There was a little talk about E bikes in the Yamaha thread so bringing it up here for a fresh start.
My wife and I are planning on getting 2 E petal assist bicycles for our retirement travels.
I have fought getting one but starting to think its time.
We are sold on getting Specialized E bikes and when going to GNCC races they are everywhere.
Wife wants a step through Como streetish model and I am torn between one of those or a Levo E mountain bike because I still want to be able to go off road some.
While at a funeral in Michigan by Red Bud a Specialized dealer in Holland had a $3000 left over belt drive on closeout but it was sold the weekend before we could get up there.
Specialized has an amazing life time warranty if you buy it new and 2 years or 300 charges on the battery and 2 years from date of purchase if 2nd owner.
Have you had one? What do you have? How has it lasted? Battery life?
Have you ever been hassled because you have a pedal assist 2 or 3 not throttle model?
First off...emtb is awesome. Highly recommend.
I have the specialized turbo levo...great bike, but be careful on the motor. I think they have fixed it on the newest generation (gen 4). I have the gen 3 (brose motor)...they don't have great longevity. I have replaced mine once, luckily under warranty. I think the motor warranty is only 2 year. The gen 3 brose motor is belt driven and the belt fails
It seems the current top of the line motors are the Avinox, followed by the Bosch. Neither of these are on Specialized bikes.
Have fun emtb-ing!
I saw a couple used that mentioned the motor had been replaced so I knew there was something up with those.
Yeah, other than the motor, it is a great bike.
To a degree, this company exists to fix and upgrade specialized brose motors: https://ebikemotorrepair.com/repair-overhaul-service/
I've bought a couple bikes here - they seem to be the 'TJ Maxx' of bikes...selling bikes that collect dust at dealers (some lightly used): https://upway.co
best decision ive made was buying an emtb not even kidding. Rarely there is a day when Im not on it since then. I get almost the same feeling riding trails compared to when I rode motocross. Its awesome. Do it
The Shop
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
Your first several rides on whatever emtb you end up with will bring you straight back to your first several rides on a dirt bike... It's about as close to pure joy and fun as you can get. It will remind you why you started riding two wheels in the first place.
MTB trails become playgrounds. Climbs are just another obstacle. Flat is like going downhill. Downhill is icing on the cake.
Also they've been around long enough that you can find some decent used options on FB that are solid. I bought my Yamaha Moro 07 for $1700, slightly used. Excellent and very capable bike. Or you can choose to pay more than you would for a Stark for some new Specialized Levomymoneyonthetable. All up to you.
Enjoy!
Great topic idea Lumpy 😁 Ignore the downvoting vitards- they should be happy we're not cross polluting the "MOTO" threads they live for- but no. Can't please everybody all the time.
My own "ah-ha!" moment came after a long and convoluted journey I'll save for later if anyone cares, but seems you are exactly where I was when I got serious looking for 1. I started googling E-MTB for beginners and got a list of reviews from bicycle industry mags and rider/experts. They usually would list the top 5 or top 10 picks. I also had been following Luna Cycles on-line for some time thinking I wanted a Sur Ron or Talaria Sting type but they have lot of options on their website to look at. Based in CA.
#1 here: you and your wife have 2 different ideas of types and uses. Research both types and narrow down features desired for each to see if there's enough common points or do you actually need 2 different purposed bikes that can co-exist? Using those mag reviews & lists I kept seeing Specialized, but also Trek and even REI bikes at different feature levels and price points. Some considerations I had were warranty, where to get service, and the price points along with features. Shipping is VERY expensive if you can't buy directly through authorized dealer bike shops. REI had a great end to end solution that allowed you to order from any REI and the company would drop ship your bike to the dealer you purchased from and assemble it and tune up for your exact needs at no extra charge. I didn't buy from them but liked the complete process they had in place.
#2 if you are going to use your bike for "a little" off roading, you probably don't need full suspension, and a bunch of hard tails were highly rated by the magazine reviews. Trek seemed to always show up along with the REI bikes in middle of top picks lists. I think there are some Giants too? Another consideration might be China content of sourcing of the bikes. I did a deep dive on Specialized and saved the results after people said they were made in China (they are NOT) and my final choice ended up being the Turbo Levo Alloy SL as it checked all the important boxes for me.
#3 I started buying MTB back in the 1980s and had at least 1 cheapo from Walmart to learn on without huge $ investment. You can actually get suspension bikes there nowadays for low investment start-up costs to see if you and wife actually find you would ride them enough to justify going further and upgrading to better quality and components, etc. You may try renting a time or 2 to see if you like it before buying..
Have fun digging in and seeing what is out there for you 👍
I've been riding a Trek Rail for the past few years and yes, the Bosch motor is stellar. EMTB rules. So fun.
I have a Specialized Tero, which is an entry-level hardtail eMTB. I love it and use it almost daily, but I did have to have the motor replaced just this week after putting about 2000 miles on it. I had a torque sensor issue but Specialized only sells the motor as a complete unit.
Specialized Levos are great, but before you commit to those take a hard look at Amflow bikes or anything with an Avinox motor.
Less dealer support now, but that will change rapidly. Also, moto people tend to be more technical than the average MTB customer.
HTH.
BP
https://ebike-mtb.com/en/ has the best content/reviews in my opinion. They do an annual round up of all the motor systems.
It is important to keep in mind that the only thing you are buying with a "brand" is the warranty and the sticker on the down tube.
Get one with a big battery. (800wh). The new avinox motors are clearly the best in class right now. Lots of companies make bikes around that motor.
I have a gasgas with the Yamaha x3 motor and 800wh battery. It was top of the line when it came out in 2021 or whatever. I can get around 5k feet of steep climbing in using a mix of boost/regular mode. IME battery life is tied to how steep/vert more than distance.
I thought my 85nm motor was plenty until I started trying to ride up moto singletrack. It is fine for any purpose built MTB trails. Need more powa to ride up a 15 percent grade off-road though
Lumpy- I highly recommend the e-bike route for you and your wife! Others have given some solid e-bike advice here and I can also add that you might just find that an e-bike might be a game changer as it sounds like you and your wife are looking for activities to do together.
My wife is in pretty good shape and very active- but she didn't have the "riding" background that I had from motocross and BMX bikes & mountainbikes, etc. that I had growing up... In short- she wasn't a real strong rider and our attempts at rail trails, paths, greenways, etc were usually fairly brief and I think she found them intimidating- especially with avid cyclists riding among us.
A couple years back I jumped on that insane and great Yamaha e-bike sale and not only grabbed her a bike- but the deal was so sweet that I grabbed one for myself too... (I got both of them for less than the cost of one regular priced bike at the time)..
Her confidence boost was dramatic- to the point that she frequently grabs the bike and goes riding on her own. Our trips now include packing the bikes and trying new trails. Where we used to only ride a hour or so, we are now going on 3-5 hour rides. I still have my pedal bike and like many have discovered- I am also a stronger pedal rider now as a result of the longer saddle time on the e-bike. Too many people confuse "e-bikes" with what are essentially electric scooters. Not to get off topic on those- but a peddle assist e-bike still gets you a decent workout but makes the ride longer and more enjoyable for many. I hope you and your wife have fun exploring and that you enjoy retirement together--- having fun and riding!
3-5 hours sounds awesome. My average me assist ride is 3 hours and 3,000 feet of climbing. I’ve tried my friends turbo levo a few times and the battery dies at just over 2 hours and 5,000 feet while in trail mode the whole time. It has 750 watts and an 85 motor . I’d really like to get my 3 hours in , 2 hours feels like I got ripped off. These things are a bitch when you have to pedal in on a dead battery. be cool if there was a way to disengage the motor.
My current mountain bike is my wifes Kona 29er that was a hand me down from her after I bought her a new trek upright cruiser. My 1st mountain bike just never had the right ergonomics to stand and push it but this Kona was like being home on a MX bike. She went on a mountain bike ride with friends 1 time and after she failed making it up a dip and slid backwards down after that it was no more off road for her. We have both recently sold our street bikes.
In the past We have both been on mountain bikes and street bicycles putting in miles and she has even done a half marathon and mini triathlon and she a mentor for the ladies group Tri it for Life.
I know I can be comfortable on a mountain bike with suspension and can still go anywhere she goes on her Como.
I am 100% leaning towards paying more for the much larger battery.
Be careful at first. One of our rides starts with a technical rocky climb . I pushed down on my pedal just like I do on my regular bike. Ended up doing a spectacular loop out , my buddy behind me couldn’t stop laughing 🤣
I have the Yamaha YDX Moro Pro but have spent time on Specialized also. I think they are a lot of fun. It's sort of it's own experience. It's much different than a regular MTB and a dirtbike. It's like the perfect in-between. I know the newest Levo has a toggle for class 3, which allows it to assist above 20mph (I think 28mph?). I'm not super familiar with how that works but it might be cool. I feel like in the trails and whatnot, my YDX is amazing. Sometimes if I'm commuting to other parts of the park on pavement, the assist cuts off and the tallest gear feels a bit low. To be fair, even on my Stumpjumper, the tallest gear feels low compared to some of the older mountain bikes I've owned that have 2 or 3 chainrings in front, with a taller gear set. I bring this up because if your wife has more of a commuter type of e-bike (like a class 3 etc) and you get a trail oriented class 1, bike, then you might feel like you run out of gear on gravel or pavement. Other than that, I find Emtb to be a lot of fun. Me and my buddies have even done rides in the winter with some snow on the ground. They are a blast. And I've done some pretty decent jump lines on mine too and they jump better than you'd think for a 50lb bicycle.
They are fantastic machines. Just rented a new (105 n/m!) Turbo Levo for a 33 mile on the Point Trail in Copper Harbor, MI. (Fantastic trail, btw).
As others have said, the newest e-mtbs are a revelation. I honestly am not sure I could have completed this 33 mile ride on a pedal bike, but it was no problem on the Specialized bike. You will want one when you try it.
I'm not sure 105 newton meter motors are necessary, but it sure was fun. After 33 miles of doing nothing to spare the battery (other than not using Turbo mode), I still had 33% charge left, and my son and I were on a pretty good clip.
I'd look seriously at drivetrain reliability records of the various motors and certainly buy an established brand that will stand behind the bike if there's an issue. In addition to the Levo, I also have time on several Trek emtbs, and they are also excellent, but at 50 n/m, just not the rip-snorter that the Levo is, and that might not be a bad thing.
Find the right bike and enjoy the hell out of it.
Specialized offers plug and play range extenders for Levo.
Pit Row
How odd you cant shut the motor off....All 3 of my Yamaha Moros you could shut them completely off...i rarely have to charge mine because i dont run the motor unless i need it!
Great topic...
Going electric was about making riding a bike fun again. I spent so many years riding road bikes and measuring my heart rate, recovery times, miles in road, calories, etc... it just too all the fun out of riding.
Going eMTN bike was the best thing I've ever done. I did demo a few Specialized Carbon Levo's and a few other brands and enjoyed them. But they felt like bikes adopted to ride the dirt. Not like a dirt bike...
I ultimately I went with an Intense aluminum Tazer S. Riding aluminum provided the feel - more like motorcycle which is what I was looking for personally. And the ergo's the Intense felt more moto vs the other brands for me. I even have the front brake on the throttle side to make it more moto.
My goal was to have fun and just ride... not to worry about this or think about that. Riding familiarity and ergo comfort were a big decision why I went with the Intense. I'm having a blast on it being on fire roads, technical trails, up-hills, downhills, urban sidewalks and stairs. Heck I even take it to the pump track and have the time of my life on it.
Highly recommend going the eMTN bike route. And what ever brand you go with you'll enjoy the experience.
It’s off , but still spinning and creating drag. In eco mode the drag seems to make pedaling harder than my regular bike.
I have 2 specialized right now, a levo comp carbon, a tero 3.0 and taking delivery of a levo 4 pro today. I honestly enjoy riding my bike more than my dirtbike lately. If you go to gncc check with gear bicycles that goes to the races, hes got some good pricing.
Be advised, these only give pedal assist up to 20mph. There are others that go beyond that, most notably Amflow bikes. But these are very sought-after, so you would have to search for a dealer. (Same high quality parts - suspension, quality build etc)
https://www.amflowbikes.com
(You would probably laugh at mine - Velotric Summit 1. Not all the bells and whistles but it is a complete blast.)
Amflow seems pretty much unbeatable, these days.
Good advice!
The one thing I disagree on is that I suggest always getting full suspension on a mountain bike, especially since an e-bike is going to be faster than a non-e bike. I know some people are really into hardtails, but full suspension are more comfortable offroad. I can't imagine not having rear suspension.
I don't ride an e-bike, but I mountain bike quite a bit.
My wife and I have been riding mtb's since the early 1980's. Due to many birthdays and a few injuries my wife pretty much quit riding bicycles. Until she demoed a Giant e-Trance. She was hooked immediatly. The Giant isn't top of the line (which she doesn't need) and is a little heavier than many others, but is a good solid bike, and as others have said , e-mtbs are really fun. Now I'm trying to figure out which one I want.
Lumpy, my way of thinking is that you can ride a full on mtb on the pavement with your wife, but would you be happy riding a more street oriented bike on the dirt. I wouldn't!
And I'd bet you a buck that you will end up riding more dirt than you think you will!!!
I ride a class 1 GasGas Trail Lite 2.0. I ride it everywhere and nobody cares. It's not any faster than the gravel bike bros. It mostly just extends my high mountain rides because the uphills don't wipe me out like on my acoustic bike. Instead of 15 miles I can do 25+. I've had it a year and the battery life has not changed. It really only gets ridden once a week because around the neighborhood I use one of the other bikes in the garage to exercise the dog.
I bought my E-bike last year after making fun of my friend for 2 years when he bought one. I ride almost every day and most of the time on my regular Mt Bike. I bought a Pivot Shuttle LT and it's the best purchase I have ever made. The ability to session jump line multiple time and make more than one rip up the Mt is a game changer. I still only ride it 15% of the time but it is certainly the most fun.
One word. AVINOX
My wife leaves me in the dust on her e-bike (Liv Rove E+.) It's a step-through (read: girls') city bike which is MTB-adjacent. She could ride dirt roads as-is or green trails with some different tires on it. I struggle to keep up with her on my old "amish" bike, but I don't plan to get an ebike just yet. I've ridden a few, and they are so much fun, I'll probably never ride my old-school analog bike again!
The Specialized machines are state of the art, but if you're going to pay full pop, you may find more bang for the buck with other brands. When I pull the trigger, I'll probably get one of these. You would of course have to select the right model for your needs; I'm an Enduro guy though:
https://www.commencal.com/us/en/bikes/e-bikes/enduro/new%20meta%20power%20sx%20avinox%20m2s/BT6MSXPWDJRIUS1.html?dwvar_BT6MSXPWDJRIUS1_size=xl&lang=en_US
https://www.transitionbikes.com/Bikes/Relay
https://www.canyon.com/en-us/electric-bikes/electric-mountain-bikes/mountain-ebikes-striveon/cfr/strive-on-cfr-underdog/4205.html?dwvar_4205_pv_rahmenfarbe=BK%2FBK
Post a reply to: E Bicycle?