Answered Which eMTB to buy?

[sauravgartaula]

If I was a beginner and didn't know much about eMTBs, which bikes would you suggest me to buy?

Please answer on the basis of speed, performance, motor, servicing, etc.

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

Hmm, how long is a piece of string? Budget, riding style, location etc etc. Let us know more details.???

 

[Jammer77]

Yep. Too little information dude.

 

[Japuserid]

That is a very difficult question to answer.

As mentioned above, it is a very complicated thing choosing a new bike and much depends on what you like to ride and the way you like to ride it.

Are you XC, Trail, All Mtn / Enduro or a downhill inspired rider? Each will throw up a very different answers

But if this helps, I have been researching what my next bike purchase will be for the past twelve months, In that time e-bike development has moved forward at a fair old rate and I have no doubt that this trend will continue, So whatever you buy know will very possibly be old news very quickly.

I personally am inspired by the All mountain / Enduro style of riding and for me that means I enjoy riding up the hills and technical climbs so I can have even more fun coming back down the other side.

So I am looking at AM / Enduro style bikes, that is by definition a downhill bike that you can pedal uphills

Currently, as at Jan 2018 IMHO I think these are some of the best options available, others will very probably disagree and there are certainly more candidates to choose from, but this was my short list.

Turbo Kenevo Expert 27.5 | Specialized.com

+ Beautiful to look, great build quality, Geometry - heavy to pedal, not the cheapest, old Brose motor lacks go. Very little info on new motor. Integrated battery means it's a pain to remove for winter charging. ( when the temperature in the Garage falls below 10 C

EONE-SIXTY 900E - Merida Bikes International

+ Great bike, first to offer up to date geometry and almost certainly best value bike in 2017 especially at £5200.00 - Di2 expense when you break it and no longer such good value in 2018 @ £6350.00 still a top bike though.

FOCUS SAM² | FOCUS Bikes

+ Build Quality, Geometry ok reasonable value for money. - 1st Battery in frame too small for me personally would almost certainly need to carry the 2nd battery on most rides.

Altitude Powerplay

+ Awesome bike - Big money for top spec model.

COMMENCAL 2018 | META POWER RACE 650B GREY 2018

+ Build quality, Geometry, Shimano motor, Coil Shock, EX1 and IMO best value for money by a long way - Most sizes sold out Pre-order only, Long wait for it to arrive 3 months plus Slightly more expensive newly released Fox model available early march

Hope this helps

 

[sauravgartaula]

That is a very difficult question to answer.

As mentioned above, it is a very complicated thing choosing a new bike and much depends on what you like to ride and the way you like to ride it.

Are you XC, Trail, All Mtn / Enduro or a downhill inspired rider? Each will throw up a very different answers

But if this helps, I have been researching what my next bike purchase will be for the past twelve months, In that time e-bike development has moved forward at a fair old rate and I have no doubt that this trend will continue, So whatever you buy know will very possibly be old news very quickly.

I personally am inspired by the All mountain / Enduro style of riding and for me that means I enjoy riding up the hills and technical climbs so I can have even more fun coming back down the other side.

So I am looking at AM / Enduro style bikes, that is by definition a downhill bike that you can pedal uphills

Currently, as at Jan 2018 IMHO I think these are some of the best options available, others will very probably disagree and there are certainly more candidates to choose from, but this was my short list.

Turbo Kenevo Expert 27.5 | Specialized.com

+ Beautiful to look, great build quality, Geometry - heavy to pedal, not the cheapest, old Brose motor lacks go. Very little info on new motor. Integrated battery means it's a pain to remove for winter charging. ( when the temperature in the Garage falls below 10 C

EONE-SIXTY 900E - Merida Bikes International

+ Great bike, first to offer up to date geometry and almost certainly best value bike in 2017 especially at £5200.00 - Di2 expense when you break it and no longer such good value in 2018 @ £6350.00 still a top bike though.

FOCUS SAM² | FOCUS Bikes

+ Build Quality, Geometry ok reasonable value for money. - 1st Battery in frame too small for me personally would almost certainly need to carry the 2nd battery on most rides.

Altitude Powerplay

+ Awesome bike - Big money for top spec model.

COMMENCAL 2018 | META POWER RACE 650B GREY 2018

+ Build quality, Geometry, Shimano motor, Coil Shock, EX1 and IMO best value for money by a long way - Most sizes sold out Pre-order only, Long wait for it to arrive 3 months plus Slightly more expensive newly released Fox model available early march

Hope this helps

Thank you for your amazing answer!

 

[Japuserid]

You are very welcome, hope it help's.

Lots of very nice bikes out there, have you got a short list yet?

 

[sauravgartaula]

You are very welcome, hope it help's.

Lots of very nice bikes out there, have you got a short list yet?

I am working on it. Once I finalize a short list, I'll be sure to contact you. Thank for your insight sir

 

[Al Boneta]

My best advice is to never buy a bike they won’t let you demo on your local trails. Some bikes will just feel better to you no matter what reviews or “experts” say.

 

[sauravgartaula]

My best advice is to never buy a bike they won’t let you demo on your local trails. Some bikes will just feel better to you no matter what reviews or “experts” say.

Thank you very much for such a nice advice !
And you're certainly right, some bikes will just feel better to us no matter what reviews or "experts" say!

 

[Japuserid]

My best advice is to never buy a bike they won’t let you demo on your local trails. Some bikes will just feel better to you no matter what reviews or “experts” say.

That is definitely good advice, but unfortunately sometimes that is just not possible.

Certainly one of the drawbacks, of going down the direct sales root, is you don't get the chance to test ride, you have to just pay your money and take your chance. The other downside is possibly with warranty issues, having a local dealer can be a really good thing. But if like me, you do all your own servicing and are happy to deal with warranty work yourself then the Direct sales can offer incredible value for money

 

[sauravgartaula]

That is definitely good advice, but unfortunately sometimes that is just not possible.

Certainly one of the drawbacks, of going down the direct sales root, is you don't get the chance to test ride, you have to just pay your money and take your chance. The other downside is possibly with warranty issues, having a local dealer can be a really good thing. But if like me, you do all your own servicing and are happy to deal with warranty work yourself then the Direct sales can offer incredible value for money

But the heart just won't say yes without a test ride.
Thank you for your nice advice!

- Saurav G.

 

[Kernow]

I think if an ebike is based on a normal bike that gets top reviews then your ok , I knew the Levo would be a great bike because it so sumilar the stump jumper , likewise the commencal is simply a motorised version of the well acclaimed pedal version , but many have some strange geometry that may not work so I think the geometry comparison is place to start

 

[Doomanic]

Coming from a modern 160mm travel enduro weapon I had a good idea of what I wanted and fortunately there are a lot of eBikes out there now that fit the bill on paper. Ultimately though it came down to money. Sure, I'd love a Nicolai eBoxx, Commencal Meta Power, Rocky Mountain Powerplay or Turbo Kenevo but I had to realistic; Can I justify financing a toy that's worth nearly as much as my car? Answer; no. If the Trek hadn't come up at the right time and for the right price I'd still be slogging my guts out on my Mega but I bet I wouldn't have been out as much as I have on the Powerfly.

I didn't test ride it, but I knew from my research and a sit on it in the shop that I'd be happy with it and boy, was I right! The only thing I don't like at this point is the bars; no rise so flipping the bike upside down to fit/remove the front wheel is a pain.

 

[Japuserid]

Hey Doomanic

The Trek is a nice bike, My mate ChrisP bought one new in 2016. I think, his was the 130/140 travel FS9 ? He increased the fork travel to 150 and it completely transformed the handling. It was a very cost effective upgrade, I rode it for a bit at Cwmcarn and , (please don't tell him ) It was a proper ripper downhill and gave no problems going up either, (obviously not as good as my Lapierre ) (in case he reads this) but it was well worth the effort.

Mods that you should and shouldn't do on your bike!

Looking at the pics you posted, hard to tell but yours look like 140/150 travel? So still can go up, (Pike 160 max) even 10mm is another degree slacker

 

[Doomanic]

Yeah, it’s the LT so 150mm travel. I’m still running on the high setting and it’s so good I can’t be arsed to fuck about changing it to the low setting. I’m certainly not looking at buying forks for it at the moment.
Some of my Stravaaaa downhill segment times in the FoD are already quicker than on the Mega.

 

[Japuserid]

Yeah, it’s the LT so 150mm travel. I’m still running on the high setting and it’s so good I can’t be arsed to fuck about changing it to the low setting. I’m certainly not looking at buying forks for it at the moment.
Some of my Stravaaaa downhill segment times in the FoD are already quicker than on the Mega.

Hey Doomanic

That's the newer 2017 model to Chris's bike, very nice get's great reviews. Don't forget you can change the stroke on the pikes to 160 mm just by changing the air spring shaft, very cheap and easy mod

 

[Doomanic]

It’s on Yaris, not Pikes. Can the stroke still be changed?

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

This is a great thread and will hopefully be a good resource for new potential owners looking at info. @Japuserid great detailed post. This thread has sticky potential all over it

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

This is a great thread and will hopefully be a good resource for new potential owners looking at info. @Japuserid great detailed post. This thread has sticky potential all over it

@Japuserid - regarding the Kenevo winter charging, the battery is removable so no worries there

 

[Doomanic]

This thread has sticky potential all over it

Whatever floats your boat I guess...

 

[Eckythump]

It’s on Yaris, not Pikes. Can the stroke still be changed?

Yes??

 

[sauravgartaula]

This is a great thread and will hopefully be a good resource for new potential owners looking at info. @Japuserid great detailed post. This thread has sticky potential all over it

You are very correct :v .

 

[Japuserid]

It’s on Yaris, not Pikes. Can the stroke still be changed?

Hey Doomanic

Even better the Pike max is 160mm but the Yari is essentialy the same as the lyric, just a different damper, and so max out at 180, all you need is the air spring shaft to change the length to 160.170 or 180 last one probably a bit extreme?

I think, (sure I'll get corrected if I'm wrong) that a 10mm increase to Fork travel is roughly equal to 1 degree slacker in Head angle

It can be a bit of a sod to find the part you need but with a bit of research it should not be too hard

This is basically what you are looking for

https://www.bike24.com/1.php?content=8;product=131044;menu=1000,2,121;page=96

 

[EddieJ]

If I was a beginner and didn't know much about eMTBs, which bikes would you suggest me to buy?

Please answer on the basis of speed, performance, motor, servicing, etc.

There are several deciding factors, not detailed in any particular order, and I'm not about to recommend X brand over that of another.

Some questions to ask yourself and to think about.

How much do you envisage spending?
What type of riding are you going to doing. XC, enduro, downhill, or just commuting?
Will your chosen riding terrain, suit a hard tail or full suspension? Bear in mind that a hardtail might have a better equipment level and tyres, than an equivalently priced full suspension bike.
Will you need or want to upgrade the bike over time?
Would you outgrow the bike experience wise after just a short period of time?
Can you test ride the bike?
Are there other people that own the same bike, so making any later questions easier to answer?
Do you have a particular favourite brand?
Are the correct frame size options available? Bear i mind that many companies seem to undersize.
Wheel size and tyre width. Plenty of options there to choose from.
Do you have a local dealer network or support, or do you just want to buy online, and hope that you can get the support that you might need?
Do you want an integrated, semi integrated, or just rear mounted battery pack? (Personally I don't have a fondness for integrated batteries)
Research the cost of a spare battery, as you are going to require one if you want to ride any significant distance.
Is the brand that you are looking at offering an ambassador program, along with the associated benefits that this might have?
Don't rule out converting an existing pedal bike, this can have it's benefits.
Many bikes now come with a dropper post as standard. Something that is well worth factoring in, when comparing like for like spec.

 

[sauravgartaula]

There are several deciding factors, not detailed in any particular order, and I'm not about to recommend X brand over that of another.

Some questions to ask yourself and to think about.

How much do you envisage spending?
What type of riding are you going to doing. XC, enduro, downhill, or just commuting?
Will your chosen riding terrain, suit a hard tail or full suspension? Bear in mind that a hardtail might have a better equipment level and tyres, than an equivalently priced full suspension bike.
Will you need or want to upgrade the bike over time?
Would you outgrow the bike experience wise after just a short period of time?
Can you test ride the bike?
Are there other people that own the same bike, so making any later questions easier to answer?
Do you have a particular favourite brand?
Are the correct frame size options available? Bear i mind that many companies seem to undersize.
Wheel size and tyre width. Plenty of options there to choose from.
Do you have a local dealer network or support, or do you just want to buy online, and hope that you can get the support that you might need?
Do you want an integrated, semi integrated, or just rear mounted battery pack? (Personally I don't have a fondness for integrated batteries)
Research the cost of a spare battery, as you are going to require one if you want to ride any significant distance.
Is the brand that you are looking at offering an ambassador program, along with the associated benefits that this might have?
Don't rule out converting an existing pedal bike, this can have it's benefits.
Many bikes now come with a dropper post as standard. Something that is well worth factoring in, when comparing like for like spec.

Thank you very much for this!

 

[Kernow]

Coming from a modern 160mm travel enduro weapon I had a good idea of what I wanted and fortunately there are a lot of eBikes out there now that fit the bill on paper. Ultimately though it came down to money. Sure, I'd love a Nicolai eBoxx, Commencal Meta Power, Rocky Mountain Powerplay or Turbo Kenevo but I had to realistic; Can I justify financing a toy that's worth nearly as much as my car? Answer; no. If the Trek hadn't come up at the right time and for the right price I'd still be slogging my guts out on my Mega but I bet I wouldn't have been out as much as I have on the Powerfly.

I didn't test ride it, but I knew from my research and a sit on it in the shop that I'd be happy with it and boy, was I right! The only thing I don't like at this point is the bars; no rise so flipping the bike upside down to fit/remove the front wheel is a pain.

Sorted that problem I just bought a cheaper car , ?