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my e-free bikes.
They are called bikes 😀
this thread has truly restored my faith in the self importance of humans beings (term used loosely).
I have had a couple of goes on eebs now and have been riding mtbbs for 20 years or so and being still relatively fit I cant wait to get one to add another dimension to enjoying two wheels in the dirt along with my other bikes if I can still pedal them
We are running a couple of Turbo Levo's. One with Pikes and one with Revelations. We bought a set of Pikes thinking that the Revelations would flex. The Pikes are still in the box.
Tracey, the voice of reason, as ever. 😊
Not really. Put Crossclimates on the Picasso for the winter. Bought new Thule top of the range four bike rack. Get taken back in hospital with an infection. Come out of hospital and he's swapped the Picasso for a Tourneo Custom. The Pikes are at the back of the garage at the side of the bike rack.
“Sounds like you’re doing the quite frankly ridiculous thing of believing an Ebike somehow needs a stiffer, more burly fork than the rider would ever need on a non E bike.”
Well, it’s more that I’m heavier than I used to be, the bike itself is heavier and even at 150mm travel the total contact patch to crown length is longer than on the Spitfire due to the bigger wheels so there’s more leverage on the fork. And I’ve never put something burlier on a bike and regretted it - admittedly I restarted MTBing on a lightweight XC hardtail and have never owned a freeride or DH bike, so I started at one extreme.
The Revelations on the new Turbo Levo’s won’t flex any more than a Pike - they’re the exact same fork but with a cheaper damper. Upgrade the damper and put new stickers on and it’s a Pike.
I've bent 2 Pike CSUs One backwards, the other side ways, twisted the upper legs on another and broken the lowers on another. All were lowered to 100-110mm and on hardtails. I'm running Rebas just now on my current hardtail despite bending 2 sets of those in the past too. They're way less stiff than a Pike but I trust them because I'm not doing quite so consequential stuff on hardtails at the moment. (and have a new Pike and shorter air shaft to fit when I do again).
If you've you bent/broken any forks in the past you'll know yourself already whether you 'really' need to go to a stiffer chassis like a Yari/Lyrik (or just reign it in a bit). The bike won't be putting any more stress through a Pike/Yari until you smash it into a tree, case a decent sized jump or just have an unlucky off.
FWIW I do have Lyriks on my Enduro bike and my Ebike (which is very much an Enduro bike too) and they are very nice but in all honesty I haven't actually done anything on either of those 170mm bikes I haven't ridden on a 100mm hardtail.
I had a quick spin on a Levo on Friday - took it for a lap of the local park. Well that was fun! When I was standing and stomping my legs overwhelmed the motor assistance but as soon as I backed off it was like I had the world’s most convenient tailwind. Fit was perfect (no surprise as bar the higher stack and longer chainstays its near identical to my Spitfire - and I run quite a few spacers and high rise bars on that).
Liked the handling a lot - it feels like a big stable bike but in a good way - was fine off some urban drops, popping off kickers and so on. The Sektor on the bass model was rather squishy and noodly - big price jump through the models to get a better fork and dropper post so it feels logical to get the least expensive version and add the forks, dropper and brakes of my choice. Noticed the brakes got used a lot more than on my normal bikes so I’d want something powerful.
Current leaning is a 160mm Lyrik up front with shorter offset, BikeYoke dropper (185 if there’s enough space in the seat tube) and some Hope V4s. Dare I start a thread about it, or will it cause a ruckus?
Start a thread. Ebike upgrades ?.
Already done the wheels and tyres on mine
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start a new thread, this one just the standard e-bike troll circle jerk now.
And you reckon a new one won’t be ? I admire your faith 🙂
Dare I start a thread about it, or will it cause a ruckus?
Yeah we have a forum for non-bike stuff. 😀
I should have known this thread would be such a big-hitter magnet!
Is geex GW, or just under his tutelage?
The thing I most noticed about my quick blast on the Levo was that I could ride like I want to, rather than having to hold back in the name of enduring for hours. At my fastest I’m neither subtle nor efficient and having that backup for when my legs run out of steam felt very appealing - pump, pedal, hop, jump and get as aggro as I can downhill, reach the bottom dying and have some help to get back up the hill. I’ll see what a longer testride proves.
roverpig
And you reckon a new one won’t be ? I admire your faith
Nah, but another e-bike thread always winds them up again, and they can't help but exposing there drivel, so the more threads the better. TBH this place is coming around to them, they are the future after all ;D
We should confine all of the haters to the “what gravel bike and/or bib tights” threads.
A heavy frame with a low CofG, long travel, slack angles and big sticky tyres has always been a pretty good recipe for a bike that is fun to ride downhill (depending on your preferred riding style of course), but not a good recipe for riding back up again. So, just add a bit of motor assist for the climbs: job done.
The logic of Ebikes is pretty clear and I’ve never really understood all the froth. Of course, like any design, you’ve got downsides too; more expensive, complicated, heavier (if you have to lift it for any reason), less reliable, worries over range etc. But it’s a trade-off that will suit some people and not others.
It’s the propaganda about standard bikes being old fashioned and claims that we’ll all be riding them in a few years that I find mildly annoying (or maybe just amusing), but to be fair, the rants from the anti-Ebike mob are just as irrational.
Anyway, if it suits you then crack-on and enjoy. The threads are quite entertaining if nothing else.
Rode one in the mud and the gloop that is the South Downs for the first time today; got 54 miles done and only needed the e part doing laps of Old Winnie hill.
It was a riot to ride for sure. These things have a place on the trails these days as you can't put the genie back in the bottle so go out there and give one a go - I liked it, but I'm not ready to hang up my Tallboy just yet.
I sold up my enduro bike a few years ago as I didn’t have time for the faff that’s involved in mountain biking and as much as I enjoyed the fast bits, you spend a massive amount of time grinding away for that bit of speed to make it all worth it.
I’m now in the mind set I want to start mountain biking again next year. I however want to do it purely for fun, and after having a blast on an e bike it blew me away how quick and fun it was. I could go for a blast round degla, enjoy the ups and downs and be home before lunch with plenty of energy to enjoy the rest of the day.
I run before work every morning, ride a road bike and eat healthily so mountain biking doesn’t need to tick the exercise box for me.
Im certain in the next 5 to 10 years they will replace the majority of pedal bikes
Yeah we have a forum for non-bike stuff.
As this is mainly an MTB forum maybe you should stick to that.
I liked it, but I’m not ready to hang up my Tallboy just yet.
First off it kind of puts the fitness nazis into place that you've posted on this thread.*
Second point everyone that I know that's bought an ebike still rides there other bikes too.
* look up what this poster has ridden if you don't know.
Don't wind up him up
I dunno why these people don't get a scrambler or ride a roller coaster if they want 'fun' without having to break a sweat.
I never knew that so many MTB'ers found pedaling a drag.
Who are these people,
Edited as I can't really be bothered to talk to a commuter about MTBing.
I must apologise for not being able to commute to work or ride to the supermarket over a gnarly mountain.
I don't know where you get this misconception from...
without having to break a sweat
...but it's hilarious. The only time I'm not blowing out of my arse at the top of a climb is if I'm guiding, or being guided by, folks on non-assist bikes. The rest of the time I'm pushing myself hard. I now ride more often, for longer than I ever did on my clockwork bike and I'm having fun. Actual fun. You should get down off your high horse and try having fun yourself. You never know, you might enjoy it.
The Sektor on the bass model was rather squishy and noodly –
You of all people should know that's down to not running a stiff enough spring rate and the basic damping meaning you can't have that marshmallow sag point followed by ramp up so many air token slaves love to fret about. a Sektor is a plenty stiff enough chassis to get the job done.
Noticed the brakes got used a lot more than on my normal bikes
They actually don't. Yes your braking point changes minisculely but Eebs have moar grip so it evens out. I only changed my Emtb's rear pads after over 1200miles of mainly DH/Enduro descents Eshuttled (for want of a better term). That's thousands and thousands of feet of technical, fast and very steep descending. and the wear rate is actually less than my 17lb lighter DH bikes. It's still on the OEM front pads with plenty life in them
so I’d want something powerful.
Fair enough. that's more do do with your preference than any actual need though. Most Eebs come with sensibly powerful enough brakes. Level Ts will stop it just fine but it's an easy upgrade to an RE caliper for awesome levels (see what I did there?) of stopping power
Current leaning is a 160mm Lyrik up front
Again fair enough. but again it's not absolutely required.
with shorter offset,
This is you just being you (well.. that plus #fashion) in reality from what you've said about your actual riding it's going to make FK all difference.
Dare I start a thread about it, or will it cause a ruckus?
Dare? Please do. Folk neeed to get a grip. it's just a bike. And a hell of a lot more interesting and fun than all the gravel pish most bike threads here seem to be about.
The only time I’m not blowing out of my arse at the top of a climb is if I’m guiding, or being guided by, folks on non-assist bikes. The rest of the time I’m pushing myself hard. I now ride more often, for longer than I ever did on my clockwork bike and I’m having fun. Actual fun. You should get down off you high horse and try having fun yourself. You never know, you might enjoy it.
Yes but do you ride up and down the canal on a gravel bike?
Unless you do you have no right to post about actually riding an MTB up and down steep stuff.😜
rydflat.
You actually looked what background rob comes from yet?
You actually looked what background rob comes from yet?
Well you have some e-bikers saying they like them 'cos they are fun and they don't get fatigued, then others claim they ride them like Lance up Mont Ventoux and the e-bike makes them fitter than normal (by a magic mechanism never explained)
So that's why I'm a bit confused. 😀
As someone who sometimes rides to work with a tail wind and sometimes with a head wind, it's very hard to make yourself work as hard with the tail wind, that's just human nature? Or maybe I don't have the iron discipline e-biking needs?
So you've not looked what rob has done then...
Stick to riding up and down the cut and thinking you're the awsumz because you don't like ebikes...
What's his background got to do with anything? An appeal to authority?
Still not found out then.
Should be right up your fitness nazi street...
Except rob despite his fitness levels doesn't seem to be a fitness nazi.
Tell us all again what MTB you ride?
You seem to taking this all very personally?
So you've still not taken the time to find out.
I'll leave it at that.
Rob could be extremely fit but it would be in spite of the e-bike.
Here are objections to seeing them on trails.
1) Splits MTB community into two groups: fast and slow. This could cause resentment as e-bikers are held up by slower non-e-bike riders on single track. Possibly it forces everyone to buy a more costly and less environmentally friendly (e-)bike to keep up with everyone else.
2) Heavier, faster, further = more wear to trails.
3) Totally unnecessary environmental downsides involved in making and charging the batteries.
4) Fire risk both at home when stored and during summer when out riding. How many e-bike riders carry a fire extinguisher with them? We saw what happened this summer with the fires on the moors.
So you've still not found out what he's done or told us what MTB you ride...
Just copied and pasted some bullshit.🤡
That's irrelevant. Arguments stand alone. Stop attacking the person.
“4) Fire risk both at home when stored and during summer when out riding. How many e-bike riders carry a fire extinguisher with them? We saw what happened this summer with the fires on the moors.”
I have no words...
But looking at your past posts, you’ve been away from MTBing a decade, and now you’re just biking alongside canals. You have ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE what it’s like to ride steep trails with serious ascent. I could ride all day long on flat trails, regardless of what other exercise I was doing in my life. Silly, silly, silly.
And Rob Colliver who posted earlier has ridden the Tour Divide (Canada to Mexico solo unsupported) and is the only person to have ridden the South Downs Double Double - that’s 400 miles off-road with near constant climbing and descending, 48’000 in total, that he did in 55 hours.
Come back when you actually do some real mountain biking.
I’ve been on quite a few group rides with someone in the group on an Ebike - they were never getting frustrated by a normal bike slowing them down, quite the opposite, we on our normal bikes were waiting for them! But if you ride in groups there’s always a mix of riding speed both up and downhill and how well that works depends on the group, not the bikes.
Stop attacking the person
And Rob Colliver who posted earlier has ridden the Tour Divide (Canada to Mexico solo unsupported) and is the only person to have ridden the South Downs Double Double – that’s 400 miles off-road with near constant climbing and descending, 48’000 in total, that he did in 55 hours.
What on earth does that have to do with the fire risks of lithium-ion batteries or the point I made about splitting the MTB community?
But if you ride in groups there’s always a mix of riding speed both up and downhill and how well that works depends on the group, not the bikes.
That's true but it's random or within a tolerable range. E-bikes change that systematically though.
“What on earth does that have to do with the fire risks of lithium-ion batteries or the point I made about splitting the MTB community?”
Have you heard of night-riding? It’s been rather popular with us keen MTBers for a decade or two. Our lights are not powered by magic.
If you went MTBing you’d find the community is already split but that it doesn’t matter. XC is a completely different sport to DH. And we don’t care, it’s fine!
Holy ****, we've got a live one here! 🤣🤣🤣
“That’s true but it’s random or within a tolerable range. E-bikes change that systematically though.”
It’s not random and if you ride with as many people as I have over the years you’d know how incredibly fast some are and how amazingly slow others are. As someone in the middle I’ve ridden with both ends of the spectrum. You’ll learn that if you get out and go MTBing.