What EMTB would you get for 5k?

[Hattori-Hanzo]

hey all

Looking at getting my first EMTB and would appreciate your thoughts.

I'm after a full fat trail/Enduro bike, and after much deliberation I think I'm settled on the Bosch gen 4 motor (unless you can convince me otherwise)
with a max budget of £5500.

Being new to the EMTB scene and with the abundance of bike manufactures and models, all with slightly varying specs of components at similar prices it's a bit of a mind field to narrow down the best deal/bike.

So, in the current market, looking at new bikes (2021,2022,2023. Not second hand) what would be your top pick and why?

Also has any one bought online from one of the big retailers and had to make a warranty claim? If so what was the process involved?

Cheers.

 

[Hamina]

Scott Patron eride 920

https://www.scott-sports.com/us/en/product/scott-patron-eride-920-bike-black

+ New Bosch 750w system
+ Nice color
+ Shimano XT gears
+ Shimano BR-MT520
- Formula hubs could be shite

check the price in idealo.de and I think you should be able to get it 5598 euros (the continental currency)

https://www.idealo.de/preisvergleich/OffersOfProduct/201890556_-patron-eride-920-750-2022-black-scott-sports.html

 

[Hattori-Hanzo]

Thanks for the suggestion Hamina. I've not seen this bike previously so will be adding it to the list of bikes to research.
How do you rate the suspension on this model?

 

[gtaadicto]

Radon Deft 8.0, i have ordered one last week

 

[Hattori-Hanzo]

Thanks gtaadicto, another bike I've not come across, will add it to the list

What makes this bike your top pick?

 

[Murphius]

Voima LED Lite - Pole Bicycles

Voima E-bike is the ultimate enduro, park bike, long-distance trail rig, and DH bike all in one, with a Bosch drive unit and 750wh Powertube.

polebicycles.com

 

[steve_sordy]

The standard advice on this forum for someone on their first emtb purchase is to buy local. You may be a mechanical bike repair guru, but it's the "e" stuff that is the problem. Not just the motor and battery, but the charger, display, sensors, wiring, software, apps, motor tuning, updates and no doubt others I have temporarily forgotten. Each and every single one of them can cause a problem that means your bike won't go or it doesn't do what you want it to do. Somewhere local that you can talk to face to face, or in your own language on the phone is a godsend. Somewhere close enough that you will be prepared to travel to and hang around while they fix the bike, maybe for several hours - or face a double round trip.

I once had a fault that switched the bike off at random intervals. I took it in and left it with them. I thought I'd take a look around the shop before I left. Just as I was leaving the guy called me back to say it was fixed. Happy days, except as soon as I moved the bars the bike switched off. If I had already left, the bike would have been labelled as fixed and a message left for me to come and collect. Just think if that was a long trip, or worse if the whole bike had to be posted to another country!!
On my previous emtb, the Shimano Di2 mode shifters were acting up and I couldn't sort them out no matter what I did. I took the bike in and the guy fixed it in less than two mins with a jet of air! The problem was grit, common apparently in Di2 levers.

I have bought mtbs from another country via the internet, but I reckoned that I could fix most things on a mechanical bike, short of frame failures and the like. But emtbs are another matter.

 

[Hattori-Hanzo]

Thanks for the reply Steve, all great advice

I think I'll be sticking to one of the big manufactures, bought from the UK for my first EMTB but It's nice to see what other people would choose and why, also gives me a better understanding of what's out there and spec choices etc.

Ideally I'd like to buy from a LBS but I have few near me and the ones there are have very limited stock on Ebikes.
There are also quite a few deals on 22 model bikes from the bigger online retailers at the moment which may sway my decision, but like you say this may incur more of a challenge if a warranty claim arose, why I was interested if any one had gone through this process.

Happy to hear any more advice and recommendations on either bikes or shops I should look into.

 

[Bomble]

There have been some great deals on the 2023 Whytes lately, great bikes. Also I think there is a Mondraker Crafty in your price range, also great bikes.

 

[irie]

Ideally I'd like to buy from a LBS but I have few near me and the ones there are have very limited stock on Ebikes.

What makes of ebikes do your nearby LBS's sell? Bikes don't have to physically be in stock with them ...

 

[Jackware]

Where abouts in the UK are you, as other members may be able to recommend LBSs within a sensible travel distance of you?

 

[Hattori-Hanzo]

Thanks bomble. I had looked into the Whyte E180 and Mondraker Crafty R, both are on my list
Also the Cube stereo hybrid and Orbea wild fs

I'm in Sussex so have a Gaint main dealer close-ish and a Haibike independent.
Only one LBS that I know of that mostly does Specialized and Trek with only a few models on display.

 

[beanzz]

Whilst this isn't a Bosch motor or a local brand I would recommend either canyon Spectral on or vitus esommet vrx.

 

[2WheelsNot4]

I based my choice on ...well its a suspension bike, so the important bits will need to be the bits that give you the suspension. Other criteria was it was to be bosch so along with my price limit-£5k, took it from there, searching all the companies to find what was best suited, and more importantly as this was 18 months ago, what was actually available from an Ebike shop in my home city.

The rest is pretty much the same. Geometry etc.

 

[Hattori-Hanzo]

Thanks for the info Beanzz, funnily enough when I first started looking into ebikes the Esommet was one of the first that took my eye, I also like the look of the Canyons but I'm just not sure the ep8 motor is the one for me.

Thanks 2wheels, I may have to swap the Bosch for a Yamaha and go for a Giant

 

[irie]

Thanks bomble. I had looked into the Whyte E180 and Mondraker Crafty R, both are on my list
Also the Cube stereo hybrid and Orbea wild fs

I'm in Sussex so have a Gaint main dealer close-ish and a Haibike independent.
Only one LBS that I know of that mostly does Specialized and Trek with only a few models on display.

I'm in Chichester West Sussex and my LBS is the ebike-centre.co.uk in Birdham a few miles south of us. It's a well run shop which is Trek, Haibike, Orbea, Giant, Focus. A family owned outfit which carries a lot of stock and whatever they don't have in physical stock they can get for you at a realistic price.

IMO the Bosch Gen4 CX motor is the one to go for, but then of course I would say that with both my wife and I having Trek Rails ...

 

[Ark]

Whyte E-160 S 29er.
Bosach cx+750wh battery
Sram GX drive train (cranks are Sram as well but Whyte branded)
SRAM RE brakes that work amazingly well I'm overweight 6:"3 107kg naked and they have really awesome stopping power
Zeb fork
Battery mounted fairly low in the frame so centre og gravity is really good.
Lifetime warranty for pivot bearings
Tubeless ready rims/tyres and comes with valves so all you need is sealant and a pump to convert

you can pick one up for around £5350
RRP 6400

E-160 S 29er Enduro Electric Mountain Bike

The S-model e-160 has all the right elements to take your rides to the next level. Our unique lowered centre of gravity concept delivers class leading handling and agility. And thanks to a huge 750Wh battery and high power 85Nm Bosch Performance Line CX motor, you're geared up for maximum...

whytebikes.com

Doubt you will find a better EMTB for th emoney especially when you factor in the lifetime warranty on the pivot bearings for the rear suspension.

on a ral5/7 you'd probably be changing them every 6 months...

I bought an E-160 the other week and it's really a great bike for the price. I'm 6"3 but went with an L frame and it feels good although Whytes website says I should have gone with an XL
Pic of mine attached
I need to get some mood guards but have them coming tomorrow
MK2 Rear Mudhugger MEDIUM - NEW FOR 2022 × 1
Mudhugger EVO Bolt-On (LONG) default fitting for FOX (OPTIONS FOR ZEB, RECON, DVO AND OHLINS SEE BELOW) × 1
ROCKSHOX ZEB / DOMAIN BOLT-ON ADAPTER PACK FOR EVO MUDHUGGERS × 1




BTW been doing some local city rides since I'm trying to lose weight anyway and if your riding on the flat it does like 50miles in turbo/emtb mode, I bet I could hit 70miles easy in eco mode if I were commuting, gotta love a big battery
BTW Whytes a British Brand and they are up their with specialised when it comes to warranty claims

 

[Bummers]

Cube stereo hybrid 160 ticks all your boxes, the top of the range SLT is £3k off the 2022 model:

Cube Stereo Hybrid 160 HPC SLT 750 Carbon Electric Mountain Bike 2022

Packing everything we know about enduro hybrid bikes into a powerful package with a bigger battery than before, the Stereo Hybrid 160 HPC SLT 750 is the ultimate choice for extended Alpine adventures. With up to 85Nm of torque from Bosch's fourth-generation CX drive unit - backed up by a...

startfitness.co.uk

 

[Hattori-Hanzo]

Thanks for that irie, I'd not heard of them before so will be popping down there at the weekend are there any others worth looking into while I'm in Chichester?

Thanks for the suggestion ark. The e160 is another one I looked at, actually saw it in the lbs so might need to go and have another look.

Thanks bummers, the stereo hybrid was one I had my eye on but the action team model, for the price the spec seemed very good. Think the one you've link to is over budget, and again it would be an online purchase which I'm still undecided on.

 

[irie]

Thanks for that irie, I'd not heard of them before so will be popping down there at the weekend are there any others worth looking into while I'm in Chichester?

None near to us AFAIK

 

[Bummers]

Thanks for that irie, I'd not heard of them before so will be popping down there at the weekend are there any others worth looking into while I'm in Chichester?

Thanks for the suggestion ark. The e160 is another one I looked at, actually saw it in the lbs so might need to go and have another look.

Thanks bummers, the stereo hybrid was one I had my eye on but the action team model, for the price the spec seemed very good. Think the one you've link to is over budget, and again it would be an online purchase which I'm still undecided on.

I've got an action team myself and an extremely happy with it. You might be able to find a 2022 model within budget, there's very little change from 2022 to 2023.

That SLT though is an absolute bargain for the spec, you won't get near that for the price.

 

[steve_sordy]

....................

Ideally I'd like to buy from a LBS but I have few near me and the ones there are have very limited stock on Ebikes.
There are also quite a few deals on 22 model bikes from the bigger online retailers at the moment which may sway my decision, but like you say this may incur more of a challenge if a warranty claim arose, why I was interested if any one had gone through this process.

.............................

I have bought two emtbs (Focus and Merida) from JEJames. They are on online retailer who also happens to have High Street shops. The one I dealt with is a 3-hour round trip for me, which is a bit too far TBH. But they had the bikes I wanted and their service is excellent, which is why I had no doubts about buying the 2nd bike from them.

The first bike, the Focus, was also stocked by a closer shop - Rutland Cycling which was only 35 mins away. For one warranty job I took the bike to them instead, after all, they are a Focus dealer. They surprised me a bit by their policy which initially I didn't like but I understood when they explained it to me.

For bikes that they did not supply, they gave me two options:
1) Pay £35 and they would deal with the problem as a warranty and it would cost me nothing else. It may take longer because they would have to deal with Focus (in Germany) and that always takes longer.
2) Let the problem be dealt with as a normal (ie non-warranty). They would charge whatever it cost and it would be booked in and then dealt with as quickly as spares availability would allow. For small problems this is often cheaper than £35.

They added that if it was an obvious and big problem like a motor or battery failure, then it would be treated as a major warranty claim and no £35 would be payable. But small problems like wiring faults or intermittent problems could take ages to deal with and with lots of back and forth with Focus. This takes up a lot of time that they cannot recover the cost for. The fund that they would normally draw on was not available in my case as I had not bought the bike from them and they had received no sales commission from Focus, part of which is to deal with warranty claims. I think that is a reasonable position to take.

 

[Mikerb]

The same criterea applies choosing any mtb whether electric or not really. It needs to suit your type of riding and it needs to fit you.................and of course you have to like the look of it!!
When you add into that the fact that it is an EMTB, as others have said, there will be aspects you are not familiar with in terms of maintenance or repair and the support of a local LBS can be really helpful if you have issues. That said I think there are options that make more sense than others.
Motors: The Bosch Gen 4 CX Performance motor is probably the most reliable and it is plenty powerful enough.
Bosch Smart System: This system comprises components ( controller/display/cables/speed sensor) that are readilly available in any Bosch E bike online dealer and it is all plug and play making DIY repairs/fixes a lot easier than other systems. It also includes the 750w/h battery.
Warranty: In some respects warranty can be overrated!! For the majority of bikes all the brand actually warrants is the frame. The brakes, suspension, drivetrain, are warrantied by SRAM/Shimano etc as relevant. Even the electrical elements are mostly warrantied by that manufacturer, not the bike brand. With Bosch motors etc for example, any Bosch dealer will deal with a motor or battery warranty with proof of purchase/date. ( nb Specialized are an exception........they warranty their Brose motors.) What happens if you buy from a LBS is tha they act as the interface to the bike brand or component supplier for warranty claims on your behalf.........usually without charge if you bought the bike from them.

So in summary firstly buy a bike you like, that fits, and suits your riding needs ( trail...enduro etc). From there personally I would opt for a Bosch Smart System bike and buy from a reasonably close LBS if possible. I can recommend Whyte bikes......ally frames, well engineered, outstanding handling, well tuned suspension and kinematics, no stupid headset cabling or knockblocks!!

 

[Jdz]

Orbea Rise H30.

 

[steve_sordy]

.........., no stupid headset cabling or knockblocks!!

I see a typo!

It should be knockbollocks!

 

[Hattori-Hanzo]

Thanks for the info chaps, really great advice in there.

I contacted the closest Cube dealer today and they confirmed they would help with a warranty claim should one arise for a small fee to cover their time, so that gives me a little piece of mind buying online.

I would still prefer to buy from an LBS but there are a lot of good offers about at the moment.

I need to have another look at the Whyte e160, I remember seeing it when a friend was picking up his turbo levo but it didn't grab me all that much.
Looks wise I prefer the stereo action team, but from reading it seems to have a few niggles, knock blocks, cabled stem, fit4 damper, possibility of poor paint finish are the main things I've read. I'm not sure if these would affect me but it's good to know about them.

I also like the Orbea Wild FS H10/ m20

 

[Mikerb]

Thanks for the info chaps, really great advice in there.

I contacted the closest Cube dealer today and they confirmed they would help with a warranty claim should one arise for a small fee to cover their time, so that gives me a little piece of mind buying online.

I would still prefer to buy from an LBS but there are a lot of good offers about at the moment.

I need to have another look at the Whyte e160, I remember seeing it when a friend was picking up his turbo levo but it didn't grab me all that much.
Looks wise I prefer the stereo action team, but from reading it seems to have a few niggles, knock blocks, cabled stem, fit4 damper, possibility of poor paint finish are the main things I've read. I'm not sure if these would affect me but it's good to know about them.

I also like the Orbea Wild FS H10/ m20

I would check out some reviews on the 3 bikes you mention. I love the looks of the Cube Action Team but have to say the ride reviews I have seen are underwhelming...............that is not to knock the bike and probably would only apply to more experienced/discerning riders with high expectations of bike performance.........but that may be you!!
The Wild seems to get good ride reviews, and ( I am biased) I have only ever seen very glowing reports of the Whyte.

 

[K78]

Pole bikes are the most tempting atm if I was buying new.

 

[Tony4wd]

With a 5500 pound budget and discounts all over the place you're spoilt for choice. I suggest you buy whatever is the best value with the suspension and motor that you want, then keep some powder dry for that fantastic 40% off deal you're going to spot sometime over the next 12 months.

 

[Bummers]

Thanks for the info chaps, really great advice in there.

I contacted the closest Cube dealer today and they confirmed they would help with a warranty claim should one arise for a small fee to cover their time, so that gives me a little piece of mind buying online.

I would still prefer to buy from an LBS but there are a lot of good offers about at the moment.

I need to have another look at the Whyte e160, I remember seeing it when a friend was picking up his turbo levo but it didn't grab me all that much.
Looks wise I prefer the stereo action team, but from reading it seems to have a few niggles, knock blocks, cabled stem, fit4 damper, possibility of poor paint finish are the main things I've read. I'm not sure if these would affect me but it's good to know about them.

I also like the Orbea Wild FS H10/ m20

The fit 4 damper is one below the top model, grip2. You're still getting 38 fox factory 170mm kashima coated forks which you won't find many bikes in your price budget having.
Knock blocks are good, stops the forks hitting the frame, not sure what the issue is.
It isn't a super slack DH bike, Which means it's got a good riding position for spending hours riding but with the suspension to handle drops/jumps/rock gardens etc.

Damn I sound like an advert for cube go sit on any 160 cube stereo, they're all the same geometry and see what you think.
If Danny Hart rides one for training I'm sure it's enough bike for any of us