What is your most used mode?

JP-NZ

E*POWAH Elite
Feb 17, 2022
1,200
914
Christchurch - New Zealand
Chalk me down for another Tour+ favourite. Just beating out Eco. Anytime I'm riding on the road its eco (who needs higher power to reach limit anyway?). Prefer to get some exercise and fitness so do majority of my climbing in Tour+

IMG_2701.jpeg
 

Plummet

Flash Git
Mar 16, 2023
1,152
1,634
New Zealand
never understood why folk switch off going downhill..........if you are not pedalling you are using no juice, and if a downhill has some uphill sections leaving the motor on means its ready to assist as required. Offroad I am in EMTB and rarely touch the mode control all ride, leaving me to just concentrate on the trail instead of playing with buttons:LOL:
When it gets stupid steep I switch to eco or off. A pedal stroke forward at the wrong time can send you into a fairly painfull crash. Otherwise im powered on the down. My 25kg 190mm pole is an absolute dog to pedal unassisted. So i'm not keen at all. it is several orders of magnitude worse than the pedal bike.
 

MOTO13

Active member
Sep 16, 2020
335
381
Elkhorn, Wi
If you have an emtb...make turbo/boost your friend. It's like having a really fast car and putting a friggin govenor on it to only do the speed limit. What's the point? .
 

Shark58

Active member
Mar 5, 2023
231
165
Germany
leaving me to just concentrate on the trail instead of playing with buttons
Well, I constantly play with the AXS button on the right side of my handlebar to change to the best gear and with the mode button on the left side of my handlebar to select the best of the five modes my Bosch motor offers. One mode happens to be Off, which is not the same as motor off, and I believe that is the best mode for those parts of my ride I do not need assistance. Of course anyone may do this to his liking, there is no right or wrong here.

BTW, if you leave any other mode selected while not pedaling, the statistics from Bosch will show that distance as done in whichever mode you had selected.
 
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Shark58

Active member
Mar 5, 2023
231
165
Germany
It's like having a really fast car and putting a friggin govenor on it to only do the speed limit. What's the point? .
Did you ever have a really fast car?

I owned various Porsches for more than 10 years, including racing them in international championships. I never felt the need to always go top speed wherever this was permitted on a German Autobahn. There are times to relax and enjoy.
 

Mr-EPIC-3

Active member
Feb 25, 2020
188
124
USA, So Cal
If you have an emtb...make turbo/boost your friend. It's like having a really fast car and putting a friggin govenor on it to only do the speed limit. What's the point? .
I think using boost is great, but in the right time and space. On multi use trails in my area with MTBers, Hikers and Horses I am going to be well over the 10MPH limit of the trail and pissoff other trail users and the rangers:/
That is why I only use boost when climbing the nasty hills on the multi uses trails and 100% when I am racing on a closed trail used for a race:)
 

MOTO13

Active member
Sep 16, 2020
335
381
Elkhorn, Wi
Yes, I have and do have fast cars...I drive them...fast. The only thing stopping me from fast driving more is a speeding ticket. There are no speeding tickets on a single track. can't really equate the two. But, turbo is fun as hell on emtb's.
 
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Montana St Alum

Active member
Feb 13, 2023
255
204
Park City Utah
Ginat E+ Elite3
I customize my settings. My most used is probably a max of 30 or 40 NM (out of 85), a support of 100 or 150 (out of 400). If I have to beat a thunderstorm, I'll use full power, or if I'm tooling around on roads.

I never had a really fast car, but I had a pickup truck pull off to the side of a dirt road once up at China Lake when he saw me coming at him in an F-8 at 500 knots and 100 feet. I'm counting it.
 

Shark58

Active member
Mar 5, 2023
231
165
Germany
Yes, I have and do have fast cars...I drive them...fast. The only thing stopping me from fast driving more is a speeding ticket. There are no speeding tickets on a single track. can't really equate the two. But, turbo is fun as hell on emtb's.
Haha, define fast when driving on U.S. roads.
On my daily way to work I had a stretch of Autobahn where I could and did go 280 kph on a regular basis. That is 174 mph and when I lived in the states I never went remotely near that kind of speed on a public road.

I never said Turbo isn’t fun. For the few mtb races open to emtbs I participated in, it was Turbo from start to finish for me. I did explain why I normally do not ride that fast.
 

Shark58

Active member
Mar 5, 2023
231
165
Germany
There is a famous video of someone driving a Bugatti Veyron on the German A2 at 400 kph (250 mph) in the early morning hours on a weekday while for a short moment taking both hands off the wheel. He posted that video and authorities checked whether he could be charged with reckless driving. No chance! That stretch of Autobahn has no speed limit, is quite straight, you can see far ahead, it was dry with clear visibility and only a few other cars on the road with enough distance between each other. The conclusion was, that he didn’t endanger anyone, the car was in perfect technical condition and built for that kind of speed. All legal!
 

Spin

Active member
Dec 24, 2021
196
242
Australia
Well, I constantly play with the AXS button on the right side of my handlebar to change to the best gear and with the mode button on the left side of my handlebar to select the best of the five modes my Bosch motor offers. One mode happens to be Off, which is not the same as motor off, and I believe that is the best mode for those parts of my ride I do not need assistance. Of course anyone may do this to his liking, there is no right or wrong here.

BTW, if you leave any other mode selected while not pedaling, the statistics from Bosch will show that distance as done in whichever mode you had selected.
I would like some level of assistance on my 25kg bike , even if it's pointed down hill. I have my Eco mode set just enough to neutralise motor drag and offset the weight of the bike. It's the closest the bike gets to feeling like a regular MTB for the times when that's my preference.

To your last point , I'd estimate the majority of kms I have logged in Turbo would have been coasting. I use turbo for downhill flow trails where I want max power coming out of corners. It does get used for the nastiest of climbs but those KMs dont add up to big numbers.
 

Plummet

Flash Git
Mar 16, 2023
1,152
1,634
New Zealand
Interesting comments. Obvious there are various use cases and trail conditions dictating different modes.
 

JP-NZ

E*POWAH Elite
Feb 17, 2022
1,200
914
Christchurch - New Zealand
If you have an emtb...make turbo/boost your friend. It's like having a really fast car and putting a friggin govenor on it to only do the speed limit. What's the point? .
LOL, my EMTB & I presume yours do have a governer on them already (the speed limit set by Bosch). Turbo may get you to the limit slightly faster but its pointless using it all the time unless your unfit or using it on steep hills.

IMO, if your riding at the 15/20mph limit in Turbo you're using much more battery than riding at the limit in Tour/Sport mode.
 
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Plummet

Flash Git
Mar 16, 2023
1,152
1,634
New Zealand
LOL, my EMTB & I presume yours do have a governer on them already (the speed limit set by Bosch). Turbo may get you to the limit slightly faster but its pointless using it all the time unless your unfit or using it on steep hills.

IMO, if your riding at the 15/20mph limit in Turbo you're using much more battery than riding at the limit in Tour/Sport mode.
I have tested going up steep hills and there is zero difference between emtb and turbo mode once up to speed. Turbo accelerated you faster to the top power output , but thats it. Auto requires a bit more effort (i have that set at max of 70nm)

But on fast fire roads auto, emtb and turbo tap provide the same assistance levels. I wonder if there is any actual power saving difference bewteen those modes on the limiter? because they all only providing a bit of assistance at that time.

I've got eco set at a similar speed to meat bikes so when i'm riding with my meat mates i've getting a similar workout. I'll be honest, its horrible going that slow. But no point boosting faster and waiting at the top of a hill.
 

JP-NZ

E*POWAH Elite
Feb 17, 2022
1,200
914
Christchurch - New Zealand
I have tested going up steep hills and there is zero difference between emtb and turbo mode once up to speed. Turbo accelerated you faster to the top power output , but thats it. Auto requires a bit more effort (i have that set at max of 70nm)

But on fast fire roads auto, emtb and turbo tap provide the same assistance levels. I wonder if there is any actual power saving difference bewteen those modes on the limiter? because they all only providing a bit of assistance at that time.

I've got eco set at a similar speed to meat bikes so when i'm riding with my meat mates i've getting a similar workout. I'll be honest, its horrible going that slow. But no point boosting faster and waiting at the top of a hill.
To the bold question above, on the Bosch system in my 1500 odd kms of riding using the higher modes at limiter definitely use more battery regardless of assistance/power output. Hence like you I often switch to off on long techy/steep descents.

I also have my eco set to amish speed, for riding with non ebb mates. Max 65nm and lowered support.
 

Plummet

Flash Git
Mar 16, 2023
1,152
1,634
New Zealand
To the bold question above, on the Bosch system in my 1500 odd kms of riding using the higher modes at limiter definitely use more battery regardless of assistance/power output. Hence like you I often switch to off on long techy/steep descents.

I also have my eco set to amish speed, for riding with non ebb mates. Max 65nm and lowered support.
Fair enough. For a full pace Emtb ride (no amish, naturally aspired attendees) I'm getting a 4 hour ride (45km ish) ride with 750wh battery running mainly between auto and emtb modes.
Eco only really used for desperation pedaling on the way home or as previously mentioned super steep tech where big power levels hurt is accidentally pedaled forward.
 

MOTO13

Active member
Sep 16, 2020
335
381
Elkhorn, Wi
LOL, my EMTB & I presume yours do have a governer on them already (the speed limit set by Bosch). Turbo may get you to the limit slightly faster but its pointless using it all the time unless your unfit or using it on steep hills.

IMO, if your riding at the 15/20mph limit in Turbo you're using much more battery than riding at the limit in Tour/Sport mode.
Well of course 20mph is 20 mph is 20 mph...it just depends on how fast you want to get to 20 mph or up to whatever speed you want. I ride woods single track 100% of the time. You rarely hit 20...unless you want to hit a tree really hard. I ride my Bosch motor in emtb mode most of the time. Turbo occasionally (20%) just to have fun. My Shimano motored bikes are on Boost 100% of the time. I don't ride to hang out with squirrels and talk to woodpeckers.
 

Montana St Alum

Active member
Feb 13, 2023
255
204
Park City Utah
Obviously the modes preferred depend on your objective. If I was in an area where you rode up so that you could go down really rowdy trails (my rowdy trail descents are a thing of the past!) I'd be on a big travel bike with lots of power and a high-capacity battery. I'd always climb with the dial at eleven. And I can see the attraction of having power in reserve so that I could accelerate for even the shortest level section or climb. Turbo (or whatever max afterburner is called) for the purpose of accelerating back up, or for getting that extra few mph to clear a gap would seem to be a great feature. That makes perfect sense.

My objective is to be able to ride with my son here in Utah without having a heart attack and to get in recovery rides in the HR zones 2 or maybe 3. Also, long rides here in Utah above 9000 feet are much safer for me, at my age if I'm on an emtb. I find that if I adjust my ride to 30NM and 100% support, I have to back off on the power or I'll rapidly overtake even the most fit riders. At equivalent HR's, 20NM and 50% support are faster than my donut powered mtb. So, my power settings tend to be low.
 

JP-NZ

E*POWAH Elite
Feb 17, 2022
1,200
914
Christchurch - New Zealand
Fair enough. For a full pace Emtb ride (no amish, naturally aspired attendees) I'm getting a 4 hour ride (45km ish) ride with 750wh battery running mainly between auto and emtb modes.
Must be a fair amount of elevation in those rides? I was up in the Cragieburn valley a couple of months back and did 42km in 3 hours 15 mins, 1600m of climbing and only had about 5% of the 750wh left when I got to the car. That was all in Tour+ (equivalent of your auto mode)
 

JWDubois

New Member
Aug 5, 2023
7
8
US
On my Turbo Levo, I set Eco to 40/40, Trail to 50/100, and Turbo to 100/100. With Eco bumped up a bit I can use it for everything up to mid grade hills, and I can use Trail for everything except the steepest hills.

Eco feels a lot like my road bike as far as speed for effort.
 

Plummet

Flash Git
Mar 16, 2023
1,152
1,634
New Zealand
Must be a fair amount of elevation in those rides? I was up in the Cragieburn valley a couple of months back and did 42km in 3 hours 15 mins, 1600m of climbing and only had about 5% of the 750wh left when I got to the car. That was all in Tour+ (equivalent of your auto mode)
Steep soft muddy technical ups and steep downs, chasing my xc and enduro racing mates on their e bikes. So not a ride to optimise efficiency. A ride to optimize fun.

PS it appears auto might apply a bit more power than tour on occassions. I was heroing away from my mate on his trek rail on a steep uphill on auto mode when he was in tour mode. He had to dive into emtb to keep up.
 

Spin

Active member
Dec 24, 2021
196
242
Australia
I don't have auto installed but my understanding is that it 100% adaptive and will deliver the full range of power depending on rider input.
 

RipGroove

Active member
Jun 3, 2022
375
188
Glos/UK
If you have an emtb...make turbo/boost your friend. It's like having a really fast car and putting a friggin govenor on it to only do the speed limit. What's the point? .

If I'm on the flat or a gentle incline and feel like getting a bit of workout I definitely switch mine off. For me the eMTB isn't about whizzing along all the time while putting in minimal effort. That's the great thing about having different modes, you can choose exactly when to have more of a workout should you want it or when to relax and let the bike do the work. Surely riding modes are completely subjective and largely depend how you feel at the time, how far you want to ride and what terrain you are riding.

My last car had 390bhp, was a small ish hot hatch with 4 wheel drive but that didn't mean I drove it everywhere in sport mode at 155mph, like 95% of the time it was driven at the speed limit. The power was there if and when I needed it, just like the eMTB.

On top of that the bike itself makes a difference to what mode it's ridden in, my last eMTB could hardly be ridden at all on the flat switched off and even ECO felt like riding in treacle so spent most of its time in Tour and eMTB mode but my current emtb can easily be ridden switched off on the flat and I use ECO (+5) for most inclines and only use more powerful modes as the inclines increase or I'm really tired.

For me personally after I've been on a ride I want to feel like I've actually put some effort in but at the same time I want to not have to get off and walk up the really steep bits or spend most of the day slogging slowly up hills so when the terrain allows I'll lower the modes down so I can put some work in and then use the higher modes to get me through the tough or boring bits, surely that's the whole point of riding modes? I'd get extremely bored and not get any healthier if I just ride around in Turbo 100% of the time, at that point I may as well just ride my motorbike.

Modes are completely subjective, sure it's cool to have a thread to see who rides what mode but directly comparing one person to another just doesn't work because there are far too many variables and factors.
 
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Plummet

Flash Git
Mar 16, 2023
1,152
1,634
New Zealand
If I'm on the flat or a gentle incline and feel like getting a bit of workout I definitely switch mine off. For me the eMTB isn't about whizzing along all the time while putting in minimal effort. That's the great thing about having different modes, you can choose exactly when to have more of a workout should you want it or when to relax and let the bike do the work. Surely riding modes are completely subjective and largely depend how you feel at the time, how far you want to ride and what terrain you are riding.

My last car had 390bhp, was a small ish hot hatch with 4 wheel drive but that didn't mean I drove it everywhere in sport mode at 155mph, like 95% of the time it was driven at the speed limit. The power was there if and when I needed it, just like the eMTB.

On top of that the bike itself makes a difference to what mode it's ridden in, my last eMTB could hardly be ridden at all on the flat switched off and even ECO felt like riding in treacle so spent most of its time in Tour and eMTB mode but my current emtb can easily be ridden switched off on the flat and I use ECO (+5) for most inclines and only use more powerful modes as the inclines increase or I'm really tired.

For me personally after I've been on a ride I want to feel like I've actually put some effort in but at the same time I want to not have to get off and walk up the really steep bits or spend most of the day slogging slowly up hills so when the terrain allows I'll lower the modes down so I can put some work in and then use the higher modes to get me through the tough or boring bits, surely that's the whole point of riding modes? I'd get extremely bored and not get any healthier if I just ride around in Turbo 100% of the time, at that point I may as well just ride my motorbike.

Modes are completely subjective, sure it's cool to have a thread to see who rides what mode but directly comparing one person to another just doesn't work because there are far too many variables and factors.
I had a mate that drive his performance car at full pace everywhere...

But, yes we are all out there for different reasons. I want to go bigger faster more laps. Primarily I want to grin more and improve my DH speed I get fitness from charging as fast as I can up down and on the flat. No rest. Go hard or go home. Fun times.

Did a 4 hour ride the other day with fast mates we were tapping of at 160 heart rates on the climbs. It was a good workout.
 

Hattori-Hanzo

Well-known member
Apr 10, 2023
419
555
UK
Shows how unfit I am, emtb and turbo are my most used.
Thought I've only been riding since the start of the year.
 

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