggressive riding position. Probably going to get a Maxxis Minion or Dissector.
I've also got 2 things on pre-order that haven't been released yet. That is the DT Swiss 'Ratchet LN' upgrade kit for the rear hub. It changes out the internals of the hub from a 3-pawl engagement system to the famed 'ratchet' engagement. If you do this upgrade make sure you buy the correct Ratchet LN kit (make sure you get the 'Hybrid Steel' version), because its made for e-mtb and its more beefier, it also comes with a 24t ratchet compared to the standard 18t.
I've also pre-ordered the new Shimano Linkglide drivetrain (XT 11 speed). It is a new drivetrain made for EMTB specifically. The durability of the cassette is much higher (lasts 3-5 times longer). It has much smoother shifting with less pedal shock, so changing gears when going uphill will become a much more pleasant experience without hearing those loud clunks from the cassette and the shock through the pedals.
Would love to hear about other peoples experiences with the Thron, what they use it for, how the geometry compares to other bikes, what your thinking about upgrading etc etc.
I ended up deciding to go for the Thron because it was my first mountain bike and i wasn't sure how much i was going to get into MTB. I felt that the slightly less aggressive position (seated more upright) would be a bit more jack-of-all-trades as i can use it for just riding around the streets also instead of going for the Jam which would be more suited for off-road riding.
Originally i was wanting to just buy an e-bike with the whole covid thing going on, i was looking at all these 'hybrid' e-bikes with the front fork and rear pannier racks, but then as i went further down the rabbit hole i started to get sucked into full suspension.
Originally, i actually pre-ordered the Focus Jarifa hardtail e-mtb, and i swapped it out to the Thron on an impulse because i wanted the extra comfort offered by the full suspension.
But now that I've had it for a while (and worked through some initial kinks!), i've been really enjoying riding it off-road on trails. Just green and blue stuff.
I keep having thoughts like ohh i wish i got the Jam it has more suspension would feel more plush etc but i think a lot of that is just misplaced internet hype about how much suspension you need. For the things i ride, i think the Thron is probably better suited to me then the Jam. I'm riding a pretty even mix of gravel/tarmac/green and blue trails, so i think its perfect really for what i'm riding. And then in a couple years if i feel i am becoming under-biked i can sell the Thron and get something else with a bit more suspension.
It was a bit of a headache at the start, my bike had some problems (it was shipped with the FSA G4 34t megatooth chainring, which is an 11 speed chainring (doesn't support 12 speed). Also the shifter was faulty and i had a lot of brake rotor rubbing noise (against the springs actually! Not the pads, had to bend the springs out a bit). So my new bike experience was pretty crappy, but now that its sorted i've really been able to enjoy it. I've had it for about a year now.
In terms of upgrades, I went for the 6.9 model because i really wanted the Fox suspension, really glad that i did. I replaced the saddle because the stock one is so firm it violated me
, I went for the Ergon SM E-Mountain Core Prime and i cant sing enough praises for it. I replaced the handlebar grips with Ergon GA-3. Swapped out the handlebar for PNW range KW with a bit more backsweep. Swapped out the dropper lever for PNW Loam Lever (feels amazing). Pedals i went for RaceFace Chester composite pedals. I purchased an AVS-Racing motor bash guard which looks really nice, and is much lighter then i thought it would be. Swapped out the super long 170mm cranks for 155mm Hope e-bike cranks (bit expensive, they are optimized for reducing peddle strikes and have much less overhang past the pedal compared to the stock FSA ones). The bash guard + the short cranks make for much more confident ride through techy uphill stuff. The short cranks also make the ride feel more comfortable for me, i really like how it changes the feel of the bike. I switched the kiox mount for a KTM Kiox mount to get it off the stem and out of the way so its a bit more protected. I put a Proguard Bolt-on front mudguard on the Fox fork to stop sand flying up into my face, it also protects the stanchions from getting dirt on them. And the last thing i swapped out was the stem cap, i installed the Oneup EDC Lite stem tool, which lets you store a little multitool right in the stem for easy access.When it wears out, I'm planning on swapping out the front wheel to something with a bit more grip to try to help make up for the lack of weight over the front wheel while going uphill because of the less aggressive riding position. Probably going to get a Maxxis Minion or Dissector.
I've also got 2 things on pre-order that haven't been released yet. That is the DT Swiss 'Ratchet LN' upgrade kit for the rear hub. It changes out the internals of the hub from a 3-pawl engagement system to the famed 'ratchet' engagement. If you do this upgrade make sure you buy the correct Ratchet LN kit (make sure you get the 'Hybrid Steel' version), because its made for e-mtb and its more beefier, it also comes with a 24t ratchet compared to the standard 18t.
I've also pre-ordered the new Shimano Linkglide drivetrain (XT 11 speed). It is a new drivetrain made for EMTB specifically. The durability of the cassette is much higher (lasts 3-5 times longer). It has much smoother shifting with less pedal shock, so changing gears when going uphill will become a much more pleasant experience without hearing those loud clunks from the cassette and the shock through the pedals.
Would love to hear about other peoples experiences with the Thron, what they use it for, how the geometry compares to other bikes, what your thinking about upgrading etc etc.
Last edited:
