Looks like I might bring forward emtb purchase thanks to cycle to work scheme.
I have had my eye on the neuron on:fly which I test rode at ardrock. But canyon aren't in my c2w scheme, however I can use Evans.
They have the lapierre zesty am ltd which seems incredibly well spec'd for the money and gets a favourable review on here, but comes with the Fazua ride 60 motor. I've seen some pretty negative reviews of this and no range extender available either.
Any stw opinions on the Fazua motor?
As much as I'd like to stick to the lighter end of the market (I'm weak as a kitten and don't want to embarrass myself trying to hump a heavy weight over the odd gate when needed!) it seems pretty hard to overlook the Vitus e-escarpe which is available again now Evans have taken on the brand.
£600 cheaper, Shimano motor, I've always liked a Vitus anyway, but it's 25kg as opposed to nearer 18-19 for the lapierre (or the canyon I originally checked out) ?
No direct knowledge I’m afraid, but in their recent SL e-bike shootout, the MBR reviewer wasn’t exactly gushing over the reliability reputation of that system on the Santa Cruz heckler SL.
Still give it an 8/10 mind, which seems weird.
I expect there will be a megathread for the heckler on the mtbr forum which should give some insight.
I have been riding a Heckler SL with one since June trouble free. It does absolutely everything I would want an e bike motor to do with minimal noise or fuss.
it does sometimes make a little noise when hot or working hard but not much.
For the type of rides I use the bike for the battery life is good and I love that the bike just feels like a regular bike with assistance rather than a motorised barge. In top power mode there is plenty grunt for me and I tend to ride it in a more 75% setting most of the time which I like. The App is good and lets you tweak the set up nicely.
I bought the bike from a great local shop (cycle highlands) so I’m confident of good support if and when I need it
*the motor will probably blow up next ride now that I’ve written this.
Here's a large thread discussing it's reliability
https://www.emtbforums.com/threads/fazua-ride-60-yay-or-nay-reliability-improved.38158/
Yes that's the thread I've started reading through!
But raify makes a good point re it being easier to find the negative reviews.
How's the range for you @raify and @robz (you say it's good for your rides but what are your rides!?)
I'm going to go to Evans next week and ask some questions.
That thread paints a pretty bleak picture.... I wonder if that's why the bike is discounted so much!? Gonna be totally worthless in a couple of years time??
Gonna be totally worthless in a couple of years time??
Like pretty much any bike?!
A couple of months in on a Santa Cruz Heckler SL. Everything has been fine for me so far. I am seeing a bit if a fldrop in range in colder temperatures. The only thing I'm not impressed with is the walk mode. Not useful at all for me. I would like the promised range extender to appear though.
Is it discounted, having seen any particularly wowzer deals on these?
I'm probably 80kg in my riding gear and the bike isn't the lightest version of the relay... Alloy pnw spec (22kg)
The most range I've managed around peaselake is just under 50km and 1400mtrs up almost all in eco.
Range isn't really an issue for the riding I do. I'm knackered before it is.
I weigh about 98kg kitted up and a typical ride is 1:45hrs (26km ish) and about 900/1000m on a moderate boost setting. Battery usually still got a little left.
I know you didn't ask but there's some very good deals about on levo sl's currently.
With a range extender they are similar weight to a heckler sl
I know a few people with fazua motors, all have been problem free. Super quiet motor
Alternative option in XL only...
The Levo SL is a good shout if there are deals to be had. The bike rides really well and I was impressed by the motor. I very nearly got one prior to getting my Santa Cruz and it was only the small battery (didn’t want to have to carry a range extended all the time) and incompetent staff in the Specialized dealer that put me off.
Part 3 is about to be published.
in short, the Fazua motor has performed extremely well. I am a spinner and tend only to use Breeze mode. The higher power modes I barely touch. They are fun to use but Breeze is pretty much spot on for most rides unless you decide to tackle a wall climb.
I have some creaking coming from the frame mount bushings but the motor has never let me down.
Battery drain is annoying though. The bike can be fully charged and a week later down to two or three bars. Walk mode also seems to take ages to kick in.
That forum thread link is not exactly encouraging but I can only go on the evidence of my own experience and so far, so good. My fork service mechanic was a Fazua repair partner but gave it up due to the long delays in sorting motor issues for his customers. This was pre Upgrade taking them on so things may have improved.
It is the nicest motor I have used and the lack of heft means that it is a viable option to ride with the motor off a lot of the time which really extends the range.
The lack of a range extender is piss poor though. Fazua are now saying the second quarter of 2025. One of the reasons I chose the Pivot was in the expectation of the range extender being available and yet here we are with nothing to show for it.
In short, a great motor system that gets the balance of weight and power spot on. Compared to my friend’s Specialized, it is the far superior option - lighter, more powerful, much better range and significantly quieter.
Hope this helps?
Any questions, just ask!
Cheers
Sanny
There is a levo SL comp at Evans for 4500, down from 7000. S4 size which I guess is large equivalent, I'm likely a large.
Last night I was thinking I might just go for the e escarpe, just tick the e bike box with something pretty good value, save a few quid and I have a lot of faith in Vitus being a reliable/workhorse type brand for some reason. (Had a few over the years.) On c2w, it would effectively cost 2500 which is not to be sniffed at.
But reading @sanny article and info above (thanks for posting) I'm back on that lapierre again......
I'm going to visit Evans, see what they have to say and try to get more info about c2w, I fired a few q's at the "staff benefits" dept at work this week and they weren't forthcoming with info. I have to go through Vivup if anyone else has experience of that? And my employer has a 5k cap. I think I can use Wheelbase and biketreks, but there's an Evans a bit closer to me.
I agree with Sanny on the power requirements. I rarely use anything other than breeze (green light). The previous poster who spends two hours solid in blue must have some darned steep hills local to him. I do want the range extender though. All the better for big days out, which is what I originally bought the bike for.
The previous poster who spends two hours solid in blue must have some darned steep hills local to him.
I do. The Cairngorms and surrounding area.
But my e bike is really just for lazy/solo days when I want to bust out laps. If I want to work hard or go on an epic I ride a non-eeb MTB or road bike.
Levo SL2 is a good shout. It's a massive improvement over the SL1 and the motor is much quieter.The small main battery is a disappointment though.
Well I went to Evans yesterday, what a sh1t show that was. It's moved since the last time I went so ended up touring around the back streets of Preston to get to its new home at deepdale, where it turns out it's just a small corner in a massive sports direct. There's no staff in there that specifically work for Evans so they don't really know anything and basically said I need to fire questions at my employer.
I've managed to find out that I can't extend the repayments beyond 12 months anyway, which means the monthly repayment works out at £250+ a month which is too much wedge tbh. I just don't want that much coming out every month for a bike really. Shame coz it's a bike that is RRP 7k discounted to £4200 which works out costing me 3k through c2w ?
Anyway, back to the drawing board for now..... Need to do some man maths
I've got Boardman road bike thing (adv8.9e)with the ride 50 setup.. great bike, been faultless, but i decided i didn't want it anymore.. I cannot sell it, I literally finished my 24 payments, then put it for sale at like 1200 and no bites, that being said, might be the same for most bikes atm who knows
@richardkennerley, there is a good deal on seemingly mint ex demo Lego SL. Check the PSA thread. Just under £3k.
I've riddien bosch, tQ, and shimano emtb systems and I like the Fazua Ride60 the best. So much so that I got a Transition Relay alloy NX on sale when I was visiting Bentonville, AR two months ago. I've got a nic under 400 miles so far. What I like best about the motor is that you really feel as if you are riding just a regular bike, with a tailwind wherever you pedal. I mostly ride it in Eco mode (green), and sometimes adaptive mode (blue/river mode) when I want more punch, as things get moving a lot faster in the higher power modes which makes the same old trail you're used to feel like its on fast-forwards. It's an interesting sensation. As for the range - it's fine for how long I really want to ride - I can get a really good 2.5 hour ride in, and be spent entirely by then, but a small + light 150/200 w/h range extender would be nice, and it is coming. As other have said, people posting on forums rarely ay 'oh, my bike didn't do anything bad today', and with the buckets of research I did on emtb motor fails, I realized that they ALL have hand grenades, and you just gotta roll the dice and get the bike you really want and worry about whatever when and if it happens. best of luck in your search.
