Off road ebiking

[wagonrd]

As I passed age 85 I wanted some "assistance" in my off road pedaling; the leg power and lung power just wasn't there any more; so I bought a Specialized Levo Turbo Comp. Whow! Suddenly I could go uphill at warp speed. I had a grand ole time traveling the Forest Service roads. Then, one day I ventured onto my favorite singletrack trail and got into some technical areas requiring nimbleness and finesse; I promptly fell over attempting to manhandle the 50 lb bike. Recovering with skinned knees and a tweaked thumb, I tried pushing the ebike out of the tree root and rock garden. Man, it was a struggle. So......lesson learned: "An ebike will not solve your off road riding problems." Therefore, I bought a Trek Remedy 8 pedal bike and could traverse that favorite technical area. There simply is no substitute for a lightweight MTB with pedal power when doing singletrak.

 

[dobbyhasfriends]

fair play at 85 mate!
it will take time but youll get used to the weight and then start using it to your advantage! when I first got the Levo on the tight singletrack it might as well have been an adventure bike soon got used to it though

 

[lightning]

You are an inspiration still smashing the trails aged 85!
Ebikes do take some getting used to, mainly as you say the extra weight.

Don't forget you can use "walk mode" when pushing the bike, on mine you can even climb steps with the bike and it will slowly power it's way up next to you.

 

[RustyIron]

one day I ventured onto my favorite singletrack trail and got into some technical areas requiring nimbleness and finesse; I promptly fell over attempting to manhandle the 50 lb bike.

Even my 30 pound aMTB doesn't like to be manhandled. Ride her gently, and she responds. But sometimes you need to push her hard to get the most out of her. It's not much different with the eMTB.

 

[wagonrd]

fair play at 85 mate!
it will take time but youll get used to the weight and then start using it to your advantage! when I first got the Levo on the tight singletrack it might as well have been an adventure bike soon got used to it though

One of the things I love about the Turbo Levo is the dropper seat post. When the going gets slow and technical I can quickly lower the seat and touch the ground.

 

[lightning]

Yep, l often use my dropper post to just get on and off the bike

 

[wagonrd]

fair play at 85 mate!
it will take time but youll get used to the weight and then start using it to your advantage! when I first got the Levo on the tight singletrack it might as well have been an adventure bike soon got used to it though

What is your recommendation for tools to carry and where do you carry them?

 

[lightning]

That's a whole discussion in itself!

l carry a small back pack with water bladder and also a small first aid kit, multi tool, and everything needed to fix a puncture.

Plus a spare inner tube. A front and rear light, a small amount of cash, an emergency whistle and an energy bar.

 

[dobbyhasfriends]

One of the things I love about the Turbo Levo is the dropper seat post. When the going gets slow and technical I can quickly lower the seat and touch the ground.

oof, dont ask me, I just came back from a ride where all I had was the tool that comes with the Levo, its a little SWAT tool.. no pump, not spares, only a water bottle but, thats a quick 13 miles power hour.
on long rides I take a backpack with water, tubeless repair, tyre lever, chainsplitter, spare tube, spare chain, pump, folding saw and sometimes a survival bag. some rides can be a long way from anywhere.

 

[wagonrd]

That's a whole discussion in itself!

l carry a small back pack with water bladder and also a small first aid kit, multi tool, and everything needed to fix a puncture.

Plus a spare inner tube. A front and rear light, a small amount of cash, an emergency whistle and an energy bar.

I understand the need for a tubless tire puncture repair kit, but packing a spare tube takes a lot of space (2.8" tire) and a hefty set of long aluminum tire tools. I have never been able to remove or install a mtb tire with plastic tire tools. There is a point where stuff carried in a tool bag or in a backpack intefere with agility and ability to handle difficult terrain. The front light assumes that you may be pedaling out of "wilderness" at night time...and that is a full blown emergency! MTBing is a risk equation, a trade off. For me, weight is a huge enemy.

 

[wagonrd]

oof, dont ask me, I just came back from a ride where all I had was the tool that comes with the Levo, its a little SWAT tool.. no pump, not spares, only a water bottle but, thats a quick 13 miles power hour.
on long rides I take a backpack with water, tubeless repair, tyre lever, chainsplitter, spare tube, spare chain, pump, folding saw and sometimes a survival bag. some rides can be a long way from anywhere.

I envy riders, such as you, who have the strength and endurance to venture out into the wilderness packing enough stuff to fix most things on the bike, stay overnight if necessary, and still negotiate technical single track. I can't do that, and must go minimumalistic, therefore my off roading is restricted to places where I can walk out, or is near other people.

 

[dobbyhasfriends]

I envy riders, such as you, who have the strength and endurance to venture out into the wilderness packing enough stuff to fix most things on the bike, stay overnight if necessary, and still negotiate technical single track. I can't do that, and must go minimumalistic, therefore my off roading is restricted to places where I can walk out, or is near other people.

when im 88, if I make it there, ill be happy to get to the toilet without covering myself in piss, let alone get out on the trails
interestingly, the very first time I took a survival bag out with me I had to use it, lost after a 53 mile ride in the analogue days and slept in it

 

[Calsun]

As we get older our bones break more easily and take a lot longer to heal. Best to be more cautious with your trail riding and make a mental adjustment. So often people ignore their sight distance and compare it to how much room they need to come to a complete stop in case a tree jumps out in front of them.

 

[rod9301]

I understand the need for a tubless tire puncture repair kit, but packing a spare tube takes a lot of space (2.8" tire) and a hefty set of long aluminum tire tools. I have never been able to remove or install a mtb tire with plastic tire tools. There is a point where stuff carried in a tool bag or in a backpack intefere with agility and ability to handle difficult terrain. The front light assumes that you may be pedaling out of "wilderness" at night time...and that is a full blown emergency! MTBing is a risk equation, a trade off. For me, weight is a huge enemy.

Cush core inserts will let you pedal a few miles even with 0 tire pressure, and they make the ride smoother.

 

[1oldfart]

What is your recommendation for tools to carry and where do you carry them?

i use a lumbar bag year round. It just need a 2 inches belt and you select the size you want.

 

[Manitunc]

Get a levo sl. Mine is down to 36lbs. Plenty of power and still nimble on Singletrack

 

[Colcam]

I understand the need for a tubless tire puncture repair kit, but packing a spare tube takes a lot of space (2.8" tire) and a hefty set of long aluminum tire tools. I have never been able to remove or install a mtb tire with plastic tire tools. There is a point where stuff carried in a tool bag or in a backpack intefere with agility and ability to handle difficult terrain. The front light assumes that you may be pedaling out of "wilderness" at night time...and that is a full blown emergency! MTBing is a risk equation, a trade off. For me, weight is a huge enemy.

I have a2018 levo running 2.8 tyres tubeles.I managed to fit a tube into the frame in the space above the battery .

 

[lightning]

l may be preaching to the converted here, but to get one side of a tyre over the wheel rim, is made much easier if you press the tyre into the centre of the wheel, opposite where you are trying to remove it.
Then you can flip the bead over the rim with any plastic tyre lever
When replacing the tyre, if you do the same as above the tyre will often go over the rim by hand, without tyre levers.
And yes that's with my 2.8" Maxxis Minions. Also worked with 2.4" Continental Mountain Kings on my Foxy.