E-Mountain Bike = Best Cross Training Tool

premiersportsoutlet
Edited Date/Time 7/7/2022 8:00am
I just got an Intense MX Tazer and I am completely blown away by its capabilities. I made the switch after our local trails were acquired by a developer and closed them off to dirt bikes. Now I get to sneak in there and continue shredding!

These bikes are game changers and perfect for moto enthusiasts. I might be selling my Ibis Ripmo now haha

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stone881
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stone881 3/13/2022 9:06am
3/13/2022 9:06am
l would argue that the best cross training tool is a human powered MTB, but the e version's sure are one hell of a lot more fun!
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mxbulldog
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mxbulldog 3/13/2022 9:14am
3/13/2022 9:14am
Did it come with the DVO suspension on it? The last ones I was looking at were Ohlins. I have the non-MX version with the Fox factory 38 and the DPX2 rear shock. Seriously considering a shock upgrade to get some initial plushness.
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Spooner
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Spooner 3/13/2022 9:17am
3/13/2022 9:17am
mxbulldog wrote:
Did it come with the DVO suspension on it? The last ones I was looking at were Ohlins. I have the non-MX version with the Fox...
Did it come with the DVO suspension on it? The last ones I was looking at were Ohlins. I have the non-MX version with the Fox factory 38 and the DPX2 rear shock. Seriously considering a shock upgrade to get some initial plushness.
His is the expert which comes with DVO and the E7000 motor. I had a regular tazer before this one and the coil shock is a massive upgrade.
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stiksandstones 3/13/2022 9:27am
3/13/2022 9:27am
Quite the contrary and I don't have the science to back it up, other than 30 plus years of cycling. I have been on assist eMTB's since they came to america and still riding muscle MTB's. The eMTB if ridden too much, begins to train/build muscles differently, fast twitch loss they say, the SNAP and POWER you build on a muscle bike from sprints, attacks, snapping out of a corner, etc etc, is all 'assisted' when riding a eMTB....so you basically become a slower rider.

Now, I am talking about performance cyclists, maybe for the MOTO crosser it could be an amazing tool, but more and more DH MTB racers are using them and discovering the pop and snap in their legs is being decreased.
I guess the ole your mileage may vary.

That being said-fun factory? class 1, pedal assist, eMTB's are probably the funnest 2 wheel vehicles ever that still deliver some great work outs.
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mxbulldog
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mxbulldog 3/13/2022 9:33am
3/13/2022 9:33am
mxbulldog wrote:
Did it come with the DVO suspension on it? The last ones I was looking at were Ohlins. I have the non-MX version with the Fox...
Did it come with the DVO suspension on it? The last ones I was looking at were Ohlins. I have the non-MX version with the Fox factory 38 and the DPX2 rear shock. Seriously considering a shock upgrade to get some initial plushness.
Spooner wrote:
His is the expert which comes with DVO and the E7000 motor. I had a regular tazer before this one and the coil shock is a...
His is the expert which comes with DVO and the E7000 motor. I had a regular tazer before this one and the coil shock is a massive upgrade.
Ahh, thanks for that info. It is tougher to find info on the MX versions. I got my Tazer Pro last fall and am loving it so far, other than a harsh fork that I still need to tear apart due to excessive grease internally, and the harsh rear shock that also uses too much travel on bigger hits.

Did you have the Ohlins coil shock?
Spooner
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Spooner 3/13/2022 9:37am
3/13/2022 9:37am
mxbulldog wrote:
Ahh, thanks for that info. It is tougher to find info on the MX versions. I got my Tazer Pro last fall and am loving it...
Ahh, thanks for that info. It is tougher to find info on the MX versions. I got my Tazer Pro last fall and am loving it so far, other than a harsh fork that I still need to tear apart due to excessive grease internally, and the harsh rear shock that also uses too much travel on bigger hits.

Did you have the Ohlins coil shock?
Yeah that is my bike in the post above. The Ohlins fork is honestly ridiculously good compared to the fox 36 I had on my old pro model.
ktmdan
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ktmdan 3/13/2022 9:45am
3/13/2022 9:45am
It’s ironic that so many people who ride dirt bikes with engines think that you can’t get a work out with an e bike because it has a motor.
I will not let myself try an Ebike because I know that I will want one immediately.
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JBecker 72
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JBecker 72 3/13/2022 9:50am
3/13/2022 9:50am
That looks like it would be a lot of fun. Would love to get a chance to demo one.
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centralcalmx
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centralcalmx 3/13/2022 9:59am
3/13/2022 9:59am
ktmdan wrote:
It’s ironic that so many people who ride dirt bikes with engines think that you can’t get a work out with an e bike because it...
It’s ironic that so many people who ride dirt bikes with engines think that you can’t get a work out with an e bike because it has a motor.
I will not let myself try an Ebike because I know that I will want one immediately.
That’s what I was afraid of also.
Then did it….
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Indy mxer
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Indy mxer 3/13/2022 9:59am
3/13/2022 9:59am
ktmdan wrote:
It’s ironic that so many people who ride dirt bikes with engines think that you can’t get a work out with an e bike because it...
It’s ironic that so many people who ride dirt bikes with engines think that you can’t get a work out with an e bike because it has a motor.
I will not let myself try an Ebike because I know that I will want one immediately.
I'm afraid of the same thing if I try one. lol
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kpiper
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kpiper 3/13/2022 10:02am
3/13/2022 10:02am Edited Date/Time 3/13/2022 10:02am
ktmdan wrote:
It’s ironic that so many people who ride dirt bikes with engines think that you can’t get a work out with an e bike because it...
It’s ironic that so many people who ride dirt bikes with engines think that you can’t get a work out with an e bike because it has a motor.
I will not let myself try an Ebike because I know that I will want one immediately.
Indy mxer wrote:
I'm afraid of the same thing if I try one. lol
Yes, you get a great workout riding a dirt bike and it has an engine.

All my friends who got the eMTB said they would keep riding the muscle-powered bike too...but that changed over time and they rarely do now. "It is too hard!" or "Not as much fun."
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part-timer 3/13/2022 11:42am
3/13/2022 11:42am
Definitely a great training tool, and lots of fun!
Been on an ebike since November. I do still ride my non ebikes too though.
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race
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race 3/13/2022 1:36pm
3/13/2022 1:36pm
Don't have enough seat time on them yet but I would think the thing you start to lose is the mental toughness to do that brutal 2 hour climb on a hot summer day. Especially if it's some boring fire road up where you just have to turn your mind off and grind it out. Which in turn means your legs and cardio are losing some of that toughness. Probably just a matter of mental discipline of staying off Turbo.

But what you gain is the ability to explore the entire mountain instead of just doing one or maybe two runs. Like those different lines you see when you've climbed up to the top and always meant to check out to see where they go ... but after all the work of climbing up you want your reward of that downhill or jump line you just earned so you put it off. lol Now it's no big deal to go explore them.

With the average weight of eMTBs between 45 and 55 lbs and usually a lot more suspension you're going to be working the muscles different than on an analog? 28-30 pound bike. And if you're a typical motohead you're going to be using that extra weight / stability and suspension to launch off everything in sight.

BTW - aiming for a Rail 9.8 XT.
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Spooner
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Spooner 3/13/2022 1:48pm
3/13/2022 1:48pm
I’m a guy that hates going to the gym or just working out in general haha! But I LOVE to mountain bike and because these things are a total blast it makes me want to ride a ton more. I’m also a single dad with two little boys so my times is at a premium. If I can show up and ride 15 or whatever miles in the couple hours I might have free then that makes it a lot more worth the hassle of going riding. I always see groups of riders taking breaks constantly..on the juice you just ride the entire time and only stop to figure out what the next trail is that you’re going to hit. You also don’t blow yourself up on these things so if you’re going on a riding trip or something you can ride for several days in a row and feel good every day.
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coastie44
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coastie44 3/13/2022 2:10pm
3/13/2022 2:10pm
+1 to eMTBs. I bought a Trek Rail 9.8 and call it the giggle bike. It's ridiculously fun! I will go out and ride it on days I would never ride the analog bike because its actually enjoyable the entire time.
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Pirate421
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Pirate421 3/13/2022 3:25pm
3/13/2022 3:25pm
I want one bad. If I had buddies to ride with or my kid was more into it I’d want to get one for everybody in the family. My ripmo is awesome but when it’s hot out I’m always cursing our punch climbs here. For every 15-20 seconds of down there’s 2-3 minutes of up. I don’t get to ride as much as I’d like so my fitness could be better but ebikes are so fun. Just wish they weren’t so expensive, with my budget it’s an ebike or a dirtbike not both haha. So I’d have to alternate those purchases every 5 years at the rate they are going.
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7eleven
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7eleven 3/13/2022 6:09pm
3/13/2022 6:09pm
I rode with Damon Huffman last Thursday. He has his e-bike pretty dialed. This is a pretty big step-up in San Clemente, CA.
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RealityCheck
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RealityCheck 3/13/2022 7:40pm
3/13/2022 7:40pm
I have both an e-mountain bike (Specialized Turbo Levo) and a non electric mountain bike (an older Specialized Hardrock). The great thing about the e-bike is that I can push my limits, but still have a margin of safety. With e-assist off or at its lowest setting, the e-bike takes far more effort to pedal than a regular bike (due to substantially more weight). As such, I can start my ride on a low assist setting and if I bite off more than I can chew, I can select the highest setting and still get home/back to the truck. The best exercise is the exercise you actually do. My e-bike makes exercise far more enjoyable. The only who people who slam e-bikes are those who've never ridden one. They're game changer.
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Titan1
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Titan1 3/13/2022 7:45pm
3/13/2022 7:45pm Edited Date/Time 3/13/2022 7:51pm
My dad bought an ebike yesterday for my mom (so she can keep up with him on his standard mountain bike) its her second one…a trek..,spent $9k on it….All the complaining dirt bike guys do about dirt bike prices…I’m not sure many will like the price point on the ebikes.
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Chris99Flannery 3/13/2022 7:47pm
3/13/2022 7:47pm
stiksandstones wrote:
Quite the contrary and I don't have the science to back it up, other than 30 plus years of cycling. I have been on assist eMTB's...
Quite the contrary and I don't have the science to back it up, other than 30 plus years of cycling. I have been on assist eMTB's since they came to america and still riding muscle MTB's. The eMTB if ridden too much, begins to train/build muscles differently, fast twitch loss they say, the SNAP and POWER you build on a muscle bike from sprints, attacks, snapping out of a corner, etc etc, is all 'assisted' when riding a eMTB....so you basically become a slower rider.

Now, I am talking about performance cyclists, maybe for the MOTO crosser it could be an amazing tool, but more and more DH MTB racers are using them and discovering the pop and snap in their legs is being decreased.
I guess the ole your mileage may vary.

That being said-fun factory? class 1, pedal assist, eMTB's are probably the funnest 2 wheel vehicles ever that still deliver some great work outs.
I feel you get more upper body workout when attacking uphills then straight into downhills.
Fittest I ever was, was when I rode Downhill tracks that were push only. Rode down, push and carry bike up, then barely a rest and straight back down.
For cycling for sure I think they take the edge off.
holeshot413
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holeshot413 3/13/2022 9:17pm
3/13/2022 9:17pm
stone881 wrote:
l would argue that the best cross training tool is a human powered MTB, but the e version's sure are one hell of a lot more...
l would argue that the best cross training tool is a human powered MTB, but the e version's sure are one hell of a lot more fun!
Way more fun, still a killer workout, you can turn the assist off or eco which like a normal mtb
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race 3/13/2022 10:13pm
3/13/2022 10:13pm
7eleven wrote:
I rode with Damon Huffman last Thursday. He has his e-bike pretty dialed. This is a pretty big step-up in San Clemente, CA. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2022/03/13/538008/s1200_9C4C3C41_B900_4ED5_B576_D1AC1D965E7D.jpg[/img]
I rode with Damon Huffman last Thursday. He has his e-bike pretty dialed. This is a pretty big step-up in San Clemente, CA.
Wow, I hope Damon wasn't on an illegal trail otherwise he could be written up, arrested and taken down to his .... own office. Cheerful j/k

He's got a bunch of YouTubes up if you haven't seen them. Here's a local place he hit -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He_r88Xn8T4

And unless you have his skills I don't recommend you hit those jumps blind. The dirt is totally sketchy there and a few riders have been medivac'd out.
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AH387
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AH387 3/14/2022 5:53am
3/14/2022 5:53am
Trudare69 wrote:
Loving my Levo SL Expert Carbon [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2022/03/13/537971/s1200_C4AE9A66_5E73_4F8B_9377_45EE7D3F821A.jpg[/img]
Loving my Levo SL Expert Carbon
Awesome bike. That's the exact model that I was considering. I demo'ed a standard Levo and really liked it. But I thought I would rather go with the SL. But since GNCC and a few local series are running emtb classes, then I figured the SL might not be good for that type of racing, if I wanted to do a few. So it's been back and forth. I'll get something eventually. They are super fun.
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TriRacer27
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TriRacer27 3/14/2022 8:38am
3/14/2022 8:38am
ktmdan wrote:
It’s ironic that so many people who ride dirt bikes with engines think that you can’t get a work out with an e bike because it...
It’s ironic that so many people who ride dirt bikes with engines think that you can’t get a work out with an e bike because it has a motor.
I will not let myself try an Ebike because I know that I will want one immediately.
This is gonna sound weird but I appreciate your correct use of "engine" and "motor". Good job sir.

Also, very true, exact same argument. And yes, you'll want one, they're very fun and still a really good workout. Normal MTB is still a bit better for getting a workout, IMO, but the Ebike is more fun unless your trails are super tight.
sandman768
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sandman768 3/14/2022 9:06am
3/14/2022 9:06am
Just bought this Stumpy Expert Carbon … first new Mtn bike in 8 years.. I thought about an E bike but I like to suffer on my cardio workouts… some of the places I ride don’t allow Ebikes for some reason…
Conway240
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Conway240 3/14/2022 9:29am
3/14/2022 9:29am
premiersportsoutlet wrote:
I just got an Intense MX Tazer and I am completely blown away by its capabilities. I made the switch after our local trails were acquired...
I just got an Intense MX Tazer and I am completely blown away by its capabilities. I made the switch after our local trails were acquired by a developer and closed them off to dirt bikes. Now I get to sneak in there and continue shredding!

These bikes are game changers and perfect for moto enthusiasts. I might be selling my Ibis Ripmo now haha

Are those hand deflectors from MTB store or just dirt bike ones?

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