[Closed] Ok ... Talk to me about E bikes.

The good news is I did the weekly shop, and the biscuit tin is brimming, nay overflowing.....

Can't help with specifics because haven't owned one yet but you need to get to your nearest dealer and ride one asap. They're brilliant.

Personally I'd buy a Specialized because they've nailed the whole system and the Kenevo is basically my perfect bike. I also live 2 minutes away from my local Spesh dealer so I can take it for warranty work when it breaks down which it definitely will.

I'm probably a couple of years away from buying one but if you can get a demo ride on some proper off road trails you'll love it. I was giggling like an idiot when I first realised what they were capable off on grim trails in horrible conditions.

Damn it, I want one.

First thing to do is find ones you like the look of and go demo them!!

Next join the E-MTB forum and ask all the questions you have about a particular brand

Ask about what dealers to use, known issues etc... warranty and dealer service is very important with e bikes, get it wrong and you could be with no bike for weeks if you have an issue and pay full RRP, get it right and they can be fixed the same day whilst you wait and get nice discounts off the full RRP

For me it was the Specialized Levo (Expert model) the fact the bike is very tuneable in the app, Specailized's warranty is well known, along with some other things, my dealer (Chris Reilly@Berkshire Cycles) is known as the Levo king, same day repairs, good discounts off the RRP (1k off and Expert, £600 off a Comp)

In short, test ride, research, research, chat to dealer, get it right and go enjoy your e bike

Most importantly is will it help me get fit?

Riding your bike will help you get fit.

An e-bike isn't a quick fix to getting fit, you still have to ride often, and more than you probably currently are.

If the rest of your riding buddies aren't on e-bikes they probably won't like the fact that you'll be much faster up the climbs than them.

And lastly, who cares about the climbs? They're for having a talk whilst slowly winching up a boring fire road. If you get to the top before the rest, you wait. Them's the rules.

Going by the 'most importantly...' bit, you may be looking at e-bikes for the wrong reasons, IMO.

I must stress that there is nothing at all wrong with the Hightower but I'm just starting to admit that maybe I do need a bit of help with the bloody climbs 😂

No bike in the world will get you fit.

You will get you fit, if you really want it.

The good news is I did the weekly shop, and the biscuit tin is brimming, nay overflowing…..

Hope you are sharing the chocolate hobnobs 😀

Not a chance renton!

I lost weight and got fitter when i got an ebike.
Not because you work harder, (you definitely don’t) but because I didn’t feel so totally ****ed after a ride i was more likely to go out again.
I definitely rode more after i got mine.
Mine is a cube stereo, which has a bosch motor.
I’d recommend it.

I was at fod today. Feeling like a minority group on my steel hardtail.

Sooooo many ebikes. Blummin whirring......things.

Fod was rammed with them on the day I went.

When I say get me fit I mean encourage me to get out more and not feel so flat the day after.

And lastly, who cares about the climbs? They’re for having a talk whilst slowly winching up a boring fire road

Someone needs to find some more interesting climbs on their rides...
OP, based on what I’ve read about you and your riding I think you’re a great match for an eBike. They’ll get you out more, you’ll feel less beaten up at the end of a ride and you’ll likely enjoy it more...which mean you’ll ride more. Will it get you as fit as doing intervals up the local hill? No, but given you likely won’t ever do intervals up the local hill it’s a moot point.
In truth, I know very little about them but I do know I’d want to buy one from an LBS as I rather they can have a few warranty issues. Race Co Cycles in Stourbridge have a good rep for them if you’re local.

Depends where your fitness is now as to whether an ebike will get you fit, if you are seriously unfit then I could see that an ebike could make a substantial improvement to your fitness (but then so could a normal bike) , but if you already reasonably fit then you probably won't get any fitter with an ebike,but with a normal bike You could get very fit.

You certainly won't be the last up the hill if you have an ebike, unless your mates are all world class xc riders.

If your riding has a lot of hike a bike, or gates and stiles then you may want to reconsider an ebike - they are heavy beasts in general.

The main motor systems in use are the brose (used by specialized and a few others), bosch (used by loads), shimano e8000 (used by loads but just superceded), shimano ep8 (superseded the 8000,but not actually available to buy right now), they all have pros and cons, but all will get the job done.

Then it's just like buying a normal bike.

They are ace though, they open up so many new options for rides that you couldnt/wouldn't do before an ebike because you'd be too knackered/not enough time. Your fitness stops being the limiting factor, the limiting factor becomes the battery life or the time you have available.

They can make some boring trails more fun.

I speak as someone of reasonable'ish fitness.

I've just pored a gin and tonic, giving the biscuits a miss till I get back to the gym 😉

Back on track I've been alternating between an Ebike and Enduros for the last three years. Turbo Levo 650b but have the use of 29 and the Levo SL.

Its very rare I run it in anything more than Eco but over in Sospel and Finale the Turbo came in handy with out using the uplifts.

I like to think that I'm fairly fit for my age, an average rider and only use the Levo for the fun factor.

Got the Levos as they feel as near to the equivalent Stumpy for feel that I could get knowing that I liked the Stumpy.

I demoed both the Turbo Levo and Kenevo in Finale before getting one and the Turbo Levo felt better for me.

The SL is as near a normal bike as you will get. Our daughter takes it to Wharncliffe and Greno to mess on the jumps and DHs.

Why not hire one for a weekend and ride it with your mates just to be sure. Its a big expense otherwise

Just to add, they are less agile than a regular bike, so a bit harder to hop etc, but that extra weight brings improvements in grip, and the suspension seems to work more effectively so fast rocky stuff feels a lot smoother.

Go to RaceCo.
Talk to them.
Test a few different bikes
Then buy a Spech off them.

Someone needs to find some more interesting climbs on their rides…

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the odd techy climb, but give me a nice fire road climb any day of the week.

Yeah definitely don’t buy without riding the one you want.
And in case you missed it, +1 for the advice above about buying from an actual bricks and mortar shop, all the different motors have their potential issues, you might need to take it back at some point.
I’ll just point out, mine (bosch) has been faultless.
I’ve snapped a couple of chains but that’s it.

If I was in the market I would 100% be looking at the new Orbea Rise. Best of both worlds IMO.

I’ll just point out, mine (bosch) has been faultless.

Yeah bosch here too, no problems so far, but only 300 miles in, a mate also has bosch, no problems there either.

First thing, work out what you are after, is it a 150/150 trail bike to do the normal stuff, and a bit of the enduro style when needed? What are you doing at FoD that requires more assist, if it's the red/blue can you not cut out some of the climbs, both have little pushes to the top instead of the loop, if it's the top runs then it's push or assist.

If so, then there is a ton of ebikes in that range, yes the spesh levo is nice, but way too expensive, for the same price you get better spec Focus Jam2, Cube Stereo, Giant E-Trance, etc with top spec motors and 625wh batteries, they are all in your budget whereas Levo's start at 5250 i believe.

From my point of view i have a bad hip, not too bad just now as recently had the injection, but op isn't too far away, so i got an ebike, i got a Cube Stereo HPC 160, it lasted a month and failed, pain in the arse, but another 3 or 4 months pass and it can't be fixed, refund and i now have a Giant E-Reign +1, cost 5k, comes with a good motor and 630wh battery, lets me do lots of runs in a day, but as per Tracey's comments, i barely use more than Eco, not saying i won't, but it's nice to know there's more in the tank.

The one thing that i'd be wary off is trading the analogue for digital, i have my enduro still, i use it every week, it lets me do the stuff that's easier on this one, so again, both have positives and negatives, work them into what you're after, as that may bring you towards Orbea Rise's or Levo SL's.

Thanks for all the replies. Some very good stuff to ponder above.

My two riding mates are as fit as chuff. Both naturally fit and thinner guys where as I'm a stockier guy.

I've started wearing a heart rate monitor and I'm finding it very strange. My heart rate could be at around 120 BPM but I'm absolutely blowing and have nothing in the tank.

I know I'm unfit and I'm desperate to get fitter.

Ive give up riding with one of the lads as he is just to quick and always having to wait for me and says "hurry up" all the time. I feel like I'm holding them back and it depresses me.

Having an ebike would enable me to keep up with them on the climbs or xc. I don't have any issues when the trails head down.

Sounds like you need new riding buddies more than a new bike, our guys go to FoD all the time, do loads of the stuff around there and are mixed abilities, loads more groups going, get into better groups that'll give you the push you need, rather than pushing you when you don't need it!

Sounds like a great reason to get an ebike and your mates can enjoy chasing you up the hill. I wish one of my mates would get one as our disparity in fitness means we haven't ridden together for years.

I've a Haibike with the Yamaha motor, which Giant use too, I could only afford the hard tail and got it for a great price from John Atkins cycles Leamington, 500wh battery, its the best fun and I've done hundreds of miles this, year compared to the years before. I have a medical condition which has meant I've been on steroids for 18 months which have left me almost as bad as the disease. But oh they're so much more fun than I was having before.

I have a Hightower and recently bought a Trek Rail 9.8XT. The ebike is so bloody good. I'm pretty fit and can ride the Hightower without ever getting dropped. I'm reaching for the ebike every time just now because it is just so much fun. As a dad with limited windows for bike time it just gives me so much more time descending. Still need the Hightower for mountains and epic rides though.

Made the shift two years ago won't go back.
First ebike Giant E+1. Yamaha great natural feeling motor, only fault was chain stay too long.
newer Giants suffering from damp issues in wiring connectors.
Second ebike Cube stereo tm, very punchy motor, some people can't get on with the free clutch rattle. Lot less noise than a hope rear hub I think, so not a problem for me.
The biggest thing, I think, is the extra weight pushing through turns. Took a few weeks to get used to new braking points on tech DH.

I’ve just bought one(well at start of lockdown) as I was either getting another Bird or an Ebike
It was a close call as the trail bike would have set me back about 3k and been my my ride for at least 3 years, but I paid off my wee bike van and chatting with the wife I was saying I would go to 5k for the Ebike
Next thing I know she’s done an application for a bank loan and 5k was in my account(whoop whoop) so I had a look around and joined some Ebike groups etc too get some feedback
Only Ebike I had ridden was the Focus Sam2 and Jam2
One was 150mm travel on revelations and the other was 170mm on Fox 36’s
Was like night and day
Only problem on Focus. Was the small wh battery and you had to buy booster pack to make up to around 650wh
Was then looking at Merida and Cube when I was approached about buying an Orbea wild fs
Wow,spec was highest scale and was mine for my budget if I was interested
Went to see it,tried it for size and even though it was a large and my other bike was medium it fitted. Perfect
Now I’d never rode 29”
But it’s been a revelation
From where I live I can get to the top of the trails in 25minutes and do all the trails I. An hour
Which is handy when this lockdown is active
Also at Golfie etc it comes into its own
And rides pretty well for the weight
Does take some getting used to with the braking with the heavier weight but my god it’s so much FUN!!!!

This is the most Singletrack thread ever. I mean really? Ride more, get fitter, don’t let one ride and some tosser of a riding “pal” put you down.

My lbs is shifting a shitload of moustache ebikes, my mate just got a game 10, it's bloody awesome!.

Lawman91, he's not gonna get fitter, just constantly tries to buy his way to it, never gonna happen, he'd be as well buying an ebike.

@nobeer
Is that David from Sprockets??
Lovely bikes those Moustache
Such a sleek frame and that rear sh Ok he has😳

Aye, it's a belter innit? Possibly best looking ebike I've seen.

Take it you got the wild from them?.

@hainman🤣

OP, all the advice is spot on. Remember now there are light ebikes such as the Levo SL and the Orbea Rise, which in general give about 2x you on full power, and full fat ebikes, which are more like 4x you. The latter are a good bit heavier, more planted, though arguably cumbersome.

I’ve had a couple, initially Orbea Wild FS and now Levo SL. My main advice would be to try a few and once you decide, buy from a good local shop, as they all break at some stage.

I think you’ll really like an ebike. I’m sure I recommended one ages back. I don’t know if it’ll make you fitter but it’ll make you ride more.

I don’t think I lose any fitness when riding the ebike but that’s because I like to regularly make my legs hurt and send my heart rate through the roof - one of the joys of an ebike is you can ride a lot harder because you don’t have to pace yourself, the bike will help you when you need it uphill.

Downhill, especially on tight fast stuff, they can make you stronger, they’re a lot more work to chuck about. Ride it like you mean it, don’t be a passenger.

I got a base Levo (it was the new 2019 model) but had my LBS change the forks for 160mm Lyrik RC2s, the brakes for Hope V4s and added a Revive 185mm dropper. It’s a hell of a bike.

If you let an ebike drag you up all the climbs and don’t rag it downhill then you won’t get fitter or better but that’s all down to you. If you’re having fun, does it matter?

Definitely give CUBE a look. My missus has a Stereo Race 140. She loves it. Carbon front end, 140mm travel at both ends, latest Bosch motor and 625wh battery, Rockshox suspension, Sram drivetrain and Magura brakes for quite a chuck less than the comparable competition.

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Nobeerinthefridge
Free Member

Aye, it’s a belter innit? Possibly best looking ebike I’ve seen.

Take it you got the wild from them?.

Posted 38 minutes ago
REPLY | REPORT

One previous owner, 15 minutes of riding old... 🤣

And lastly, who cares about the climbs? They’re for having a talk whilst slowly winching up a boring fire road.

Self fulfilling prophesy that one
You need to find some better routes...

Just to counter the Bosch praise my Kona Remote Control is just over 18 months old and has had two new motors. I had a scary incident a month or so back. An error code came up on the display, it was after a particularly wet Quantocks ride so I popped the battery out to check for damp. All fine switched it back on and without warning the bike shot across my garage and slammed into one of my other bikes and ended up in a heap on the floor. Don't mind saying it really shook me up! So as has been said buy from a shop.

Echo the LBS route. They ALL seem to need warranty at some point. Do NOT buy Vitus, friend of mine's been bikeless for 3 bloody months so far waiting for warranty work. Nightmare.

Had a Whyte E160 for a month now (Bosch motor, 625 battery). Now riding twice as often and three times the distance. Not sure on the fitness side, I feel the same as usual. I've kept a hardtail that now seems featherweight in comparison!

15mph technical climbs are great fun. Once it's up to speed you can make decent progress yourself on the flat, pedals pretty well. Weirdly, descending for me is less interesting than my other bikes - more sit and plough through everything. It's very, very planted, maybe I need to resist the temptation to be a passenger. But in summary, very impressed (so far). Oh, and I used a long-trusted LBS.

“It’s very, very planted, maybe I need to resist the temptation to be a passenger.“

Grab it by the scruff of the neck and go full attack - the extra weight makes them so stable that they fly really well. Also that stability makes it easier to two wheel drift. It’s quite an intense experience. I think I spend more time airborne or sideways on my Levo than on any other bike I’ve owned.

How do they work then ?

Does it assist with pedalling or just press a button and it goes ?

Does it assist with pedalling or just press a button and it goes ?

They assist with pedalling. If you don't pedal, you don't go anywhere

Need to pedal for it to assist. Down hill they feel more planted.

Rain or shine its pure fun

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

1. Get a Trek Rail
2. Are you eating properly? If you are totally goosed at 120bpm maybe you aren’t fuelling properly?

Have to say I’m planning on getting an e bike for the same reasons as the OP, but with one added extra - I rode one for 4 mins and fell in love.

I ride once a month at best, and I’m too busy to get out on the road bike much more often, my riding mates are generally out a few times a week, they skin me up hill and it’s soul destroying knowing they’re hanging about for me. I get nothing out of riding up hills, no satisfaction, no pride, just sore legs and sore lungs. Conversely I love smashing down them and generally keep up with the guys no matter how often they ride.

I’m only really looking at Levo SLs at the moment as I don’t want it to be overkill, just the extra boost to keep me alive at the top of the trail. Seems the perfect choice to me.

In fairness, I’ve tried to stay off e bikes as long as I can because I decided I couldn’t afford one but then had a go on a Mate’s Trek and had a blast, I knew then they were the bikes for me!

I had a Trek Powerfly with the Gen 2 Bosch for 2 years, now I've got a Trek Rail with the Gen 4 Bosch. It's freaking ace. I've ridden loads of different eBikes over the last couple of years and the only one that was better enough to tempt me to change was the Whyte e180RS, but it was toio spendy for me at the time.

I like the Bosch motor and I must be deaf because I can't hear the rattle that the reviews all complain about. The Brose in the Spesh is nice and quiet but too unreliable for my liking, hopefuully the new software will solve the failing spragg clutch and melted drive belt issues. I didn't like the Shimano e8000 in the Decoy, or the Lapierre, or the Canyon, can't put my finger on why, it just seemed a bit lifeless.

Get out and ride as many as you can. At the very least try all the different motors to see if there's any you favour over the others.

Renton, your HR measurement - is that with a proper chest strap or just a wrist optical sensor ?

Oh, I'm at my fittest now since leaving the army in '89. That's not all down to the eBike, but I do ride about 5 times as much these days which has got to help.

Cheers all. I've been watching a few videos on them.

Guy Kesteven really seems to rate the e150 s Whyte.

Rain or shine its pure fun

Aren't they just...

Ianc it's from a Garmin instinct watch.

Seriously confusing as I can be blowing and not able to talk but my heart rate reads below 125.

Copper prices have risen sharply since this thread started...

Srzly tho if it gets your mojo back do it

Looks are subjective, but IMO the Whyte ebikes are not lookers.

I agree, but they do ride nicely.

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renton
Free Member

Ianc it’s from a Garmin instinct watch.

Seriously confusing as I can be blowing and not able to talk but my heart rate reads below 125.

Posted 35 minutes ago

The Instinct wrist HR is shite, I have one. I have some heart issues so use a Garmin chest strap. It is very common for my Instinct to be showing 125 or so and my chest strap giving a real reading of 160 or more. The optical wrist monitors on the Instinct and other devices are very poor when actively moving

@iainc
It’s now on 1100 miles

And there you go, you've done 1100 incident free miles on it, Iain would've killed himself more times than the highlander in those 1100 miles 😆

I’ve got lots of photos of me on a non ebike, 20cms in the air , If you want a counter argument.  🙃

I had a go on a neighbour  e-haibike  (spelling?) . Really enjoyed it. Made the flat bits fun and the downhill as fun as normal. Was great for shuttling up on asphalt (I.e dull)  to ride my local hills trails too. The walk assist thing was great too for pushing up the super steeps. We used it for scouting for new trails, was perfect for that.

Basically if I could afford one, i’d have one ( as well as a normal bike) . I dont think I’d ever have just a ebike mind.

Blazin Bikes in Marshbrook seem to do a roaring trade in Treks and I've always found them good to deal with, although I dont have an ebike. May be another option for a test drive.

Basically if I could afford one, i’d have one ( as well as a normal bike) . I dont think I’d ever have just a ebike mind.

I always said I wouldn't only have an ebike as I'd want a bike for hike a bike too. Last weekends hike a bike was the first in 2 years though, so being realistic, I reckon I could do it now.

Need to start sticking some cash away.

I’ve recently got a Rail 7, i ride it when solo biking, tbh it’s awesome for those little loops of uphill downhill, as others have said it’s fast as you like uphill and downhill it’s just planted. I’ve hit bits of trails I wouldn’t of before and I’m out riding longer.

I don’t get the rattle others have said but I do get the whirl of the motor but I think that’s more me as I still ride like a non eMtb so spinning lots when going uphill, I do get a proper workout this way.

Would definitely recommend buy from an LBS, I got mine from Blazing Bikes who have been awesome, I had the crank come loose, and then the chainring which needs a specific tool, unfortunately they are 60 miles away I wish I had got it locally but my lbs are always fully booked and never have the time to help when buying a bike let alone warranty work so blazing bikes got my money. A good bike shop is the key for emtb’s.

They assist with pedalling. If you don’t pedal, you don’t go anywhere

Although some, like my Bosch, has nifty features like the motor run on. Great when you are stuck in deep ruts but can't get a full pedal stroke in. But yes, they are pedal-assist not a throttle. Wouldn't be classified as bikes otherwise.

I don’t get the rattle others have said but I do get the whirl of the motor but I think that’s more me as I still ride like a non eMtb so spinning lots when going uphill, I do get a proper workout this way.

Mine definitely rattles when coasting and the motor disengages. No worse than chain slap or a noisy rear hub IMO. You tend to need a reasonable cadence to stay in the motor's powerband I've found. No point pushing big gears unless you're really wanting a workout.

What size is this (lightly used) Hightower then?

Got myself a Trek Rail 7 earlier this year and it has transformed how much I can ride and where I can ride. I see my riding mates slogging and pushing up hills and think I’m so glad I’m on an ebike. I would never manage up on a normal bike with my knees. On the flat and downhill sections it feels more planted, took me a while to adjust to the extra weight whilst descending but the brakes are more than up to the job when I get a bit carried away. 29er wheels took some adjustment but I’m loving them now aswell.

<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">I have done 45 miles on a single charge with a mix of everything and there was still easily 10 - 15 miles left in the battery. The bike is so capable it encourages me to ride more often and for longer, I actively seek out stuff to climb now where I used to avoid them at all costs.</span>

I have no complaints on the motor and battery front either. Get the odd dig from people about being on an ebike but sod em.. I’m having fun and enjoying my riding again.

I was also concerned about weight and travel when I was looking at ebikes but it really doesn’t matter as the motor is there to assist and you may aswell have as much travel as you want for the fun stuff. I certainly don’t regret my purchase.

I got a Levo Turbo Comp.

Solo rides are now fun again because the climbs aren't boring anymore. They are now fast and fun. It's only flat sections that can feel boring. Gates and fences are more of a pain than ever.

I used to ride a regular FSR and was at least in the top 5% on Strava on climbs. Sometimes much higher. The E's are for everyone, not just the impaired.

When I ride with other's I use the regular bike because no one on a manual bike could possibly stand a chance of keeping up going up a proper hill. I am going at over 20kph in sections that nearly everyone is getting off and pushing.

What size is this (lightly used) Hightower then?

It's an XL.

Over in the classifieds.

One thing I've noticed, prob coincidence, but I've had a nagging knee pain after a big off earlier in the year. Sore if I twisted it, needed to warm up properly for every ride.

Had a month on the eBike. more riding than before, but the knee pain has gone. Could be a bike setup thing of course.

Mustache owner here and its great. Old gen 2 bosch motor with 2k on the clock. 3 motors and 1 battery. It's a good job they have a 2 year rolling warranty. It's a vicious circle though as all your mates get one you go from the gate opener to tail end Charlie again.

Nobeerinthefridge
Free Member

And there you go, you’ve done 1100 incident free miles on it, Iain would’ve killed himself more times than the highlander in those 1100 miles 😆

Posted 1 hour ago
REPLY | REPORT

You actually inspired me to go check in the garage : 440km on the Levo SL and 540km on the Creo. Both purchased since July 😂

3,600km on my Turbo Levo in 4.5 months then I hit a tree at 20mph causing weeks of injury

Just got a alu Turbo Levo SL. Son is a lean fit 15 and I'm 51.

He was happy to wait on climbs and will always have to wait on descents for me so no issue there. His riding mates the same... really nice bunch.  However a ride with them leaves me knackered well before them so downhill parts become increasingly sketchy for me and I've had a few tumbles I probably shouldn't have so tended to bail a bit earlier. If I'm riding a weekend day with them I can't ride the other day with my road mates as too knackered. That was all fine too be fair.. we all enjoyed the rides and nobody seemed annoyed at me and I didn't mind bailing early as I still get to ride with my son.

The SL has however been fantastic.  I can ride with them the whole ride, enjoy the downhills,  and they are saying it is more enjoyable overall as the pace of the day is generally better. Can do another day with them the next day or go on the road. Son uses the bike for quick blasts after school so an added advantage.

I had to sell both my mtbs and a road bike to fund it, and I definitely didn't want a full power/ weight bike, and the ability to pop the bike on the roof bars, and lift it over gates etc was important.

Doesn't feel like too dissimilar a situation to the op.

(* all the above is just secondary justification though.. it is just more fun to ride it than I ever had on the other bikes. I've seen all the arguments about fitness etc.  I simply don't care.  I'll probably end up slightly fitter cos I'm riding way more, or slightly less fit cos I'm not pushing as hard....the difference won't be massive either way so I really don't care.)

Buy locally for warranty, so look at what’s sold locally, then decide between those. Ignore bikes you can’t get or LBS’s not specialising in e-bikes. I don’t personally believe you would benefit from buying a 500wh battery bike, or any of the semi-skinned versions. The Levo, rail or sam2 are the bikes I’d be looking at, & 150mm+ travel, otherwise just...

Go to RaceCo.
Talk to them.
Test a few different bikes
Then buy a Spech off them.

Race Co are a solid e-bike dealer, so +1 ... I did, after previous my internet bargain spent 2months away for warranty.

Cheers all.

I'm going to have a look at a few things and see what the funds are like currently.

It may be that I sell the Hightower and do the winter on a hardtail then look early next year.

I’d recommend buy one ASAP, winter is worst on a manual bike, an ebike makes it enjoyable! All that slippy mud, just your personal ice rink, those impossible climbs, laugh & up the power mode when you start to struggle (within reason obv’s).
If there ever was a fix for depressing wet winter riding, it’s an e-bike

Anyone riding a Whyte E150s 29er.

Keen to hear your thoughts.

If there ever was a fix for depressing wet winter riding, it’s an e-bike

And all I've got is a stupid little bottle of vitamin D tablets.

I've pretty much quit riding at this point after a lifetime of being obsessed with it an I can't get myself back into it.