Anyone miss their old non Emtb??

Boogz83 said:
Probably the wrong forum to have this discussion but does anyone miss their old non Emtb?

I bought my first Emtb around 18 months ago and whilst it’s great fun kind of miss the reward of riding a non Emtb!

I totally get the draw if you live in a hilly place such as Scottish highland or other areas with hilly terrain and extreme tracks etc but living in a fairly flat area and riding local tracks does leave me wondering if Electric bikes are are actually spoiling the sport somewhat.

Whilst fun I do find myself questioning if I should just buy a motor bike 🤣 as whilst a Bosch 5 may technically be pedal assist in reality in Emtb or turbo mode on normal terrain you don’t even break into a sweat.

As far as riding in eco I just don’t get why you would ride around a 25kg bike in the lowest power mode as quite frankly this is just pointless and any fit person riding around in low power modes would be better suited to an non Emtb.

This posts is not looking for an argument and I am just interested in other people’s opinions on the subject and also totally get older people or people with illness or injuries are massively beneficial from an Emtb without question.
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AND not OR. I have an eMTB but also keep a regular MTB, gravel bike, and fatbike.
 
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Bontee said:
I agree to an extent Dax, the reason I love my Castellano soft tail with 26” wheels is because it is old school,not despite it.It is fast ,incredibly maneoverable and light.I started on old school geometry in 1988.and just find it a real and refreshing change from big,long travel bikes…….sometimes 😉
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Funnily enough, that’s what I have the spur for (the bike in the tunnel photo). 12kg, 120mm, really nimble, very precise to ride.

My 26” XC bike? Think I went OTB in the carpark last time I rode that 😂
 
I live in Utah, in the colonies. Our trails start at about 6500' and climb to almost 10,000'. I still ride my donut powered bike. But I'm 73, so I am tilting more and more toward riding my E-bike, especially with my youngest son, who is 35. My wife is 72, and only rides the E-bike, but I had to push her to make the transition. She held out to the age of 71 - stubbornly!
But every time I jump on and ride my mountain bike, I am reminded of how much fun it is!
 
Castellano all loaded up 👍🏻

IMG_20250819_121520.jpeg
 
Whatever keeps you stoked on cycling, and gets you the physical & mental health benefits, do it!

Having owned both, I prefer SL eBikes since they require more physical effort and have some other handling benefits. But a lot of people scratch the same itch by riding their meatbikes when they want a workout, and a fullpower when they want easier fun. whatever works, options are awesome!

Now it's off season- trails are cold/wet/muddy here and limited daylight riding opportunities for me- I picked up a gravel bike and put full metal fenders on it. Having an absolute blast doing road/gravel rides to access DH trails, attempting to ride them, grabbing a beer on the way home.

All for fun!
 
Highland Wheels said:
Is that just an emtb thing though Steve or maybe from more modern Geo and a better seating position?
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The Whyte T130C Rs was my "old" mtb. but it was not an old bike. I bought it in Nov'16.
Some comments:
1) “Out of the box, it’s a blisteringly fast trail bike with exceptional handling and poise, performing exceptionally well on terrain where a 130 mm travel bike should struggle”.- Enduro Mountain Bike Magazine
2) “Trail Bike of the Year 2016” - What Mountain Bike magazine.

I replaced it with a Focus Jam2 9.6 NINE in Jan'19. I can't be arsed to do a geometry comparison now, but my memory of the test ride was that it was rode just like my old bike (after I'd moved the bar furniture, relocated the stem spacers, altered the tyre pressures and then all the suspension settings). :) It was that test ride that convinced me to get the Focus and not any of the other popular emtbs at the time.
 
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Personally, I don't miss the analog at all. Sold them both shortly after I bought my first eMTB and haven't missed them, not even a little.

No, I'm not elderly. I'm not physically challenged. I have no aliments that limit my riding. I'm not significantly out of shape. I don't routinely ride wicked technical terrain nor have massive elevation on my home trails. I simply prefer my eMTB because that thing is so much fun! It has brought the joy back to riding by enabling more dirt travelled at faster speeds. I'm not one that believes riding an analog is a "better workout" nor somehow "more rewarding"; rather, it's what you put into the ride vs. what you're riding (and yes, I know others have a different opinion about that which I respect).

It doesn't have to be an either/or. Do what your heart tells you and get out and ride.
 
Not really… but I think mine misses me.
It used to get used 2 or 3 times a week… then went down to once every couple of week… and now is down to a couple of times a year 🙄

Cost a fortune back in its day, has had loads of expensive upgrades… and is worth very little now. I’ll never sell it, but it only ever sees daylight when my Levo SL is in the shop or has something needing fixed… or on the rare occasion I have a mate who needs a shot of a bike.
 
At age 63 the short answer is NO. I have a Canyon Spectral Onfly and an Amflow so I will never ride analog again.
 
I sold my Levo in the summer and replaced it with a Bronson. No regrets, it’s just more fun to ride even with the extra effort and despite trying to fool myself previously, I’m am much fitter now. At 54 I reckon I’ve got a few years yet before I’m forced to make the change.
 
benny.c said:
I sold my Levo in the summer and replaced it with a Bronson. No regrets, it’s just more fun to ride even with the extra effort and despite trying to fool myself previously, I’m am much fitter now. At 54 I reckon I’ve got a few years yet before I’m forced to make the change.
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That's where the lighter ebikes are good. They don't have the full suck of the heavy battery at the front of the bike.

I'm not less fit than non E me. But im still mtb aswell. So on average 50% E 50% mtb and in total riding more than non e me.
With that said i dont want to go full E. I think then i'd have some fitness drop if i didnt inject the mtb session.
 
Yeah, I’d like to demo a new, lighter E. The only thing then is cost and warranty. My Bronson is a V4, like new and was less than £2K second hand. A used E is more of a worry, although to be fair my Levo was second hand and I never had any issues with it (except one motor service to replace a few crusty bearings).
 
Never went back for 5 years now, gave it away... Now I feel like I could get on a DH bike (analog) for places where a chairlift is available, essentially ski resorts opened in the summer for Mountain Biking. 😎
 
At 67, not-one-bit. As a life long biker and moto guy I still like to rip and an e bike allows me to do that and still get a good workout. I don’t really get why the younger folks (even kids) are all on them now but to each their own. There’s always eco mode but I doubt many use it. I do when on pavement.
 
Yes and no. I had a great mtb and for the price I paid, it would be hard to duplicate. I wish I hadn’t sold it. I got got half of what I paid for it but someone else got a great deal. I fall in to the age & health issues, lungs. I’ll ride eco sometimes especially on shorter rides. For me I do get exercise. Even bumping up one assist. I’ll go faster but still ”feel” it. We do have hills and small mountains. When on flat i use eco out and tour back in.
 
ValActionT 750 said:
Yes and no. I had a great mtb and for the price I paid, it would be hard to duplicate. I wish I hadn’t sold it. I got got half of what I paid for it but someone else got a great deal. I fall in to the age & health issues, lungs. I’ll ride eco sometimes especially on shorter rides. For me I do get exercise. Even bumping up one assist. I’ll go faster but still ”feel” it. We do have hills and small mountains. When on flat i use eco out and tour back in.
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Yes i miss my old bike, i could of still could do the more level rides.
 
If you are lucky enough to have an EMTB in your stable then it’s a no from me

Buying an EMTB has been a revelation for me as I have found that if you put the effort in you get your cake and eat it

More downhill runs, improve your skills as you are simply riding more downs, and yes you do get a work out in equal measure to an analogue

I consider myself decently fit, use gym, fitness classes and like to push myself. If you do double the distance/elevation then if anything this type of ride is more of a workout - but you need to turn down the assistance and put some elbow grease in!

With regards touring - I’d never use an ebike, but as earlier, lucky enough to have a HT and FS analogue
 
Depends on why you ride., For me the Levo 3 turbo is to ride up mountains solo or with friends and make up from not riding dirt bikes anymore- at 62 it was just too fast and I don’t bounce like I use to, every man needs to know his limits and I just was not aggressive enough to send it anymore.
For me my road bike is for pure exercise to keep me honest, smooth riding and great satisfaction when finishing a long ride. Different tools to meet my goals and keep a smile on my face- as they say, if your not having fun your doing something wrong. Enjoy the ride, stay healthy.,
 
I DO NOT MISS THE aMTB! I have 3 eMTB and covers all of my riding. Sometimes I will ride my single-speed eMTB with no power assist, but only on the bike path by my house.
 
this time of year- we're getting a few inches of rain a week- not riding my eBike at all.

There's just no point in taking $10k bike out for a 2hr ride when there'd be 2hrs of maintenance and laundry afterwards. As it is, already have a backlog of service it's due for after a great summer.

Love my trusty old chromag with giant mudhugger fenders F&R. It's amazing capable downhill, keeps my skills sharp, good workout. The best part (other than fenders keeping my ass dry) is other than brake pads it's seen almost no maintenance in 3 seasons, not even washed. I am always amazed how well it rides despite the neglect.
 
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nickf said:
I am very happy riding my 2022 full fat Trek Rail but recently test rode a mid power Trek Fuel+. I was blown away by the bike and how I rediscovered the "purity" of MTB riding. I was so impressed that I bought it! I also started a thread to see what other people think. The SL bike is dead. Long live the SL bike!

I personally am no longer able to ride a non-assisted MTB due to health issues, but the support from the Fuel's TQ60 motor is sufficient to help me along and so natural that it feels like it doesn't have a motor.

I would say that a majority of opinions in my thread argue that technological progress is making full fat eMTBs lighter, so you really can have your cake and eat it (ie full power AND light weight). I think they have a good point.

However, for me personally, what made me buy the Fuel+ was not that it was a few kg lighter but that riding it felt more like riding a muscular MTB. So I think I can have my cake and eat it too with the Fuel+. ie a muscular MTB feel AND a subtle electric support. (Other SL bikes are available 😁, and I still enjoy riding my Rail too.)
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Hi NickF.
I'm also enjoying my half-fat emtb (in Canada we don't call it that), as i don't have the energy for a lot climbing. My Devinci e-Troy lite seems plenty powerful for the hills and the range is reasonable. Happy riding!
 
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