Wisper, Giant or other EMTB for big guy? HT?

[RobbieBear]

Hi all,
I am looking to buy an all purpose EMTB. I have been looking at hardtails as I want it to be a do-it-all bike for riding light trails and tracks as well as road commuting, possibly with a rack so I can ditch the car on a regular basis.
I am currently 127kg and aware that I am over the weight limit for most EMTBs.
I know that Giant are above this and so was drawn to the Fathom E+1 Pro which also seems to have a very strong motor (albeit loud).
I also considered something like the Merida e.Big Trail 800 even though I am over the limit by a few kilos. The E8000 is, I believe, a quieter, albeit less powerful motor than the Giant.
The Brose motor sounds like an excellent choice but there don't seem many bikes using this which could accommodate my weight.

I recently saw the Wisper Wolf Carbon on sale for under £3500 but have not been able to find a weight limit for that bike. I know Wisper make bikes for heavier folks from reading this forum but don't know if their Wolf is one of those. Also, I cannot find any reviews at all for this bike. Anyone have any knowledge of it?

A relative, who has a bike shop in the Lake District, suggested a hardtail for what my needs are. I won't be buying from him as the distance (he agrees) is too far regarding after sales support and servicing.

Am I on the right lines with any of these bikes? I have a budget of about £5000 which I realise will get me the FS Giant Trance, FS Merida eOne, Wisper Wildcat (also on sale) or many others but I want to make sure I get the right bike.
Would I be better looking at FS in terms of cushioning my weight from the wheels etc?

Obviously, I want to try out some bikes first, possibly a daily hire of a couple, but wanted to narrow things down before getting to that point as it will cost me for each bike I hire.
I considered trying to lose some weight first, but have decided that I just need to get a bike and get out riding.

Any advice gratefully received!
Cheers
Rob

 

[mark.ai]

Welcome!

I don't know about those specific bikes, but there is some good advice in this thread if you haven't seen it: Am I too heavy for an ebike? - EMTB Forums

 

[dirt huffer]

I would look at any bike you want and just make sure the air shock or coil shock can be set up for your weight.

Most ebikes are over-built to be hard charging all mountain or enduro machines that can be jumped or dropped off some pretty sizeable stuff... and as long as you don't go nuts, the frame and wheels should hold up fine. Plus eBike hubs are usually heavier duty than normal bikes.

Also, i agree with you that FS would be easier on the wheels and frame and cushion the impacts. The main thing is just getting the shock set up for your weight or going to a downhill shock if nessessary

 

[RobbieBear]

Welcome!

I don't know about those specific bikes, but there is some good advice in this thread if you haven't seen it: Am I too heavy for an ebike? - EMTB Forums

Thanks Mark. I will check it out.

 

[RobbieBear]

I would look at any bike you want and just make sure the air shock or coil shock can be set up for your weight.

Most ebikes are over-built to be hard charging all mountain or enduro machines that can be jumped or dropped off some pretty sizeable stuff... and as long as you don't go nuts, the frame and wheels should hold up fine. Plus eBike hubs are usually heavier duty than normal bikes.

Also, i agree with you that FS would be easier on the wheels and frame and cushion the impacts. The main thing is just getting the shock set up for your weight or going to a downhill shock if nessessary

Thanks for the reply.

Is there information anywhere regarding weight limits on shocks? I have looked but struggled to find it.

Some manufacturers don't seem very obliging about publishing weight limits in a way that is easy to find.
I did find an interesting article about how manufacturers of emtbs will be looking at establishing weight limits although most said this was not an easy one as each differently specced bike may potentially have a different limit based on the components and parts fitted. Or, they would have to set a limit and make sure that each component met the same .

The encouraging thing is that it seems to be this exercise that is causing the difficulty in attaching a total weight limit. The figures being discussed by some were around 150kg for the total weight of their bike and rider. They just won't guarantee this without having ascertained that all parts meet the same standard.

So I would probably be OK in this respect on most bikes.

Your advice to simply choose any bike so long as the shock can be set for me, therefore, seems to be pretty sound.

I did contact Merida, who told me that the rider weight limit on their bikes is 120kg. However, knowing that I was over that, they did point me to the likes of the EOne EMTBs as being a better fit than the likes of their espresso bikes. The implication here, to me, is that my weight is not too big a concern or they would, presumably, have warned me about warranties being invaild etc.

Cheers

Rob

 

[dirt huffer]

Is there information anywhere regarding weight limits on shocks? I have looked but struggled to find it.

I would try Googling around on the shocks that come with each bike and how they handle heavier riders. Most of the air shocks i see on eBike are built for action. Look for an air shock with a reservoir - that is usually a good indication that it can handle more action.

Also, look at bikes that come with coil shocks as some of them can handle VERY hard hits like what you see in Red Bull Rampage.

I'm guessing you're just starting out mountain biking so you're not going to be riding crazy hard and putting your bike through lots of stress. A 180lb rider bombing off a 6ft drop puts way more pressure on the bikes frame then you ripping around on a trail grounded.

Just ride smart... and if you're super worried about a possible future warranty, send a skinny friend in to buy the bike, then have him warranty the frame crack.

I would say also, get a bike with a fork with 36mm stantions like a Rock Shox Lyric, Durolux 36, or Fox 36. That way it wont be flexy

 

[RobbieBear]

I would try Googling around on the shocks that come with each bike and how they handle heavier riders. Most of the air shocks i see on eBike are built for action. Look for an air shock with a reservoir - that is usually a good indication that it can handle more action.

Also, look at bikes that come with coil shocks as some of them can handle VERY hard hits like what you see in Red Bull Rampage.

I'm guessing you're just starting out mountain biking so you're not going to be riding crazy hard and putting your bike through lots of stress. A 180lb rider bombing off a 6ft drop puts way more pressure on the bikes frame then you ripping around on a trail grounded.

Just ride smart... and if you're super worried about a possible future warranty, send a skinny friend in to buy the bike, then have him warranty the frame crack.

I would say also, get a bike with a fork with 36mm stantions like a Rock Shox Lyric, Durolux 36, or Fox 36. That way it wont be flexy

Yes, never ridden a mountain bike before so not going to be doing anything extreme.

To be honest, I rode a Merida CX4 analogue bike for a few years and it never entered into my head to check for a weight limit. I didnt break anything! The EMTBs seem to be so much more robust!

Will have a look around at shocks to see what is about.

Good advice regarding the robust and stiffer 36mm forks. I think I might feel a bit silly at first riding around on a bike that is way, way above my skill level. But the more robust stuff will certainly handle my weight better and, as I lose weight and get fitter, I will be able to do more challenging stuff as my skill increases.