To EMTB or not at age 59

Sounds like you'd enjoy it, so if you can afford it, go for it.

Who cares what age you are, if you enjoy riding them and want one then go for it!

Im 46 and ive been riding emtb's for 4 years now, ive still got a normal mtb, road bike and a BMX and i try and get out them when i have more than 2 hours spare

For rides under 2 hours which can include getting to and from the riding spot then i take the emtb, i can blast up the hills, have fun on the downs and get back home to do family stuff for the rest of the day and still feel like ive had a good ride

MTB for me is about fun not fitness (i have the road bike for that) an emtb makes mtb'ing even more fun!

I treated myself when I was 70 for much the same reasons you mention. I still ride my normal bikes regularly but for those days when you are lacking energy and motivation it gets me out. Just do it.

I’m 44 and have had a Levo for over 4 years that I use for commuting and MTBing (my commute has fun bits!) and a singlespeed hardtail that’s my main local MTBing bike. They might seem an odd pair but they get on very well.

It’s hard to explain how intense an eMTB ride can be if you’re in an attacking mood, trying to squeeze a normal ride into less time. And obviously if you’re in a more chilling mood you can let it almost uplift you. Good for head to toe strength too - takes a lot more power to chuck about a bike that big and heavy.

If you can afford the initial cost and the ongoing costs then why not?

Isn't for me, despite riding a few and enjoying it a lot, I can't stomach the cost increases (I'm a bike snob when it comes to my bike bits i.e. some bits need to be a certain level - not because I'm a good rider but because I think I need them!), so I'll be looking to avoid ebikes for a good long time.

It's just a bike. Don't over think it.
I ride my manual bikes just as much as my eeber.
I just look at it as another choice of a different style of riding.

If it's your only bike then you might need a bit of thought, such as a lighter ebike (Rise, Levo SL, etc) against the heavier models, but if you've got another bike then it's not really going to destroy the way you ride, unless you let it.

I ride one occasionally and am Peak District based. I think they're great, though I'd still rather ride a conventional mountain bike most of the time. I'd ignore all the stuff about whether they make you 'stronger' or 'fitter', that's really down to you. I would bear in mind that the full-fat models are heavy and handle differently to a normal mtb for that reason. They're inconvenient to lift over tall stiles. And motors do fail in the way that mechanical components everywhere fail. If it's out of warranty, you're left with a potentially hefty bill for replacement or repair. The one on my borrowed Levo managed 1660km before developing significant crank play - no jet-washing or hosing down, barely ridden in the wet. I'd hope more recent models are more durable.

Also, though it's not mentioned that often, they are often quite noisy, even the Brose motor which Specialized use makes a noticeable racket at higher levels.I don't really like being accompanied by a whine/hum/whirr wherever I go, but that's maybe just me.

I have one as it was loaned to me to help with recovery from long covid, so I'm probably not a very typical 'owner' and while I enjoy riding it, I don't have much financial skin in the game bar the cost of repairing the motor. If I were the OP, I'd hire or borrow an emtb for a day and get some personal experience. Everyone's different and things that I find annoying, you may not even notice. I know there's a tendency to render things down to a black and white 'emtbs are great! / emtbs are terrible' thing, but the reality is that they have pros and cons like anything else.

I’m thinking I’ll get more fun on some of the hillier trails being able to session the downhills

It would work well for that. Emtbs are also great for recovery / easy days particularly if you live somewhere hilly. Means you can ride steep trails without battering yourself - you can also, if you choose, batter yourself by pedalling harder / using less assistance, your call.

Eeb at any age. I dont really see the point in making things less fun and harder than they need to be.

I'm 52. Got a kenevo early December also have a pace hardtail and some others. The KSL means I can put in 8 climb and drops instead of 4 in about the same time. Same if input level from me so just as pooped a bit more tired in shoulders as I'm hitting more downs with a heavier bike.
My superlightbcarbon xc will be out and about as I raise my training for a 24hr later in the year

I wouldn’t worry about the age thing, and just crack on and do it. I bought one in my late 40’s for the very thing you are talking about and it’s brilliant for winch and plummet riding in the Peak. As others have said, great for time constrained riding too, but where I think they really shine is doing routes and loops you wouldn’t normally do on your normal bike - eg one of my local loops riding the e-bike from home includes descending jacobs ladder twice - would never consider the ascent worth it for a second lap on my normal bike

Worth renting one for a day or so first to try it, but would be shocked if you don’t love it. Go rent one of the trek rails from James @ bike garage and you’ll have a blast

Got my first ebike aged about 57 now had them for nearly 6 years.

Imho (*map based xc explorer) the only downsides are weight on cheeky trails - it’s altered my cheeky slightly (*I’m still evaluating a lightweight) but if you do cheeky I’d suggest doing some lift tests as some bikes deffo have better handholds than others and some are deffo lighter
And motor reliability/rebuildability (so I won’t buy another shimano engine), and I’d suggest doing some research to find a rated localish dealer and the track record of the motor you’re interested in.

Fyi Battery - I want a removable one for ease of charging when I’m travelling and staying in hotels etc, and I suspect it might last better stored in a house as opposed to a garage but that cuts out a LOT of bikes.

For me it’s a great solution to aging and I’m back to (and exceeding) the stuff I could do 30 years ago, but I still drag out my 2006 orange 5 sometimes.

Whatever you want. Im 47, in pretty good nick. I have 2 'analogue' mtbs, a road bike,. a gravel bike..and an e-bike. Put simply the e-bike is just more fun than any other bike I have - I still get a work out as hard as I like, BUT I get to 3 or 4 times the number of downhill tracks that I used to. Go for it.

I love riding my eeb. I now have a whyte e160 rsx and it's beast. I ride my firebird at bike parks and stuff but my other rides are all ebike

Nobody needs an excuse to ride an ebike, they're ace.

Go and rent one from James at the bike garage in hope

Agree, nothing to do with age. You can be lazy at any age.

At your age you’re doing well getting out on 2 wheels so why not get an E bike. I hope to be as active as you when I get older. Well done, hope you have great fun on the e-bike old timer 🤪

I got one because the people I ride with most have them. And if you're not all on the same sort of bike it spoils it for everyone.

I was initially sceptical and I'd ridden a few and found them uninspiring but when I got my Scott, which seems to be a powerful beast it transformed my riding - for the better. Get to the bottom, go back up again. And again. And you go up and down tracks you've never tried before because if they peter out...doesn't matter.
Big muddy swamps - into Turbo and through you go.

But if you ride where there are gates and stiles to go over - forget it.

I now ride from home instead of sticking the bike in the car so I end up riding more often with less faff.

At 63 I've got a E160 and its a great bike for the Peaks it will get you anywhere, I can climb hills I've never cleared.....

I now ride from home instead of sticking the bike in the car so I end up riding more often with less faff.

This has been my experience. Living at the bottom of a big hill is no longer an issue, plus it's not the easiest thing to transport as I've not got around to putting a towbar on current car.

E160 here too. Had it for over 2 years, and only cost me tyres and brake pads so far 🤞🏻

Something I did notice recently was how using the ebike to commute manages fatigue much better - my front brake was out of action on the Levo so I spent a week or two doing all my riding on my singlespeed. I don’t do loads of mileage, although I do a fair bit of climbing. Also my job is reasonably physical, I go to the gym a few times a week and I have three small kids to run around after - and without the ebike to help when tired life did become harder.

I imagine as you get older that physical life fatigue thing happens sooner relative to your workload.

Do it because of your age. You might get more bang for your buck fitness wise working in Zone2 for longer, getting the strength benefits and keeping your balance skills honed.

I’m going to offer an unpopular alternative. Don’t do it. Every ride you do on an E mtb is a ride you could have got more exercise out of on a real bike. Even more important as you get older, not less.

Eeeb….Game changer. End of thread..

Obviously I'm with @supernova.

Everone says their fitness won't suffer but in a finite time environment it has to.

And I agree that the older you are the more important it is, whilst the science shows that, if you work them, your muscles retain 90% of their strength at age 90 that they have in your 20's.

Use it or lose it, tbh.

I’m not a professional sports scientist but my understanding of how to maximise longterm fitness was to do your high intensity exercise more intense and your recovery exercise more gentle. Ebikes make this a lot more possible.

There’s also an incentive to get stronger (lack of strength can become a serious problem in old age) if you want to be able to ride an ebike where stiles are common.

How is it that people ride exercise bikes and zwift and other things that don’t move at all, and still get exercise? Surely that isn’t possible?

60th birthday present to yourself. Just do it. Spent today on a borrowed ebike in the Peak District, and loved it. Still prefer my own normal bikes for now, especially on the downs, so wouldn’t replace them with an ebike… but also won’t wait ‘till I’m 59 to get one.

I think my fitness has got worse in the 2 years I've owned mine.

Could entirely be down to my lack of willpower.
It's still possible to get a good workout on an ebike, but it's also very easy to become lazy too.

I don't think i'll replace mine (mainly due to the lack of serviceability).

Whereabouts in the Peak are you? The popular dark Peak descents are a bit mid, by and large - it doesn't  have the signature stuff that an ebike would really open up. Good Peak riding is more the whole picture imho, unless you're just squatting the Ladybower lines for hours.

Otoh, Peak rides can be really attritional hard as we all know. If you're starting to balk at getting out, then I guess that's the bottom line and an ebike can impact that.

you could have got more exercise out of on a real bike. Even more important as you get older, not less.

Or....you could have more fun out of an ebike. Even more important as you get older, not less

My LBS has these in stock, this one with added deity stuff, anyone got a spare 8k?
https://flic.kr/p/2odXMf5

I’ll also be 59 this year and am still on standard bikes. I don’t race a lot, 2 or 3 times a year, but feel if I bought an e-bike it would be the beginning of the end to my racing days. I don’t think I’d be disciplined enough to choose the standard bike over the e-bike when I’m trying to get fitter! For this reason I’m still in the analogue camp.

Went walking (I know, but I was with a lady) round the local riding spot and there were probably 3 times as many ebikes as bikes. (Sorry they’re not analogue/acoustic/whatever, they’re bikes)
Most of the ebikes had fit looking, young (30-40 year olds) blokes riding them.
Question is, did they all have to ask permission, opinions, whys and wherefores from a load of people they don’t know??
I’m sure they know what’s going to give them their weekend offroading pleasure, so just found the dosh and bought their ebikes. Maybe they had to check with the wife first!
As said up the page, don’t overthink it - if you’ve got the funds and aren’t enjoying your bikes as much as you used to, there’s a solution and you know what it is!

Definitely get an ebike.
So much fun.
Quicker.
More distance.
A great time.

Don't buy a giant ebike. Mine has been nothing but a disappointment in terms of reliability and customer service.

I believe both Bosch and brose units are the ones to go for as you can fully rebuild them.

I'm 75 and sticking with my bike (not an ebike) for as long as I can. I still enjoy the uphill challenges especially the shortish technical ones - like where there are things like rooty ridges which require some momentum and power to get over.  I like going back to sections like that where I've failed and needed to push over and try to get them right.   I can see the attraction of ebikes but while I've still got the ability to to do it without "E" I'm going to continue.

Having said.... good luck to all riders whatever they ride, OP it's your decision.

Or….you could have more fun out of an ebike. Even more important as you get older, not less

They is some basis for retaining fitness as you age and it is very important for mobility and preventing muscle loss. They is zero basis on why having more fun at at 60 than you had when you were 40 though.
Fun is also clearly subjective and my fun is different to your fun.

That is all by the by though, if you want one and would be cycling more often (even if with less effort) then just get one.

“I still enjoy the uphill challenges especially the shortish technical ones – like where there are things like rooty ridges which require some momentum and power to get over.”

I don’t know if this is because most people haven’t spent any/much time on an ebike but there seems to be a misconception that ebikes are always on. This isn’t the case. My Levo has two buttons next to my thumb that let you go between the four modes - zero assist, eco, trail and turbo. Some have even finer steps of assistance.

If you want a challenge you can take on hard climbs and if you succeed at one level of assistance you can then make it harder next time and try again. I’ve probably done half the mileage of my Levo with the power off, zero assistance. Managing a tough climb on a MTB that weighs over 50lbs is very satisfying.

Obviously it requires you to make more decisions but it allows you to effectively adjust the shape of the terrain based on how your legs and lungs are feeling that day.

I'm 53, like to keep fit, have mountainbiked my whole life and up until 2 months ago was not remotely interested in ebikes as I had the whole 'it's cheating/it's only for fat lazy people' thing in my head. Rented a couple with my brother for the day at FOD and was instantly hooked! So I recently took delivery of a 2023 Whyte e160 which is a truly phenomenal bike. In the same time we could have ground out a couple of slow loops of our favourite trails we can now do that, plus hit another 3 or 4 trails, exploring more of the forest, and easily climbing back up to hit several of the bigger downhill runs. So as well as allowing a bigger, more varied ride the main thing we've noticed is how ebikes even make the boring/steady/slower bits of any trail just more fun.

And by dropping the bike down a mode I can easily play with how hard I'm working, how much I'm contributing, and will still feel it when I get home. The extra weight means I feel more tired all over, especially shoulders/upper body if we're hitting fast, rough, rooty sections at speed. But I also still feel it in my legs afterwards. Ok not as much as on a normal bike, but you can still work hard. But for me the biggest factor is how much more fun we have, how much more of the time I have a grin on my face rather than a grimace. Obviously for people solely focused on fitness and their Strava times ebiking isn't for them. But I've always enjoyed motorbikes (MX, trials, enduro) as much as mtb'ing and I find ebikes give me a tiny dose of that but in a healthier, more socially-acceptable way.

Handling-wise the e160 flows and dynamically feels very, very close to my T140, but with a stack more grip and ability. The lower centre of gravity means I can rail berms or hit any twisty section as hard as I physically want to. There's no penalty at all when hitting the fast rooty, technical downhills or flowing, bermy trails. The only real downside is when pedalling fast the limiter kicking in at 15mph, that feels odd, as if the bike is pro-actively slowing you. It isn't, it's just like suddenly running into a major headwind. But that can be cured if you want to 😉

And you definitely don't EVER want to run out of battery on a ride! It happened once recently and pedalling these full-fat ebikes unassisted is definitely not fun.

Lastly, we have been riding in filthy/muddy and snowy/icy conditions recently that definitely would have been a major struggle on out normal bikes. The ebikes just shrug it off. Having said all that we're taking our normal bikes out next weekend so we can enjoy both types of riding.

Anyway, as others have said rent one for a day, and you'll instantly know if it's for you. Like everything in life, each to their own 🙂

I believe both Bosch and brose units are the ones to go for as you can fully rebuild them.

People keep spreading this and to all intents and purposes its untrue** (at least you say I believe) BUT this is the primary factor for buying an eMTB or not.

Consider it a lease for the time of the motor warranty and after that it's a disposable item.

Even during warranty it may well only work for maybe 75% of the time as the for rest its being repaired under warranty

**Yes Bosch/Brose can completely rebuild a motor but noone else can because they refuse to sell the parts needed so for practical purposes they are not serviceable or maintainable.

You also can't buy A (1x) new motor (I'm told the MOQ for Bosch is 1000) so whilst theoretically someone could buy £1000 motors and then sell on (assuming Bosch allows this and honours warranty) that's a huge investment when they can just change the motor and someone is left with hundreds of old ones to sell as NOS.

Anyway, first question really should be IF you can afford the TCO and potential lack of bike whilst its being repaired under warranty and expectations about what happens once its outside of warranty.

If this is a deal breaker then I'd say stand back for now and wait until the market matures.

Even during warranty it may well only work for maybe 75% of the time as the for rest its being repaired under warranty

Nice bit of doom mongering there.
I snapped the input shaft on my Brose motor.
Sent a message to the shop I bough the bike from which is 250 miles away from where I now live.
They sent me a new motor which arrived two days later. I swapped it over and sent the old motor back.
Bike was out of action for two days and I've had it for almost three tears now.
Not sure what percentage that is but it seems pretty low to me.

Depends how you measure it - the fact it failed is a 100% fail rate (based on 1 out of 1)...in the grand scheme of things I suspect the failure rate is dropping as more are being bought, but from what I've heard from a few bikes shops, mechanics and owners for now, ebikes seem to have a few more failures that non-ebikes (but likewise, suspect they have more bits that could fail so more chance of a failure of some sort).
That probably doesn't h LP much either way...

Oh there's no dought there's failures but if you buy from the right place that know how to support their products it's not as much of a problem as some doom mongers try and make out it is.

I'd love a motor that lasted for ever but that's not an option right now so i'll go with good support for now.

I did Dartmoor yesterday on my ebike and I'm battered today. I ride anything with two wheels pretty much, race zwift, go touring and everything inbetween. Anyone who says ebikes make it easier haven't grabbed one by the shirt collar and giving it a proper hammering. It's almost a different sport

“I’d love a motor that lasted for ever but that’s not an option right now so i’ll go with good support for now.”

Ditto. The drive belt started slipping on my Levo after about three years, my LBS swapped it for a new unit and I was without the bike for just over a day. I understand the “new” unit in there may be new or may be a refurbed old unit as the faulty units go back to be rebuilt to the latest specs.

If you can afford it then why not get one. I'd not want to sell all my bikes to get one but having an eeb to add to my other bikes would only be better IMO.

🤷‍♂️

If you want one just buy one but don't refer to bikes as analog. They are bikes. Grrr

OP
If you decide to get one, get it from a local shop. Just for support if anything goes wrong.
Also if you’re pretty fit consider one of the smaller motor, lighter ebikes.

Ills echo the local shop. Friend got a "fatal" error. Took it to shop plugged cable back in, reset error code. Good to go in an hour or so.

As others have probably said, the only reason to hold off would be in the hope that reliability might improve - and perhaps the tech give a bit more refined experience.

They do seem to be getting more refined, from reading reviews, but not sure if they are getting more reliable or not? It's all anecdotal innit?

Noticed some Orbeas are now moving to batteries in the frame rather that a battery door. That's always been a positive with the Whytes IMO, all the electrics seem a bit more resilient tucked away inside the frame. As long as you don't mind charging them with the battery installed.

singlespeedstu

Nice bit of doom mongering there.

Oh there’s no dought there’s failures but if you buy from the right place that know how to support their products it’s not as much of a problem as some doom mongers try and make out it is.

There are literally hundreds of people on forums who don't have the same experience and wait months because there is no motor to replace it with unless they take it off a for sale bike.

I see it as a realistic chance I'll be without the eBike for part of its warranty period and I'd rather be prepared for that by for example not selling my real bikes so I can keep riding.

People keep spreading this and to all intents and purposes its untrue** (at least you say I believe) BUT this is the primary factor for buying an eMTB or not.

Consider it a lease for the time of the motor warranty and after that it’s a disposable item.

Even during warranty it may well only work for maybe 75% of the time as the for rest its being repaired under warranty

**Yes Bosch/Brose can completely rebuild a motor but noone else can because they refuse to sell the parts needed so for practical purposes they are not serviceable or maintainable.

You also can’t buy A (1x) new motor (I’m told the MOQ for Bosch is 1000) so whilst theoretically someone could buy £1000 motors and then sell on (assuming Bosch allows this and honours warranty) that’s a huge investment when they can just change the motor and someone is left with hundreds of old ones to sell as NOS.

Anyway, first question really should be IF you can afford the TCO and potential lack of bike whilst its being repaired under warranty and expectations about what happens once its outside of warranty.

If this is a deal breaker then I’d say stand back for now and wait until the market matures.

This level of misinformation is remarkable 🤦‍♂️

cha****ng

They do seem to be getting more refined, from reading reviews, but not sure if they are getting more reliable or not? It’s all anecdotal innit?

Not really because fundamentally they are just designed to last the warranty period.
I guess more might actually be making the warranty but they aren't designed to be maintainable

YT came up with a video the other day which is a nice analogy... it was about "What you need to do to a Subaru WRX to make it into a proper Rally Car" (or similar) and opinions were those of the Rally Driving School who did the conversions for their own cars.

Apparently stock suspension would last between 1 day and a month at best on a stock one used in their school... so other than stuff like protective plates this is the major thing needs to be changed for one that is maintainable...
According to the school (sic) "we have never had to replace a complete maintainable shock... HOWEVER there probably isn't a single shock that hasn't been completely rebuilt".

It looks to me like the marketing of eMTB is for non maintainable units... which to me seems as realistic as non-maintainable MTB suspension.

This is exasperated by the denial of warranty if you do try and maintain it... and refusal to sell critical parts such as electronics

I reckon whoever breaks and comes up with a maintainable motor in the same way as MTB suspension is on to a winner.

HobNob

This level of misinformation is remarkable

Yes people keep deliberately spreading the lies that eMTB motors are reliable or you can just buy a new one.
I guess that's because they are paid liars...

I'm neither a liar or being paid to say anything.

I'll leave you to it though after reading some of your other posts...

Yes people keep deliberately spreading the lies that eMTB motors are reliable or you can just buy a new one.
I guess that’s because they are paid liars…

Of course it depends on what your definition of ‘reliable’ is, but I can only use my own sample of 3 Bosch CX4 based bikes with a collective 10,000km on, they are all still working & haven’t failed.

Also, for what it’s worth, I can go to a Bosch dealer & if one has failed, I can buy a replacement motor, as an end user. I, nor the shop do no need to buy 1000 motors to make this happen.

This is also the same for a friend with a Specialized, as he has recently done this, on a 3 year old bike that’s out of warranty.

I’m not suggesting e-bikes are the pinnacle of reliability, but I am clarifying that you can buy replacement motors for them if needed*, and they can also be worked on & repaired, by plenty of third party businesses.

*I will happily exclude Shimano from that, but then I would never buy a Shimano powered ebike.

To clarify, I also don’t get paid for this…

Noticed some Orbeas are now moving to batteries in the frame rather that a battery door. That’s always been a positive with the Whytes IMO, all the electrics seem a bit more resilient tucked away inside the frame. As long as you don’t mind charging them with the battery installed.

To me, that's a huge negative.
I have the last orbea Wild fs with the removable battery. A lot of people can't store their bikes inside, so cold becomes an issue.
Plus, if you essentially use the bike like an uplift day, then you will most likely want more than one battery. I have two, the second of which is a bit smaller capacity.

Yeah you can use a range extender but it adds bulk and you don't get as much juice.
You can easily use up two batteries doing a full day at BPW or somewhere.

Seems like a backwards move to me.

Also, for what it’s worth, I can go to a Bosch dealer & if one has failed, I can buy a replacement motor, as an end user. I, nor the shop do no need to buy 1000 motors to make this happen.

Have you actually tried?
I tried a Trek dealer (as it was a Trek) and I got told Bosch wouldn't sell a new Gen 2 motor and they (Trek Bracknell) couldn't even order one as it wasn't in their (Trek) internal catalogue so they couldn't order it even if Bosch would sell it. I realise that's a Trek dealer not an actual Bosch dealer but I wouldn't even know where to find a "Bosch dealer" (assuming you mean somewhere sells Bosch from power tools/motors/etc?)

What I do see is many people reading posts etc. that say you can and repeating what they read that haven't actually tried but want it to be true.

The reason I trust the head mechanic at the Trek Bracknell is because he spent a lot of time trying to diagnose the fault .. he eventually gave in trying to diagnose it, didn't charge me a penny and was genuinely apologetic (just not quite enough for me to just order a new Trek)

To clarify, I also don’t get paid for this…

Unfortunately people rarely admit they have been paid to post certain things ... those things then spread and the person repeating them is just repeating them.

I, nor the shop do no need to buy 1000 motors to make this happen.

I'm not going to say who or do guessing as it may influence Bosch refusing to deal with them (but they are a member if infrequent poster I know IRL) that told me the MOQ for Bosch was 1000 units and I have no reason to doubt them and many reasons to believe them.

I’m not suggesting e-bikes are the pinnacle of reliability, but I am clarifying that you can buy replacement motors for them if needed*, and they can also be worked on & repaired, by plenty of third party businesses.

Please show me where I can buy a new main board for a Bosch.... (like I can buy parts for a fork)
I'm aware many companies do limited repairs and rebuilds (bearings etc.) but all the ones I've seen for Bosch (given that was my motor) state categorically you can't replace the main board once water damaged. I know you called out Shimano but as an example you can't buy the torque sensor (its not in the catalog)

As an example (not entirely random) compare that to a fork of a reasonable quality.
I can buy pretty much every part and assembly... from a bladder for a charger damper to new lowers or CSU

This is also the same for a friend with a Specialized, as he has recently done this, on a 3 year old bike that’s out of warranty.

I thought Spez/Brose had extended the warranty to 4 years now? A strong reason to buy one (Reason I think that is its something I casually check for the "next eMTB" when the current one dies)... but not having owned one I haven't tried to actually buy a new motor but google shopping doesn't show me anywhere to buy a new one.

I suspect it's actually Spez getting a new motor out of their quota rather than Brose and one of the way smaller brands using Brose wouldn't be able to do this??? (To be fair Spez warranty and support tends to be excellent if factored into the price)

To me, that’s a huge negative.

Yeah, I get the convenience of an easily removable battery. Mine lives in an unheated workshop and is charged there. I know people say this is a bad idea, but no problems yet.

Also if you’re pretty fit consider one of the smaller motor, lighter ebikes.

I'm near enough the same age as the OP, got a Kenevo SL just before Christmas - mainly for when out solo.

Still did over 5,000ft of climbing on my analogue bike last week with non-ebike pals and just been out on my gravel bike.

Best thing to do is demo/hire both full-fat and SL first, even though I spent a bit of cash, it was worth to not make a mistake and buy something that wouldn't suit me.

singlespeedstu

I’m neither a liar or being paid to say anything.

I wasn't talking about you. You didn't claim they were reliable

I was talking abut the SOURCE of this misinformation... which is either people paid by brands or people trying to sell a used eMTB out of warranty.

As per a recent thread Giant say one thing and do another... but there will be people still saying different because they are either paid by Giant or trying to sell one.

Yeah, I get the convenience of an easily removable battery. Mine lives in an unheated workshop and is charged there. I know people say this is a bad idea, but no problems yet.

Unless you have a 3RD party way to measure battery health you won't know.

It's like why for example an Apple phone with 90% battery health lasts <<50% of the time...
Every (reputable) Li ion manufacturer says it will...

but I wouldn’t even know where to find a “Bosch dealer” (assuming you mean somewhere sells Bosch from power tools/motors/etc?)

https://www.bosch-ebike.com/en/service/dealer-search

heres how to find a bosch ebike dealer - give it a try and see if they can source you a new gen 2 motor , alternatively try calling bosch direct on the following phone number (about mid way down the page) and ask directly where you can get a new gen 2 motor from< they'll tell you whether its been discontinued or not (I wouldnt be going on the say so of a mechanic in a single trek dealer). I have no idea about the gen 2 motor, I'd be surprised if they werent able to get you a new one - eventually everything goes out of support, but the gen 2 is not that old.

https://www.bosch-ebike.com/en/service/contact

You can definitely get new gen 4 motors outside of warranty, you just have to visit a bosch dealer and pay.

julians

I already tried one (Trek Bracknell) .. I got told a categorical no.

I already tried one (Trek Bracknell) .. I got told a categorical no.

speak to the organ grinder (bosch), not the monkey (trek bracknell) - wouldnt be the first time a bike dealer talks nonsense.

julians
You are being very helpful and I feel I owe you a deeper explanation.

speak to the organ grinder (bosch), not the monkey (trek bracknell) – wouldnt be the first time a bike dealer talks nonsense.

First thing is the Bosch link takes you in circles (tried it at the time)... combined with I'd (very strongly) rather speak to an engineer or mechanic not someone in sales, marketing or customer services (level of BS) and the end of that circle is "here are a list/map of dealers". I mean they can say what they want "you can buy one at any Bosch dealer" but that's just what they say because its a corporate line.

The Trek head mechanic seemed very up front and apologetic. He spent over an hour trying to diagnose the fault and didn't charge me a penny and apologised about not being able to order a new motor.
I'd also had to buy a new battery (my fault) and had to wait months to even be allowed to buy one from a Bosch dealer and been on waiting lists so I did contact the other dealers as well. (Ultimately I'd given up and bought a grey import with no warranty)

The reason I went to Trek is previously I had to buy a Trek specific chainguard that had broken and I also wanted to change the chainring for a bigger one. Same thing on that occasion he actually researched the largest I could use with the chain guard (from Trek catalog) and ordered chainring for me from Bosch catalog both had to come from Germany - he warned me it would take 1-2 weeks and he called me when they arrived so I had a high level of trust...

That's the back story ... as to why I was happy with/trusted the wrench monkey ...

So middle story .. My mate is a electronics engineer (he actually does component level repairs to MRI's and shit) so as it was out of warranty and I'm told by someone I trust I can't buy another we took it apart and found and repaired the fault. In this case it actually turned out to be a fairly simple and obvious fix (crappy spot weld on power good signal) but the monkey level Bosch software couldn't diagnose it.. [which is weird as I just posted it to someone else on a FB group that had the exact same responses on the display so how Bosch dealer SW don't know seems puzzling]

In between I researched replacement parts and all said the same , if its the main board then Bosch do not sell them... I was still interested in buying a replacement motor but the only ones I could find were without warranty.

So sad end story is it got nicked before XMAS...