E Bicycle?

I had a look at the Px the other day, that's some serious kit, the brake rotors were nuts.

Guy in the shop reckoned he was getting 2 hours battery life thrashing it as well.

Apparently you can’t ride them everywhere. My wife and I just biked around Grand Island in Lake Superior and E bikes were specifically not allowed. Couldn’t get on the ferry over with one. I believe it’s a national forest. First time I had seen that.

I could'nt think of anything worse than riding for 3 to 5 hours, we ride party laps in a group where its very steep, Bike is always in turbo, pedaling as hard as you can, having to lock up the brakes going up hill, and then absolutley getting off the brakes and sending it back down. Honestly its better than moto. We are completely spent after an hour, heart rate and lungs are at capacity.

I get everyones riding area is different and some areas completely flat.

Spent 4 years working in a couple of bike shops and the most recent shop was a Specialized dealer. Most bike shop brands are great but Specialized is top notch, especially in the eMTB sector. You definitely get what you pay for and their warranty is one of the best I've seen firsthand. Only time I've seen Specialized customers return to the shop was to buy another one for their wive's haha. At this time of year, there's tons of discounts out there so keep looking and you'll definitely score a good deal.

For yourself, the Levo line is solid. The Levo 4 is the most versatile in the line up, with 160F/150R mm of travel will be virtually all you ever need, even if you were to venture out of state. I would even recommend the Levo R (140F/130R) if you plan on staying more local to SC, since SC is more flat and shorter travel could be more efficient to ride. Best advice is to try them at your dealer and see whichever feels/fits best.

For your wife, the Como or the Vado will work out great as long as she wants to stay on pavement or gravel. Comos are cruisers with an upright fit and comfort driven, while the Vado is more of a dual sport, both are solid choices. Only thing I'd preface is that if your wife plans on following you on burly trails (XC or Enduro conditions), I'd consider pairing her with a Levo as well.

Used to be skeptical about E-bikes, or even MTBs (long story but had a bad experience from XC riding with the ClubMX crew lol), or that was until I got to ride them. Shortly after I started at my first shop, Rocky Mountain invited us to demo their PowerPlay Altitude and Instinct eMTBs. The moment I rode one, my doubt INSTANTLY vanished. Me and my co-workers rode for over 2 hours, only stopped when we ran out of daylight and I had more fun in that one evening than any ride or race I did that year. In my experience, the only people who heckle e-bikes are people who simply haven't ridden one yet. It doesn't quite scratch my moto itch, but once a month I contemplate converting 1 for 1 from moto to MTB, or eMTB. At the end of the day, you get to ride longer, more efficiently and have a way better time, without the struggle of climbing or feeling gassed with your tongue in your spokes; who would possibly say no to that?

Best wishes on your eMTB journey!

I would recommend buying what you can get serviced. Specialized has a great dealer network and a great warranty. Many companies have went under in the last 2 years and you want to make sure not to go by price alone. Get a good bike and enjoy the ride.

I bought a YT core 3 Decoy because they were right down the street and gave free demos. Then 2 years later they up and shut the doors and left. I think they’re still around, but on the other side of the globe or something I don’t know. So far the only parts I’ve had to service or replace were run of the mill Fox Sram and Shimano parts that were readily available. So hopefully I don’t need any YT specific parts in the future.  I don’t care if I have to spend money on it once in a while , I mean I care, but I’m gonna spend it. There’s no way I’m going to not have an emtb. I like it way too much and there’s killer trails close by. Get whatever you want and rip it !  “Oh I bought too nice a bike” said no one ever. Get the killer one fukit ✊😂

You guys will probably laugh but I'm a 70 year old former Mx guy, but as a lark in 2020 during Covid I bought a fat tire E big and recently bought another 6 years later. Lumpy I can't tell you how much fun I've had nearly daily running those things around. Being out doors and putting on the miles even with assist I'm getting a little exercise and i feel it helps with my balance and stamina. I've traveled over 6 thousand miles on those bikes with few defects only Battery's brakes and tires were replaced as a precaution. I didn't buy the best on the market but a mid grade brand. I think the quality of the latest and greatest are awesome but costly for sure. Lumpy good luck for you and your wife I say go for it.

it is true with some carve outs. I live near a couple meccas for MTB and both have rules posted on the bike route maps at trailhead stating no motorized or E-assist bikes allowed. Many people still do. If you are low key and a good citizen on the trails most people overlook the E-assist. On trails that do allow E MTB it is only Class 1 with governor and NO throttle. I just got back from Lake Tahoe visiting my best friend who was 1st person I know to go E-assist and advised me on my purchase. We rode on bike paths and common access and designated forest trails. The general bike paths have signs stating no motorized vehicles or motorized bicycles allowed but it is totally ignored with no enforcement and abused. The Forest however has signs stating Class 1 E-bikes only allowed. Strange.

I commute to work on a Tero (fender kit for rain) and ride a Levo on weekends on the trails. Absolutely love both bikes. 

I love riding dirt bikes, but I am a suburban dweller...so loading the bikes in a truck, driving 30-60+ minutes to get to a riding area, gas, gearing up, riding then everything in reverse is time and energy consuming.

I live in a spot where I can ride emtb out my garage with about a 5-10 minute ride to hit the trails....trails that don't allow moto.

Super convenient, nobody cares because there is no noise. Yes, national forests still 'ban' them, but even then, almost no one cares.

I get like 75% of the motor rush on downhills...uphills are certainly different (better on moto).  75% of the feeling, 10% of the getting there hassle.

It funny listening to Steve on pulp because I get the sense he ride 90% emtb and 10% motorcycles.

Another big tip...high school and middle school MTB racing (non-ebike)

It's huge where I live but is also nationwide. Probably almost 100 kids on my son's team.  It gets me out too (on emtb) because I am a lowly trail sweep parent coach.

My son that grew up in moto is excelling.  It would have been so cool if they had it when I was in high school.

https://nationalmtb.org/

Don't mean to be hijacking. I've always been a jumper, 20", 24", and a 26" jumper. I want just a little bit of power so I don't have to peddle! Which means throttle but, I want a llift up the Mtn. Full suspension, with lock-out. I have no idea what is out there. If anybody could help out I appreciate it, thank you very much.

I'm a BMX background all of my life, but MTB for the past decade. Confident jumping/manualling/popping etc.

Forget the BMX and dirt jumper type bike mentality a bit if you're headed to the mountains. Pending your desired level of send and the steepness/technicality of your trails, a mid-travel aggressive trail bike will scratch the itch while keeping you feeling poppy. Specialized just released the Levo R - a short travel version of the Turbo Levo. The Levo platform is not light however. 

Lightweight E-MTB's were a thing for a bit before a power war erupted between Specialized and DJI (Avinox). In this category consider the Specialized Levo SL (discontinued as a new model I believe so would only be second hand) or I ride the Specialized Kenevo SL which is a more aggressive geo, long travel set up. 

If you've got the budget, the new Orbea Wild LT is something else!!!! But on the more aggressive side. 

Trek Fuel EX-E is also a great buy.

Hope this helps? 

Any thoughts on Motobecane? My friend has bought their regular MTB's in the past and been happy with bang for the buck. Are their eMTB's good?

Best Electric Bikes Online On Sale Front or Full Suspension, MTB Bikes

Look for a mid-travel bike (140-160mm) from a reputable brand that has a brick and mortar shop by you.  Specialized, Trek, etc.  I think most (if not all) of the mtbs with full suspension have a lock-out lever.

A lot of the higher power, bigger battery emtbs are heavier.  Specialized Turbo Levo is close to 50 pounds, I believe, and really feels a lot like a dirt bike to me.  But it's fast and will go a long way on a charge.  Something like a Trek Rail or Fuel EXe will be lighter and feel more like a pedal bike, but with less power and smaller battery.  Try a few and see what fits you.  When you get that bike, you'll love it.

Bike market is in free fall. You can get a better speced name brand bike for less money right now.

Thank you very much!

Interested in this topic as well, specifically for a receiver hitch.  

The eMTB's are a blast! I bought a Husqavarna one last year and love it! I haven't taken it on any trails yet, but its so fun to ride around the neighborhood on. It's great for my replaced knee; I know you have one or both done. The assist really helps out and you can get them to go pretty fast.

FWIW I bought a Fantic 3 years ago. Uses the same Brose motor and battery as the Specialized Levo from a few years ago. Researched the heck out of it including all the motor replacement horror stories, but it was so cheap I felt it worth the gamble.

Also, these shout-out to these folks who run a great channel with a lot of good comparisons:

https://theloamwolf.com/emtb/

HTH.

BP

 

Have any of you got a e-road bike?

Just want to second Sumdood's advice to buy the killer one. I did the same for my analog bike and I ride the thing all the time. It's too trick to sit in the garage! 

Also, I wouldn't worry too much about servicing an e-bike. Your local bike shop can fix wheels, drivetrain (including the motor,) shifting, brakes, suspension and controls. All this whether they sell your brand or not. About the only thing you'd need to worry about is if you need to buy a new battery or controller unit if the bike brand and the electronics manufacturer went out of business. (Or if you break the frame, but trust me - you aren't breaking an e-bike frame!) 

I have 3. The 2 2022 models have about 3,000 miles and no issues with batteries. My local shop replaced the motor on the 2022 S-Works because it was making a very small noise at about 2,800 miles, but that is the only issue. Fox did warranty the shock on both 2022 bikes. 

Imma go the other way... ebikes suck... oh they great when you are using the boost, but absolutely suck pedal only because of the extra weight... so..  when you buy an ebike, u are buying it to only be used with boost... and if you only gonna ride with boost, why not just get a dedicated emoto or even something gas like a grom or ruckus?? 

Not sure if they're available in the US but the Velduro Phantom is amazing

Here’s the other one, it didn’t load in my first post. I’ve been riding about 4 times a week since 1999, being on these 3 are the most fun I’ve had riding. I still have my pedal bike I take out rarely now.