revisiting - recommend me an e-MTB

[G.P]

Last time I Iooked at the Electric Mountain bike market it was during lock down and prices were mental. Also it was almost 3 yrs ago.
I fancy full suspension but an HT is probably OK as I'll only be doing light trails, towpaths, Ridgeway, Salisbury plain etc.
is Bosch still the motor of choice? What about Haibike and Yamaha?
I'd like to spend less than £2.5k.

What would you recommend?

Cheers

[Taff]

Used or new? It's a good time to buy either way

There's a shed load of barely used lock down bikes advertised, and as the new bike market has slowed down their price is going down as well.

I've seen Whyte e180 advertised with a good chunk of RRP, whereas when I bought mine 18 months ago all I got was a laugh for asking

[weeksy]

I'd like to spend less than £2.5k.

What would you recommend?

Cheers

Finding more money

HArsh i know... but £2500 doesn't get you a lot in Ebikes.

Haibikes are ace and well regarded as are things like CUBE....

But the simple answer is... Whatever one is in the dealer you don't mind driving to when it fails. Sorry but that's the reality of Ebikes if you ask me. It will fail, break and you don't want to box it and ship it 200 miles.

so whatever Hargroves in Swindon have ? Or Tredz in Cardiff and when you're in work drop it off...

[Taff]

Yes, earlier Bosch motors are more fragile than the newer ones, but when I couriered my Cannondale to Rutland it was easy peasy, they sent me a box one day and then collected the full box the next day.

I've also taken the motor out and sent it to a company for overhaul and bearing replacement. Again easy enough.
The lesson from this though it's to not get anything with a second generation Bosch motor. The newer one is betterer.

[G.P]

Cube and Haibikes topped the list last time..

https://www.e-bikeshop.co.uk/products/e ... o0EALw_wcB - Maybe not rugged enough....?

[weeksy]

Cube and Haibikes topped the list last time..

https://www.e-bikeshop.co.uk/products/e ... o0EALw_wcB - Maybe not rugged enough....?

For what you currently describe it's perfectly fine... If you start going a bit more like FoD then i'd arguably want a bit 'more' but that's not really something you go from canal-path straight into.

[porter_jamie]

i would get anything with a bosch gen4 motor. there are places that can completely rebuild them, other brands can be locked in as it were. So the worst it can cost you to fix up a 2nd hand ebike is about 350quid so not much. considering you can pay that for a rear mech its nothing. Batteries are the next scary thing but bosch batteries are available reasonably easily.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

My hard tail Haibike is good, it cost £2500 in 2020, Bosch motor, nothing has gone wrong with it apart from lots of punctures, worn out brake pads and a couple of worn out chains

[MingtheMerciless]

Avoid anything Specialized, both versions of the Brose motor, whilst being the nicest feeling are unreliable.

Bosch motors are pretty reliable, the earlier motor can be improved upon with some seal upgrades that are readily available on line. Plenty of online resources for bearing replacement and how to. Note that early Bosch motors don’t declutch at the speed limit so you end up turning over the motor and it’s gearbox which feels rubbish in comparison to Gen4 stuff.

As for Shitmano motors, according to the LBS they either work for a long time or go pop in a few miles and then it’s a LONG warranty wait.

[weeksy]

My Yamaha based motor has been 100% but is a noisy bugger

[G.P]

i would get anything with a bosch gen4 motor. there are places that can completely rebuild them, other brands can be locked in as it were. So the worst it can cost you to fix up a 2nd hand ebike is about 350quid so not much. considering you can pay that for a rear mech its nothing. Batteries are the next scary thing but bosch batteries are available reasonably easily.

Really interesting, thanks definitely worth looking at the 2nd hand market then...

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I think mine has a Bosch Gen 3 motor, tbh it's not something I worry about, it's been through crank deep puddles and rivers with no problems, I've never jet washed the bike or used WD40 (or similar solvents) anywhere near any of the motor seals, as this can damage the seals. I don't think the battery holds as much charge as it did when it was new, but it could just be that I'm going faster and using more assistance.

I have no regrets with buying a Haibike or getting a hardtail, I've ridden my mates full sus Cube and I didn't like how the back end squatted when pedalling or in bermed corners, I think I'd get used to it if I owned a full sus bike.

Not so convinced that 29" wheels were the way to go, it can feel a big long thing in tight going, fitted a shorter stem which has helped, but not entirely fixed it (and the bike was more comfortable with the longer stem)

[weeksy]

Job 1.

Get over here tomorrow, 10ish. We'll be in manuals, you'll be on the Liv. See if that sparks the desire more.

Sure it'll be muddy, it'll be wet but hey it's the UK.

There will be lunch, there will be beer

[Couchy]

My second hand but mint 2021 Spesh turbo Levo HT with upgraded forks, £1500 ish. Less than 1000 miles and with charger manuals etc. it’s a large but not a big bike. Also derestricted

[G.P]

My second hand but mint 2021 Spesh turbo Levo HT with upgraded forks, £1500 ish. Less than 1000 miles and with charger manuals etc. it’s a large but not a big bike. Also derestricted

Hmm, interesting. I'm 5'7 on a good day so doubt it would fit me though mate?

[weeksy]

If he was a proper mate he'd be at mine for 10am tomorrow

[G.P]

If he was a proper mate he'd be at mine for 10am tomorrow

I'm not making it in the morning Let's do it when I've got more than a 120 minute window.
Got an electrician quoting for wiring the garden building.

[Taff]

You could have a look here....

https://pedalabikeaway.co.uk/ex-hire-bike-for-sale/

[weeksy]

Thought i'd throw this in here

Well i spent a couple of hours on the Ebike last night... But i'm not sure if riding the Liv is helping or hindering my decision. It's very much a Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde relationship i have with it. There's bits that are amazing and bits that are Hateful. But i don't know what's actually responsible for the hateful in some ways.

The brakes are poor... like really really average, but they are Tektro somethings, so that's not insurmountable as a thing to fix.... I've got a tonne of spare brakes and for this weekend i may even throw on a CodeR front i'll do the rear if it's viable to route it with motor in the way, but i think not. (easily)
The bouncers, well again both are fairly low level, XFusion somethings, so not impossible to fix but fairly basic..
It's lacking a dropper... which is more of an issue than i'd like, i think i stuck it up/down about 15 times at FoD last night

But none of those bits are E-Bike specific, but low level spec bike specific.. The Ebike side is where the Jekyl/Hyde comes into play in terms of riding... I did a hill on it, to the top of the red, over by Elephant Man side, this thing was ridiculous in terms of hill, i looked at it first and thought "can i even get up there" but yeah, it seems you can, you just stick the power on and climb, it just goes up, up, up... lol... it's truely epic what it can do in the get to the top without dying context. At the top it whines it's way along easily enough but it's lacking the POP, the fun, the playful. This is the bit that i'm struggling with. It does everything, it gets over things, but instead of WHOOP and POP, it's bah-dunk, clu-dunk, over everything like you're sucked into the floor. With the 27.5 wheels it can make turns, it can do switchbacks, but it's DONK.. rahter than me flowing, it's just Transit Vanning it's way down things. And that's where i'm struggling.
It did however mean i could try things out in my riding SO much easier... "right, do this section without braking", then go back and "right, try this body position"... then go back "try this here on this corner..." repetition. Will that help me more longer term.... well there is my question.

I'll admit, part of me does worry that if i bought the Trek i'd never ride the Slayer again lol... but part of me adores the Slayer and how it rides compared to the Ebike..

I'm a little bit torn.

This is the Eeb i'm considering.
https://www.blazingbikes.co.uk/index.ph ... ike-1.html

I'm out at Peak district with @crust and @Couchy this weekend. Crust has one the same as this on hire for weekend so i need to jump on that and try it out for a run or two. Couchy owns one the same (with bigger capactiy battery) but his is an XL with massive high rise bars and feels remarkably alien to me.

[Couchy]

Riding the Liv is liking riding a motorbike from the 70’s and saying you don’t want a motorbike as you’ve tried one and you didn’t like it, although you liked the engine bit
The real issue is you don’t want the e-bike image as it isn’t gnarrrr enough I don’t believe I have any less fun on an e-bike than a normal one, arguably more fun as I go further more often.

Just remember you’re riding a dull non poppy e-bike, you’re right at the bottom of the scale. There’s so many better bikes out there.