42 years old here, started 3 years ago as a complete beginner.
I started with a Focus bike similar to that Cube (perhaps lighter and slightly better componentry). It worked very well for me but the weight has been clumsy. This year I switched to an Orbea Rise H10 and it is so much better...
I feel like Orbea's marketing department stepped in too much on this one, trying to leverage the "Rise" brand too much.
The 630 Wh LT version visually and technically is a Frankenstein hybrid between the Rise and the Wild. Perhaps that's where they see the biggest market?
For that reason, the...
It's the Apple marketing model: offer three price options, the highest ridiculous, so the other options look more reasonable.
The base model of many top brand good e-bikes these days are 5-6K and if you wait until the end of the season you can get deals at 3-4K. Lots of great spec on those base...
Hey Matteo.
I live in the Alps and might provide some insight as I own both a full-powered and lightweight e-bike.
Most of the lightweight e-bikes now have 60Nm or more. The difference with a full-powered bike isn't that huge. The main differences are agility and liftability. If you cross many...
That depends on the type of fire road and trail. Also, what does it have to do with camping?
Anyway, here's my thoughts.
When I got my first EMTB 3 years ago I was convinced I was going to stick to fire roads and light trails (also had no idea how gnarly a fire road can be in the Alps). Thank...
Thanks everyone for the fantastic advice. I didn't imagine getting so many quality responses 🙏
Your responses nudged me to get ± the same bike as I have: I have an Orbea Rise H10 in large, she will be getting an Orbea Rise H20 in small - in mulberry color just like mine.
We found a great deal...
My personal opinion - I have a Bosch CX and an EP801.
The EP801 is so much smoother and more enjoyable than the Bosch. Both are fantastic but at the moment I'm happier with the Shimano. I prefer how much easier it is to climb, it's less jerky, power output seems similar.
I'm not going to lie: I chose my first EMTB entirely based on the color - I absolutely loved the outdoorsy safari explorer vibe of the grasmere green + skinwall tires. Luckily, I had a knowledgeable friend confirm the technical details of my bike choice 😅
Color was still an important factor...
This is also my gut feeling.
When I accidentally leave my rear suspension on "firm", I skid all over the place on technical descents and it feels almost dangerous. Getting a hardtail would mean we'd have to replace the bike as soon as my wife feels comfortable trying downhill trails.
That...
No, I'm not aware!
How does this compare to brands that don't offer women's versions? Should I discard the Orbea Rise, for example? Or does it not matter as much?
Totally agreed.
"Best" can mean a lot of things. Maybe I should have mentioned we know relatively little about bikes. The main thing is to have a future-proof bike that is versatile enough to last many years.
Thanks for the great input! Appreciated. Can you elaborate a bit more on why you both got hardtails?
My intuition is to push for full suspension for the sake of versatility.
And the difference between his/her is just the color, right?
I'm looking into buying my wife an EMTB and wondering if anyone has any advice.
Background
She's a complete beginner. She has rarely biked in her life. We rented a bike in autumn and rode some gravel mountain roads and she loved it. We live in the Swiss Alps so there's a possibility she might...