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Hi,
Due to go to BPW in a few weeks and am after some thoughts on which bike STW-ers would use. I currently have a Trek Fuel Ex-e 8 'lightweight' ebike and an older Vitus Escarpe CR trail bike.
The Ebike comes in at just under 20kg and this is without the battery which i will leave out as otherwise it would be more like 22kg and don't plan on doing too much peddling. The trailbike is around 16kg but has slightly lower spec componants and is a bit more worn out but would be easier to lift onto the uplift trailer.
What would the brainstrust of STW reccommend; Do I go for the heavier, slightly higher spec, ebike or the lighter trailbike?
Going to be using the uplift, mostly riding the blues
Thanks!
Either will be fine so take whichever you fancy for the day. I'd probably go for non e-bike as I prefer the lighter weight when the motor isn't really required but if you do take the e-bike DO take the battery as the ride back up from Root Manoeuvres/Hot Steppa/Terry's Belly warrants it in my (lazy) opinion
Don't know what an analogue bike is but if you're not planning on riding up, you might be better on the lighter bike. You won't need a motor to ride down after all.
Non E bike if it were me. I don’t like the lumpen feel when descending on an ebike. I’d probably put up with it if I had to ride up, but if I didn’t it’s an easy choice.
I've done it on both and either is fine - my ebike is closer to 28kgs. Did Dyfi on it the other week, purely because I didn't have another FS - and it was fine
Don't take the ebike without the battery though, that's pointless.
If you are mainly sticking to the blues I'd take the normal bike as suspension performance will matter less than lugging a heavy bike about imo.
Missed the bit about just riding the blues - take a HT. You'll be missing a load of good red tracks though, that aren't particularly hard. The blacks didn't even use to be bad back in the day, but are mostly filled with big jumps now
Take whichever one rides the best and you can go the fastest on. Weight doesn’t really matter as it’s a bike park and you can always have the battery in the car if you change your mind.
Take which one you prefer riding down nice bermy, fast trails. That's what you get with the blue runs, so take the one that'll be the most fun on that kinda stuff.
I took my Mondraker Neat to Dyfi recently for 2 days, instead of my trail bike. Im glad I did. It wasn’t an issue lifting on and off the trailers, and it’s what I’m used to riding 99% of the time nowadays.
Last time I went I took the ebike and pedalled up whenever the uplift queue was long. Got 13 laps in, pedalled up for 3 of them.
If you are using the uplift, why bother with an ebike, if you have other bikes to use?
Don't know what an analogue bike is but if you're not planning on riding up, you might be better on the lighter bike. You won't need a motor to ride down after all.
Mike Smith? The Mike Smith, defender of all thing SRAM 1X, from back in the day?
STW should probably fix that error in the quote script. It’s confusing at best
Take the one that you enjoy descending on the most. Its as simple as that.
I've taken both trail bikes and an enduro ebike to BPW. Next time i go i will take the enduro ebike. Not because its an e though, but because it has more travel and allows me to go faster and do bigger stuff. If i had a regular enduro bike i'd probably take that, but i don't.
ebike lets you ride up a few times during the day - I'd like this option to break up the queue / load / sit repeat of the uplift, which can get a bit tedious.
ebike lets you ride up a few times during the day - I'd like this option to break up the queue / load / sit repeat of the uplift, which can get a bit tedious.
Since the new uplift road went in I've not experienced any queues and the sitting in the bus takes far less time than it used to.
With your lightweight E bike, I'd probably take that as I'm guessing it is probably newer, slacker, better anyway? 4 kgs isnt much.
defender of all thing SRAM 1X, from back in the day?
STW should probably fix that error in the quote script. It’s confusing at best
That wasn't me. Confused.
Do I go for the heavier, slightly higher spec, ebike or the lighter trailbike?
Going to be using the uplift, mostly riding the blues
I was there yesterday. First time using an uplift (I normally pedal up things).
It got harder to lift my 13kg bike on and off the trailer as the day went on... it also got harder to pedal.
Didn't realise how fatiguing it can be (mostly descending). Quite an eye opener.
7 runs in total.
19.5 miles.
974 ft elevation gain.
Mixture of blues and easy reds.
Yes you do. Do we always have to do this?
Confused why you're directing this question to him and not the OP....
Take the one that you enjoy descending on the most. Its as simple as that.
This
Didn't realise how fatiguing it can be (mostly descending). Quite an eye opener.
Ooh, you're not supposed to admit that!! Everyone's a endurodescending legend on here. 25 black runs in a day and only stop when the park closes! 🤣 🤣
Ride the bike you are most comfortable on.
You'll have way more fun that way.
Didn't realise how fatiguing it can be (mostly descending). Quite an eye opener.
Ooh, you're not supposed to admit that!! Everyone's a endurodescending legend on here. 25 black runs in a day and only stop when the park closes! 🤣 🤣
I thought I was going down with flu yesterday - my whole body ached.
I ran a marathon in the morning before turning up, rode BPW achieving 13 KOMs, then hiked up and down Pen Y Fan, followed by playing rugby before finally heading home.
Better? 😂
The correct was to choose a bike is to lay both bikes on a flat surface and stand between them. Blindfold your self and spin on the spot until dizzy.
the bike you fall on is the one to take.
This is a handy topic for me as I’m off to BPW in a few weeks for the first time and I’ll be on the Blues and not sure which bike to take? My choice is between.
Trek Rail 2025 e-bike
or
Specialized Epic 8 Evo 2025.
I like both bikes TBH but unsure which is going to be best suited to BPW - if there wasn’t an uplift I’d be 100% on the e-bike.
This is a handy topic for me as I’m off to BPW in a few weeks for the first time and I’ll be on the Blues and not sure which bike to take? My choice is between.
Trek Rail 2025 e-bike
or
Specialized Epic 8 Evo 2025.
I like both bikes TBH but unsure which is going to be best suited to BPW - if there wasn’t an uplift I’d be 100% on the e-bike.
My trip the other day was on my Chisel FS, rocking the same tyres that you have on your EE8 (unless you've changed them?), but slightly less travel.
Handled literally all blues no problem at all... LOADS of fun... managed to survive some easy reds*. It was rather wet.👍
*slightly less fun - about my limit TBH. Wobbly Wobbly was fine but I had some intel on that. Willy Waver and Surfin' Bird were fine too. I got ejected halfway down Vicious Valley because I took the wrong line, and haven't a clue how to handle wet roots. Luckily I'm a big chicken, so I was only going at walking pace at that point. 😂
Possibly minor point but we were there last week on a grim day and they have changed the system for holding bikes in place, from two rachet straps, to an inner tube with one strap as check strap. You need to make sure that the front wheel is in the right place or that inner tube is putting lots of pressure on a spoke. I would find this hard to do with a heavy e-bike.
And if you are fussy about your bike, tape up the top part of your fork where the inner tube sits.
Was like that when I was there, with an 18kg not ebike. Never had an issue with innertube/spoke or (upside down) fork interface, can’t see how the weight of the bike would matter once it was in the rack though? Lucky my bikes long enough to wheel into the rack through, without much lifting.