When is an eMTB too heavy?

[irie]

As @Plummet has said, it's when it's too heavy to lift over a fence especially towards the end of a ride when running out of energy.

For me (as for Plummet) thats when the bike weighs over 26kg. Few weeks ago decided our 2022 (alloy) Rail 5's were getting too heavy so been putting them on a weight loss diet. Starting with deleting the locks etc. from Rolf Herzog (eBay).

 

[Weeksy]

I managed to get my mates Rail over a fence on Sat about 4'6" high, to be honest it was right on the border of viable. His is a Rail7 so not the lightest

 

[mustclime]

When is an e bike to heavy? When is weighs more than a 400 dirt bike.

 

[Dax]

Much past 25kg seems like too much for me, but a bigger part is how it rides. E.g. E160rsx is dogshit, but I don’t think it’s because it’s 26+kg, just a really dull bike.

 

[Doomanic]

Starting with deleting the locks etc. from Rolf Herzog (eBay).

Got a link?

 

[mustclime]

When I started riding my Kenevo expert I really struggled throwing that pig around. Back when dinosaurs walked the earth, l rode 125 and 250 dirt bikes with some friends. We had a saying, the bike is never to heavy, you are just too weak. Sooooo, I started upper body training with some squats thrown in for good measure and now Kenevo does not feel so heavy anymore.

 

[GL1]

When is an e bike to heavy? When is weighs more than a 400 dirt bike.

This! I used to ride a LOT of moto in the Rockies and no eBike seems too heavy after trying to get out of some of the boulder fields and other jams we got in with dirt bikes.

In all seriousness I have found a good balance around the mid-40's if you can get it. Mullet setup, carbon bars and other bits if you can swing them. Praxis carbon cranks if possible and carbon wheels of course. All that helps. I have been able to get my alloy Levo Comp under 50 and still run a downhill on the back for protection. My Levo Carbon is about 44 and great. If I had to ditch the battery in the woods I could ride that one home dead as it would be about 38 lbs sans battery. Mullet makes it FEEL lighter too in my experience.

 

[irie]

Got a link?

Here's a link, but "RolfRapRap" no longer appears to be a forum member. On eBay he is "Tech3DXpert".

Anyone removed the Trek Rail Battery Lock?

the cutout would be easy to add. But I'm not sure, if it's required and it will for sure limit the stiffness. Compared to the original design with standard nut, I've change to the one with a flange. I would not trust a M5 thread directly in the 3D print. Based on feedback, I've also adjusted the...

www.emtbforums.com

 

[towzer]

Depends on your use I’d say.

for the UK, where cheeky might involve high stiles, 5ft high, narrow kissing gates and various other issues (tall gate and low trees) etc etc I find the levo too heavy, esp when I’m tired and it’s wet (gripping is harder), also I’ve small hands so my manual orange 5 is easy (light and thin tubes - so good grip) the levo is not (heavy and big tubes so you’re holding and gripping if you see what I mean) , I’m finding the exe much easier , lighter and better grip points.

 

[p3eps]

I rode round the Glen Tanar estate (Aboyne, Scotland) last year on my old Levo SL. About 28 miles in total, with a hill that was about 3/4 of a mile push up (20%+ gradient, and loose rocks - tyres just spun!), crossed a river, then a huge downhill for miles. At the end, I was only a few miles from the car, and faced with a LOCKED 8ft gate. I didn't have the time or energy to go back the 25 miles I'd came, and didn't know the area well enough to try going off piste... so my only option was to climb over the gate.

My Levo SL at the time was just under 18kgs, and I'm 6ft 2" tall. The only way I could do it was to hold the bike at waist height with 1 hand and climb up the gate with the other. Once I got to the top, getting the bike over was the hard part - whilst keeping my balance sitting on a less than stable gate... then I climbed down the other side bike in hand.

I'm not sure this would have been much easier with a 13kg analogue bike... as a lot of the challenge was more balance than weight... but I think with another 6 or 7kgs it would have been much harder!

I'm frequently lifting my bike over styles / gates whilst out and about, but most of these are about 4-5ft where I can do it with my feet still on the original side and lean over and place the bike down. I'm not convinced my back would like an extra 7kgs on that either.

My current Levo SL is just under 17kgs at the moment, light enough to still feel poppy, and great fun to ride. Not sure I'd move away from an SL bike anytime soon.

 

[Ribinrobin]

When I started riding my Kenevo expert I really struggled throwing that pig around. Back when dinosaurs walked the earth, l rode 125 and 250 dirt bikes with some friends. We had a saying, the bike is never to heavy, you are just too weak. Sooooo, I started upper body training with some squats thrown in for good measure and now Kenevo does not feel so heavy anymore.

though any upper body training will help, normally its just you've got use to the weight. I go between normal and ebike leaning more on normal side than ebike and the weight is really felt swapping between two.

 

[Stihldog]

Here's a link, …

Anyone removed the Trek Rail Battery Lock?

the cutout would be easy to add. But I'm not sure, if it's required and it will for sure limit the stiffness. Compared to the original design with standard nut, I've change to the one with a flange. I would not trust a M5 thread directly in the 3D print. Based on feedback, I've also adjusted the...

www.emtbforums.com

Yes, that battery lock mechanism on the Rail. Some might need it…but I don’t. How much does that thing weigh?

 

[irie]

Yes, that battery lock mechanism on the Rail. Some might need it…but I don’t. How much does that thing weigh?

Lock with vertical plate is about 400gm, printed bracket is about 30gm, so save about 370gm

Standard battery cover is about 300gm, printed battery cover is about 100gm, so save about 200gm

Total saving about 570gm.

We also have 500wh batteries which are about 600gm lighter than 625wh batteries.

Weight is also lower down and more central which is nice.

Edit: need different kits for 500wh and 625wh batteries. Bought both kits because have spare 625wh batteries as back up if required.

 

[Stihldog]

Lock with vertical plate is about 400gm, printed bracket is about 30gm, so save about 370gm

Standard battery cover is about 300gm, printed battery cover is about 100gm, so save about 200gm

Total saving about 570gm.

We also have 500wh batteries which are about 600gm lighter than 625wh batteries.

Weight is also lower down and more central which is nice.

Edit: need different kits for 500wh and 625wh batteries. Bought both kits because have spare 625wh batteries as back up if required.

I’ve got one 500w battery. I might try that modification. Good idea

 

[Lee Dove]

As @Plummet has said, it's when it's too heavy to lift over a fence especially towards the end of a ride when running out of energy.

For me (as for Plummet) thats when the bike weighs over 26kg. Few weeks ago decided our 2022 (alloy) Rail 5's were getting too heavy so been putting them on a weight loss diet. Starting with deleting the locks etc. from Rolf Herzog (eBay).

When the battery is dead !

 

[newtcyclist]

When it's a HAIBIKE !!

 

[Binhill1]

When you come to a locked fence gate , they are usually about 10 feet high.

 

[volts]

Upopular opinion I incoming. Ideal bike weight is 16 kg but 18 kg is OK. 20 it starts getting boring and above that it's just not as fun. Sure you can have fun on a 25 kg pig but it's much less fun than on a 16 kg one.

 

[Stihldog]

Upopular opinion I incoming. Ideal bike weight is 16 kg but 18 kg is OK. 20 it starts getting boring and above that it's just not as fun. Sure you can have fun on a 25 kg pig but it's much less fun than on a 16 kg one.

Fun can be subjective sometimes. My fun is probably different than your fun. Here’s a sport or hobby where the rules are constantly changing.

My heavy Rail Tank is fun in certain conditions …but so is my Fuel EXE in certain conditions.

OTB…not much fun

 

[irie]

Upopular opinion I incoming. Ideal bike weight is 16 kg but 18 kg is OK. 20 it starts getting boring and above that it's just not as fun. Sure you can have fun on a 25 kg pig but it's much less fun than on a 16 kg one.

For you perhaps but for many others it is self evidently not the case.

 

[Stihldog]

For you perhaps but for many others it is self evidently not the case.

I’m gonna have to renew my gym membership and practice my deadlifts …the TV remote isn’t cutting it anymore.

We don’t have high fences or gates to navigate here …but on a steep climb I occasionally need to use walk-mode. Even that ca be fun …sometimes.(ie. A wall of roots)

 

[Amber Valley Guy]

When you come to a locked fence gate , they are usually about 10 feet high.

Ha, yes, I came across a locked gate on a bridleway only a week or two back. The problem was my side of the gate was a foot lower than the other side of the farmers gate where I wanted to go, therefore making the top of the gate over 5ft and impossible for me (I'm 5'8") to oik the bike over it without doing myself (or the 26kg Moterra) injury. I spent the next half hour trying to find a gap in the hedge (hawthorn with barbed wire infront) and realised it was impassible, had to go back about 2 miles, bleedin' annoying as I could see the lane I was going to take about 50yds/metres the other side of said gate!

 

[irie]

I’m gonna have to renew my gym membership and practice my deadlifts …the TV remote isn’t cutting it anymore.

We don’t have high fences or gates to navigate here …but on a steep climb I occasionally need to use walk-mode. Even that ca be fun …sometimes.(ie. A wall of roots)

Well exactly.

Upopular opinion I incoming. Ideal bike weight is 16 kg but 18 kg is OK. 20 it starts getting boring and above that it's just not as fun. Sure you can have fun on a 25 kg pig but it's much less fun than on a 16 kg one.

The above was posted by @volts who indicated that lives in DK=Denmark where the highest peak is Møllehøj which is ~171m/561ft.

 

[XrayZulu]

Never needed to do this but why not just take both wheels off, get the frame etc over and then back over for the wheels?

 

[Amber Valley Guy]

Never needed to do this but why not just take both wheels off, get the frame etc over and then back over for the wheels?

If you take the wheels off (and if your carrying an Allen key) then a) you have further to lift the bike, and b) you need longer arms to lower the bike down the other side. And the field side of farm gates are notorious for being a foot deep in mud (and cattle muck) and taking your wheels off would be borderline insanity.

 

[Binhill1]

Ha, yes, I came across a locked gate on a bridleway only a week or two back. The problem was my side of the gate was a foot lower than the other side of the farmers gate where I wanted to go, therefore making the top of the gate over 5ft and impossible for me (I'm 5'8") to oik the bike over it without doing myself (or the 26kg Moterra) injury. I spent the next half hour trying to find a gap in the hedge (hawthorn with barbed wire infront) and realised it was impassible, had to go back about 2 miles, bleedin' annoying as I could see the lane I was going to take about 50yds/metres the other side of said gate!

Get off my land haha

 

[Utah Rider]

The other day I tweaked my back trying to get my pig Levo with 29 X 3.0 Maxxis minion front tire over some dead fall.

 

[Amber Valley Guy]

Get off my land haha

Probably locked to stop d'heads on motorbikes... but the farmer had made a stile at the side of the gate out of RSJ's unfortunately it was only about 8 wide AND the same height as the gate with the step about 16" up. I double checked on the map and yeh it's supposed to be a bridleway.

 

[p3eps]

Never needed to do this but why not just take both wheels off, get the frame etc over and then back over for the wheels?

You’d only lose about 3-4kg off the overall weight doing that. It’s still not going to make a 25kg bike lightweight!

 

[Binhill1]

You’d only lose about 3-4kg off the overall weight doing that. It’s still not going to make a 25kg bike lightweight!

I have a chest high rack on the back of the van , removing the battery lightens it but it's still way too heavy and its easy to tweek the back.. I'm finding more and more I just whip the wheels off and battery out and put it upside down in van. Same with estate car just fold seats down and fit it in. Getting old now. Amazes me when I see three bikes on the top of a VW .