Semi skimmed or Full Fat

[Bakewell Blue]

Hi all you lot out there. I joined here as I’ve been watching a fair few eMTB Tubers venues I make the leap. Got a Giant Trance I’m trying to offload then I’ll be spending a of money I don’t have. Just missed out on a 2022 Varbon Rise but STILL wondering whether to go semi or full. Rise or Wild etc. Live in the Peak and do lots of trails, fair bit of road in between (as in mtb on the tarmac to get to the next trail as I really don’t like riders who use footpaths!!!) What to do. All advice welcome. Enjoy the ride

 

[Paulquattro]

Hi welcome

 

[Bummers]

Welcome!
'it depends' is the answer.
Who will you be riding with, if your friends are on normal bikes then you won't make good use of a full fat so may as well go with light emtb.
Depends on the routes you like/want to do, your fitness etc
Full fat has enabled me to do routes I'd never have been able to, it's so much fun!
You can hire ebikes so maybe look at hiring one of each and seeing which suits you better.

 

[Bakewell Blue]

Cheers for that yeah I think hiring may be wise. I don’t ride with anyone! I don’t like going out in a group and much much prefer it on my own tbh. So no competition for pace, just the odd big hill that defeats me. Thanks again

 

[Bummers]

Cheers for that yeah I think hiring may be wise. I don’t ride with anyone! I don’t like going out in a group and much much prefer it on my own tbh. So no competition for pace, just the odd big hill that defeats me. Thanks again

In that case it's going to entirely come down to what you want out of it. I hired as well to get an idea and it made my mind up 100%. When you're dropping thousands on a new bike spending £80 to help you decide is well worth it.

 

[Bakewell Blue]

 

[Buster59]

Hi all you lot out there. I joined here as I’ve been watching a fair few eMTB Tubers venues I make the leap. Got a Giant Trance I’m trying to offload then I’ll be spending a of money I don’t have. Just missed out on a 2022 Varbon Rise but STILL wondering whether to go semi or full. Rise or Wild etc. Live in the Peak and do lots of trails, fair bit of road in between (as in mtb on the tarmac to get to the next trail as I really don’t like riders who use footpaths!!!) What to do. All advice welcome. Enjoy the ride

Hi all you lot out there. I joined here as I’ve been watching a fair few eMTB Tubers venues I make the leap. Got a Giant Trance I’m trying to offload then I’ll be spending a of money I don’t have. Just missed out on a 2022 Varbon Rise but STILL wondering whether to go semi or full. Rise or Wild etc. Live in the Peak and do lots of trails, fair bit of road in between (as in mtb on the tarmac to get to the next trail as I really don’t like riders who use footpaths!!!) What to do. All advice welcome. Enjoy the ride

Hi, me and my mate from Hereford hired both the full fat Specialised Levo and the SL version. Both were great but after testing for a full day we’ve both opted for the full fat model. Mainly due to the fun using the bike and not just the power/range. Bikes have 20% off at present but still £5550 so when spending that much you don’t want to make a mistake.
Andrew

 

[Ark]

"Full Fat Full Fun" all the way.
I've got a Bosch CX and it literally eats the steepest hill I can find near me.
Strava claims it's 13% Gradient but I think it's more than that

Actually I'll add some street view pics of it.


That's a pretty steep hill right? on my old 12kg bike I would manage about 30% of the way up then decide to just push my bike up...
On my new Bosch CX 27kg EMTB I literally can fly up it at 14mph, It's still a bit of a workout but I could probably go up and down it a bunch of times fine enough.
Lets face it on a light EMTB your not gaining muscle from these hills unless you ride them all day, same thing on a normal bike imo.

Get a full fat, do squats if you want thick legs., it's more fun and less pain.

Light EMTB no thanks... half fat roadbike maybe, I'd still prefer a full fat and a 700watt battery though
On mine with a Bosch CX and 750watt battery tour+ mode lets me do around 40-50 miles off offroad trails.

proper MTB courses with a lot of climbing to the trail start won't get you that distance but you would measure the battery life in altitude climbed.
seems like your more likely to be just offroad trailing which is what I do most of the time.

IMO Full fat and don't look back.

 

[wildsau2]

first emtb? buy a cheaper one, maybe a used one. ride it for one year and you know what you need. you have to explore new routes, ways etc.

create a komoot account and look what is around your home. where do other people ride. explore.

i think, hiring a bike for one day is too short. even a week.
many newbies buy overspeced bikes because of marketing, youtube, etc.

 

[esselite]

I would say, if you do not ride jump lines and bike is most time on the ground, you do not need to carry it up stairs, go full fat with largest battery.

 

[Bakewell Blue]

Hi guys. Thanks again, just had another look at this thread and I’d already bought a full day so very pleased to have my choice endorsed! My mates have full fat too so I won’t be straggling at the back hopefully. Cheers all

 

[Paulquattro]

I would say, if you do not ride jump lines and bike is most time on the ground, you do not need to carry it up stairs, go full fat with largest battery.

That's me out then LOL
I ride jump lines and lift my bike everyday over a 3 foot wall to get out of my house as i cant be arsed unlocking the gate
Full Fat all the way

 

[Ark]

I would say, if you do not ride jump lines and bike is most time on the ground, you do not need to carry it up stairs, go full fat with largest battery.

I live in a tenement apartment which basically means a flat but as you enter the door it's house stairs straight up to the living space, apart from a small cupboard inside the door for coats etc.
My bike just has enough space inside the door.
I've pushed it up the stairs a few times to work on the bike whilst watching TV etc or to clean it properly.

It's honestly not that difficult or dangerous, coming back down is a hell of a lot easier than going up.
I just put the bike in the lift on it's back wheel to get up to my floor which is really easy.

Carrying a bike over a wall like the above poster though... no thanks...
Mine weights 26/27kg, anything over 20kg is probably too heavy to be lifting to head height over a fence

 

[steve_sordy]

........................
Mine weights 26/27kg, anything over 20kg is probably too heavy to be lifting to head height over a fence

Not that you can't do it of course!!