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Scott eGenius 720 Plus
[b]1st ride, 1st Impressions
[/b]
[b]Location and Conditions
[/b]A 45 minute ride around Lordswood and Southampton Sports Centre.
Despite the Thursday Night Riders assuring me the trails were dusty, dry and smooth I found them to be deeply muddy, rooty and very slippery.
[b]First Impressions - Ignoring the Electric bit
[/b]I must be the right shape for Scott bikes as I was immediately comfortable. Always a nice start.
The 650b Plus tyres roll over things a lot more easily that the 26" ones I am used to.
The Nobbly Nics don't appear to have any more lateral grip in the Lordswood flavoured mud and roots so lots of slip sliding.
The remote twin lock-out was useful. You can push the lever part way to shorten and stiffen the front and rear suspension or push it all the way to fully lock it out. The part way setting is fine for the short road ride to the woods and fully unlocked for the woods. I guess locked out is an option for longer road sections.
I need to get a dropper post. I had one for a few rides before my last bike was stolen and it makes such a difference. I would put it up with disc brakes for the benefit it gives.
[b]First Impressions - The Electric bit
[/b]The bike has four electric settings each gradually increasing the amount of assistance.
For what I was riding setting 1 was fine and just felt like riding a normal bike but on better terrain than I was actually riding. I also used setting 2 for quite a lot of the ride as it is the first ride I have done for a year. Both of these settings felt quite natural although the slight delay between pedaling and the motor engaging was disconcerting to begin with.
Settings 3 and especially 4 were fun but it felt a bit like an electric moped at times. I think I will be keeping them for properly steep climbs and Strava KOM attempts. Where they were effective was when I reached the mud swamps as I could change into a low gear and max to boost and then spin away through the mud which worked well unless you stopped pedaling for a second and then the magic power disappeared and didn't return for half a pedal stroke or more accurately didn't return in time so I sank up to my ankle in stinking mud. It is not a foolproof system, at least not for this fool.
I am presently really pleased with the way the electric part of the bike is integrated into the bike as a whole and in the lower two settings you are not massively aware of it, you just feel like a slightly fitter rider. You do still need to use the gears and even after the short ride, as I haven't ridden for so long I can feel it in my thighs so there is some hope I can get fit using this bike.
The down sides are the cost - £700 more than a non-electric Genius 720 Plus - and the fact it doesn't make you an instant riding God. I actually am quite pleased about the second point as I was a little worried the enjoyment of cycling would be lost but it really isn't. I just need to re-learn how and when to use gears, how to ride over roots, how to clear fallen logs...
...basically all the stuff that anyone else has to learn. I might update this thread from time to time as I find out new stuff.
Feel free to ask questions.
Our local e-bike dealer has an e-fatbike. I can sort of see the appeal in that. Can you de-restrict it?
Awesome. Out on Thurs then?
you ever take it off any sweet jumps?
Can you derestrict it - yes and the results are somewhere between 35-48mph depending on gearing. It is a removable dongle as it is illegal in England except on private land with the land owners permission. So remember to unplug the dongle even though it cannot be seen.
Out Thursday - Damn right!!
Sweet jumps - not really, too scared and too slippy. The few little jumps / drops weren't as bad as feared on a bike weighing slightly more than I do. Just felt like a normal bike really. When I start clearing the 40 foot table top at the Southampton Bike Park I will update you.
Which will lead to another "so I just broke....." thread
How did you find the extra heft, over a normal bike, on the non assisted bits of trail?
Use it for strava KOMs ? I hope that is a joke, young man 🙂
the results are somewhere between 35-48mph depending on gearing.
😯
To answer the other thread then, your next accident is likely to be wrapping yourself around a tree motorbike style.
Getting up for 50 mph must annihilate the battery, Shirley?
You don't ride the bike unassisted, well perhaps downhill, because of the weight. Yet to really hit trails fast enough to see what it is like in the air but for a first pootling ride you didn't really notice it.
I haven't chipped mine so assistance runs out at 12mph as you will notice if you see my Strava trails
Electric KOM? Those who matter don't care, those who care don't matter 😉
Battery life - the bigger battery for 2016 should give between 40 and 120 miles with the unchippedc motor. I guess you can at least half that when chipped, probably even more but even quartering it gives you 10 miles and you won't be on full boost at all times
haven't chipped mine so assistance runs out at 12mph as you will notice if you see my Strava trails
Should be 16mph/25kph. That's the euro limit.
Do not de restrict your e-bikes!
Why?
Because then it's a motorbike and you need licence plate, insurance, helmet etc.
It only takes a couple of accidents and people getting found out to get these things outlawed on the road, and on public paths, and that could kill the e-bike industry in the UK before it's really got off the ground, and that industry could be paying my wages. It's irresponsible and unnecessary. 16mph everywhere is plenty.
Also (and I'm trained on this) we CAN tell it's been done even if you remove it, that a ebike has been tampered with with a fairly simple look into its software. And that's your warranty up the spout. Just don't do it.
That said, I love ebikes. I've ridden all the different Bosch motors and Shimano Steps, including one linked to a di2 Alfine with automatic shifting and it's ace! I will get one one day, for sure.
Pete - I have no plans to chip mine and agree with what you say. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Plus with my record it is the first thing they will check.
16mph everywhere is plenty.
Is it really though?
Firstly , well done Nick for getting an Ebike and using it , I have ridden a hybrid and thought it was hilarious fun and really quite quick.
But , 16mph is not fast enough on the tarmac to be a viable alternative to comuting by fossil fuel powered transport. A good road rider is faster , hey I am a shit road rider and I average more than that.
16mph in a car is painfull. If it was say , as an example ,20mph then It would actually be a tool that would make commuting by bike quick , easy , fast and OK its still fossil fuelled as 'leccy just don't flow out the plug but its more economical than 1.3Ton of steel moving at low speed in stop start traffic.
I agree that 16mph with minimal effort is more than enough.
But , 16mph is not fast enough on the tarmac to be a viable alternative to comuting by fossil fuel powered transport. A good road rider is faster
Very true. But that's not who ebikes are aimed at. It's plenty for everyone else. You can go a lot faster than 16mph, you just use your legs. And I've commuted by ebike, so I know how it's done, and trust me, it's a lot faster over my usual route and it would be over yours. 🙂
But that's not the point. The point is that there's plenty of people, including many cyclists, that are very anti ebike. And we mustn't fuel their argument. Also, speaking now as a motorcyclist, if you want to go faster, get something with an engine in it. A 50cc scooter can only do 30mph, and that's your step up, not illegally modify in an ebike.
And I've commuted by ebike, so I know how it's done, and trust me, it's a lot faster over my usual route and it would be over yours
My e-bike is considerably slower on my 28 mile (each way) commute than on a normal bike on a nice day. When it's wet & windy and I'm tired it's about the same speed or a little bit faster.
For reference
My usual commute home by ebike
https://www.strava.com/activities/444262681
And on my CdF a couple of days beforehand
https://www.strava.com/activities/442726898
Lots faster by ebike overall, but the biggest difference is up hill, unsurprisingly! The first half is mostly climbing, and mostlY personal records as I could hold 16mph all the way up, rather than my usual 12ish.
Simon, I'm interested, is your route fairly flat? On the flat I found it slower due to the type of bike (suspension hybrid vs my usual CdF) I think more than the weight. Uphill the ebike was waaaaay faster and downhill it was the same or slightly quicker.
Ok
For a Johny Moped I would need
Helmet , Licence , Insurance as a minimum, Then a CBT ? Dunno not a moped rider . Optional are safety clothing , full licence after 2 years? iirc.
Then it will only do 30mph . Plus they are cheap though, then an MOT and RFL I guess.
Then somewhere secure and dry to keep my lovely Homda melody step through , away from theiving kids ( same as my Eracer)
Who comes up with the 16mph limit? Europe ? Well thats my vote swayed. Bug out of the EC and everyone can rag around on 24mph Eracers. awesome.
Guys - I have no intention of commuting (Southampton to Stevengae !!!)
I don't care about road speed, my car has a speed restrictor too (330kph because of the tyres).
You can do more than 16mph downhill obviously...
..but you can potentially do 16mph up hill too.
For general mountain biking it is great (based on 45 minutes of riding) as it allows an unfit cripple to ride at the kind of speeds he used to be able to achieve.
All the fun without having to spend 6-12 months building up the muscle to be able to ride like a slow version of the previous me.
Speeds higher than 16mph might be great for the road (I think they are so buy a car) but off road you can still go as fast as your legs will take you. It is assistance, not dictatorship.
Now lets smile, relax and contemplate the profound beauty of ladies breasts.
Night all
r a Johny Moped I would need
Helmet , Licence , Insurance as a minimum
Exactly. Why should it be different for an ebike? In Europe you can get "fast ebikes" which have all that, a proper high/low dipped headlight, brake light, registration etc. (I imagine that's possible here too.)
http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/guides/s-pedelec/
Edit
Not legal here at all, I've just found out. Only in the Netherlands and Germany, both of which have massive ebike markets.
Just a thought, but I've met the average ebike buyer and it's not the average cyclist. I wouldn't want them to be able to get on a bike that can do 28mph on the flat. It would be carnage.
Simon, I'm interested, is your route fairly flat?
Yeah, it is sadly. I have several routes between 40 and 50km but none can be described as hilly.
Normal bike (42.2km, 30.7kph average)
https://www.strava.com/activities/9224488
E-bike (45.1km, 23.8kph average)
https://www.strava.com/activities/386742957
Simon, yeah, that makes sense. I did actually beat that ebike time, but I had a following wind, luck with the lights and I was absolutely blowing out of my arse when I got home! I was utterly flat out for 8 miles!
On my way in on the ebike it was blowing a gale and drizzly. It was a lot more pleasurable with some assistance, I know that.
I don't know how to post my Strava times up here but there was a noticeable pattern.
Most places I was riding between 10-13mph as my old speeds when I was fit and healthy of 8-12mph.
When I cranked up full boost on two Tarmac sections I did PB of about 20 mph.
Not sure if this helps the debate but the big thing I noticed off road was that it took a lot less time to get up to normal riding speed after stopping, crashing or hitting deep mud. I think this was the big reason for the speed difference, plus the boost hiding the fact I am unfit.
It appears my comfortable speed around lordswood is about 10-12mph on a bike whether boosted or not.
Chip the bugger, pull wheelies 😀
Well done WCA, welcome to the ebike club, 😀
I'd like to offer a different opinion on the current speed restriction for full motor cut-off from my perspective as a cripple 😉 i find the 15.5mph cut off point to be somewhat frustrating at times. Eight odd years ago whilst riding a normal bike/non motor assist i was able to hit 20+mph through the singletrack on my trails with ease and i had no trouble getting upwards of 30mph+ on the downhill sections - at no point in the past 25+years when riding my bike (when my legs worked) did i ride like a dick, i was always courteous to other users, i always slowed down to a walking pace when passing other trail users and more often than not i came to a stop and exchanged a greeting with whomever i met whether that be on my local trails that i've built/cleared/maintained for everyone to use or out n' about around the country on biking roadtrips.
Comparing my current gps data with my saved data from years ago i am still substantially slower on the ebike vs my normal bikes.
These days I'd love to go that little bit faster than 15mph, unfortunately my crap legs cannot offer any input whatsoever when the motor cuts off - any resistance that i try and force through the cranks is met with a big fat [i]computer says no[/i] response from my spinal cord which is quite annoying.
Don't get me wrong - i absolutely love/adore my Scott E-Genius big tyred monster truck and it has brought an unquantifiable amount of pleasure to my life over the past 7 weeks (i should have bought one years ago) - just thinking about my old trails that i managed to ride at the weekend for the first time in years has brought me out in a shit-kicking-goofy deliriously satisfied grin but i'd like the choice to ride my trails at the speed i choose rather than be restricted to an arbitrary eu regulated 15mph.
If i didn't ride like a dick for a given offroad condition beforehand then why can't i have the ability to decide how fast i ride for a given offroad condition now?, if we take that further then why is a fit n' abled rider allowed to ride as fast as he likes? - to play the opposing side of the argument i do see a need for a somewhat regulated speed restriction for on-road use as a free for all as-fast-as-you-like when on public roads would be somewhat foolhardy.
I do have the speed derestriction kit bought from [url= http://www.ebiketuning.com ]ebiketuning[/url] for my specific Bosch motor yet i have not fitted it and i may not fit it as it will obviously decrease the battery life and range, from a personal perspective i would like the ability to decide for myself as to the speed i ride off road (and continue to not ride like a dick).
Not many folk on here (if any at all) will agree with me and i'm perfectly fine with that but unless you have been in the situation i've experienced over the past 8years then i reserve the right to make that judgement for myself.
I absolutely understand your view on this Soma and please take lots of detailed pictures when you do fit the kit. As I said, it is a simple plug in bit of kit so you obviously unplug whilst on the roads. The trails around Lordswood don't really need the extra speed and fortunately I am only a partial raspberry ripple so can put some power down myself so not such an issue for me.
The point PP makes is valid too about rules, insurance etc. The rules are put there so people know what is expected in shared areas. Unfortunately like so many rules they are very general blanket bans. This means they punish those who can use their judgement about what is safe and acceptable and are ignored by those who can't. The more they get ignored, the angrier the law makers get and the more draconian their response.
There go my koms.....sounds a great laugh. I'd be interested in a fat ebike as the main thing that puts me off is the weight and slow ride compared to my scale
Well said Somafunk.
I've been thinking about an e-bike a fair bit recently. My injury prevents me from putting down any power while seated and my lack of fitness prevents me from standing up everywhere. I can still go for a gentle ride on my own as long as it's flat but i can't go with my riding buddies in the hills as i'd ruin their ride.
There are a few things preventing me from taking the plunge.
Price is one. It's a lot of money for a bike but i've kinda got this covered as i've two half decent bikes in the shed that aren't getting used. I'll not get that much for them but it's annoying a **** not being able to use them.
Another issue is how they jump. I know most ebikerz aren't into the gnar but i am and would love to know how they jump (not wee pissy jumps, bigish ones). Can't find anyone who has jumped them though. I'm not bothered about the extra weight, i think i could handle that, i just don't want it to break (because price). Maybe i should stop jumping and that would put that issue to bed? Easier said than done though. I heart flying through the air.
Lastly is the speed. 15-16mph isn't fast enough for me. Swoon away if that makes you happy but, like Somafunk, i think i'm more than capable of deciding how fast i want to go at a given time. I'm an experience road/offroad motorbiker so i don't think a few more mph is going to scare me or make me wrap myself round a tree.
And even more last...they are a bit 'special' looking aren't they? The Spesh one looks decent but is dearer still.
my car has a speed restrictor too (330kph because of the tyres)
Wish my car was restricted to 200+mph 😀
I'm an ebike fan, our club has some riders and it's great to see folk not usually out, having a great time with everyone else.
I'm with soma and his approach here, with a bit of Peterpoddy in the background...
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£5,000!!!
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£4800!!
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£3700!
Nice review and good to see the technology is moving along.
I think these bikes have their place for sure, you are a perfect example of that. Hopefully it gets you out in the countryside and enjoying cycling that you wouldn't otherwise have been able to do.
€4450
Belt drive, Alfine hub, Bluto Fatbike.
Bees Bikes
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Just been out for a quick (or not so quick as it turns out) blast around Southampton Common so here is the feedback.
[b]The non-electric bit[/b]
I forgot to wear gloves so my hands froze.
I haven't ridden for 12 months so my backside was a bit tender from yesterdays ride.
There are lots of people walking around the common carrying bags of dogs crap.
There are lots of 4 legged crap factories walking around the common keeping the plastic bag companies going since the carrier bag charge I guess
Riding on road/tarmac is DULL
[b]The Electric bit[/b]
The boost, any boost between 1 - 4, is great to get you up to speed but even with my weak legs it is fairly easy to maintain the speed higher than the boost range.
This means that I only use level 1 and ride just a little bit faster than the boost speed.
It is hard work to go much faster than that because the bike weighs so much and you run out of gears quite quickly.
15mph is not very fast on tarmac and even around the Common I was overtaken by several bikes.
[b]Summary[/b]
Electric bikes don't make tarmac fun but then I am not sure what would.
They are too slow if you can't pedal properly and too heavy if you can.
They make steep uphills easier but that is about it in terms of benefits.
I will be using mine mostly off road.
I probably won't bother writing up after the Thursday Night ride unless there are new revelations but I will try to get out to the New Forest over the weekend and see what it is like on simple flowing trails. I suspect that is where the 15mph frustrations will kick in.
I won't be doing any big jumps yet but maybe in the summer - I will let you know how it flies.
Electric bikes don't make tarmac fun but then I am not sure what would.
De-restricted, obvs 🙂
I spoke to a chap in Germany who was fitting a motor to a fully faired recumbent. It was a 500W motor.
It'll be interesting to see what it's like on things like No Dabs where you need to be in a relatively low gear and get short bursts of power down in between the rooty bits. Reckon it will be pretty good on the second half of Dave's trail too where there are lots of tight corners, acellerating out of them should be easier.
I am sure there will be attempts to borrow it for sections on thursday
Nice one.
The potential for these things just amazes me:
Broken bikers back on the trail, lots of uses in rehab and it could replace so many car journeys.
16mph seems fair to me, plenty for most urban cyclepaths and trails.
The current legislation seems pretty fair.
A twin wheel front end, like the Piaggio Mp3 would be fun.
🙂
[i]16mph seems fair to me,[/i]
Yesterday I thought the same but after riding around the tarmac this morning it really isn't for a lot of places. I was overtaken on an uphill section by three bikes in quick succession, one of which was a full suss mountain bike. The effort to get faster than that is much higher than on a normal bike because of tall the extra weight and the lack of the big front rings.
It's a tough one.
Push the limit much higher and they start to encroach on moped territory.
If the limit was raiaed to 20, I'd be happy, but we might see calls for more restrictive legislation.
It's a psychological thing too innit?
At 16 mph, you're no threat to drivers.
At 20, you're potentially more of an annoyance, something new to deal with.
UK 2 wheel testing and licencing is such a mess, I'd hate to see it fall under their remit.
As far as city commuting goes, you rarely get above 16 mph due to traffic and traffic lights. And most of your effort is the repeated need to accelerate from a standstill, so I think these are really well suited to that.
I think they're great, would really like a Specialized Turbo Levo for the midweek after work rides where i want to ride as much fun downhill stuff as possible in a relatively short period of time.
I'd also like a decent commuter version as well but as has been said the limit is too low for distance use unless it is particularly hilly. 20mph would be that little bit better, 25mph ideal for a commuter. If uber cautious switzerland can get their heads around a higher restriction why can't we.
..........and Strava KOM attempts"
We all know that Strava has an eBike category, right?
Putting an e-bike ride into the normal section to clain KOMs, would be analagous to doing a running route on a normal bike and similarly claiming the KOM.
For what it's worth, I have nothing against eBikes. I own one!
And I have nothing against KOMS - I owned one once
🙂
I will check out how to make it clear my bike is an eBike so I don't upset DT78 and the like.
Anyway to get it to default to Year to Date rather than All Time on the Strava segment details?
[quote="WorldClassAccident"]Riding on road/tarmac is DULLNo. You chose a dull route, or live in a place with only dull routes.
Time to move out of "civilisation" to somewhere more pleasant.
I took a group out last year and one of them had an electric Scott FS (not sure which one).
He had no problem keeping up on the climbs, and tbh was the only one of us who cleared a couple of long steep ones but he was right at the back on the fast long descent (Gypsy Glen, Peebles for those that know it), due to the lack of speed.
As he said, without it he wouldn't be out.
I also had a spin at the LBS on a new hybrid Cube, no button just assisted the pedals. Brilliant how it worked, but again too slow in town for me, although they'd just sold two to an old couple who wanted them to hang off the back of their motorhome to get around when parked up.
To raise the speed of my scott e-genius 710 to an excessive amount i would need to change the gearing, at the moment my bike is running an 18t front chainring which the motor turns 2.5 times every crank revolution so by my estimates that would equate to a 45t front chainring on a normal bike.
At the rear i am running 11sp XT so that gives me a gear range of 11 to 40.
With my rough working out with a tyre radius of 2230mm and 175mm cranks (which are far to long btw - pedal strikes are a pain so i'll be swapping to 165mm soon) along with the current 18t chainring that gives me a top speed of 31mph at a cadence of 90rpm (a 115" gear), If (and it is an [b][i]if[/i][/b]) i fit the tuning dongle then i would most likely drop to a 16t front chainring which once you factor in the 2.5x motor revolutions would give me an equivalent front chainring size of 40t and a top speed of 27mph at 90 rpm (102" gear), just as relevant is the low gearing when up in the 40t rear cassette which would give me a very useable 28" low gear.
Something to think about for sure, and i do not consider a top speed of 27mph to be excessive for use when off-road.
What i'd really like to be able to do is alter the current torque curves of the existing set up so i can personalise the power outputs for a given situation, i used to race moto-x rather competitively from the age of 12 through to 20 and had a choice of 3 different exhausts, a range of gearing and specifically tuned cylinder heads and pistons that were chopped and changed according to the types of track and event i was doing, some tracks were tight n' twisty which necessitated a quick and brutal peaky power delivery and others were open (beach races) which suited a more laid back smooth power delivery.
Being a natural fettler of my equipment for a given situation is what i love experimenting with, i'd love to be able to do similar with the Bosch motor.
[i]No. You chose a dull route, or live in a place with only dull routes.
Time to move out of "civilisation" to somewhere more pleasant. [/i]
No, the scenery was fine, the cycling was dull.
You just turn the cranks, no need to concentrate or think, no technique, just keep turning the cranks. Dull
Ah, it's you then.
Yep, it is me. Just spinning the cranks is dull to me. I would like to be admiring the beautiful scenery while being entertained by the cycling. For scenery on its own you might as well walk or drive.
I haven't ridden for 12 months so my backside was a bit tender from yesterdays ride.
That's the fault of the fitted scott saddle, they may be fine for a race snake whippet on an XC bike but i swapped mine out for a charge spoon before i had my first ride as the demo bike i borrowed last year had the same saddle - ouch!
I used to be a race whippet but things have gone to pot a bit
[img] http://goo.gl/5PVFtv [/img]
I guess there is still a race whippet inside me, maybe two or three
🙂
Chiiiiipppppp itttt!
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nothing I would ever publicly declare
Gawd that poor dog is a **** crying shame, I'm telling myself it's photoshopped rather than an actual photo 🙁
[b]Thursday Night Ride Review[/b]
I started these group rides about 4 1/2 years ago as a way for local riders to meet up and have a nice relaxed ride instead of some of the more committed groups of riders who just rode flat out the whole time. They always ended with a few beers back in my garage. For the last 3 1/2 years I have been unable to ride properly so have just gone down the garage for a beer or two.
Last night I actually went on the Thursday Night Ride!!
[b]Non-Electric Bit
[/b]Isn't cycling great, even better with a group of friends
Large amounts of the trails have remained similar but there are lots of new bits to explore and learn.
After 3 years off the bike I have lost the knack of choosing the good line around, over or through obstacles and rode like a total newbie
Mud and rain doesn't hurt, Trees do
I definitely need a dropper post - on order with Rich
Brand new big tyres don't make you immune from punctures. 650B Plus tyres need 2 CO2 canisters to inflate (3 if you let Matt try to help)
Nobbly Nic tyres have zero grip in Lordswood mud. The jury is out on if it is the tyres, the pressures, the mud, the plus sizing of the tyre or just the rider being rubbish. All to be tested over the coming months.
A rubber band fixing for bar lights may be great on the road but off road the lights bounce around and normally end up pointing at your toes. Need to get a proper bracket but also remembered that bar lights are rubbish compared to helmet mounted lights so needs to be a helmet bracket. Unfortunately when the scroats robbed my bikes they also robbed my helmet which had one half of the mounting bracket attached.
Remote front and rear lock out works really well, especially like the half way lock out to reduce the travel and stiffen the ride a bit. Apparently gives better traction.
Strava times are strangely intriguing again. No KOMs but quicker on the slow climbs but slower on a lot of the other bits.
[b]The Electric bit[/b]
If you get an electric bike your mates will want a go on it. They will then hoon up and down the hills on max boost giggling like buffoons.
You ride the trails in a higher gear than you would do otherwise - fine until you stop in a boggy area or an a hill and try to restart only to find you are in top gear.
To change down you lift the back wheel slightly and spin the pedals to let the rear mech move. When you do this the electric motor will kick in spinning the wheel and roosting all the mud and gloop off it straight into the face of anyone stood behind you (sorry Matt)
Don't follow too closely when climbing hills. If the guy in front stops or wobbles I would normally stop but stay balanced on the pedals. Do this on an electric bike and the boost stops and suddenly you are stationary on a hill in a really high gear. Kind of the same as the earlier point and I guess it is my main learning from last nights ride.
The biggest benefit, other than the easier pedaling, is getting the bike back up to speed after a stop or slowing for an obstacle. A couple of pedal strokes and you are cruising again.
After one particularly badly ridden down hill(ish) section where I kept sliding off the trail, clipping trees, riding into logs and tree stumps I was feeling battered but fortunately there was a long draggy climb afterwards so I stuck it in a low gear, max boost and enjoyed a rest and got my breath back as I gently cruised up the climb. Weird to use climbs as rest and relax periods!
At the end of the ride the battery was still showing 4 out of 5 battery bars so I used just over 20% of the available power riding 10.0mi in 1:05:39 and climbing 494ft according to Strava
I got gordy at Bothy Bikes to set up my tyres tubeless when he was building it up for me, done 600m+ so far over/through briars/thorns/and one trip into a gorse bush without any punctures. Low pressure helps, for my 11stone weight i run as low as 12psi in the front and 13 psi in the rear for natural type trails, if you are riding a more hard packed trail centre type surface i go up to 14psi front and 15psi rear as otherwise they can feel quite squirmy in corners.
Mud?, yeah the big tyres can take a bit of getting used to in mud as they tend to float on the surface so when it comes to cornering you really have to commit to leaning the bike over (yet keep your body upright) so that the nobby nic sidewall knobs dig in - try this and you may be surprised.
Tyre pressure makes a big difference as to how the bike rides, 1 or 2 psi really does make a difference especially over wet roots and off camber muddy corners.
Mucky nuts fat face fenders fit well but they benefit from slightly heating up with a heat gun then held into position whilst the plastic forms to the shape of the fork crown and rear seat stay yoke - they don't keep all the muck off you but they do make a difference.
As you've found out the fox suspension reduced travel mode really does help with traction on the climbs, due to the low tyre pressures providing decent small trail chatter absorption i've found i can run an extra 5psi in the shocks without any drawbacks.
If you get a stealth dropper post then pay attention to the routing through the motor casing, see pics below. The plastic cover for the motor needs a slight modification by a dremel/file/sharp knife to remove some of the plastic so that the cable can have a cleaner exit and allow for a flush fit of the plastic motor housing.
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Gap before modification
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routing of cables inside motor housing
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Slight removal of some inner plastic on the motor housing will allow the cover to sit better over the dropper cable.
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Gap after modification
Peter Poddy - if they give you the option of a dongle, and not really knowing what that is, why would it break warranty to remove it? (I'm thinking it's like chipping a car...?)
If I had one, then I'd like the option of maxxing it out for hooning around on a mates farm. We've used a quad out there and so a chipped e-bike might be amusing
I have to say, these bikes do sound awesome, not that I have any plans to get one
They don't give you the dongle. It is an aftermarket fit and like chipping a car it normally invalidates your warranty as they don't like you taking the motor covers off and fiddling with the electronics.
I am planning on going tubeless. Any idea which, if any, of these values from my spares box will work?
[url= https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1624/25378787222_5e2deb7b40_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1624/25378787222_5e2deb7b40_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/EECVfW ]20160304_124426[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/89686376@N04/ ]WCA![/url], on Flickr
My first pic up there disappeared for some reason?,
here it is showing the gap
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As to the valves i dunno?, but i imagine the standard stans will work fine as that's what david sells in the shop.
The rubber sealing edges of the 3rd from left valve you pictured above look quite perished, for the sake of a few £ i'd be tempted to fit new stans valves as once you fill the big tyres with 130ml+ of fluid you do not want to removing them anytime soon. Apparently the tyres set up quite easily with a suitable fat bike big volume floor pump or if you have a compressor it'll be a doddle.
Any of them. Silver one looks the newest. I'd use the 2 that it was easiest to remove the valve core from.
A quick Q re top speed. If you changed to a larger sprocket on the front (say from 32 to 36) do you get more top end or does the computer alter the power to keep it going 25kph?
Local Specialized dealer is trying to get me a Levo in XL but isn't hopeful as there's none left in any size..
The fitted software restrictions would cut out the assist above 15.5mph no matter what front sprocket/gearing change you fiddle about with.
Thought that might be the case. Cheers.
Totally faff free tubeless conversion.
Possibly because of new tyres and wheels, possibly because a valve adapter let me use a compressor to inflate.
Let down tyre and remove inner tube. Fit valve and a couple of twists with pliers to tighten it. Pour in a metric glut of Stan fluid. Put the tyte in roughly the right place. Inflate and wait for a couple of pop noises as the edgee fit the rims. Put wheels back on the bike.
Tomorrow I can start playing with the pressures to see if I can find any grip on the nobbly nic tyre
Should be able to get lower now, much less likely to have a repeat of Thursday's puncture.
I found Nobbys do get dramatically better at the lower end of the pressure scale. Used to have them on the old green Bandit.
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it
[i]Totally faff free tubeless conversion.[/i]
Yeah, ever spoken too soon?
Went to meet mates for a ride at 3pm and walked into the garage to find a flat back tyre. Re-inflated and air was pissing out around the valve. Popped the tyre off and picked a glob of latex like 4 bits of chewed gum stuck together. Poured some more Stans in and raced off to meet the mates. Half flat within a few minutes and returned home pissed off.
Back at the garage I worked out that it wasn't air escaping because the valve wasn't seated but because somewhere the air was leaking through the spoke holes. By re-inflating the tyre and bouncing the tyre while rotating it to ensure the liquid was properly splashed everywhere inside the tyre and rim we had success.
Too late to join the ride but I set off for a ride on my own.
[b]Non Electric bit[/b]
Mud is still sloppy but I am getting better at keeping the bike going and choosing better lines.
I can no longer remember the trails in enough detail to ride back without lights in the near dark
[b]The electric bit[/b]
I am getting better at getting the gears and boost combination to work together.
You need to read the trail ahead better as it is less obvious when the trails are steepening and you need to change down. I thin I said last time, if you stop and try to restart you risk being in way to high a gear. Only happened once this ride.
The electric bit is fading from the riding experience and the riding is what it is all about. Perfect!
Could it really be this simple?
Or for 140 euro this seems an easy fir or remove depending where you are riding so you can remain legal on the road to the private land..
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