@rockhopper70 I think the downgrade in drivetrain and fork would offset the benefit of the newer battery. Probably cheaper and easier to upgrade the battery in the ST H20, if required.
@TroutWrestler I'm at the top limit of S3 at 5'11". Might work, but I'd have to compare reach etc to my current bike. Great deal though! I'm going to see if I can find any ex-display/ex-demo Gen 4s.
@Ben_Haworth No problem! I'm sure with routine checking and maintenance it would be fine.
----
I saw this, and whilst it not a brand I'd ever normally consider, it's hard to look past the spec and price. Bosch CX, Lyriks, wireless SRAM, MT5s which could be changed to Shigura...
https://www.e-bikeshop.co.uk/products/electric-bike-haibike-allmtn-cf-9-2025
It certainly doesn't look as hideous as most Haibikes!
For another reference point on Orbea bearings, we had a pair of v1 Rises for 3 1/2 years and now a pair of 2025's. The main linkage axle was upgraded on the XL but not the medium. Snapped one main pivot axle on the XL. Replaced the most of the bearings after a couple of years. In terms of bearing wear no worse that other bikes I've owned.
I've not had any issues with the headsets on any of them either. A lots going to depend on the conditions you ride in and how you clean the bikes of course.
And another reference, we have 2 x early Rise m10’s that I’ve not replaced any parts/bearings other than the headsets and the e13 cranks.
Good to know guys, thanks.
Coming back around to a Rise or Wild (or something else) as the ex display Rail 8 from Balfes has been sold.
I have a wild and mate has a rise. After a ride with just the two of us the battery levels are pretty similar.
But when we rode with a group of ebikers he struggled to keep up with the group.
Both great bikes.
early Rise m10’s that I’ve not replaced any parts/bearings other than the headsets and the e13 cranks
Those cranks… trash! Cheapest possible Shimano ones went on my partner’s bike straight away. Took the opportunity to go 165mm. Hope bottom headset bearing fits by the way, for those looking to replace the junk one supplied. Top bearing is a different/odd size, but the original one is still going strong on her bike. As for frame bearings… I think it’s the “bigger” riders having the most problems. No problems for her. Yet.
Replaced the most of the bearings after a couple of years. In terms of bearing wear no worse that other bikes I've owned.
And, thinking about that, I almost certainly replaced far more than I needed to (as once I'd got the bike in bits and new bearings bought and on the bench it made sense just to fit them). It was only really the linkage bearing that was having issues and that had an external seal ring added when they changed the linkage design.
Those cranks… trash!
They really were. K bent one of the cranks on hers on the second ever ride, clipping a stump that didn't even take her off the bike. She had one odd shimano crank for ages, then replaced all of them when the issues with them cracking the motor axles emerged.
@citizenlee Just got back from a Quantocks ride , 19 miles , over 2,200 feet of climbing, " cheated" a lot today using Boost as I'm recovering from Xmas Lurgy ( that's my excuse!) Still on 3 bars when I finished but probably would have dropped to two shortly .
I too had the E13 cranks swapped out for Shimano, I bought mine in 2022 , at the time there was a spat between E13 and Shimano about the cranks both blaming each other . I thought there would be only one winner in that argument.
As others have said I haven't had issues with frame bearings 3 years in , maybe it is down to heavier riders ? I'm 74 kilos .
Yeah Orbea replaced my linkage double quick under warranty, they obviously realised there was an issue
Contrary to my earlier max budget comments, I'm seriously considering saying f--k it and going for an alloy Gen 4 Levo (found one for £4699) 😀
It's a heavy lump and the spec doesn't match the price compared to practically any other similarly or lower priced bike... but I've always been a bit of Specialized fanboi, have never ridden one I haven't liked and have a dealer 10 minutes away should any issues arise.
Terrible idea?
26kg?!! That's going to be a proper lump once you've added pedals, guards and wotnots. I wouldn't want that weight but you could use loads of assistance for hours.
I owned one of the first Orbea Rise H10 models (540wh battery). I thought that was a bit porky at about 22kg but it was great fun to ride. The linkages creaked terribly from new... I resolved that by modifying the parts and assembling correctly. It was always a bit flexy though (I'm 80kg+) and needed bearings doing annually.
Lots of good deals on lighter "SL" bikes... I guess they just aren't very popular. I've just bought a Norco Fluid VLT (Bosch SX with 400wh battery). Only ridden it once (yesterday). Feels great at under 20kg with pedals, guards, tools, etc., but nothing like the assistance of the bigger motors.
I guess it depends how you are going to use it: I use mine so I can do rides in the hills without battering myself; I'm not bothered if it's no faster than when I'm on a regular bike. Others may wish to ride faster, or with other speedsters, so I guess they need to go for a bigger motor and battery with the associated weight.
Realistically, my dream emtb would have an SL motor but with an easily swappable battery.
Amazing times we live in 🙂
Edit- I forgot... the Shimano motor rattled like a good 'un on descents! Never bothered me, although it's constant whine when climbing did!
The Bosch SX seems to have a slight knock when descending and a more acceptable "hum" when climbing. Early days though.
The power=weight thing is rather overstated (full power motors weigh about 1kg more than SL motor iirc). It's the battery that's the weight IME. FWIW a Bosch SX eeb with 400Wh battery (and decent geometry) would be my current pick. Can always add a range extender in future if need be. I've yet to see a DJI Avinox bike that ticks all my boxes (geometry being the main issue for me).
Totally agree Ben... the biggest weight increase is in the battery... and bigger motors need bigger batteries!
An SX motor (or TQ60?) with easily swappable batteries FTW. I think the latest Fuel EXE might be closest? But can only be used with one size of battery iirc.
Pity that the motor developers have given up on external batteries. That Shimano system (Cotic) is just too dated and ugly (imo). A modern battery could be made to look so much better than that old Shimano one.
The power=weight thing is rather overstated (full power motors weigh about 1kg more than SL motor iirc). It's the battery that's the weight IME. FWIW a Bosch SX eeb with 400Wh battery (and decent geometry) would be my current pick. Can always add a range extender in future if need be. I've yet to see a DJI Avinox bike that ticks all my boxes (geometry being the main issue for me).
The Motor weights differences are less than that -
TQ 2kg
DJI - 2.5
Shimano 2.7
Bosch CX 2.8
It's the ability to use a smaller battery that makes the bigger difference -
Rise 540 1.95kg, Rise 630 2.8kg
DJI 600 2.8kg, 800 3.7kg
Shimano 840wh 4.4kg (!)
Also you a reasonable chunk of weight saving from the frame having a non removable battery (and I think more pronounced on the alu bikes than carbon)
26kg?!! That's going to be a proper lump
My Whyte E-160 rsx is probably heavier but it doesn’t feel heavy when riding it (admittedly it does feel like riding through tar when on flat ground above the cut-off speed). The weight definitely helps in certain situations (rough high speed trails mainly) and it is a pain to lift over gates/fences so that is definitely something to consider. At the same time my mate can do similar distance/elevation on his Rise with the range extender, although he can't get up certain climbs that I can manage pretty easily with the extra torque/ power I get using the higher power settings. I doubt my next ebike will be as heavy as the Whyte but I wouldn't rule out a bike based on weight alone without at least riding one first
The power=weight thing is rather overstated (full power motors weigh about 1kg more than SL motor iirc). It's the battery that's the weight IME. FWIW a Bosch SX eeb with 400Wh battery (and decent geometry) would be my current pick. Can always add a range extender in future if need be. I've yet to see a DJI Avinox bike that ticks all my boxes (geometry being the main issue for me).
The Motor weights differences are less than that -
TQ 2kg
DJI - 2.5
Shimano 2.7
Bosch CX 2.8
It's the ability to use a smaller battery that makes the bigger difference -
Rise 540 1.95kg, Rise 630 2.8kg
DJI 600 2.8kg, 800 3.7kg
Shimano 840wh 4.4kg (!)
Also you a reasonable chunk of weight saving from the frame having a non removable battery (and I think more pronounced on the alu bikes than carbon)
A fellow I used to work with knew a lot about electric motor & generators. He said that Maxon were the daddies & held all the patents/IP. I've been keeping an eye on this & read about it in E Mountainbike's motor group test & they rated it highly, weight of a lightweight almost the power of a full. Current downside is it only has a 400wh battery.
https://ebike-mtb.com/en/emtb-motor-comparison/
I think Maxon are on exactly the right track… light, efficient, full torque, no motorbike mode… but with people starting to buy bikes like any other Chinese made white goods… they don’t have the right numbers for the marketing. The highest watts and an assist mode that is basically using the pedals as an accelerator… that’s what people seem to want to buy… fitted to average to dull bikes. How manufacturers persuade them to ride assisted mountain bikes with great handling rather than big numbers dull riding ebikes, I have no idea.
I'm another who thinks Bosch Sx and ~400wh battery is the sweet spot currently - If I was replacing my Lovel SL2 (I'm not, its brill) thats where I'd be looking.
Another crucial aspect that not many are focusing on is charging speed. Along with the ability to add a range extender, this makes the bikes much more adaptable. For many, many people that you see doing trail centre laps, the ability to quickly cram another 2 or 00wh in from your car or suchlike, whilst you eat your sandwich, would be really, really useful.
I have done this a fair bit usin my Ecoflow powerpack to bump my Levo, its super useful but the charging rates are not high enough yet.
I popped into Edinburgh Bike Co earlier and sat on a S4 Levo SL2. Sizing seemed perfect for me.
Weight wise, it felt like what I expected. The full fat Levo felt like an absolute tank though. In its defence the two chunky wheel stands were still attached when I lifted it.
Also looked at the Whyte Kado range but the skinny seat tube going into the bulbous motor housing is perhaps one of the least aesthetically pleasing things I've ever seen.
I'll pop into Evans next to see what the Treks and Cubes feel like.
I'd have to go to Inverness to check out Orbea, which isn't going to happen.
Been looking at the Giant Trance X Advanced E+ EL 2 but don't know anything about their motors, and I still have 2nd hand anger about how they handled that guy's warranty situation. It seems to review positively though.
Even though everyone here - including me - only rides on roads and bridleways, I would *imagine* lifting a 25kg+ over fences/walls etc gets pretty old, pretty quickly..
Even though everyone here - including me - only rides on roads and bridleways, I would *imagine* lifting a 25kg+ over fences/walls etc gets pretty old, pretty quickly..
Lifting bikes over stuff? Must be an English thing 😆
For research purposes, I'm now reading up on Bosch SX bikes. Some good looking options from Cube, Marin, Merida, Mondraker, Norco, etc, but all perhaps a bit weak compared to the EP801 with RS+ tune in the Orbea Rise. Just wish I could ride one or at least ride with someone who owns one to hear if the noise would bug me.
@citizenlee more than welcome to join me and have a go/listen if you're anywhere near Somerset.
@citizenlee just come back from a glorious Mendip ride , bike is a sweet spot for me 👌 540wh , around 20kg weight and a great halfway option, a trail bike with a little bit of help 👌
A little heavier (but not much) than some sl ebikes but it's also a bit more "enduro"
https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/orange-phase-evo-le-mx-2024-electric-bike
Mates Orbea Rise on the left and my Orbea Wild on the right
I popped into Edinburgh Bike Co earlier and sat on a S4 Levo SL2. Sizing seemed perfect for me.
Weight wise, it felt like what I expected. The full fat Levo felt like an absolute tank though. In its defence the two chunky wheel stands were still attached when I lifted it.
For me, I think Spesh hit the sweet spot with the G3 Levo - 22.5kg for the top of the range S-Works - full fat and 700wh battery. The G4 got uglier and heavier, albeit a bit more powerful - was supposed to have more range, but people using the extra power were seeing less range than the G3.
Yes, there's an element of it being what I own - however, I knew what the G4 was going to be all about when I bought it and as such, paid £5k less than RRP as it was the outgoing model.
@oldfart I'd love to take you up on that offer but I'm over 500 miles North! Bike looks great by the way. It does seem like the perfect sweet spot bike.
@StuE Wow, that's a cracking deal! Fox Factory and Hope stuff for under 4K. I've been a bit of a critic of Orange's industrious frame design in the past but I think it suits the nature of the Phase. Certainly one to consider.
@flyingpotatoes Looking good together! Is your mate's Rise noisy? I can't get past the potential motor rattle when coasting otherwise it would be the bike for me. As the replies here show, it seems to vary from bike to bike and people's tolerance of it varies too. It's certainly audible on the POV videos I've watched, but then I'm not riding it and focused on the trail ahead.
For research purposes, I'm now reading up on Bosch SX bikes. Some good looking options from Cube, Marin, Merida, Mondraker, Norco, etc, but all perhaps a bit weak compared to the EP801 with RS+ tune in the Orbea Rise.
I’m not in a position to suggest you are procrastinating here, it only took me 18months or so to decide which e-bike to buy and eventually, a too-good-to-miss deal came up on an SX powered canyon that @mboy also bought. My point, in quoting you above, is that I cannot imagine the SX motor not being powerful enough to get up any thing where traction is lost first. In boost, it’s an absolute steam train uphill. Yes, the battery depletes, so if your intention is to go in boost everywhere, you are going to need a large battery, so an SX probably won’t suit as they seem to be always tied to the 400wh battery. If you just want a little help and a push along when needed, then SX is fine, IMO. For price/motor/battery, that Wild ST H30 was the best I came to. I didn’t go with it due to an immediate need to spend a decent chunk on it to get the spec ok. And the Canyon also popped up.
Also, anecdotally. I went out with a mate who has the original rise with the stock motor. On paper, mine and his should be similar but they are miles different in pulling power. The SX felt twice the power, absolutely no comparison.
Edit, that Orange looks good. Had I not got mine, that would be tempting. The only irk for me is the charging port is on the top tube, so well out of the way, but it would make an ungainly looking position to plug the range extender in to.
I popped into Edinburgh Bike Co earlier and sat on a S4 Levo SL2. Sizing seemed perfect for me.
Weight wise, it felt like what I expected. The full fat Levo felt like an absolute tank though. In its defence the two chunky wheel stands were still attached when I lifted it.
For me, I think Spesh hit the sweet spot with the G3 Levo - 22.5kg for the top of the range S-Works - full fat and 700wh battery. The G4 got uglier and heavier, albeit a bit more powerful - was supposed to have more range, but people using the extra power were seeing less range than the G3.
Yes, there's an element of it being what I own - however, I knew what the G4 was going to be all about when I bought it and as such, paid £5k less than RRP as it was the outgoing model.
I'd probably still consider a G3, and there was a good deal on one posted above, although it's S3 which may be a bit cramped.
I do actually like the look of the G4 though, despite it being porky.
For research purposes, I'm now reading up on Bosch SX bikes. Some good looking options from Cube, Marin, Merida, Mondraker, Norco, etc, but all perhaps a bit weak compared to the EP801 with RS+ tune in the Orbea Rise.
I’m not in a position to suggest you are procrastinating here, it only took me 18months or so to decide which e-bike to buy and eventually, a too-good-to-miss deal came up on an SX powered canyon that @mboy also bought. My point, in quoting you above, is that I cannot imagine the SX motor not being powerful enough to get up any thing where traction is lost first. In boost, it’s an absolute steam train uphill. Yes, the battery depletes, so if your intention is to go in boost everywhere, you are going to need a large battery, so an SX probably won’t suit as they seem to be always tied to the 400wh battery. If you just want a little help and a push along when needed, then SX is fine, IMO. For price/motor/battery, that Wild ST H30 was the best I came to. I didn’t go with it due to an immediate need to spend a decent chunk on it to get the spec ok. And the Canyon also popped up.
Also, anecdotally. I went out with a mate who has the original rise with the stock motor. On paper, mine and his should be similar but they are miles different in pulling power. The SX felt twice the power, absolutely no comparison.
Edit, that Orange looks good. Had I not got mine, that would be tempting. The only irk for me is the charging port is on the top tube, so well out of the way, but it would make an ungainly looking position to plug the range extender in to.
That's good info, thank you! Makes the SX equipped bikes seem more viable.
I'm kinda split... if I had a full fat then most of the time I probably would rip around in boost mode as I wouldn't need the range on my local trails. Then be more conservative when needed for bigger days out. On the other hand, if I had a lighter/mid powered bike I'd probably ride it like my normal bike and just use the boost when I actually need it. I'd rather not use a range extender as I don't like carrying water on my person.
FWIW, the only electric bike I've ever used was one of those atrocious city bike things, so I've got nothing to compare any decent eMTB to.
I'll go through all this debating and deliberating with myself as I do about everything, finally make a decision I think im happy with...then get refused finance 😆
No worries, I went through the same process trying to decide. Looking at specs etc is all well and good but if you have a budget the that also comes into consideration. I was very close to pulling the trigger on a Whyte eLyte works reduced from £10,000 (yes, Ten Thousand Pounds!!!) to £6.5K. I really should have given my head a wobble for even contemplating this! 🤣
In the end I spent £3,900 on the Canyon which had the perfect spec for me and I love it. I’ve since bought a range extender. Last big ride was 60km, 1,363m of elevation. I had 9% left, of the combined 650wh battery. It was a gloopy day too, and I was getting a bit nervous on the home straight as I live halfway up a steep valley side and I was spent. Had enough to boost all the way up the hill though!
On paper, mine and his should be similar
A lot depends how they've been tuned - which can be done easily in the app.
Default assist on my Rise was very different to how i run it now. It's also worth turning Eco up to a level where you use it. And Boost should be full turbo as there's no point getting home with a semi-full battery.
I also have profiles for local blasts, big days out. Definitely worth playing with.
@rockhopper70 That's a whopping ride!
I know there are too many different factors to make it relevant between two different people, but what sort of numbers are you getting without the range extender? Must usal local rides are around 15 - 20 miles with around 1500-1800ft of climbing, or whatever that is in new money. Time, or lack of it, is usually the deciding factor in how long I'm out for.
I should have another look at the Canyons.
Without the RE, budget for 40km and 1000m of elevation. Did that with 15% of battery remaining. The Bosch app suggested I put in 55% of the effort, the bike the rest. Mileage breakdown for each mode was;
Tour+ 13
eMTB 6.8
Eco 4.6
Turbo 371ft!
Always leave a bit in the tank for the boost home…
@flyingpotatoes Looking good together! Is your mate's Rise noisy? I can't get past the potential motor rattle when coasting otherwise it would be the bike for me. As the replies here show, it seems to vary from bike to bike and people's tolerance of it varies too. It's certainly audible on the POV videos I've watched, but then I'm not riding it and focused on the trail ahead
I've not noticed any rattle and he hasnt complained about any noise.
He's into his 3rd year on the rise. He's had 2 issues. First was the freehub failed and was replaced under warranty. Second issue was the shock pivot had an issue which he fixed himself.
Bear in mind that on the rise and wild you can't remove the battery easily. On the wild you have to drop the motor. That may matter to you. Not sure on the other bikes that have been mentioned above.
@rockhopper70 That's a whopping ride!
I know there are too many different factors to make it relevant between two different people, but what sort of numbers are you getting without the range extender? Must usal local rides are around 15 - 20 miles with around 1500-1800ft of climbing, or whatever that is in new money. Time, or lack of it, is usually the deciding factor in how long I'm out for.
Christ, that's FLAT... 🤯
Most of my local rides are 15-20 miles with 1000-1500m (so 3200-4800ft) of climbing! There are people on this forum who live in Scotland, or Wales, or on the Malverns, whose typical ride readily doubles my typical elevation per distanced travelled figures too...
To reiterate, I have BOTH a Bosch CX powered bike (Mondraker Crafty R with 800Wh battery, comes in at 24kg) and a Bosch SX bike (Canyon Neuron OnFly with 400Wh battery, comes in at 20kg)... Both have their merits, and I prefer each for different types of riding...
The CX bike is better for steeper terrain, more "winch and plummet" style riding. Going somewhere to shuttle technical descents, or with big steep climbs, the extra torque of the CX comes into its own... Where the CX falls flat (as do most full fat eBike motor systems in my opinion) is when you're riding more flowing terrain and constantly needing to pedal the bike above the 25km/h motor limit (assuming you're not chipping the bike)... The bike feels lethargic and hard work, like pedalling through treacle, and you can watch people on regular MTB's or lightweight eMTB's pull away from you in these conditions I have learnt! This can be really annoying, and is the sole reason I know a lot of guys actually do chip their bikes (I flatly refuse to).
The SX bike is better for more flowing terrain, more typical "trail" riding if you will... Maybe not quite so much elevation per distance travelled... I'm typically getting around 225-250m elevation per 100Wh of battery on both bikes, so realistically on the SX bike, I'm gonna run out at 1000m of elevation (and have done 3 times now at almost exactly this figure each time!) without a range extender, but I can pretty much double that figure on the CX bike. Distance travelled doesn't seem to matter on either bike, but even less so on the SX bike, as it's so light and efficient off the motor still, it feels almost like a conventional MTB even pedalling it above the 25km/h motor assist limit...
I'd certainly consider what type of riding you do, and where you ride, before committing to a bike... There's so many good bikes out there, it's hard to buy a bad one, but it's easy to buy one that's not so well suited to your own requirements...
If your typical rides are sub 2000ft climbing as you state, and they're more flowy singletrack kind of rides rather than winch and plummet type riding... Then I absolutely would suggest considering lighter eBikes with lower torque motors like the Bosch SX over and above full power bikes. I have the choice of both, and I know which is far more fun in this type of situation... In fact, if the ride is likely to be 1000m of elevation or less, I'll pick the SX bike every time as it's subjectively more fun to ride (lower torque, higher cadence motor is more involving, and the 4kg less weight helps too). If it's likely to be more than 1000m and I'm likely to need to keep pace with guys on full fats on steeper climbs, then I'll take the CX bike because obviously it's far better at doing this, and it's also better on the steep techy descents by virtue of a bit more suspension travel, more aggressive tyres and more powerful brakes too.
I've been fortunate to have both for sure, but if I had to choose between motors, I'd probably stick with the SX bike and get a range extender truth be told... I could up the performance parameters in the Bosch app a little, giving me a touch more punch, and 650Wh of battery would probably allow me to just about keep up with most of my mates on their full fats for around 1200-1400m of climbing. It's rare I've used more than 70% of the capacity of the 800Wh battery on my CX bike on a ride (only 3 times in fact, and all 3 rides were 1700-2000m elevation) so I would generally be OK with 650Wh, and I have detuned my CX motor anyway to give max of 50Nm in Eco, 70Nm in Tour+ mode (which is the mode I'm in most) and 85Nm in eMTB, only getting the full 100Nm in eMTB+ (I removed Turbo as didn't like the brick wall of power) which has been used for less than 2% of the entire distance I've done on the bike!
What's interesting to me, is that going into the Bosch app, I find that my personal power output on both bikes tends to average out about the same, only dropping slightly on longer rides on the CX bike... It's been useful tracking my improvement in fitness too, as I was only averaging around 140W input on a ride 18 months ago when I was just getting back into it, but I'm typically around 200-210W avg on a ride now on either bike. I'm 93kg though which certainly means my watts per kg aren't going to win me any medals any time soon, but I've seen people posting about poor range and elevation figures on facebook groups, then asked them what their average power figures were, and they came back with figures like 120-130W which then combined with a 110kg weight, explains why their distance and climbing figures were much worse!
I should have another look at the Canyons.
It's a great bike, loving mine... I'd be stretching my budget to this if I possibly could in your situation though... https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/whyte-e-lyte-140-v1-electric-bike?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=1055895549&gbraid=0AAAAAD_ilfIA0Dp9I3Lbb_yxgy5IIA60U&gclid=Cj0KCQiA9t3KBhCQARIsAJOcR7wtBU53GvBuHv1JDpoKm5s6oMvQ9iMtz-ZIge4Y55j52CPjws2RVUIaAgEZEALw_wcB#187=4593
Just ditch the 34's for some 150mm travel 36's, up the shock stroke to 55mm and fit some better tyres, and revel in the performance of an 18kg eBike (should still be sub 20kg with the range extender fitted) that rides and feels like a high end conventional MTB, but still has up to 600W of power and 60Nm of torque to call on when needed!
I've been following this and similar threads for a good while and have singularly impressed myself at my inability to make a decision.
I think @mboy 's post above is one of the better ones (no offence to the other useful contributorions) and really informative.
My main differentiator is that I want full fat with 160mm, or more, travel to winch and plummet. That way I hope to catch up with some of the guys I used to ride with on the steeps (and flow!) where they have now left me far behind as they session descents far far more than I can on my manual enduro.
I am happy to keep the Stage Evo for flow and fun, but when out with the guys I need to have practiced a lot more on the steeps.
A really useful thread STWers, keep it up.
Buy a Whyte and spend a load more money to make it more like the Orange (and about the same weight) 🤔
@flyingpotatoes I starting to think the noise thing might just be something that's overblown by the internet, certainly on the EP801.
@mboy That's super helpful advice and insight, thank you.
The distance/elevation figures are just for my local woods on the edge of the city, which have lots of short but loopable trails ranging from flowly, to rough to natural, and a couple of jump lines. It's a 5 mile road cycle from my house so great for a blast after work. Probably ideal for a mid power bike to get a few more loops in.
I tend to venture a bit further at the weekends though, to places with a lot more climbing, both trail and fireroads, hence the partial desire for a full power. Aberdeenshire has a lot of stuff to offer. Perhaps that is worth compromising for a more suitable daily driver though.
As I said above, I think that's why the Rise has so much appeal as its almost two bikes in one (for the bigger battery models). I could also grudgingly loose my bottle for a range extender on bigger days out.
The Bosch SX is starting to sound more appealing too, although I keep reading that it benefits from a higher cadence and I'm not sure how that translates to how I ride as its not something I've ever considered in 30+ years of mountain biking. The "change gear" notification seems useful though!
From the SX bikes I've looked at tonight the Merida e160 SL 6000 stands out. Seems to get great reviews and the Marz shock and fork are meant to perform well. A penny under budget in the sales too. I'll check out reviews for other SX bikes over the weekend.
That Whyte E-Lyte has crazy spec for the money! However, if I was in a position to spend 6k I'd probably just get an Avinox bike like a mid tier Megamo Reason. Seems to have better bike attached to the motor than the Amflow, and from an actual bike company too.
@nickingsley I hear you! I'm super indecisive when it comes to buying anything, even trivial stuff... never mind expensive bikes! You're right though, the replies in this thread and others like it have been amazing. Always good to get different people's opinions and perspectives to help with the choice paralysis.
Luckily (or not maybe), I don't have any eeb friends I need to keep up with. I'm pretty much a solo rider but my occasional riding buddy is far too fit to need assistance so he can chase me uphill for a change!
Good luck in your own search!
@StuE The Whyte mboy posted would be hard to beat! I still need to read/watch some reviews on the Orange.
If winstanleys had the whyte in s (well anybody at that sale price) I would have got that (decided I want to try sx sl bike), but they had this instead, it does feel like 16.2kg, also a slightly heavier slx version under 4k, initial impressions (of both bike and motor good) but it’s a summer bike for me and it’s a mud fest where I am so not used much yet
https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/cube-ams-hybrid-one44-c-68x-slt-400x-29-2025-electric-bike
ps check the specs as this light has some compromises. I did a NeBD post with more details.
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/nebd-4/#post-13675850
@citizenlee Sorry to add even more confusion for you ! I think I already stated back at the beginning, I would always buy from a shop rather than online with an EBike. As tempting as some of those deals are , that Whyte in particular, though I question the 34s instead of 36s which my Rise has , the fact remains it's highly likely you'll have issues within the warranty period unless you are very lucky . Trying to get stuff sorted online can be a ball ache .
The shop where I bought mine was an hour and a half drive each way , that was plenty far enough I had to go back once for the on off switch luckily they swapped it while I waited .
Another time the linkage issue was sorted closer to home lbs working with dealer .
