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Having had some test rides and much pondering I have ordered a Focus one from my LBS. It won’t arrive for another month or so (2020 model), so to help my impatience, let’s see pictures of yours out on the trails please !
Mingers commence! 😆
Went to see a Trek Powerfly at the dealers and they are out of stock until the 2020 models are released.
Came home with one of these instead.
Its wonderful to play and D28 since you ask.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48264167966_f7d3ef1240_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48264167966_f7d3ef1240_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2gwWtD1 ]P1200045[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/140397021@N03/ ]michaelwex10[/url], on Flickr
Nobeer - yeah, I looked at that one before going for the Focus !
Ecapra?
Few of me 😉
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You can enjoy both
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One of my eldest daughter
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And to keep everyone happy two from last week
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Great pics Tracey, Iain could only dream of riding with such poise! 🤣
^^^^ hahaha nobeer 😂
Tracey, I was hoping you’d post some up !
Girls both ride far better than me. I dont know if its coincidence but I've just had a couple of weeks riding the Enduro in some full on conditions and its the first time that I haven't had a few crashes. I think riding the ebike has made me a better rider
My other half's Levo
Three for one.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48098436743_ff68daf26a_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48098436743_ff68daf26a_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2ghi4w8 ]2019-06-20_04-58-03[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]multispeedstu[/url], on Flickr
Mrs stu on hers.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48212433337_cfa4f428b0_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48212433337_cfa4f428b0_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2gsnjJD ]2019-07-06_02-21-08[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]multispeedstu[/url], on Flickr
Some great, and inspiring, pictures !
Not quite mine but a demo on the outgoing model:
That Spesh looks really smart !
I whittled my choices down to a Levo or the Focus Jam2 and went with the latter as I prefer Shimano to SRAM !
Genuine question - why would you choose an e-bike on drivetrain brand (which can easily be swapped) over motor (which can't)..? We picked the Levo almost entirely because it has the Brose motor, which seems to top most reviews.
We picked the Levos for a few reasons. Mainly because it rides like a Stumpy but also because of backup if its ever needed.
idiotdogbrain, yes fair question, the Focus has the new Bosch motor, so level on that. The spec and geometry suit me better too, on paper. Both available from local shops and both have good backup and warranty.
We picked the Levos for a few reasons. Mainly because it rides like a Stumpy but also because of backup if its ever needed.
Oh it will be .
^^^^^ why ? Do they have reliability issues ?
According to dealers I’ve spoken to - yes.
Non of ours have, and I don't know any one who has. On the odd occasion over the last 15 years that we have had to use Specialized (two crash assisted replacement frames) they have been first class and more importantly quick to sort.
Spesh's eBike warranty is second to none, probably because they've had so much practice...
According to dealers I’ve spoken to – yes.
Non spesh dealers then? 🤣
Mates have a Levo and a kenovo, had em for 18 months, and they hammer them, out all the time.
Only issue they've had was a motor frying due to a twig going right into it via the vent, spesh replaced motor FOC.
There are 3x kenevos in our group and no problems with any of them motor wise.
@Nobeerinthefridge Nope a big Spesh stockist. Others have mentioned it too, but Spesh stockist was first to mention it.
Love my Powerfly. Bought from Evans just before the SD buyout. Had one warranty motor replaced (possibly my fault), turned around in 2 days.
Spesh have had a few quality and design problems with the 2019 Levos.
The early motors were very loud; Replaced under warranty.
Dirt ingress due to poor design; new motor covers, a sponge, and now a deflector shield. It is still unclear if all dealers are fitting these parts under warranty or if the new bikes are coming fitted with them.
Motor power cable; it's a generic Brose part and due to the length has a tight 180degree bend close to the connector which causes cracking and shorting issues. There is supposedly a new cable, but Spesh seem reluctant to admit there is a fault.
On the eMTB forum there are quite a few people who've suffered motor or battery failures, along with the design issues. The warranty problems are easily sorted but the design issues seem to be a lottery as to whether you'll get an easy fix or a battle with your dealer.
Bosch and Shimano motored bikes aren't much better. The Bosch has a well known design flaw that the Gen 4 motor has eliminated and the Shimano seems to have an issue with the bottom bracket bearings if ridden hard.
I'm on my third Bosch motor in under 1500 miles and I know people with Spesh and Shimano bikes who've had motors and/or batteries fail.
EDIT: Spesh are also experiencing issues with the TCU on the 2019 bikes.
Must just be lucky with the three we have in the family shared between four of us. A 2017 and 2 2018.
Best keep my fingers crossed.
It would be nice if we had a survey from riders who actually own Ebikes to see what problems, if any, they have had. Might help prospective buyers narrow their choice.
Our red one is defiantly faster than the blue one, we have checked everything and they are all set up the same but who ever grabs the red one is always first up the hill.
All have the latest firmware.
In that case I'd be testing Spesh's legendary warranty if the slower bike is still covered. There was a chap on the eMTB forum who had a motor replaced and the replacement was massively down on power compared to the original. He got it replaced.
red is always faster than blue though, its the rules 🙂
The other two aren't down on power though. Must be the colour even if the blue one looks nicer.
Going to swap over the 650b+ wheels on the red one to some spare 29rs just to see what it rides like. think it will need a part worn tyre on the rear for clearance. Anyone else done it.
All have the latest firmware.
I read this about a mountain bike and died a little inside!
Aye, next thing folk will actually take their mountain bikes into the mountains, eh 🙂
Going to swap over the 650b+ wheels on the red one to some spare 29rs just to see what it rides like. think it will need a part worn tyre on the rear for clearance. Anyone else done it.
I’ve done it F&R to my 2016 Levo, fits fine with 29x2.35 tyres and really improves the bike IMO, but I’m not a fan of plus tyres.
Thanks Tom, looks to be more room in the back of the 2017 than the 2018, wheels are set up, just need rotors and the sensor moving across.
Scott espark 710, given up on posting images here tho after two fails, about 18 months in and very pleased, has definitely widened my bimbletures area, now happy to do 40 miles (20/25 on std bike), I tend to not use much battery e.g 40 miles on about 1.5 segments(of a 5 segment shimano 500 battery) but more than happy to use it if I flake or am having a bad day. Awaiting future developments, ultimately I’d be happy with a bit less power and a lot less weight but am pleased that (*as I understand it) that Shimano have had the decency to make the 8000 and 7000 motors etc interchangeable, as I’m still using a 2006 Orange 5 so I’m keen on maintainability/spares availability. Next bike = well if we can get a 15kg 400wh 120xc then I might be in, esp if Shimano based.
Kona Remote Control loads of pics, can't get them on here! 🙄
Posting pics:
Go to www.postimage.org on mobile or pc, no account needed, upload picture. Then click on tab for "hotlink for forums".
Just past that text here (no need to clink on the IMG tab on here or anything) and all should be good.👍
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Poopscoop, thanks for that link !
Looks good, just needs to get dirty.
Finally fitted the 29er Rovals last night, old Butcher 2.6 Blck Dmnd to the front and a very old 2.3 Butcher Grid to the rear, had a good look and if it works I might be able to get a 2.6 into the back of it.
Tracey, thanks 🙂 - that one is the demo from Ride Cairngorm, so a 2019 version - I'm hanging off for the 2020 one, which should land end of next month, with slightly slacker geometry and the Bosch motor..
@ianc
What bike is that mate, about the best looking ebike I've seen.👍
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Counting down till the 2020 ones arrive ! Bigger battery will be good, though not so sure about the extra couple of kilos that goes with it...
Out of interest which are the most respected forums/ websites to keep up to date on all things ebike ? Particularly interested in the technology and unbiased reviews which can seem hard to come by. Basically I want to get up to date with the whole business as I bought my Bosch motored machine years ago , to overcome arthritis of the knee issues( it worked) ,and things have certainly moved on.
Liking these pics folks, I am looking into the ebike thing to get me out more. My legs and knees can handle about 15 - 20 miles max then they start to give up on me fairly rapidly.
Looking to keep the expenditure to say £3500, needs to be full suspension aswell so this thread is working out fine for me. I like the Norco’s, Mondrakers, Focus and Canyon range so far..
Keep the pics coming and any insights into battery life and range etc is welcome.
from my research over the last month it looks like the 2020 ones, with the new Bosch motor, offer a lot more in the way of range and feel. If they weren’t mail order, I’d be looking at the Canyon Spectral ON, which looks like great spec and value.
I think though, given the likely need for future dealer maintenance, that buying from a local shop makes most sense.
..
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Nearly 5000km now:)
No photos from me but had the chance to demo a few back to back today which might be helpful for anyone thinking of buying one. Bikes were a Lapierre eZesty with Fazua motor, Lapierre Overvolt with the old Bosch motor, and a Haibike hardtail with Yamaha motor.
The Zesty rode a lot like a human powered bike compared to the other two, and was noticeably lighter (top end spec probably helped). Even on max assist it was fairly subtle, augmenting my pedalling rather than launching me up hills. It was very smooth and refined, and there was no drag with the motor off.
I had a lot more fun on the Overvolt. While they both save a lot of energy and time pedalling up hills, the Fazua system didn't have the same kick to it. The Overvolt made it easy to build up speed and race along flat trails, which I think is what I'd want if I was buying an ebike. The suspension felt great too - hard to say how much was the weight of the bike and how much was geometry and setup, but I wouldn't have guessed it was fairly low end (RS Sektor I think). Downside on this was a lot of drag with the motor off or past the limiter, you can really feel it resisting the pedals.
The Haibike was really just confirming what I expected with an e-hardtail - I really felt the weight of the motor as it smashed into every bump. The trails weren't very technical (Bedgebury) and I've had plenty of fun riding them on a hardtail before, but it really felt like a dead weight on the back. The motor itself seemed nice enough, it had the most initial boost of the three and putting a bit of pressure on the pedals while standing still felt like twisting a throttle. It pedalled smoothly and had some resistance when it cut out but less than the Bosch.
For my money I think I'd wait for the next generation of motors which hopefully improve the drag and the feel of pedalling. I really like having the full power the Yamaha and Bosch systems offer but the shortcomings were very obvious when the Fazua was so smooth. I wouldn't have the Fazua personally, but I could see it being the one to win over sceptics and it would be great for a versatile only bike.
Mrs M has just purchased a Levo Expert. According to her its much better than her 2015 Cube Stereo E-BIke. I can testify that she's almost buzzing my back wheel on singletrack and that was only her first outing on it. 🙁. She's most impressed with the Levo's motor decoupling after 16mph unlike the Bosch unit on the Cube.
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Giant Trance E+0 - Blindsee Trail, Tirol, Austria
“For my money I think I’d wait for the next generation of motors which hopefully improve the drag and the feel of pedalling.”
The current Levo doesn’t have any drag and pedals like a normal 150mm 29er full-sus - I happily ride it unassisted most of the time on group rides. And has LOTS of power in turbo mode.
We had a day out yesterday, with some demo Merida E-160 900 bikes.
Best fun we have had in ages. The ability to climb, including up and over trail obstacles, plus get through soft ground was fantastic. As you may imagine, covered ground much quicker than we would otherwise plus finished in a zen like state of fatique rather than full blown kn*ck*r*d.
That said, given the £000's involved my personal sense is that I will continue with the normal bikes, but hire ebikes for a good long day out.
Great fun 'though!
The 2020 Merida 140 looks mighty impressive too...
It looks like a lot of the manufacturers have rejigged their line ups and are just starting to release them - all good news as they, in general terms, become more mainstream and slightly more affordable