Last night I finally accepted by Scoot e-Genius is now for the 'spares and repairs'* stage of life so I need a need bike but it is a long time since I have been looking so don't know the latest must-have bits, which brands are good, which are bad, which are cool with the kids etc. Add to this the lock down meaning I can't easily travel around for test rides and the fact I need it to be electric and I am a bit stumped on how to start.
My plan so far is:
1) Set a budget = £3,000
2) Understand that the budget might flex for the 'right one' so it could stretch to £3,500
3) Select the basic format based on riding = full-suss (ankle demands it) XC bike for the more enthusiastic and less svelte rider
4) Ask STW
The Scott has a good battery and Bosch motor so I am thinking something with the same battery mounts would let me use the old battery as a range extender but lots of the newer bikes have hidden batteries so I am not sure that should dominate the selection process.
Suggestions and advice please
*If you have an e-Genius and need any specific parts pm me and we can discuss
Is the Scott really that dead? With the current state of the world you may struggle to get anything within budget…
You've got £3k and want a new FS eBike?
https://www.mbr.co.uk/buyers_guide/cheap-electric-mountain-bikes-399137
It'll be short, basic and you'll be complaining on here within days.
Science?
Choose one that's available of the type you want. Hope you get a nice colour. Smash your cash down and ride it. That's my approach. Nobody makes rubbish bikes now, you'd be hard pressed to buy a duffer.
What's wrong with the Scott?
Frame is sub-optimally aligned on the Scott so the motor creaks and cannot be un-creaked so the front chain ring is at a slight angle to the rear rings and snaps chains. Shame because the motor is only 12 months(ish) old and the battery is still good. Just need a straight frame to fit them too.
Can you get a secondhand version of the same bike for easy transplanting?
The Filter "In Stock" should be relabelled - "Remove all options but 1" on most sites it seems. And why are the reasonable bikes £4,000+ now when I only paid £3,000 for what was top end when I got it?
Science?
Choose one that’s available of the type you want. Hope you get a nice colour. Smash your cash down and ride it. That’s my approach. Nobody makes rubbish bikes now, you’d be hard pressed to buy a duffer.
This is my approach, only had one terrible bike out of about fifteen i have owned in the last 8 - 10 years.
“ And why are the reasonable bikes £4,000+ now when I only paid £3,000 for what was top end when I got it?”
Pandemic plus Brexit.
Supply (factory closures and social distancing and shipping problems) and demand (more people are buying bikes) have gone weird. Shipping has gone up. Production is costing more. Raw materials have gone up. Extra duty from EU suppliers.
Can you realign the frame or shim the motor mounts?
But at least we have taken back control
I will be doing some guerrilla maintenance at the weekend I think although I do already have two bent and dented rear swing arms hanging off the wall where I hit things hard enough to bend stuff so I suspect there is repeated injuries and this is since the total frame replacement when I had a slightly more alarming crash
And why are the reasonable bikes £4,000+ now when I only paid £3,000 for what was top end when I got it?
Based on your problems with it, I'd hardly call it "top end".
It was top end price wise
I have gone and bought an e-gravel bike which doesn't match any of my needs but we will see how it goes
