Limited availability of 50 bikes and first deliveries scheduled for April/May. Form an orderly queue.
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Atherton E-bike development series – Bike Forum – Singletrack World Magazine Forum
Looks good. Now I just need to find a spare £7,000 😄
Maybe by the time I've saved up my concerns about the motor long term durability will have been addressed.
Looks decent so far. Quite like the normal looking but big down tube and how it integrates with head tube and top tube. Looks better than most.
First batch sold out already - good business. Sounds like a lot of people have been waiting for this.
Interesting that you can order one but they still don’t have a battery capacity on the website.But it looks like a serious entry into the market
Interesting that you can order one but they still don’t have a battery capacity on the website.But it looks like a serious entry into the market
Very odd that they're not revealing that. Makes me wonder if it's small and they thought that would be the focus of comment if they announced it.
They're talking about a 'handling first' design - smaller, lighter battery would be consistent with that.
Anyone who orders now can cancel before production starts. Assume they’ll have all the info before that time.
Was there a power cut during the photo shoot, very trendy if you are doing a perfume ad with a super model, but it would be nice to actually see the bike!
I'm sure that will follow, given how many £5-10k eMTBs are at trail centres these days I'm think they'll sell out of the initial production run quickly and I assume they make a bit more margin on complete bikes so makes sense to only offer those to start with.
Interesting that you can order one but they still don’t have a battery capacity on the website
As with hiding the motor... there is an embargo on the new batteries.
RE an embargo on the motor and the battery - You can't see the battery, in fact that bike in the pics may not even have one installed. As for the motor, the headline says its an Avinox so whats to hide, we have all seen them on Amflows and other makes? These are not valid excuses for poor photographs. Either put it out there or don't.
You can't see the battery but if the specs are different to current batteries then you would know that if they listed them e.g. capacity increase of 100wh on both sizes (as rumoured).
Same for the motor if it looks different, is more compact, might be a lighter lower power variant rather than just a v2 etc.
Right then, prices start at £7000? The first 50 are spoken for, who are all these people who can afford that much money for a bicycle?
Certainly no one that I know, I’m worried that what is seen as the high entry cost to this pastime is putting people off and eventually the bubble will burst again as it did during the “road cycling is the new golf” phase.
These bikes will be obsolete by the end of the year anyway when the latest fad of 32” wheels takes over!
You can't see the battery but if the specs are different to current batteries then you would know that if they listed them e.g. capacity increase of 100wh on both sizes (as rumoured).
Same for the motor if it looks different, is more compact, might be a lighter lower power variant rather than just a v2 etc.
Are you suggesting Avinox have developed something just for Atherton? I would doubt it. Also I doubt you would really want more than an 800wh battery based on weight.
I reckon the bike will be 25/26kg minimum as it is
Its a shame just like all emtbs they mention nothing about sustainability. With a lifetime warranty , does that mean when in 2 years time Avinox do change their battery/motor design they will re weld your frame to take the next version 🤣
Right then, prices start at £7000? The first 50 are spoken for, who are all these people who can afford that much money for a bicycle?
*waves* (Not this particular bicycle) Plenty of folk have been waiting for this, as when they first formed/did the original crowdfund there was mention of them doing an e-bike. That and Athertons offer cyclescheme. So £350ish a month for a higher rate taxpayer? Less if they paid the deposit in cash to secure it (yeah I know, no top ups etc, but there’s ways round it) then use the voucher to pay the balance.
So it’s eligible for the “cycle to work scheme”? Is this the scheme that excludes people who could actually need a bicycle, the unemployed and low income?
The scheme (and many other salary sacrifice schemes) are a disgrace, is anyone going to ride one of these to work?
It’s a “nod and a wink” fiddle for the already privileged.
I think that it’s done like that because there is a new Avinox motor that is still embargoed. PB were inferring they have a lot of embargoed ebikes in for testing so an upgraded Avinox is not out of the realms of possibility especially when if you order one of these your not getting it for another 3 - 4 months
So it’s eligible for the “cycle to work scheme”? Is this the scheme that excludes people who could actually need a bicycle, the unemployed and low income?
The scheme (and many other salary sacrifice schemes) are a disgrace, is anyone going to ride one of these to work?
It’s a “nod and a wink” fiddle for the already privileged.
Not wanting to derail the thread but yeah it is, it’s an adult bicycle, so it’s included. You asked how people afford them, that is one of the ways. Others include earning a large salary and paying cash, or racking up the 0% credit card, take your pick.
“…is anyone going to ride one of these to work?”
My ebike is only 10mm less travel and I’ve been commuting on it daily for over 7 years. With the current weather I’m getting quite tired of being muddy all the time but the slipperiness makes my constantly knee-padded state feel justified…
If you got it on the bike to work scheme then you have proved yourself to not be a fiddler, Well done!
If you got it on the bike to work scheme then you have proved yourself to not be a fiddler, Well done!
Don't think our one is even called Bike to Work any more, there's certainly no expectation for you to do that. It's billed as a health benefit. I'd imagine there's more chance of someone using an E-Bike to ride to work than a normal one?
I agree that it's a problem that the low paid can't access it but also understand why.
You can't see the battery but if the specs are different to current batteries then you would know that if they listed them e.g. capacity increase of 100wh on both sizes (as rumoured).
Same for the motor if it looks different, is more compact, might be a lighter lower power variant rather than just a v2 etc.
Are you suggesting Avinox have developed something just for Atherton? I would doubt it. Also I doubt you would really want more than an 800wh battery based on weight.
Of course not. I thought it was pretty obvious given the earlier comments on an embargo, that this was a new, as yet unannounced motor & battery so they are not allowed to show it or the specs.
The avinox 800wh battery is already lighter than most others, so if they can improve packaging further then a 900wh at the same weight as others 800wh.
If rumours are true then I expect this to use the new lower capacity option so around 700wh.
I'm hoping the motor is lower power & torque but.more efficient. I think that's more important than the chase for bigger numbers.
It’s a “nod and a wink” fiddle for the already privileged.
Why is it a fiddle for the privileged?
A low wage person simply won’t earn enough to afford the bike, that’s not about privilege it’s about how much you earn
And yes every day I drive past a bloke going really really slowly on a full sus mtb on one of the busiest A rads in Wales. Completely the wrong tool for the job but he does it
Re batteries I thought current Avinox batteries were 600wh or 800wh. The 600wh is very comparable if not identical in weight to the 630wh in my Rise. Batteries are batteries, until someone comes up with a new tech
It’s a “nod and a wink” fiddle for the already privileged.
Re batteries I thought current Avinox batteries were 600wh or 800wh. The 600wh is very comparable if not identical in weight to the 630wh in my Rise. Batteries are batteries, until someone comes up with a new tech
not entirely. The last jump in power density was moving from 18650 to 21700 cells. But there are now slightly higher wh cells than they’re using that might squeeze another 50-100 wh in about the same weight.
@FunkyDunc people on low wages are excluded from the scheme by the regulations if the monthly deductions takes them below minimum wage. So even a “cheap” bicycle to take them to work is excluded.
Right then, prices start at £7000? The first 50 are spoken for, who are all these people who can afford that much money for a bicycle?
Have you seen how many £50k+ cars are on the road these days? I doubt many of those are bought outright, mostly PCP. £7k isn't a lot if the finance package is right. The buyer might be thinking of interest or growth of an ISA on one hand, this on the other.
What the car / bike is worth at the end of the financing is another matter. 50 people aren't worried about it and 50 units is still in very small batch territory - most of the specialist steel frame builders in Taiwan have single run MOQs higher than that.
My mixed thoughts on E-MTB in general and DJI in particular aside, I think it's good that people do value bikes enough to spend £5-10k on them. It's not necessary to spend that much oc and I don't really believe in trickle-down economics or the benefits of trickle-down tech, but it supports the wider industry and that 'should' be good for all bikes and riders. It's certainly good when these frames are made in Wales.
@jameso “£7k isn't a lot if the finance package is right. The buyer might be thinking of interest or growth of an ISA on one hand, this on the other.”
This just shows the huge disparity there is in our society. That amount of debt for a bicycle is unimaginable for a lot of people, having an ISA that gives that amount of interest is also unimaginable!
^ yeah, I realise - the wealth gap is growing and has been for some time and it's not going the other way any time soon. It's very wrong but it's how it is.
A quick search on average borrowing -
"As of January 2026, the average UK household debt (excluding mortgages) is approximately £18,392. This figure has nearly doubled over the last decade and comprises various forms of consumer credit and education-related borrowing."
So this bike is under half the average UK household debt. Yes it's a lot of £ for a bike but also it's not worthy of mention RE this particular bike imho. In many ways I see this one as justifying the cost more than many, based on where and how it's made.
In many ways I see this one as justifying the cost more than many, based on where and how it's made.
I agree. Even compared to other bikes in their ranges it looks good value.
Then when you look at an Amflow it looks even better value. I bet there are a few Amflow owners kicking themselves now, and we will see a few Amflows coming on the 2nd hand market
Whilst I wholly agree that the increasing financial disparity across most of the developed world since the 1960s is appalling (someone recently said that that decade was the time when global capitalisation turned from wealth generation to wealth concentration), I don’t think a thread about UK made e-bikes is the right place for it.
I too run a UK based manufacturing business and it is a total nightmare to actually turn a profit whilst making affordable products. The list of bike companies who actually make their own bikes is very short, and even shorter when they’re making them in the west.
Atherton’s approach to UK manufacturing is both unique and innovative - the 3D printed titanium + carbon frames are inevitably very expensive but to make more affordable bikes they didn’t just get a far east manufacturer to make alloy versions of these, they found a way to make alloy bikes in the UK. (That’s not easy because we don’t have the alloy frame supply chain and skills here - but machined lugs and adhesive make for a frame that can be made here at a competitive price and although it can’t be quite as light as more complex hydroforming, it makes for an incredible strong and durable frame).
If your idea of mountain biking is essentially a wheeled version of what the ramblers do then this bike is not for you. The Athertons own Dyfi Bike Park and all their bikes are made to handle really gnarly riding - has anyone heard of anyone breaking one yet? This first ebike of theirs is basically a freeride bike with uplift assistance - it’s going to be built to take an absolute beating for years and years. No, it’s not good value for pootling along bridleways, but I suspect it’s good value if you want a bike you can trust to get very big air, smash through endless rock gardens and then pedal to the top again without needing an uplift. And do that for years.
No, it’s not a cheap hobby, and yes many people can’t afford such a hobby. But that’s not really relevant. Atherton have made an ebike. It looks like it’s really good. It’s price competitive with bikes made in places with much lower costs (often for less than brilliant ethical reasons). They’re employing people to manufacture it in the UK. I hope it’s a huge success (and when my hard-working ebike finally dies I’d rather like a slightly shorter travel version of this).
But that’s not really relevant. Atherton have made an ebike. It looks like it’s really good
Too right. I’m far from a high earner, but I have an £8k ebike. If i didn’t have one, I reckon I’d find some dosh out of my savings for the Atherton. As it was my £8k bike was bought 2nd hand for half that … still a stupid amount of money to someone not into bikes. Or, it seems a lot of people into bikes! But when you need something, you need it! 😁
[edit] actually, thinking about that for a second, nah, I wouldn’t spend that much on an ebike. Plenty good enough for me at the £4/5k mark. Still nice to see something that used to be called Bike Porn in one of the mags.
Then when you look at an Amflow it looks even better value. I bet there are a few Amflow owners kicking themselves now, and we will see a few Amflows coming on the 2nd hand market
I bet the realistic sale price of a used Amflow is a bitter pill for owners. They might end up riding them into the ground.
amazes me how many people on here are still surprised that top end mountain bikes are expensive. twas ever thus
I'm one of the no's from the other thread so no interest in purchasing one of these, but I think it's fantastic we have UK companies designing and manufacturing innovative bikes like this.
Yup, if the idea of a bike costing 7k upsets you, you're in the wrong place. Never spent that myself but probably would if I could?
@chiefgrooveguru +1. They're doing good things and I'm pleased to see it developing into more bikes and a bigger brand. In a bike industry where there's so much me-too and outsourcing, all power and success to them.
TBH I thought it looked good value up against the rest.
I bet there are a few Amflow owners kicking themselves now, and we will see a few Amflows coming on the 2nd hand market
Maybe. But if you have to have the latest and greatest all the time, it's an expensive way to live, get used to it. There will be something better than the DJI motor soon enough.
I bet the realistic sale price of a used Amflow is a bitter pill for owners. They might end up riding them into the ground.
I think that is the reality for most ebike owners, no? Unless you flog it at a decent loss towards the end of a warranty period. I tried selling my Focus after having a new motor fitted a few years back and didn't have a jot of interest at what was a pretty reasonable price. I wouldn't buy one 2nd hand myself tbh.
I bet there are a few Amflow owners kicking themselves now, and we will see a few Amflows coming on the 2nd hand market
The most amazing thing about the amflow is that it is, according to a YouTube bike tester that I bumped into while riding, a catalog frame. A good one, but still an off the shelf frame.
Re the battery on the atherton, I read that it is good for 2000 meters of climbing. That would give an indication of its size.
speaking of that, I’d amount of elevation gain a normal metric for e-bikes? Ive not looked into them, so I’m not familiar with the measurements.
Price wise it seems pretty competitive to me, and like supporting UK firms even if it means a bit of a premium.
Problem is not the RRP, it's that you won't be able to pick one up for 4k in the sales like most other brands.
Problem is not the RRP, it's that you won't be able to pick one up for 4k in the sales like most other brands.
Smart folks at Atherton if so.
The most amazing thing about the amflow is that it is, according to a YouTube bike tester that I bumped into while riding, a catalog frame. A good one, but still an off the shelf frame.
"Bloke said, down the pub.. " : )
“elevation gain a normal metric for e-bikes”
It would be useful if we all weighed the same and used the same ratio of power assistance to human power. But we don’t so it’s neither useful nor normal. I’m sure it’ll be a decent sized battery, to be honest everything is much of a muchness.
One day this week on my old ebike I used 60% of the battery (500Wh new, claims to be at 90% max capacity so 450Wh now) in about 10 miles and 1000’ of ascent because it was ridiculously muddy and I was in a hurry - and then rode it with the power mostly off because I wanted to save the rest of the battery for my rush home later in the day.
Is anyone else simultaneously going "Oh that's astonishingly cheap" and "It costs HOW MUCH?" Schrodinger's Pricetag has struck bigtime for me.
It does basically feel like they could have charged more, since unless they've added a lot of production capacity they're probably production-limited at this point rather than market-limited? Which is an awesome place to be as a manufacturer but does normally mean you price as high as you can.
Though as Kamakazie says maybe the intention is to sell every last one at this price and never discount anything, which could easily work out a higher profit rate over the life of the thing.
Problem is not the RRP, it's that you won't be able to pick one up for 4k in the sales like most other brands.
Smart folks at Atherton if so.
Orange used to play that well in the 2000's. Never many if any UK built bikes left at the end of the season to discount.
It would be useful if we all weighed the same and used the same ratio of power assistance to human power. But we don’t so it’s neither useful nor normal. I’m sure it’ll be a decent sized battery, to be honest everything is much of a muchness.
Thanks. I guess if it were to exist as a statistic it would need to be a standardized test in a controlled environment.
it’s something that I’d be interested in as I’d use an e-bike for shuttling. I’d be disappointed to get 3/4 of the way up a fire road for a big descent snd discover that I had to pedal! Especially on my second lap.
Considering their other bike prices and all the other factors, this is priced lower than I’d have expected.
im looking forward to the full reveal
“Thanks. I guess if it were to exist as a statistic it would need to be a standardized test in a controlled environment.”
To massively oversimplify things, 1Whr is 3600 Joules. If you convert 500Whr into potential energy, then it’ll lift an 85kg rider and 25kg bike 1700m vertically, assuming no losses and no effort at all from the rider (both are impossible). Motors aren’t perfectly efficient and you have drag and other losses but also you can pedal and help the motor out a lot. I’m sure this bike will have more than 500Whr of battery.
I’ve had too much life in the way to take my Levo to many fun places, but a few years ago at BPW I got 13 full laps in - 10 uplifts and 3 pedalled up (whenever the queue looked annoyingly long). I probably used the motor too for the bits back up to the uplift and from the minibus to the top - but not on the trails because I wanted to see how past the Levo (and I) were vs my previous visits on unpowered bikes.
The most amazing thing about the amflow is that it is, according to a YouTube bike tester that I bumped into while riding, a catalog frame. A good one, but still an off the shelf frame.
They were very lucky to find an off the shelf frame that fitted the motor and battery they designed that hadn't previously been used in any other bikes.🤔
Is anyone else simultaneously going "Oh that's astonishingly cheap" and "It costs HOW MUCH?" Schrodinger's Pricetag has struck bigtime for me.
Yeah I get this a bit with bike prices now . My most expensive bike was my cotic flare max in 2019 which was about 3.5 k which an inflation calculator tells me is 4.7 k today so 7k for a Atherton with a avinox doesn't sound to bad but equally I think I'd have a bit of a mental block on spending 7k on a bike . I've tried to remove finance and credit from my life as much as possible and whilst it does make life less stressful it makes big purchases a lot harder .
It's funny but when the Atherton brand first started and Gee and Rach were still racing I was unsure if the link between the siblings and the brand would prove to be a positive but it's developed into a fairly strong brand in it own right with some great looking bikes .
elevation gain a normal metric for e-bikes”
It would be useful if we all weighed the same and used the same ratio of power assistance to human power. But we don’t so it’s neither useful nor normal. I’m sure it’ll be a decent sized battery, to be honest everything is much of a muchness
Indeed. The testing will no doubt have been done by one of their crew, if not one of the Atherton's themselves, weighing 75-80kg and fit as a fiddle, able to smash a good chunk of their own watts in to achieve that amount of climbing, not Mr Johnnyatepiesforbreakfast
Problem is not the RRP, it's that you won't be able to pick one up for 4k in the sales like most other brands.
Last year I bought an Orbea Rise. Ticket price was £8,200. I knew at that time in a year I’d be able to buy one with 30% off. Just over a year later you can now buy one for £4,800. I got it on salary sacrifice roughly paying the same money
Orbea obviously pay a company in China to make the frames in bulk for a price so they then need to sell these units. Clear though they still make a profit
Im surprised how many people are buying these ‘cash’ . To me they represent vfm via salary sacrifice .
As to batteries it’s arbitrary what they say it will / won’t climb. Stick the Avinox in full power and it drains quickly, put it at 1NM and I’m sure they would get more than the figures they are quoting.
Just release the wh value of the battery and the bike weight and let people make their own assumptions.
My hunch is that the Avinox doesn’t do as good mpg as a Shimano system, but then it has so many pluses to the Shimano system too
It will be interesting to see if there will be an all gushing eMBN video saying how amazing the bike is or did Amflow slip them £5 more to do that vid
Really not seeing the issue, the base Santa Cruz Bullet, is just short of £7K. So why would an Atherton bike be less money? Again I'd expect it to be much more. I'm far from rich or have any high flying career, but have reached an age where I have no bills or debt, so those £5K bike that I didn't used to be able to afford, are now something I buy. As for this a Atherton bike for ONLY £7K, if I'd realised earlier...
who are all these people who can afford that much money for a bicycle?
Certainly no one that I know,
so much shit, they cant afford a loan? Ppl have been buying expensive toys forever with loans, so this is just BS
These bikes will be obsolete by the end of the year anyway when the latest fad of 32” wheels takes over!
Happily sold my 2018 e-bike for a quarter of what I bought it for last month, I think that reasonable for a 7 year old bike. The new owner is over the moon, and has a useful form of transport, as he doesn't drive.
Whilst I wholly agree that the increasing financial disparity across most of the developed world since the 1960s is appalling
Pretty sure if you read Factfullness by Hans Rosling, you'll find your assumptions are wrong (tbf I'm still reading it), the WHOLE world is becoming a nicer place overall.
“Pretty sure if you read Factfullness by Hans Rosling, you'll find your assumptions are wrong”
I don’t know about the whole world but the gap between richest and poorest in the developed world has sadly widened hugely over my lifetime. There’s tons of data out there to support this statement, I’m not some fringe socialist lunatic.
They were very lucky to find an off the shelf frame that fitted the motor and battery they designed that hadn't previously been used in any other bikes.
Good point. Perhaps they modified an existing design to fit their motor? perhaps it was an off the shelf frame designed to fit their motor avinox? Perhaps they modified the people he was dealing with in china lied to him?
To massively oversimplify things
Thanks again
who are all these people who can afford that much money for a bicycle?
Certainly no one that I know,
A lot of people pay out a great deal of money to support their hobbies, be that bikes, cars, musical instruments, golf bats and green fees, etc. I'm not in the demographic for this bike but I don't begrudge those who can afford it.
@z1ppy “so much shit, they cant afford a loan? Ppl have been buying expensive toys forever with loans, so this is just BS”
This quote is a good indicator both of the gulf between the rich and the less well off and also the lack of life experience (or indifference) that some people on this forum display.
I would like to think that this ignorance is unintentional and just a result of the small bubbles that some people live and work in.
Im surprised how many people are buying these ‘cash’ . To me they represent vfm via salary sacrifice .
Perhaps you didn't realise that not all people have access to salary sacrifice. If I was in the market for such a bike I'd be paying via credit card & paying off at the end of the month but it's the same price as my most expensive ever two wheeled machine & that's got 120bhp to play with, so I'm out 😀
who are all these people who can afford that much money for a bicycle?
Certainly no one that I know
It would be great if building sub £500 bikes of quality in Wales made sense, but it doesn't. So if we want anything built in the UK (and part of our economy), be it a Brompton or an Atherton, we need to be ready to accept they'll be too pricey for many of us. Making something a large chunk of the UK population can't afford (see also all cars) is part of normal business. Many of us will never be able to afford an Atherton, or a Morgan, or even a brand new Vauxhall Corsa... that doesn't mean they're not worth building here for other people. Lots of stuff is made for the better off, not the majority. It's not just a cycling thing, is it.
Lots of stuff is made for the better off, not the majority. It's not just a cycling thing, is it.
Agreed no one has built an affordable helicopter yet !
Perhaps you didn't realise that not all people have access to salary sacrifice
Agreed not everyone has access to a cheap company van / buying stuff through the business. Swings & roundabouts isn’t it
This quote is a good indicator both of the gulf between the rich and the less well off and also the lack of life experience (or indifference) that some people on this forum display.
I would like to think that this ignorance is unintentional and just a result of the small bubbles that some people live and work in.
Equally, there seems to be an element on here of certain people that think that if you can afford something nice, you shouldn't mention it in case it upsets those that can't.
It's a biking forum, not a safe space for skint folk.
To address your first point though about who can afford them - I mix with quite a few riding folk and I'm not sure about the value of the ebikes they are currently riding, but before ebikes, many of them were riding Santa Cruz - some are now on Santa Cruz ebikes. I wouldn't describe any of them as being rich, just normal working people - who knows their financial situation, maybe they can afford to buy them outright, maybe they are on finance, maybe they have little in the way of other outgoings?
Agreed no one has built an affordable helicopter yet !
😆
Not quite the same thing though. The majority of people in the UK can afford a cheap second hand bike (okay, they might not have safe storage, but you get my point). The existence of Atherton bikes doesn't have any impact on any of our abilities to either ride to the shops, or have fun on the trails. Bikes to do not become luxury goods just because there are some bikes sold at a luxury price. Unlike helicopters, which are all beyond the means of nearly all people.
This quote is a good indicator both of the gulf between the rich and the less well off and also the lack of life experience (or indifference) that some people on this forum display.
Your "holier than though" attitude is wearing, and again crap. If ppl are in an 'unfortunate' position, why the **** would they be looking at £7k ebike. Why would the cost of effectively a toy have anything to do with the poor.
given that it's already been established many times that the price is comparable to other ebikes on the market I'm not really sure why the thread has derailed to yet another rich/poor/have/have not debate rather than just discussing this new bike 🤷♂️
Agreed not everyone has access to a cheap company van / buying stuff through the business. Swings & roundabouts isn’t it
Not sure of your point there, I'm PAYE & have access to neither salary sacrifice or cheap access through any business, probably not dissimilar to may working folk.
@wheelsonfire1 cheers, your are welcome to your own opinion, but I am glad your are crawling back under your bridge
Chambord, totally agree, and I am done with it
According to my man-maths, expensive stuff doesn't actually cost more. Honestly.
So, you decide to buy an up-to-date and desirable bike (emtb, mtb, road, whatever). You would hopefully get some sort of discount (although it doesn't matter if you don't*). You enjoy the bike for a few years and sell it whilst it still has the latest standards and things. With a good advert you get back more than half of what you originally paid... so the bike only really cost half of its rrp. Easy.
*It's fine if you pay full rrp for a brand that never discounts as their second hand value will reflect that. Additionally, you may have took advantage of CtW and so the figures are even better. Or, you bought at a massive discount that wasn't well publicised.
The only time an expensive bike is really expensive is the first time you buy one.
Right... think I've convinced myself to buy an Atherton 🙂
I have an Atherton. Very happy to support a UK manufacturer that has created a bike that doesn't have a model year so should last a while whilst looking current, rides brilliantly and actually represents 'relatively' good value compared to mass produced Chinese carbon jelly moulds. I am personally very happy to see them keep on innovating and building a world class UK business that actually exports good rather than services from a country that has precious little manufacturing left.
I bought it on the CTW scheme. Don't hate the player, hate the game. The CTW scheme exists, it offered me a discount and I already pay plenty of other tax so why not?! Are Atherton wrong to offer the scheme? Are their customers wrong to make use of it? According to my moral compass, nope to both. If it puts more riders on British made bikes that perhaps might not have otherwise bought them, then no tax has been lost. And the amount of tax we are talking about is a drop in the ocean compared to some of the waste that exists in the public sector. Now there's a rabbit hole and can of worms........and none of it anything to do with the original thread which focuses on a great product where demand appears to have exceeded supply with the initial limited run already having sold out. I am a few generations away from considering an expensive e-bike. Technology is just moving too quickly. I do think that the analogue Atherton's are pretty much peak bike in terms of materials, geometry and suspension. I also think that dropping so much cash on an e-bike from any brand does not represent good value. With the 1st generation Amflow now being discounted, a gen 2 Avinox must surely be on the cards very soon as rumoured (which probably accounts for why the Atherton pictures don;t actually show the motor).
Well done to the Athertons. Keep it up!
*It's fine if you pay full rrp for a brand that never discounts as their second hand value will reflect that.
Interesting point.
Most emtb's are wort peanuts 2nd hand. I cant see the Atherton being any different.
The sheer fact its rumoured Avinox already have a version 2 motor coming out makes the value of your current bike less than 1 year old worth less 🙁 lets hope they are backwards compatible (which would bike a first for the bike industry)
Hence my tongue in cheek comment on this thread or the other. I would buy an Atherton because you know the frame would last (probably) but would the frame last the changes in technology?
This is where emtbs are silly expensive as they are obsolete so quickly
This is where emtbs are silly expensive as they are obsolete so quickly
They are and they can be, however....
I bought my first ebike 2018/19? It's still going, I went out on it this weekend, albeit I also have a newer top of the range Levo Gen 3. Upgraded weather sealing and a refresh on the motor from eBike Motor Centre and it serves as my spare/winter/really filthy conditons bike. It cost me £5.5k new - over 7 years that equates to £15/week barring upgrades. It struggled a little to keep up with my mates brand new Bosch CX powered bike uphill, but didn't do terribly.
Obsolete, maybe - served it's purpose for a not ridiculous outlay and still does what's required of it, definitely.
How long I'll keep the Levo, I don't know, but I don't feel the need to sell it at a big loss to have the latest and greatest. When the Kenevo eventually hangs it's boots up, I'll probably keep the Levo as a second bike and then get something newer.