Ahh, maybe worth calling both the above and the below, I’m not sure anybody in uk is rebuilding tq yet (or if they will) - be very happy to be wrong
As far as I know nobody is repairing the tq hpr 50 yet, I did email ebike motor repair and they said they don't repair them (yet). but trek have a transferable warranty, so if it's less than 2 years old you're still covered.
If its over 2 years old then a new tq motor is about 850 quid rrp.
I just had mot tq motor replaced outside warranty but free of charge anyway, which was good of trek/tq.
Mmmmm (VERY, VERY, VERY sharp intake of breath) £850 are you sure ? I certainly hope I’m wrong
Yep perfectly sure, I have the official price list from the tq dealer portal in front of me.
That price is for the high pivot motor that trek use in the slash
Phew, thanks, good news, did wonder about the high pivot bit, cheers.
Tried a Orbea Rose today, the original 65Nm version with 360wh battery. It was, compared to exactly the same route done two weeks ago on my regular bike, quite a fast pace. 38km and 735m of climbing at 15.1 km/hour average. So 2:30 of moving time. The very basic inline battery light went from green to red at the foot of the last climb home, which I understand means 5% left.
Not sure how that helps the decision making really, but I’m erring now on more battery as I can see how range anxiety could be a thing. Defiantly also need a bike or system with more insight into battery percentage.
Off to swing a leg over a Whyte rsx and exe this afternoon. The cannondale spec remains tempting.
The shimano motor in the rise will transmit the exact battery percentage to a garmin (and other) device over ant+. So if you have a garmin fenix, epix etc, they can all display the exact battery percentage of the bike.
I think you can also buy the shimano display separately to display the batt percentage on the bike.
Sub-£5k* for Heckler SL at Brink in case that's of any interest for sub-£5k ebike hunters. Linky.
Also £5.5k for an upgraded version with the CC frame, Ultimate level fork/shock and better brakes - XXL only though.
* £4.7k in XXL, £5.25k in XL.
The shimano motor in the rise will transmit the exact battery percentage to a garmin (and other) device over ant+. So if you have a garmin fenix, epix etc, they can all display the exact battery percentage of the bike.
Not sure if they all do this now. My Garmin devices connect to my Spesh. Display percentage, range and things like cadence and power
Not sure if they all do this now.
Bosch doesn't do it.
Tq does it.
Shimano does it.
Sounds like brose does it
Dont know about fazua
That heckler price is good, but they are too big for me. I think of all the systems, the one that would give me the eeby jeebies on warranty and reliability would be that Fazua. I’d expect decent warranty support from Santa Crus though as they always get a good shout for buyer backup. And hasn’t the range extended been imminent for ages, and not materialised.
First ride on my Levo Turbo today, chose Ilkley Moor as our maiden voyage on a beautiful Yorkshire day.
Up to now my Eeb experience is a hired Kenevo Sl for a day up the Golfie and a hungover couple of hours on my mates 5 yr old Whyte E160 27.5, which was suprisngly nimble.
I have ridden a lot of the trails before but not for a year and never regularly.
The hardest thing to get used to was the rear brake (Mavens), it is so sharp compared with the E4's on my Edit but after a while it felt natural enough. I am used to 27.5 wheels and the Kenevo hire bike (29r) felt slow to turn, the mullet Levo felt great, I never gave that another thought. I had to stop and swap the spacers to above the stem to get the bars lower, it felt like a shopping bike!
Now for the important bit I guess, the climbing bit. I'm obviously new to that bit as the Golfie fireroad is not too technically taxing. As my ride progressed I started to climb steps, choose the rocky line or just point it straight up the hill from the Cow and Calf car park, wow 🙂
Almost 7000 ft of climbing in 13 miles, mostly trail but with a mix of eco and turbo and I still had 42% battery left so went out again when I got back to Brighouse!
Clearly I don't know enough to help you decide but I have no regrets with my choice. This is the bonus to not trying lots of bikes out, I will never know what I'm missing.
42% is plenty to get you up the yellow brick road to the top of Elland woods then!
I had to stop and swap the spacers to above the stem to get the bars lower, it felt like a shopping bike!
How tall are you and what size Levo?
I'm 5'11" and on an S4. Initially it felt a bit on the small size. I've put a 42mm stem and 50mm risers on with 20mm spacers under the stem and 10mm above - I'm quite leggy though. Feels great now
I had to stop and swap the spacers to above the stem to get the bars lower, it felt like a shopping bike!
How tall are you and what size Levo?
I'm 5'11" and on an S4. Initially it felt a bit on the small size. I've put a 42mm stem and 50mm risers on with 20mm spacers under the stem and 10mm above - I'm quite leggy though. Feels great now
First ride on my Levo Turbo today, chose Ilkley Moor as our maiden voyage on a beautiful Yorkshire day.....
Almost 7000 ft of climbing in 13 miles, mostly trail but with a mix of eco and turbo and I still had 42% battery left so went out again when I got back to Brighouse!
Wow, that's some climbing
I'm a smidge under 5'8" on an S3. The bars were noticably higher than my Edit but I thought it was worth trying first. Definitely felt too high for my liking but we are all different.
@dave661350 yes, mental isn't it. On my previous visits to the moor, one climb up Keighley Rd, a climb up past the Cow and Calf to the top of Rocky Road, a climb up past White Wells and a push up here or there and I'm sick of it. Yesterday I was just doing laps of all of it. I only left to beat the rush hour home (its an age thing..).
Just to throw a little potential spanner in the works...
I should be picking one of these up this week or next...
OK so it's not £5k... But it isn't a huge amount over. It's also a brand new 2025 model bike, has a Bosch CX Gen 5 motor, great spec with full Fox suspension and full XT groupset and brakes, carbon main frame and alloy back end... And it's getting rave reviews!
My point...? It feels like slowly, eBike prices are coming back down to about where they should be... £5k doesn't need to be a 1/2 price 2yr old bike any more.
In fact, if we look at the new Whyte Kado... Whyte themselves have fallen foul of steep price increases over the last few years, so the new alloy Kado S with Gen 5 Bosch CX itself, launching at a price that significantly undercuts the RRP of its predecessor at £4499, is worthy of note too...
How much is the Mondraker?
As for base Kado, I’ve been told to expect a very heavy bike, but I’d agree, the price is getting more realistic. As illustrated also with the new IBIS, OSO. New iteration RRP is half its original RRP.
There's a Dune R here mate, M (long M)
https://mtbmonster.com/sale-mondraker-dune-r-2025-silver-black-red-last-one-medium/
I have been more than half tempted to buy it.
Thanks, would need a large.
I almost bought a Mondraker eeb when my LBS had some really cheap, but it turned out to have very limited seatpost insertion.
Just thought I'd mention that, as I can see the shock goes through the seat tube on these ones too.
Shame, as they're probably the best-looking eebs on the market IMO and I used to really love riding my old Dune and Foxy circa 2013ish.
I have that Dune R - Such a capable bike but yes, seat post insertion is limited. That said, I've gone from a 200mm drop on my old bike, back to 150mm on this (could fit 170mm One-Up in a M) and I don't find the saddle gets in the way. That might be partially related to the high stack meaning I've more centred on steep stuff. Either way, it's not been the issue I thought it might be.
I see a few budget ebikes come with RockShox Psylo forks. Any experience with these?
I have that Dune R - Such a capable bike but yes, seat post insertion is limited. That said, I've gone from a 200mm drop on my old bike, back to 150mm on this (could fit 170mm One-Up in a M) and I don't find the saddle gets in the way. That might be partially related to the high stack meaning I've more centred on steep stuff. Either way, it's not been the issue I thought it might be.
Me and the boy spent 2 weeks on the Dune XR and we didn't notice the seatpost being an issue in the slightest.
I almost bought a Mondraker eeb when my LBS had some really cheap, but it turned out to have very limited seatpost insertion.Just thought I'd mention that, as I can see the shock goes through the seat tube on these ones too.
Me and the boy spent 2 weeks on the Dune XR and we didn't notice the seatpost being an issue in the slightest.
I had heard it mentioned it might be a problem, so wanted to get a sit on one before I committed to purchase... For sure, if you're long in the body and short in the leg, you're gonna have problems inserting a long dropper post. Fortunately I have slightly longer legs than average for my height, and with the full 180mm drop post that comes standard on the M/L size I've ordered, I have 10-15mm further I can insert the post if I needed to... But yeah, if I was a 31" inside leg rather than a 33, I'd have to drop to a 150mm post and it'd be absolutely slammed in the frame! It's one that needs trying before buying for sure, to see if it fits the individual...
How much is the Mondraker?
£6299 rrp... Suspect if you're friendly with your local Mondraker dealer, you might be able to haggle a little.
As for base Kado, I’ve been told to expect a very heavy bike, but I’d agree, the price is getting more realistic.
For sure it won't be light... Alloy frame, relatively budget spec. But crucially it'll be lighter than the E160 model it replaces, as well as being cheaper, having a better spec etc etc... The £5999 Kado RS looks interesting I must say (well it would do, if it wasn't such a boring colour!), SRAM Eagle 90 transmission, carbon mainframe, 800Wh battery...
I took my “budget” bike out for its first big spin today. Hopton first and it really was surprisingly brilliant; plush but still very controlled and planted, you can chuck it very quickly down some pretty serious trails, I’m a definite fan of the Fox 38 Performance Elites 🙂 I then did the Long Mynd and Minton Batch etc. Really pleased with it, well done Lapierre. Had a play with the motor settings too which make a difference and the joy of sticking it in turbo on hills that are normally push up only 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Just back from a week’s holiday and these now start appearing….
So, £1500 premium over the rsx, but straight away includes £500 of range extender. Then lots of hope bling, improved suspension spec. Worth the premium? But it’s knocking on the door of the next category of bikes up, and the new (albeit base) model Levo isn’t then far away.
Any thoughts on Whyte having an issue with the SX motor models, they have both come down by a third recently.
Any thoughts on Whyte having an issue with the SX motor models, they have both come down by a third recently.
It's not just Whyte... Nobody can sell mid power eBikes right now unless heavily discounted! The market just hasn't warmed to them like people were predicting.
My theory on why...? Well for most of us that have been riding for a long time, they are the perfect blend of a "more natural feel" than a full power eBike and they reward a higher cadence riding style too. The weight saving is a nice bonus too... The reality is of course, that whilst a bike like the e-Lyte would be the ideal eBike if I only ever rode on my own (or if everybody I rode with was on them), just about everybody else is on full power Levo's or Bosch powered bikes (or worse now, with sales of the DJI Avinox motor picking up momentum) and turning up on a bike with a 400Wh battery and 55Nm of torque max when everyone else has 600-800Wh batteries and 85Nm or more to play with... You're basically taking a knife to a gunfight! And whilst your bike may be 3kg lighter than theirs, it doesn't begin to make up for the lack of torque or range!
I'd love an SX powered bike... But I'd want it with a 600Wh battery not a 400, it'd need to be sub 20kg with a 160 Enduro setup and big brakes and Gravity spec tyres, and that's just unrealistic to be honest... The Bosch SX motor is about 900g lighter than the CX, so it's not saving enough weight really... So they fit a 400Wh battery which saves another kilo over the 600, but of course it reduces your range further...
As it is, I can take my new 24kg bike with Bosch CX and 800Wh battery, drop a kilo by going to the 600Wh battery, lose 500g with nicer wheels/drivetrain/contact points, retune the motor in the app slightly so it gives a bit less assist at lower cadence levels to make it feel a touch more like an SX motor but still maintains the full 85Nm assist if called for whilst getting the range I want from the 600Wh battery, and being able to keep up with my lazy mates on their "all of the power all of the time" tuned Levo's if required.
Mid power eBikes are the new singlespeed sadly... If everybody is on them, they a riot, and arguably deliver a more pure riding experience and usefully less weight... But if only one or two people are on them, those guys are gonna suffer on a group ride!
@rockhopper70 I'm a few weeks into the discounted Turbo Levo now and do not regret my choice at all. I do think that I am fit enough to have got away with an SL but they weren't as cheap to buy.
Its a different kind of workout, I'm very glad I have spent the last 18 months getting stronger, after a 2 to 3 hours of steep trails I am all over tired. I have proper bikes for going for a ride, this one is for steep sesh places with the emphasis on fun.
As you suspected, it makes Ellands yellow brick road fun. Last week, I gave all the steep lines a rake and rebuilt some blown out corners then rode every single line, some twice over. No way would I normally go back up that hill more than 3 times...
In an earlier post I claimed to have done 7000ft of climbing over at Ilkley but now I'm not so sure. There is a large discrepancy between what the Specialized app says and the Strava upload so who knows which to believe. A recent ride showed almost 7000ft but once its uploaded to strava it shows 2,364ft less.
I rode with a friend on an Ampflow recently and we did 24 miles of fast riding as I showed him 'all' my local riding spots. At the end of the ride the Levo had 20% left and the Ampflow 11%. This reflects the difference in our builds and fitness. My friend just a bigger guy and has a lung condition.
He generally just leaves it Auto and loves it. I switched constantly between all 3 but mostly Trail, apart from when I got stuck in Microtune by accident and didn't know how to get out of it !
He could if he wanted use Boost and bugger off but that 11% would soon be 0%...
So after all that waffle, maybe the question is how fit and strong are you? If you are fit then an SL would (probably) be fine and less tiring on your upper body.
Thought I'd keep this post seperate but here's a few more thoughts to consider.
I surveyed all my ebike buddies before buying (thats everyone I know, bar one these days...) for their thoughts, and I think their answers are interesting.
4 or 5 of them are building or buying new non ebikes again as there weight/fitness is suffering.
1 of them feels guilty everytime he rides his.
And one of them now finds that he rides a lot less. Before the eeb he had to ride regularly to be fit enough for group riding. Now it doesn't matter as he can just let the eeb do the work.
And the lad that runs my local cycle shock hasn't ridden a bike since selling his full fat Mondraker in November because he just can't face pedalling without the motor. He wants an SL because he is very light and found that he runs out energy long before the full fat does.
So taking all that on board, I am still riding proper bikes more but now I sometimes get home, get out the Levo and go out again 🙂
4 or 5 of them are building or buying new non ebikes again as there weight/fitness is suffering.
Thats the complete opposite to me. Got my first emtb in November, done 1000 miles on it now.
Lost weight, not been this fit in years.
Yes if you just go and ride 10 miles in turbo you are not going to get fitter on them, but use them differently and you can ride further, longer , with more fun
Yesterday I did 30 miles and 4,500ft on mine, I was knackered after
Thought I'd keep this post seperate but here's a few more thoughts to consider.
I surveyed all my ebike buddies before buying (thats everyone I know, bar one these days...) for their thoughts, and I think their answers are interesting.
4 or 5 of them are building or buying new non ebikes again as there weight/fitness is suffering.
1 of them feels guilty everytime he rides his.
And one of them now finds that he rides a lot less. Before the eeb he had to ride regularly to be fit enough for group riding. Now it doesn't matter as he can just let the eeb do the work.
And the lad that runs my local cycle shock hasn't ridden a bike since selling his full fat Mondraker in November because he just can't face pedalling without the motor. He wants an SL because he is very light and found that he runs out energy long before the full fat does.
So taking all that on board, I am still riding proper bikes more but now I sometimes get home, get out the Levo and go out again 🙂
I recently sold my Rise, partly with the suspension creaking issues, partly the motor death, but mostly for the reason that once the motor was broken i was on the manual and i'd found (like above) my fitness has suffered, more than you'd like to admit.
6 weeks later i'm starting to get back to something i consider OK now, but that's putting in 7-8 hours a week out riding on a manual and the legs really are feeling it and are pretty knackered. But i've been taking advantage of the dry trails and trying to get as much in as possible. I am still missing a bit of 'punch' on the short climbs and the legs don't last quite to the top of them without fatigue, but i'm a lot closer to acceptable than i was.
I'm sure you CAN ride hard and maintain fitness when you get an Eeb, but honestly, it's a lot easier to NOT. Leaning on the power of the motor is sooooooo easy and you don't really grasp just how much assistance you're getting at the time.
I still feel there's a place for an Eeb in my world, but it's more as an uplift bus/tow-up truck than as a trail too. The problem is, if i buy one, i'll end up using it as a trail-tool as well and the cycle of doom starts again. Hence the fact i'm still manual only, despite some good deals about.
It’s been 4 months, did you ever get around to buying an ebike?
Imagine if you had stumped up nigh on £10K for that Whyte Works less than 7 months ago and you saw that Wheelbase ad 🙄
Probably bought on finance, so probably have the next 41 months to regret it as well.
Or, no one bought it at £10k in the first place hence the huge discounts.
Lots of the above posts ring true. I had one of the original Whyte e-bikes but sold it 3 years ago. My fitness definitely suffered from having it. It was great for winch and plummet riding but at 26kg wasn’t a great trail bike, so I found myself changing what I rode to suit the bike. Full power bikes hit the limiter to soon on flatter flowing trails and the extra weight makes it hard and not fun to pedal through the limiter. Kept it three years then sold it.
Just bought a bargain Levo SL but still getting to grips with it. Really missed the extra power on the first climbs until I changed my attitude to how to ride it. The weight saving is very noticeable on normal trails and feels like a big trail bike but with a fitter me on board. My riding mates also have SLs so it’s a good fit for me, although one has just bought an Amflow. We’re hoping he’s not goi to be too big a knob about it. 😀
I'm nearly 3 years on my Rise , still working on how I ride it , using boost a bit more and it's not negatively affecting the range and yes you have to keep the cadence up Trying to be a hero on a half fat stubbornly staying in Eco doesn't work 🙄The latest software update has helped as well..Half fat suits my riding the full fat I had was too much of a supertanker .
@weeksy mentioned creaky suspension, mine was sorted super quick by Orbea with a replacement linkage under warranty.
Imagine if you had stumped up nigh on £10K for that Whyte Works less than 7 months ago and you saw that Wheelbase ad 🙄
Paid £7.5k for my £12.5k Levo recently
A few rides in now and can only say good things about the bike. It absolutely flies and behaves so much more like a normal bike than the tank of a Kenevo - really manoueverable. Got 43 miles and 4300ft out of it with 6% left on Friday in mostly eco with that set at 25/50. At 22kg stock (23kg in my set up) had no problems shouldering it over big stiles yesterday.
Eco is fine for 90% of the ride feeling like you've got olympians legs, but the Trail and Turbo definitely get used for sprints, get me home, or technical climbs. Wouldn't want to be without full power.
There don't seem to be too many stellar deals on them at the moment though, which I thought there would be with the new model coming out. Alloy Comp with Fox 36's for example only £800 off at £4450
I suspect intent is important and you do have to think about training and monitoring intensity a bit more on an ebike. Nothing too complicated, just getting in enough higher intensity sessions during the week; I do these on my normal enduro bike. It all means I recover better and I can do a lot more resistance training, mega important as I’m heading towards my mid 50’s. And you can do high intensity sessions on an ebike, it just needs to be purposeful 🙂
Last year I made a concerted effort to go out on my HT once a week - then I did a load of work on the ebike so it was out of action for a good few weeks. I let it all slip in the latter part of the year
Trying to get back to fitness this year and only been riding the ebike. We were due a group HT ride this morning, but that's gone south - rain and one of the group getting too pissed lat night. Will definitey be making the effort soon though.
What I find with the fitness debate in mind is that yes, you can get the cardio workout on an eeb, but the leg muscles don't develop fully unless you are riding a normal bike
Full power bikes hit the limiter to soon on flatter flowing trails and the extra weight makes it hard and not fun to pedal through the limiter.
I would agree to that to some extent, but its mainly at trail centres. ie the first section after the first long climb at Llandegla. its only slightly downhill. It feels hard and slow on an emtb and would be more fun on an analogue bike.
using boost a bit more and it's not negatively affecting the range
Yep on my Rise 85nm uses very little more battery than say using 45nm.
Interestingly I watched a vid on YT of a chap riding his Amflow up Snowdon. It killed his battery. I think he said it used 70/80%? I did it in very similar time on my Rise and only used 50% of the battery.
What I find with the fitness debate in mind is that yes, you can get the cardio workout on an eeb, but the leg muscles don't develop fully unless you are riding a normal bike
I disagree my power numbers are up riding the road bike, all from riding roughly 1000miles on the emtb over the winter. Do most people just sticker their emtb in Turbo everywhere though, and ride short distance?
Having said that though, riding yesterday I did 30miles 4,500ft climbing all in 85nm, my legs were short afterwards (as was the rest of me, at least its a full body workout on emtb)
I disagree my power numbers are up riding the road bike, all from riding roughly 1000miles on the emtb over the winter. Do most people just sticker their emtb in Turbo everywhere though, and ride short distance?
Having said that though, riding yesterday I did 30miles 4,500ft climbing all in 85nm, my legs were short afterwards (as was the rest of me, at least its a full body workout on emtb)
I tend to use mine with minimal assist and only occassional turbo with cadence and gearing similar to normal bike use. On my 40+ mile 4000+ft ride the other day, could definitely feel tiredness in my legs. It's always the legs (and some lung capacity) for me that are the weak point though when I get back on the normal bike. We all different though
Just back from 20 miles on the Levo, after thankfully ignoring the crappy weather forecast. After yesterdays 36 miles/4000ft on the Airdrop, I doubt I'd have been quite as keen without the eeb.
For me, there are times and trails that I'd rather be on the Airdrop due to its lighter weight (steep and tight) but by God does Levo inspire confidence everywhere else.
Not yet no, I was contemplating it when I started this thread, but now getting very close to pulling the trigger but these deals always throw a spanner in the works. Other points raised, I’m not fit per se, and my riding buddies have the gen 1 rise, so 60Nm, so none are going to be blasting off into the distance.
Doing the usual online trawl, I saw a video for Guy Kesteven and he did three laps of Dalby on one of those elyte Whytes, 114km. Whether that was on lowest settings wasn’t too clear but that’s a decent range for a 650wh equivalent.
I had been hoping to demo a SX motored Whyte but struggling to arrange it at the moment. Benji of STW reviewed the £10k works one and said the motor trait was the weak point, just too spinny. That’s putting me off, certainly putting me off buying one blind.
So yes, I am world class at deliberating. The most I have ever spent on a bicycle is £1,900, and that was the last bike I purchased in 2018. I need to be sure whatever I buy isn’t going to obsolete on unrepairable in 18months time, and I feel that Bosch might be the best in that regard, no idea why, but that’s my gut feeling.
I need to be sure whatever I buy isn’t going to obsolete on unrepairable in 18months time,
and my riding buddies have the gen 1 rise, so 60Nm, so none are going to be blasting off into the distance.
All fine until you've bought your mid powered bike, then all of a sudden they upgrade to full power.
At one point, I was the only one of the many that I often ride with on an ebike at all. Considered an SL for the group rides with all them on normal bikes. Next thing you know, they all have ebikes - full powered
@weeksy, I was thinking about your comments around the rise and your positive feedback on the fuel. Have you thought about the fuel exe? They look like a decent spec and the assistance is low level, so might be just right for your needs as a one bike does all. The exe is still a possible for me, but there is now talk of a new version inbound, with 60Nm TQ motor and a 500 wh battery.
@weeksy, I was thinking about your comments around the rise and your positive feedback on the fuel. Have you thought about the fuel exe? They look like a decent spec and the assistance is low level, so might be just right for your needs as a one bike does all. The exe is still a possible for me, but there is now talk of a new version inbound, with 60Nm TQ motor and a 500 wh battery.
I've massively thought about the exe yes and it could well be the perfect Eeb for me. With one minor downfall, towing the DH and rider. I think it'd struggle at that job potentially. I know it's a daft reason, but for me it's a fairly valid one.
I've not looked into a demo of one but think if I did I could easily be sold. I do read the long exe thread on Ebike forums with a bit of hmmmm
Today was trails in the morning and again the legs are fried, well I thought so until I came around a junction and had 3 roadies about 100m ahead of me. Lol.
With one minor downfall, towing the DH and rider.
Not a dig mate, but do you think this possibly contributed to the death of the motor? I generally (and probably seem quite selfish) shy away from giving analogue mates a tow. I think it's akin to grinding uphill in too high a gear, it's causing unneccessary stress to the motor.
But if that's what you've bought it for, then I suppose it's serving it's purpose, just wont survive as long...
With one minor downfall, towing the DH and rider.
Not a dig mate, but do you think this possibly contributed to the death of the motor? I generally (and probably seem quite selfish) shy away from giving analogue mates a tow. I think it's akin to grinding uphill in too high a gear, it's causing unneccessary stress to the motor.
But if that's what you've bought it for, then I suppose it's serving it's purpose, just wont survive as long...
According to 'Bearing Man' then no, he's the place that rebuilds the motors on Eebs and he says towing shouldn't be an issue. The Rise only towed up once, 3 runs at Cwmcarn and the motor it seems was on it's way out before that. But you could certainly think of it in the same way as towing a caravan, which some seems to think can kill cars, so it's not completely impossible. It really isn't as much of a factor as i make it sound in some ways, but that's certainly part of the reason i'd be buying it. But for me anyway, i'm going to wait it out for another year, maybe more, partly because of percieved reliability, partly because i am enjoying the manual and as long as my riding mate doesn't complain about me slowing him down, i'll keep using it.
@rockhopper70 repairability is why I went with the Specialized. The companies that repair ebikes say that Brose supply everything that they need. Hopefully that won't change and hopefully it won't spend the next two years constantly going back to the shop for a new motor.
Although a new motor just before the warranty runs out would be nice 🙂
Crikey, check the discount on that - https://www.biketart.com/products/pivot-cycles-shuttle-lt
That’s a lot of bike, a proper steam roller of a spec.
conversely, i can't see the value in it at that discounted price
As your only contribution to the thread, that's spectacularly useful.
conversely, i can't see the value in it at that discounted price
I agree, it's Fox 38, Float X, Slx brakes and gears, it's OK as far as bikes go, but it's nothing even remotely special.
Ah, if only they made websites easier to operate
The discounted 'Team XTR' version has XTR gears and brakes and the Transition style top tube to seat stay er transition is quite nice
well i didn't think it needed much elaborating but there are plenty of m-team spec Orbea wild's for a grand cheaper, without even getting involved in finding something that i'd consider a real steal, seeing a bike listed at 12500 and marked down to 6700 or whatever doesn't scream value, especially not when you can also pick up steamroller ebikes for 2-3k, granted, on sale/discounted or whatever
These things have limited life expectancy (to me) and even after the initial buyer wants to move it along, a lot of depreciation.
The spec might be better than @weeksy alluded to. If you choose XTR from the drop down, then it shows what you get, but it defaults to the SLX version, as quoted above.
REAR SHOCKFox Factory Float XFORKFox Factory E-MTB 38 29”, 44mm offset, GRIP2 - 170mmHEADSETPivot Precision Sealed CartridgeREAR DERAILLEURShimano XTR SGS 12-SSHIFTERShimano XTR M9100 12-SpeedCASSETTEShimano XT M8100 10-51tCHAINShimano CN-M8100 12-SpeedCRANK SETShimano XT M8150 w/ Shimano E-MTB 34BRAKESShimano XTR M9120 4-pistonROTORSF - Galfer Rotor 223mm | R - Galfer Rotor 203mmDRIVE UNITShimano Steps DU-EP800BATTERY756Wh removable batteryHANDLEBARPhoenix Team Low Rise Carbon | SM, MD, 780 / LG, XL, 800 WidthGRIPSPhoenix Factory Lock-OnSTEMPhoenix Team Enduro/TrailSEATPOSTPhoenix Team Low Rise Carbon | SM, MD, 780 / LG, XL, 800 WidthSADDLEPivot Pro E-BikeWHEELSDT Swiss Hybrid HX1501, 30mm - 29” | 15x110 F / 12x157 RTIRESF - Maxxis Assegai 29” x 2.5” TR, EXO+, 3C | R - Maxxis Assegai 29” x 2.5” TR, EXO+, 3C
haha the website doesnt update the spec list for me
Upwards of 40% off Giant Reign E+'s at Winstanley's and Tredz right now...
https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=reign+e%2B
https://www.tredz.co.uk/search?q=reign%20e+
All with 800Wh batteries I believe... I guess there's a replacement imminent given that the bike was launched for the 2022 model year, but it's still a fantastic bike (albeit a bit of a weighty beast aimed at more serious Enduro style riding)... Yamaha motors seem to be about the most reliable out there too, and seem to give good range for their battery sizes. That Reign E+ 3 at £2999 is a bit of a bargain! Tune the fork, chuck a coil shock on it, some better brakes and tyres and go shred!
No matter how cheap those Pivots are, they look utterly disgraceful.
Yamaha motors seem to be about the most reliable out there too
You sure? They have a terrible reputation for water ingress/electrical failures.
Is the Giant not the bike that embn stuck in a river and it os still working now?
i had read that Yamaha are about the only brand that offers right to repair, eg manuals and spares for their motors..Don't know how factual that is in the real world
I thought the Giants were the ones with the reliable Yamaha motor and the unreliable and near impossible to repair Giant electronics? Couples with Giant’s less than helpful warranty process.
we had a Giant and the motor was good. I had a problem which ended up being a controller (£60) but to diagnose it we had the motor fully rebuilt anyway. Bearing man was happy enough that it wasn't terrible in there but did ideally need attention. I felt it had done pretty well with what it had been subjected to over the 3 years we owned it. It was used a winter mud plugger and training toy only really. Coupled (again) with being an uplift bus at FoD and Stile Cop. I wouldn't say it was a bad motor. Ours was less refined than some newer ones, but it was a 2020 bike with about a 2018 system.
There are some really good ‘deals’ about at the moment.
Those Pivots have been on similar offer for roughly 6 months. £12.5k on a bike is nuts. It’s almost like post COVID bike manufacturers just plucked prices out of thin air and got greedy.
Clearly now at 45% they still only sell slowly which means they are still potentially over priced.
When I bought my Rise there was no way I would pay £8k for it and fully expected it to be in a sale ie 30% off with 6-12 months. Luckily I got it on salary sacrifice which gave me roughly 45% off, which I think is a fair price for the spec of the bike
£2.5k Lapierre Overvolt 6.7. The spec is basic, but good enough for most riding.
Yamaha motors seem to be about the most reliable out there too
You sure? They have a terrible reputation for water ingress/electrical failures.
You'd cetainly expect better, considering the number of outboard motors they make for boats.
1 of them feels guilty everytime he rides his.
Wow, the psychology of ebikes is really interesting. I still get overtaken uphill by quite a few ebikers apologising for "cheating", like they're a bit ashamed.
i had read that Yamaha are about the only brand that offers right to repair, eg manuals and spares for their motors..Don't know how factual that is in the real world
Stick with me - I am going to liken buying ebikes this to when I walk past our local campervan and motorhome emporium.
I've seen family members and friends fall for this. They got pulled in by the 'camper' or 'home' bit with their new purchase. But forget the 'van'.
You wouldnt dream of buying a miserable 20 year old Peuegot Boxer van with 90hp on a good day, 5 speed manual, no a/c, and driving it to france, so why are you now happy to pay 15 grand for it because theres load of chipboard and velour in the back!
Back to bikes - when looking last year I found it very easy to focus on the 'e' and not the 'bike'. The reason I ended up with a Levo SL was becuase it feels just like a Stumpjumper, that happens to have a motor. Its not dominated by the motor, its a really, really good trail bike and the motor is extra.
Whilst obsessing over motor power and battery range is important, dont lose sight of whether or not its actually a good bike.
Whilst obsessing over motor power and battery range is important, dont lose sight of whether or not its actually a good bike.
That is a good point, I have found myself looking at geometry or components that I wouldn't even consider on a normal bike, just because it has a motor.
Whilst obsessing over motor power and battery range is important, dont lose sight of whether or not its actually a good bike.
That is a good point, I have found myself looking at geometry or components that I wouldn't even consider on a normal bike, just because it has a motor.
TBH it's less important on an Eeeb as the weight distribution already screws up how the bike rides. Riding my mates Rail at Cwmcarn and my manual you can already see/feel the difference despite having a very similar spec as to what matters. The forks are unlikely to respond quite as nicely and it's unlikely to be as playful as the manual. So the Rise i had was a Bomber Z1 forks which are a bit 'meh' but didn't matter in truth.
I don’t think that the motor screw up the weight distribution, it just changes it. While I am a die hard hardtail rider and really like thrashing my slack HT down all sorts of things, I also really like how ebikes ride, all that weight low seems to help when throwing it around at high speeds. It might be that at just over 90kg I’m stronger (and heavier) than a lot of riders but apart from actually getting it in the air I have never had a problem adapting to e-bikes. (Just waiting for my first one to actually arrive this week). My wife is the same, but again she’s way stronger than most other women when it comes to upper body strength and is coming from a riding history of Enduro and DH bikes.
And this is why the elyte is tempting. Seems the best “bike” but with some assistance. I have a weedy upper body, so I wouldn’t want to muscle a full fat/20+kg bike around.
And this is why the elyte is tempting. Seems the best “bike” but with some assistance. I have a weedy upper body, so I wouldn’t want to muscle a full fat/20+kg bike around.
Like I say, I think for solo rides for seasoned MTBer's, I think the Bosch SX is probably the pick of the bunch motor wise, as long as you don't mind the slight clank when descending...
Just don't go expecting to keep up with a group of guys all on full fat eMTB's with nearly twice the torque and battery capacity!
I was all set on buying a Mondraker Sly, but chickened out at the last minute and ordered a Crafty as I realised that I'd always be cursing not buying the bike with more torque and bigger battery when being dropped by mates on their full power eBikes on climbs, but I wouldn't be upset if I have to ride in a lower assist mode on a full power bike if I'm waiting for others at all... It didn't seem worth losing only 3kg off the bikes overall weight for 400Wh and 30Nm less, though had the Sly been 18kg rather than 21kg it might have tempted me...
You sure? They have a terrible reputation for water ingress/electrical failures.
I certainly don't see Giant/Yamaha motors in anything like the numbers of Bosch/Brose/Shimano on bikes out there, but the few guys I know with Giant eBikes haven't had any issues at all (well not motor related, one cracked a frame but was replaced under warranty quite quickly)... Like dropper posts, I've seen EVERYTHING fail, if you went on a sample size of one you'd never buy any of them again!
My experience is more from dealers that I know specialising in eBikes, and maybe it's just sheer numbers of the things, but the most common motors I see that need fixing/replacing are Spesh/Brose and Shimano, then Bosch, though recently seen quite a few issues with Fazua motors too.
Anyway... As per the internet rules... Pick your poison, be a dick about it on the internet, chastise anyone that doesn't agree with you or has a different experience, and accuse anyone sticking up for something you don't like of having a vested interest...
The forks are unlikely to respond quite as nicely and it's unlikely to be as playful as the manual. So the Rise i had was a Bomber Z1 forks which are a bit 'meh' but didn't matter in truth.
I'd tend to disagree tbh - decent strurdy, well operating forks are probably one of the most important factors on a bigger, heavier bike - in my case Fox 38's on both ebikes. That and brakes
+1 for 38s/Zebs/Domains making a difference on e-bikes. The extra stiffness definitely helps them working better.
On a regular bike I’m usually happy with 36s/Pikes/Lyriks but found them not to my liking on full fat eebs.
