I’m after an eBike.

The local shop I like has a Saracen Ariel-E. I’ve ridden it down the street and it felt great.
My birthday is coming up and my lovely parents are going to give me some cash to hire it for the day so I can test it on the trails.

They’re currently on offer at around £3k – seems pretty decent for the spec (E8000 motor, Fox 36/DPX, SLX groupset, carbon/alloy frame: https://www.saracen.co.uk/bike/ariel-e)

Assuming I like it on the trails (I imagine I will), then are they any good long-term? Has anyone got one? There aren’t any reviews other than First-look articles online.

Andi of this site seems obsessed with integrated batteries. Me and Ed use batteries and the motor like that on our Bullitt’s and they are sold and great.

Plus you can buy spare batteries for extending range.

Saracen Fs frames very well sorted.

Plus Saracen=madison=Shimano importers so good backup.

Go for it and let me have a go.

Aye, the guy in the shop said that backup with them is good – 3 year warranty from Shimano, plus a local shop who I have a good relationship with in case of issues

Not ridden one but my mate has and it apparently descends like a bat out of hell. Quiet too, no creaks or squeaks.

+1 for buying an Ebike locally, you really don’t want to have to post one of those beasties.

Well, I loved it on the day I hired it, and now have that exact same bike sitting in my spare room – bought the demo one off the local shop at an extremely good price and got registered as first owner so full warranty etc

The Shimano motors are great, feel a lot more natural than I expected. Was just as puffed out as normal, but had just gone much much further than normal in the same time. And got a better workout since I’d muscled a 20kg bike over 20 miles of singletrack – just like going to the gym.

The bike itself (discounting the electrics) is great – really nice feel to it and after riding lightweight hardtails for the last couple of years – it feels amazing on the downhills.

The geo looks good, and so does the spec for £3K! I don’t have one but do have a 2 year old Vitus, and the motor been faultless. I hadn’t used it for a couple of months, so got it out last weekend, expecting to find the motor had seized or was making grinding noises.. it was fine.
Again I wouldn’t worry about the external battery, you don’t see it when your riding along.