Liv Embolden E+, the imperial star destroyer.

[weeksy]

2021-05-11_04-01-11 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

I've got a ride with 3-4 other Ebikers on Sat in the Peaks, so thought i'd better actually check Mrs Weeksys bike works, set the suspension, seatpost, levers and basically see how it rides.

I've never actually ridden an Ebike in anger before and this was interesting to say the least.

They still ride HEAVY.... but heavy in a way that doesn't matter as much as i used to think, it's heavy in a jumpy/poppy context, but i don't know if it's the M frame or the 130mm suspension and slightly XC geometry, but it handles really nicely. Turns well, grips well with monster rubber on it...

It also goes like stink, both when you're pedalling with power and indeed when freewheeling, it just goes off like a bloody star destroyer. Whilst that's in some ways an excellent point it does completely change how you view the trails. I'm not sure if it's just the motor or the big tyres but you just steamroller the heck out of everything, roots, rocks, mud, you ignore everything, you don't think about lines, you just 'go'.

In terms of noise, well, i'd set the bugger on fire if it were mine.... rattle rattle... I put my hand on and held the battery and that quietens it down a lot... so i'll be getting something either in the battery compartment or something taping wise around it, maybe both, just to try and get rid of the rattle.

It's a completely different sport to MTBing though, you don't think, care or worry about things, trails just blur into 1 trail and it's a very weird feeling when you crest a hill without thinking "phew that was tough". The motor drops power at 15.6mph or whatever it is and that is just the wrong speed, it's where you're going at a decent pace and cruising along on some trails and the motor gets confused, motor yes, no, yes, no.... etc.

Did i enjoy it... yeah of course... it's playing out on the trails.... but i'm not ready for it long term yet.

[Beancounter]

2021-05-11_04-01-11 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

I've got a ride with 3-4 other Ebikers on Sat in the Peaks, so thought i'd better actually check Mrs Weeksys bike works, set the suspension, seatpost, levers and basically see how it rides.

I've never actually ridden an Ebike in anger before and this was interesting to say the least.

They still ride HEAVY.... but heavy in a way that doesn't matter as much as i used to think, it's heavy in a jumpy/poppy context, but i don't know if it's the M frame or the 130mm suspension and slightly XC geometry, but it handles really nicely. Turns well, grips well with monster rubber on it...

It also goes like stink, both when you're pedalling with power and indeed when freewheeling, it just goes off like a bloody star destroyer. Whilst that's in some ways an excellent point it does completely change how you view the trails. I'm not sure if it's just the motor or the big tyres but you just steamroller the heck out of everything, roots, rocks, mud, you ignore everything, you don't think about lines, you just 'go'.

In terms of noise, well, i'd set the bugger on fire if it were mine.... rattle rattle... I put my hand on and held the battery and that quietens it down a lot... so i'll be getting something either in the battery compartment or something taping wise around it, maybe both, just to try and get rid of the rattle.

It's a completely different sport to MTBing though, you don't think, care or worry about things, trails just blur into 1 trail and it's a very weird feeling when you crest a hill without thinking "phew that was tough". The motor drops power at 15.6mph or whatever it is and that is just the wrong speed, it's where you're going at a decent pace and cruising along on some trails and the motor gets confused, motor yes, no, yes, no.... etc.

Did i enjoy it... yeah of course... it's playing out on the trails.... but i'm not ready for it long term yet.

Is that on 27.5+ tyres? Mine is on 27.5+ and I was way more confident on them than the Canyon Neuron mullet set up on narrow/normal tyres, despite the Canyon being considerably lighter than my Trek.

A mate nicknamed mine the Millenium Falcon which I thought was pretty apt. You're right that a day out blends into one long trail. Also agree that you have to ride the trails differently, mainly because any little pedal action will have the motor kicking in so you can find yourself picking up speed, particularly in a series of flat turns where you're coming out of one turn and dropping the other foot in preparation for the next bend, the motor kicks in and you find yourself going a bit quicker than you might like.

I haven't noticed if mine's noisy or not but then I'm slightly hard of hearing and usually talking loudly to anyone in ear shot so the bike is going to have a job being heard above me.

[weeksy]

they're 2.65s or the front is, i'm not sure what's on the back... might be the same.

I did set pressures to 25psi before heading out but forgot to check what the rear was.

I've chucked a strip of stickback foam on the battery to resolve the rattle.

[Taff]

Great stuff

When the motor is cutting in and out, turn the power level down and it'll smooth out. It's just a matter of getting used to the way that it works

[weeksy]

Great stuff

When the motor is cutting in and out, turn the power level down and it'll smooth out. It's just a matter of getting used to the way that it works

Lol I'm only riding it in the Peaks, it's not like I'll be taking it out again

[Taff]

Great stuff

When the motor is cutting in and out, turn the power level down and it'll smooth out. It's just a matter of getting used to the way that it works

Lol I'm only riding it in the Peaks, it's not like I'll be taking it out again

You will

[weeksy]

Great stuff

When the motor is cutting in and out, turn the power level down and it'll smooth out. It's just a matter of getting used to the way that it works

Lol I'm only riding it in the Peaks, it's not like I'll be taking it out again

You will

Well possibly a bpw non uplift day.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I find mine more like riding a low powered motorbike than riding a bicycle, as you've said, just plow over or through everything.

[weeksy]

I find mine more like riding a low powered motorbike than riding a bicycle, as you've said, just plow over or through everything.

I've not ridden off-road but I can get where you're coming from with it yeah. I like the fact on a manual bike you have to think more about line choices, route choices, everything really.

One other thing I forgot, stability on 8" with trails, it just holds the rut/line so much easier

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I think because I came to mountain bikes from off road motorcycles I prefer the plough through everything approach, making the suspension work for a living, I know this how I tried to ride a normal bicycle and was why I didn't enjoy it very much, I was getting knackered in a short time.

I just wish I could work out how to lift the front wheel over obstructions like I could by using the throttle on a motorbike.

[Taff]

I think because I came to mountain bikes from off road motorcycles I prefer the plough through everything approach, making the suspension work for a living, I know this how I tried to ride a normal bicycle and was why I didn't enjoy it very much, I was getting knackered in a short time.

I just wish I could work out how to lift the front wheel over obstructions like I could by using the throttle on a motorbike.

[Couchy]

Lifting the front in a manual on an ebike isn’t anywhere near as easy as a normal bike due to the weight of the battery and motor.
I can just about get a lift from body weight alone but it’s took a lot of practice, I assumed it was me but when I tried same technique on a non ebike I nearly looped it

[weeksy]

Yesterday brought the full on proper ride on the Ebike and what a bloody ride it was.

Me, Couch, RP1, Fil2 and a couple of others in the Peak district, starting at Lady Cannings. We then went up, up, up and over... it started getting rocky, well i call it rocky but it was more boulders than rocks and by golly there's a LOT... But the ebike because of it's stability and also the ability to drive the front wheel forward meant you can pick lines you'd never even consider on a manual bike, just impossible, but with the Ebike you pop over stuff and momentum just carries you.
Next was a double descent, well, sort of, it was a gully dug out i assume by rainwater about 18" wide so you can't pedal and you just hang on clattering rocks as you plummet down. The bike pinging off rocks like a pinball machine.

It calmed down then for 10 mins as we were in some random fields.. nice.. but then we hit a road transition and into the rocks. A fast descent like a river-bed. I flew down there clearing a big rock jump which i wouldn't have normally hit, but it was the line i had and i couldn't go anywhere else.. i then binned it losing the rear on a slippery rock, but all good onto a climb. Man this thing was VERTICAL... i was chatting with the lads, "are we really going up that" and the answer was yes. The Ebike astounded me by making it really easy, just wallop up the gravelly climb to the top.

I could go on and describe the rest of the ride, but if you think boulders, rocks and roots, followed by rocks and impassable mud... then rocks... you'll get the gist of it.

The Ebike and ebikes overall and indeed riders astounded me, we all rode stuff i never in a million years thought i'd see us ride, let alone clear sections. It went up and downhill better than i give it credit for. Amazing.

But of course it's not all a bed of roses for me, it does still have downsides...
1. It gives you the fear ! The fear of battery and losing it. In the last 2-3 miles i had 0 battery and had to drag this thing up a rock fest.. Wow, that was tough. But it's psychological too "have i got enough, do i need to ease off" etc.. it's all levels of complexity you need to factor in.
2. It still rides heavy... proper heavy... but in some ways, that was a benefit yesterday too arguably.
3. It turns SLOW !!!! Maybe it was fatigue, maybe it was the bike, but we did a blue run at Cannings and it turns like an ocean liner
4. Lifting it onto the car is like lifting a bloody anchor !

Overall it goes down as a truly epic day... with views and riding that was superb.

I still don't want an Ebike as my day to day bike, they're restrictive in what you can do in terms of battery management, you can't just "stay out another hour" and the ride isn't a nice cruise in any context. But, give it credit, the thing was bloody impressive.

2021-05-16_06-56-29 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

2021-05-16_06-56-23 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

2021-05-16_06-55-32 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

peaks by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

[millemille]

[weeksy]

In terms of yesterday, sure, i'm all for it... for 99% of my riding, nah, i don't like, want or need it. But that ride wouldn't happen on a manual bike for sure.

[millemille]

[weeksy]

Lol

[MingtheMerciless]

Screenshot 2021-05-16 at 08.45.46.jpg (724.13 KiB) Viewed 1153 times

[Couchy]

So did the ebike do it all for you ? Or did you get a work out like never before ?

It was a great ride and even if the bike had another hour in it I certainly didn’t. I’m used to the terrain now and will do it again and again but 5 hours of it is enough for a day out. The mud did sap battery too but the ebike made it all fun. Next one June 26th all ebikes welcome

[weeksy]

So did the ebike do it all for you ? Or did you get a work out like never before ?

The ebike means you can ride stuff you'd never ride, sibin that context, sort of yes.
But yeah it was a proper workout. As with everything I think you'd get used to the efforts, intensity and lifting/moving.

The thing for me is, we don't have that level of rock, mud or even elevation. We've got byways, woods, trails. None of yesterday's ride were trails