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Answered Is it worth to get oldGen of Bosch CX ?

Novice

New Member
Jan 15, 2020
5
3
Poland
Hello Guys,

Excuse me if im posting this question in wrong section, im quite new here.
Im going to get my first eMTB. As for now i have been riding only traditional bikes, and only hardtails. But things changed after 2 days of riding downhill Haibike with Bosch Cx.
Im looking for a new eMTB for typical "amateur" use - mostly mountain trips, but without racing, jumping or crazy downhill runs. It will be more like trips than races, but of course, as in the mountains, there will be climbs, down runs, stones and roots - but without pushing myself or bicycle to the limits.
Electric MTB's are not cheap, specially here (central europe), so im trying to get best possible option for my budget. Right now we do have still some good deals avaible - sales of 2019 models are still on the go.
One of bikes what im interrested with (and its in top end of my budget limits) is Haibike Sduro Fullseven 7.0. Sale price now is about 3650 Eur. Haibike is generally quite strong ebike brand here. As i mentioned i had another Haibike for 2 days, and it was great time. But.. there was one issue. Ebikes here are limited to 25 km/h, so after hitting 26 at speedo, i had feeling simliar to falling with the bike into 50 cm deep mud. Resistance and drag was very high, and surprising. It was heavy bike, on fatty tires, but still.. if i would have to ride this thing without electric support i would remember that for very very long. I have seen opinions that Bosch cx (till 2019) have high resistance when pedaling. It was also rent bike, downhill, so for sure it survived a lot of bashing and its technical state could be.. well.. non perfect. But still this resistance when riding without electric support was something very disturbing.
As i seen on some websites new version of CX - from 2020, is different. Actually its totally new motor, and as i heard with much less internal resistance. I wounder how big is difference between old and new one ? New Cx also comes in set with bigger battery - 625 so its more than 20% of capacity (and most likely range) incrase.
Unfortunatelly Haibike mtb's for 2020, with new CX sets have very high prices here, about 5600 Eur, and thats way above budget limits.
I can evetually find some alternative, like cube stereo hybrid 120 Race 625 - it has new type of Bosch motor, and 625 battery, but price here is about 500 Eur higher than mentioned Haibike, and it would need to "add" something to already stretched budget.

So question is - is it worth to pay extra for new motor (and cube instead haibike) ? Or difference between old and new CX is not so big and old version is a good option too ?

Or maybe something totaly different ? Like going into Shimano steps, if i find anything interresting in my budget ?

I will be very grateful for help in making right choice :)
 

Tat0

New Member
Dec 30, 2019
25
18
Italy
I like Bosch power unit, i have 2 gen2th and i ordered one 4th gen.
As Doomanic said Decathlon emtb seems a very good option, i would go for this solution.

I suggest gen2 only when there is a bike with top level components with big discount due to the old powerunit (warehouse funds)
 

BigLee

Well-known member
Jul 12, 2019
119
139
Lake District cumbria
I'd suggest saving for a bike with the new motor as you'll forever wish you have more range and easier pedalling over 25kmh. If you've a favourite shop close by why not ask for a discount? I got £500 off mine that way ??
Good luck and enjoy!
 

Zimmerframe

MUPPET
Subscriber
Jun 12, 2019
13,771
20,455
Brittany, France
@Doomanic 's getting the "not just a pretty face" award here . The Decathlon (€3300) is exceptional value for money and comes with the latest bosch motor mated to a 500w battery. The frame is the same other bikes (such as lombardo) so you could upgrade to a 625wh battery in the future if you wanted to.

The new bosch is generally regarded to have a lot less resistance, beyond the point of assistance, than the old bosch. BUT .. no matter which e-bike you get, once you go past the assistance point, it's immediately more of a slog as it feel like the super strong guy and maybe his two mates (depending what mode you were in) suddenly stopped pushing you.

If you didn't fancy the decathlon and wanted a 625wh battery with the new Bosch, I think this is the cheapest, complete with a carbon frame, assembled by cube, good spec :€4000. The decathlon isn't priced quite as attractively in euro's as it is in £, so the leap between the two isn't as great.

Radon Render 8.0 | E-Bike Fully Shop

But at €400 more than your sale haibike, it seems like excellent value.
 

Rusty

E*POWAH BOSS
Jul 17, 2019
1,513
1,673
New Zealand
Have been on the old and the new Bosch motors back to back just riding around a small grass lot, but the new one is just so much better.
To me, the only reason to buy something with the old motor is because it is dirt cheap and you will keep is as a filthy weather bike or a commuter when you by the new one.
 

Novice

New Member
Jan 15, 2020
5
3
Poland
Looks like its a general conclusion - go for the new !
This Radon is just amazing.. how the heck they can offer bike with such specs for this price ? :oops:

So "new" type of Bosch battery have the same size no matter if its 500 or 625 ? If yes then indeed it would be great news, allowing for swapping or upgrading in future if i get someting with 500 battery.

For now Radon is clear winner !
I didnt knew bike-discount.de site, prices there are indeed very good. They have also Cube hybrid 160 with nice discount:
Cube Stereo Hybrid 160 SL 500 27.5 black´n´grey | E-Bike Fully Shop
 
Last edited:

GrahamPaul

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Nov 6, 2019
1,127
1,087
Andalucía
So "new" type of Bosch battery have the same size no matter if its 500 or 625 ? If yes then indeed it would be great news, allowing for swapping or upgrading in future if i get someting with 500 battery.

You might need to be careful about that... I have two powertubes for the latest Gen 4 Bosch. One is 500Wh and the other is 625Wh. They are both sized to fit in the same opening on our Focus bikes by means of a spacer piece added to the 500Wh battery to make it the same size as the 625Wh.

If you look at the Bosch technical details, it clearly shows the 500Wh battery being smaller than the 625Wh.

Bosch Technical Details

Capture.JPG
 

steve_sordy

Wedding Crasher
Nov 5, 2018
8,361
8,587
Lincolnshire, UK
When I rode my first emtb it had a Bosch motor and while I was blown away by the whole emtb experience, I hated the draggy Bosch motor. Some tome later I was lent a Moustache Samedi by a guy that was considering importing them for sale. It was the most beautiful emtb I had ever seen. Everybody that I spoke to that day said the same. Other riders stopped me to ask what it was.....:love: But it had a Bosch motor (gen2) and I wasn't going to buy it. Full Stop! I told the guy that owned it that if it had a Shimano Steps motor I'd buy one.
 

hansfrans

Member
Jun 28, 2020
51
42
Earth
Looks like its a general conclusion - go for the new !
This Radon is just amazing.. how the heck they can offer bike with such specs for this price ? :oops:

So "new" type of Bosch battery have the same size no matter if its 500 or 625 ? If yes then indeed it would be great news, allowing for swapping or upgrading in future if i get someting with 500 battery.

For now Radon is clear winner !
I didnt knew bike-discount.de site, prices there are indeed very good. They have also Cube hybrid 160 with nice discount:
Cube Stereo Hybrid 160 SL 500 27.5 black´n´grey | E-Bike Fully Shop
They can offer it at that price because they have no dealers, shops and no integration at all. Even the speed sensor is sitting in the spokes like it was bike from the 90s. They just take a cheap frame and put eye catching parts to it.
I had a radon push bike, was really ok, came with all the bling bling specs at that time but I learned through the years that a trek or specialized is a much better bike even if the specs are from the lower end of group sets.
 

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