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conversely, i can't see the value in it at that discounted price
I agree, it's Fox 38, Float X, Slx brakes and gears, it's OK as far as bikes go, but it's nothing even remotely special.
Ah, if only they made websites easier to operate
The discounted 'Team XTR' version has XTR gears and brakes and the Transition style top tube to seat stay er transition is quite nice
well i didn't think it needed much elaborating but there are plenty of m-team spec Orbea wild's for a grand cheaper, without even getting involved in finding something that i'd consider a real steal, seeing a bike listed at 12500 and marked down to 6700 or whatever doesn't scream value, especially not when you can also pick up steamroller ebikes for 2-3k, granted, on sale/discounted or whatever
These things have limited life expectancy (to me) and even after the initial buyer wants to move it along, a lot of depreciation.
The spec might be better than @weeksy alluded to. If you choose XTR from the drop down, then it shows what you get, but it defaults to the SLX version, as quoted above.
REAR SHOCKFox Factory Float XFORKFox Factory E-MTB 38 29”, 44mm offset, GRIP2 - 170mmHEADSETPivot Precision Sealed CartridgeREAR DERAILLEURShimano XTR SGS 12-SSHIFTERShimano XTR M9100 12-SpeedCASSETTEShimano XT M8100 10-51tCHAINShimano CN-M8100 12-SpeedCRANK SETShimano XT M8150 w/ Shimano E-MTB 34BRAKESShimano XTR M9120 4-pistonROTORSF - Galfer Rotor 223mm | R - Galfer Rotor 203mmDRIVE UNITShimano Steps DU-EP800BATTERY756Wh removable batteryHANDLEBARPhoenix Team Low Rise Carbon | SM, MD, 780 / LG, XL, 800 WidthGRIPSPhoenix Factory Lock-OnSTEMPhoenix Team Enduro/TrailSEATPOSTPhoenix Team Low Rise Carbon | SM, MD, 780 / LG, XL, 800 WidthSADDLEPivot Pro E-BikeWHEELSDT Swiss Hybrid HX1501, 30mm - 29” | 15x110 F / 12x157 RTIRESF - Maxxis Assegai 29” x 2.5” TR, EXO+, 3C | R - Maxxis Assegai 29” x 2.5” TR, EXO+, 3C
haha the website doesnt update the spec list for me
Upwards of 40% off Giant Reign E+'s at Winstanley's and Tredz right now...
https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=reign+e%2B
https://www.tredz.co.uk/search?q=reign%20e+
All with 800Wh batteries I believe... I guess there's a replacement imminent given that the bike was launched for the 2022 model year, but it's still a fantastic bike (albeit a bit of a weighty beast aimed at more serious Enduro style riding)... Yamaha motors seem to be about the most reliable out there too, and seem to give good range for their battery sizes. That Reign E+ 3 at £2999 is a bit of a bargain! Tune the fork, chuck a coil shock on it, some better brakes and tyres and go shred!
No matter how cheap those Pivots are, they look utterly disgraceful.
Yamaha motors seem to be about the most reliable out there too
You sure? They have a terrible reputation for water ingress/electrical failures.
Is the Giant not the bike that embn stuck in a river and it os still working now?
i had read that Yamaha are about the only brand that offers right to repair, eg manuals and spares for their motors..Don't know how factual that is in the real world
I thought the Giants were the ones with the reliable Yamaha motor and the unreliable and near impossible to repair Giant electronics? Couples with Giant’s less than helpful warranty process.
we had a Giant and the motor was good. I had a problem which ended up being a controller (£60) but to diagnose it we had the motor fully rebuilt anyway. Bearing man was happy enough that it wasn't terrible in there but did ideally need attention. I felt it had done pretty well with what it had been subjected to over the 3 years we owned it. It was used a winter mud plugger and training toy only really. Coupled (again) with being an uplift bus at FoD and Stile Cop. I wouldn't say it was a bad motor. Ours was less refined than some newer ones, but it was a 2020 bike with about a 2018 system.
There are some really good ‘deals’ about at the moment.
Those Pivots have been on similar offer for roughly 6 months. £12.5k on a bike is nuts. It’s almost like post COVID bike manufacturers just plucked prices out of thin air and got greedy.
Clearly now at 45% they still only sell slowly which means they are still potentially over priced.
When I bought my Rise there was no way I would pay £8k for it and fully expected it to be in a sale ie 30% off with 6-12 months. Luckily I got it on salary sacrifice which gave me roughly 45% off, which I think is a fair price for the spec of the bike
£2.5k Lapierre Overvolt 6.7. The spec is basic, but good enough for most riding.
Yamaha motors seem to be about the most reliable out there too
You sure? They have a terrible reputation for water ingress/electrical failures.
You'd cetainly expect better, considering the number of outboard motors they make for boats.
1 of them feels guilty everytime he rides his.
Wow, the psychology of ebikes is really interesting. I still get overtaken uphill by quite a few ebikers apologising for "cheating", like they're a bit ashamed.
i had read that Yamaha are about the only brand that offers right to repair, eg manuals and spares for their motors..Don't know how factual that is in the real world
Stick with me - I am going to liken buying ebikes this to when I walk past our local campervan and motorhome emporium.
I've seen family members and friends fall for this. They got pulled in by the 'camper' or 'home' bit with their new purchase. But forget the 'van'.
You wouldnt dream of buying a miserable 20 year old Peuegot Boxer van with 90hp on a good day, 5 speed manual, no a/c, and driving it to france, so why are you now happy to pay 15 grand for it because theres load of chipboard and velour in the back!
Back to bikes - when looking last year I found it very easy to focus on the 'e' and not the 'bike'. The reason I ended up with a Levo SL was becuase it feels just like a Stumpjumper, that happens to have a motor. Its not dominated by the motor, its a really, really good trail bike and the motor is extra.
Whilst obsessing over motor power and battery range is important, dont lose sight of whether or not its actually a good bike.
Whilst obsessing over motor power and battery range is important, dont lose sight of whether or not its actually a good bike.
That is a good point, I have found myself looking at geometry or components that I wouldn't even consider on a normal bike, just because it has a motor.
Whilst obsessing over motor power and battery range is important, dont lose sight of whether or not its actually a good bike.
That is a good point, I have found myself looking at geometry or components that I wouldn't even consider on a normal bike, just because it has a motor.
TBH it's less important on an Eeeb as the weight distribution already screws up how the bike rides. Riding my mates Rail at Cwmcarn and my manual you can already see/feel the difference despite having a very similar spec as to what matters. The forks are unlikely to respond quite as nicely and it's unlikely to be as playful as the manual. So the Rise i had was a Bomber Z1 forks which are a bit 'meh' but didn't matter in truth.
I don’t think that the motor screw up the weight distribution, it just changes it. While I am a die hard hardtail rider and really like thrashing my slack HT down all sorts of things, I also really like how ebikes ride, all that weight low seems to help when throwing it around at high speeds. It might be that at just over 90kg I’m stronger (and heavier) than a lot of riders but apart from actually getting it in the air I have never had a problem adapting to e-bikes. (Just waiting for my first one to actually arrive this week). My wife is the same, but again she’s way stronger than most other women when it comes to upper body strength and is coming from a riding history of Enduro and DH bikes.
And this is why the elyte is tempting. Seems the best “bike” but with some assistance. I have a weedy upper body, so I wouldn’t want to muscle a full fat/20+kg bike around.
And this is why the elyte is tempting. Seems the best “bike” but with some assistance. I have a weedy upper body, so I wouldn’t want to muscle a full fat/20+kg bike around.
Like I say, I think for solo rides for seasoned MTBer's, I think the Bosch SX is probably the pick of the bunch motor wise, as long as you don't mind the slight clank when descending...
Just don't go expecting to keep up with a group of guys all on full fat eMTB's with nearly twice the torque and battery capacity!
I was all set on buying a Mondraker Sly, but chickened out at the last minute and ordered a Crafty as I realised that I'd always be cursing not buying the bike with more torque and bigger battery when being dropped by mates on their full power eBikes on climbs, but I wouldn't be upset if I have to ride in a lower assist mode on a full power bike if I'm waiting for others at all... It didn't seem worth losing only 3kg off the bikes overall weight for 400Wh and 30Nm less, though had the Sly been 18kg rather than 21kg it might have tempted me...
You sure? They have a terrible reputation for water ingress/electrical failures.
I certainly don't see Giant/Yamaha motors in anything like the numbers of Bosch/Brose/Shimano on bikes out there, but the few guys I know with Giant eBikes haven't had any issues at all (well not motor related, one cracked a frame but was replaced under warranty quite quickly)... Like dropper posts, I've seen EVERYTHING fail, if you went on a sample size of one you'd never buy any of them again!
My experience is more from dealers that I know specialising in eBikes, and maybe it's just sheer numbers of the things, but the most common motors I see that need fixing/replacing are Spesh/Brose and Shimano, then Bosch, though recently seen quite a few issues with Fazua motors too.
Anyway... As per the internet rules... Pick your poison, be a dick about it on the internet, chastise anyone that doesn't agree with you or has a different experience, and accuse anyone sticking up for something you don't like of having a vested interest...
The forks are unlikely to respond quite as nicely and it's unlikely to be as playful as the manual. So the Rise i had was a Bomber Z1 forks which are a bit 'meh' but didn't matter in truth.
I'd tend to disagree tbh - decent strurdy, well operating forks are probably one of the most important factors on a bigger, heavier bike - in my case Fox 38's on both ebikes. That and brakes
+1 for 38s/Zebs/Domains making a difference on e-bikes. The extra stiffness definitely helps them working better.
On a regular bike I’m usually happy with 36s/Pikes/Lyriks but found them not to my liking on full fat eebs.
The saga may be coming to a conclusion…
Called into the very local Whyte dealer this weekend to see if they can do the Works model at the price it is discounted to elsewhere. Unlikely to be an issue.
There was a possible curve ball in that they had the elyte Evo RS on deal at £6199, same battery and frame but with the Gen 5 CX motor. Bit it has Code Bronze brakes and a lower suspension package so I think I’d be forever hankering for not getting the works.
Some other thoughts,
The dealer is very local.
The Bosch system parts seem very standard, so availability for spares should be ok. For example, by contrast, the Cannondale has a bespoke battery so that could mean issues on availability if things go wrong. The Bosch battery is their standard powertube so should be readily available.
The Works would be compatible with the CX motor should I want to get a power upgrade in the future, but happy to put the effort in at the moment.
Both the above points rate for avoiding obsolescence.
The “works “ spec wants for absolutely nothing out of the box.
So, waiting to hear if they can do the price.
But, they also had the Orbea Rise LT M10 on offer at £6249. A very nice bit of kit.
Bit it has Code Bronze brakes and a lower suspension package so I think I’d be forever hankering for not getting the works.
Brakes are (relatively) easily swapped if there's a big price differential, and "top-level" suspension isn't always actually better.
What's the price difference and what are the suspension parts?
Works is £6500.
Evo RS is £6200
Aside from the CX motor, everything is lower spec. Now, if they did the “Stag Evo” at £6500, that may be different…
Worth a read if you're in the market for an ebike. Huge review -
https://ebike-mtb.com/en/e-mountainbike-test/
I'm about to purchase my first e-bike with a similar budget & finding all this really interesting. I was originally going to go with the Amflow but now it's looking like choice between a Vala & the new Levo. I'm going to the Leisure Lakes demo day at Gisburn on the 10th of May so hopefully i'll come away a bit better educated.
Good luck at the demo day, I can’t unfortunately make it. Let us know how you get on and thoughts.
Im now starting to rethink again, and wondering if a Gen5 Bosch motor is going to be long term better. The update might just be a DJI reaction, but Gen4 might be now reaching obsolescence. I reckon any bike now with the Gen 4 might be a tough bike to sell, as unlike the SX and Gen5, the Gen 4 and 5 aren’t interchangeable.
The Elyte R/S though, small battery still, and the updated Gen 5 might rinse through it. (unless you tune it down, obvs)
I'd personally go newer motor/battery tech over suspension. That's assuming it's say factory level and gen 4 against Performance and gen 5 anyway. I think the gen 5 bosch motor is meant to be much quieter and lighter and if it's coming with the 800wh battery then that would definitely seal it for me.
Bosch announced their power and torque increase for the cx gen 5 motor today. 100nm and 750w peak power.
The Evo is CX Gen 5. The works is SX. Both have a 400wh battery and come with a 250Wh range extender. Works has the full factory fox suspension and Hope/T Type transmission. Evo has RS select + suspension and lower grade drivetrain.
The massive review above commented that the smaller battery of the EVO did really work with a 400wh battery. That’s my concern.
Im definitely overthinking this. Really, all I’m after is a good bike that can give me a hand now I’m getting on. It isn’t for shuttling laps. I’m not that bothered about racing uphill. Ideally nice and light (as can be).
I think it is coming down to the Whyte elyte works as it is on offer, or the Shimano powered Orbea Rise M10 LT, at £6,200 (on offer at the same local shop). The rise has a 630wh battery as standard.
With such a wide choice, it's easy to overthink it! I just went with one I'd demoed (though in older versions) and really enjoyed riding every time (Cannondale). I don't regret my decision at all. Quieter motor would be a nice thing, but can't see the point in any other mods to the motor. Partner has a Trek, not in the big review, but they seem superb bikes too.
I've been following this thread with interest from the start - although I've got a lower budget. I had a passing interest in a Decathlon bike but had been pointed to the bargains at Pauls. I had booked a days ebike hire for my son and I over in Whinlatter at the start of April so decided to put off the decision until after that, to make sure that ebikes were for me.
We both loved the Cubes over at Whinlatter, so I was swaying towards the entry Cube FS with the gen 5 Bosch motor and 800w battery and just over £3000. Until the Raymon TrailRay 140e 10.0 29 came back into stock at Pauls for £2,133.95 delivered. Such a bargain, couldn't go past it, Yamaha 85nm motor, 720Wh battery, RockShox forks and shock. Arrived on the Thursday before Easter, I've ridden it a couple of times since and I've been really impressed, it's a keeper for me. And as has been suggested further up the thread, the difference in cost can pay for plenty of upgrades and adventures!
After doing the demo day I plumped for a new levo. It was a combination of motor feel plus the battery capacity which swayed it.
Tested a Vala, Levo 4, Merida e160 sl, orbea wild and another Merida which wasn't the sl one. The sl merida rode best due to minimal weight but the motor was a bit lacklustre for my 100kg frame.
Picked up one of the last Levo 3s available in S5 with a pretty meaty discount, buzzing with it is an understatement!
My Amflow arrived a couple of weeks ago, and I've been fortunate enough to give it a good run out at the FoD and Risca. Happy to report the bike was absolutely brilliant. It's an extremely capable bike, handling the flow trails, jumps, drops and steeps of FoD and Risca without missing a beat. I'm still fiddling with the assist settings but rode mostly in Eco & the excellent Auto mode, and finished the ride with 18% battery left. Could have done a few more runs but my body battery gave up before the bikes did! (Warm weather and BPW the day before may have taken it out of me though, probably) 
Just a bit of an update here as I had come close to buying one of the eLytes from my local dealer. However, I have been into the shop three times over the last couple of months to try and sort out a demo which I was supposed to hear about but never did and I’ve also been in to ask them if they can match the current discount price as I would rather buy it from a local shop. Again, I have had no contact from them so it leaves me a little bit frustrated and, quite frankly, feeling that I will just take my custom elsewhere.
Maybe they are sick of the sight of me and think I’m wasting time, but it is a very sizable outlay for me and I’m not a serial bike changer.
I’m taking a couple of weeks holiday over this upcoming spring bank so even more time to deliberate. 🤪
My Mondraker Crafty arrived last week, went off to be wrapped, I swapped drivetrain/brakes/wheels and a few other components out and got out twice on it over the weekend just gone...
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So far so good too! Superb geometry, the bike feels really balanced and planted and very familiar (in a good way) right away... Gen5 CX is quite a lot quieter than Gen4 and feels a little more refined too (certainly not night and day, but you do notice it), and the Eagle 90 is amazing!!! Really impressed with it all...
Forks are going to have a GRIP X2 damper fitted v soon (they don't need it per se, I just like having the extra tunability) but the stock Float X shock feels really good anyway (I have added the compression adjuster though)...
Great review of the bike here too...
So far done 2x 21 mile rides with around 800-900m of climbing, mostly in eMTB but some Tour+ and a bit of Eco thrown in too, and used 50% of the 800Wh battery both times (so would have been getting mega range anxiety on a 400Wh battery!)...
Best of luck @rockhopper70 with whatever you decide, but no need to tolerate poor service... Buy from someone who wants your custom...
My bargain-tastic ebike is costing me more than I thought… my wife and daughter had a go and loved it 🤣 soooooo I found a lovely looking used Merida E160 for a pretty decent price and collected it today 🙂 damn the internet 😆 , pretty good choice though as it is like a brand new bike, I’m really pleased with it. My wife tried it and loved it and it’s now stashed away at a friends waiting for my daughters birthday in late July, it will be given with the condition that my wife / her mum gets to use it too… I can obviously see what’s coming next.
For anyone buying a Gen 3 Levo, after riding it for a bit I'm downsizing the rear disc, the Mavens are amazing but it's just too easy at 75kg to lock up the back wheel unintentionally.
Well, while I was on holiday, the shop that didn’t help has closed down. Doors locked, all stock gone and administrators called in. So my next nearest decent bike shop is Saltaire (Terrain), Chevin Cycles in Otley or Leisure Lakes in Bury, all around 45 minutes away now.
The latter has this, around the same money as the elyte works.
Possibly too much bike for me, but great for big days out.
Well, while I was on holiday, the shop that didn’t help has closed down. Doors locked, all stock gone and administrators called in. So my next nearest decent bike shop is Saltaire (Terrain), Chevin Cycles in Otley or Leisure Lakes in Bury, all around 45 minutes away now.
The latter has this, around the same money as the elyte works.
Possibly too much bike for me, but great for big days out.
That Wild M10 looks like a cracking bike! When you say too much bike, if you are doing lots of faster uphills on challenging terrain, from my perspective anyway, you need a lot of bike to keep it comfortable 🙂 and then there is the going down, grins for miles 😊