Living with an e-bike – Part Two

In it for the long haul – A journey into e-bike ownership. Here’s Sanny’s latest instalment of a multi-part series of features detailing life with an …

By mark

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Living with an e-bike – Part Two

If anyone has any questions, just ask!

Cheers

Sanny

Around the Lakes, do you have some example off-road climbs are made rideable by a lite eMTB like this? And any other example which are made so only on a full power one? I guess overall is the lite a good sweet spot where you can ride up a lot of stuff but is still manageable to carry.

Downhill in rocky steep ish rocky wheel trappy stuff, does the lighter eMTB make it much easier to unweigh the front and get stalled/stuck less?

The Shuttle SL is the shortest travel proper eMTB I’ve seen with its 132mm of travel. Do you find that limiting and would you rather have more for your terrain?

Cheers

IANAEBR

I totally get the lighter and moderate power = some great advantages. I’m on record here over mrs_oab’s Fauza hub motored hybrid being all the brilliants – lighter to put on racks, lift over kerbs or gates, great range on eco (she’s done an 80km ride on gravel & road into a headwind and had 25% battery left), enough power even on hoofing climbs like Arran’s String Road.

@bikesandboots

Great question. I would say made more rideable as opposed to just rideable to qualify my answer if that is ok? The climb on the steepest section of Rigg Beck heading north goes easily on the Shuttle in full power mode. Climbs like Harter Fell from Gatesgarth, Skiddaw bridleway, the zig zags up to Helvellyn, the climb up to Hayeswater, the climb  all are made much easier by the Shuttle SL.  Walna Scar is also made that bit easier too. I had a great ride up Beinn a Bhuird a week ago with my mate Roddy on his Shimano equipped full power Heckler. We climbed at the same pace and I did not feel that I was at a disadvantage at any point. It was a ride of nearly 60km with approaching 1900 metres of climbing and I had 20 percent battery left by the end. I switched off the motor on the downs and easy flat sections which is one of the big advantages of the Fazua motor in my estimation. I believe that with a smaller chainring, it would be even better. I rode the climb up onto Walla Crag above Derwentwater last November while my mate Gary pushed up his Trek Xcaliber. It felt steep but not too taxing.

Basically, on ECO, the Shuttle SL feels like it has more than enough power even on the steepest of climbs, for me at least. I had the chance to do a head to head comparison with my mate Mark’s Specialized Kenevo SL last week.There is a steep hill near where we live that was featured in the World Championships road race last year. We rode up it several times to see how the two motors compared. On full power, the Speccy did not feel as powerful as the Shuttle SL. It was substantially noisier than the Fazua in even the lowest setting while it felt heavier when pedalling with the motor off. I found the comparison really interesting. From my perspective, the Fazua is the superior design. That said, it is fitted to a complete bike that is considerably more expensive.

As for travel, I have not found myself wishing for more at any point. Dropping off the steep tech of Harter Fell, Nab Scar on Fairfield and the super loose and steep switchback descent down to the sneck from Beinn a Bhuird, the Pivot has an assured feel to it. I have read several reviews criticising the tyre choice as being too lightweight but I tend to ride light as opposed to battering into things so this has not been an issue for me. I suspect that the upright riding position is a contributing factor here. The bike is easy to pop over things. The Giant E Reign I had on test a while back was the precise opposite. I simply did not gel with it in the way I have done with the Pivot.

Swirl How down to Wetherlam is a proper tech fest and not entirely rideable. I found the Pivot was easy to nose wheelie on the steepest slow speed sections. 29er wheels really are the wheel size of choice and are effectively employed in this instance.

Any more questions, just ask?

@matt_outandabout

What is IANAEBR? Is it I am not an expert bike reviewer? Think you are spot on  with regards to the advantages the Fazua offers. Time will tell how it fares but so far, so very impressive.

Cheers

Sanny