1st EMTB - Cube Stereo 140 TM or Vitus E-Sommet VRS?

[ynsbikes]

Hi all,

I would appreciate help from members of the community.
I am deciding between the 3 options:
1) Cube Stereo Hybrid 140TM 2021 - CUBE Stereo Hybrid 140 HPC TM 625 flashgrey´n´orange
2) Vitus E-Sommet 297 VRS - Vitus E-Sommet 297 VRS Mountain Bike 2021 | Chain Reaction Cycles
3) Not buying an ebike (renting it)

I have tried riding ebike only twice - rented for one day in Peak District and for one day in Spain (Tenerife). I really enjoyed it and decided that I should get one for myself. For the past 2 year I do mainly road cycling (Richmond park in London every weekend), but several years ago I was a huge fan of extreme cycling (street/dirt and a bit of free-ride), hence I feel very excited about riding EMTB.

My doubts about buying in general:
- I live in London and do not have a car. Hence, on the one hand I understand that it is still possible to get by train to riding spots, and hope that having an e-bike will motivate me to travel more, but I am afraid that I may underestimate the level of inconvenience that it generates. Ideally I would like to visit Peak District / Lake District / Wales / Surrey Hills / Scotland with an e-bike.
Are there many e-bike owners from London here? Would be great to hear your thoughts.
As an alternative, I am thinking about cancelling my reservation and just renting an ebike whenever I decide to go somewhere.

- Initially, I decided to spend not more than 4k GBP on my first FS EMTB, but the cheapest option that I found in stock/available for pre-order with reasonable delivery terms was Cube Stereo Hybrid 140TM. I preordered it (shop expects it to arrive this/next week), but I am not sure if 150mm-front/140mm-rear would be enough for the above mentioned locations (I do not plan to ride proper downhill/do a lot of jumps/drops, but rather enjoying the scenery of the UK countryside )
Today I found out that Vitus is in stock as well and it has longer front/rear travel. Vitus has Shimano EP8 vs. Bosch Gen4 @Cube and quite different specs, although of a comparable level.

I would be thankful for any comments that would help to make a choice.

 

[GMLS]

I have the 140TM and live in the Surrey Hills. Its a very capable bike and more than adequate for your intended use. I've also found it 100% reliable and the Bosch is a great choice of motor. Wisper quiet

If you rent a different bike each time from different places, you'll never get used to one or get the best out of it so your riding enjoyment maybe compromised. I also found I'm loving it so much, I'm using way more than I expected. But if you are not sure, why not just rent first and see how you get on.

 

[ynsbikes]

I have the 140TM and live in the Surrey Hills. Its a very capable bike and more than adequate for your intended use. I've also found it 100% reliable and the Bosch is a great choice of motor. Wisper quiet

If you rent a different bike each time from different places, you'll never get used to one or get the best out of it so your riding enjoyment maybe compromised. I also found I'm loving it so much, I'm using way more than I expected. But if you are not sure, why not just rent first and see how you get on.

thank you for reply. Yes, that’s what I am hoping for - if I buy it, then hopefully I will ride more often

 

[gavlar]

following, im in simular position with the bike selection and waiting for stock..... im from down south coast, nr south downs.

 

[Dashfield]

I bought a Cube Hybrid 140 TM just over a month ago and I love it. Granted I’m not a particularly extreme rider doing big jumps and drops, preferring more flowing trails. Although it certainly seems capable enough if you want to do jumps etc.

My only word of caution would be that it’s a big, heavy bike and wide handle bars. It’s hard to appreciate just how heavy and big it is until you try to get it into the car etc. I imagine getting it on and off public transport would be tricky.

Although I guess this would probably apply to all eMTBs. Im just saying if you can find a dealer it’s worth man-handling one so you can feel the size and weight for yourself and get an idea of how it would feel dealing with it on public transport.

 

[GMLS]

following, im in simular position with the bike selection and waiting for stock..... im from down south coast, nr south downs.

Tried Nirvana in Westcott or Ace in Guildford?

 

[ynsbikes]

I bought a Cube Hybrid 140 TM just over a month ago and I love it. Granted I’m not a particularly extreme rider doing big jumps and drops, preferring more flowing trails. Although it certainly seems capable enough if you want to do jumps etc.

My only word of caution would be that it’s a big, heavy bike and wide handle bars. It’s hard to appreciate just how heavy and big it is until you try to get it into the car etc. I imagine getting it on and off public transport would be tricky.

Although I guess this would probably apply to all eMTBs. Im just saying if you can find a dealer it’s worth man-handling one so you can feel the size and weight for yourself and get an idea of how it would feel dealing with it on public transport.

Yes, that's something that I am concerned about. Does someone have an experience of emtb transportation in trains in the UK?