Anyone regretted switching to an emtb?

Yoak said:
Best thing I ever bought. Use my Slash now and then, but I love going flat out on my Rail. The only fitness level that has dropped a bit is pure leg strength. My heart rate is usually about the same on my ebike and my analogue. Maybe 5% less when I’m riding my ebike. Fun is more important than fitness to me, as are descending as opposed to ascending
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I think if you are having more fun, you will be more on the bike, so the fitness will be better in the long run. You are right with the leg strength. I got on a normal MTB the other day and definitely noticed my legs were struggling going up a steep mountain.
 
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Akiwi said:
I think if you are having more fun, you will be more on the bike, so the fitness will be better in the long run. You are right with the leg strength. I got on a normal MTB the other day and definitely noticed my legs were struggling going up a steep mountain.
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I think that will depend how much you ride for example myself previously maximum 20 miles per month on old Stumpy with current bike will be in excess of 100 miles and I can certainly notice my legs are stronger.
 
Got a Trek Rail 9.9 as my first ebike and swapped it for a Levo SL after about 3 weeks. Too much power and too little effort! Been happily riding that on 30% assistance for 2 1/2 years now.

I still have my 2017 Stumpjumper FSR 6Fattie… and use it from time to time. More often, it’s strapped to a Kickr in the garage though.
Probably not living the life it wants… but it’s resale value would be so poor now (despite costing more than a lot of ebikes now!) that I’d rather hang on to it.
 
I sold my first emtb a couple of years back. At the time I was a fit as a butchers dog and enjoyed the grind. I didn’t dislike my Ebike, I just found it less rewarding.

Fast forward a few years. I’ve now got a young family, with less time on my hands, I’ve just bought another eMTB. I still ride my MTB, but with less time for scheduled rides the eMTB is great for getting out for a quick blast. There are days where I would be too tired to ride my MTB but I’m quite happy to get out with the extra support from the motor. Can’t stand the 25kph limit though, as I ride to the trials it’s a pain in the arse and is the first thing to go.
 
My problem with an ebike is that I go too far. When I used my manual mtb I would go half as far as my ageing body would permit so that I knew i could get home without dying of exhaustion. I could go out for an hour in these parts and get plenty of exercise going only six or seven miles (on an average ride out on local roads I would generally expect to climb between 600 and a 1000 metres, such is the terrain around here). Now, I just go out with no real idea where I am going to go, safe in the knowledge that if I've left enough for 15 minutes of turbo mode (to get me back up the long, steep hill to my house) I can just disappear off for two or three hours and maybe do 25 or 30 miles and stopping in a distant pub for a pint somewhere. A 'quick ride out' never stays that way.

The only thing I regret about having an ebike is that my manual mtb is such a lovely looking machine with it's three chain rings and 26 inch wheels, the ebike with it's thick frame tubes and 29 inch wheels looks a bit 'clunky' by comparison.

Oh, and the weight, I don't like the weight of my ebike. Lifting it over stiles is a feat of strength these days as it weighs nearly twice as much as my manual bike. Looking at really expensive ebikes shows that weight is a problem on them all; still, batteries gonna weigh what batteries gonna weigh I suppose.
 
ShinySideUp said:
My problem with an ebike is that I go too far. When I used my manual mtb I would go half as far as my ageing body would permit so that I knew i could get home without dying of exhaustion. I could go out for an hour in these parts and get plenty of exercise going only six or seven miles (on an average ride out on local roads I would generally expect to climb between 600 and a 1000 metres, such is the terrain around here). Now, I just go out with no real idea where I am going to go, safe in the knowledge that if I've left enough for 15 minutes of turbo mode (to get me back up the long, steep hill to my house) I can just disappear off for two or three hours and maybe do 25 or 30 miles and stopping in a distant pub for a pint somewhere. A 'quick ride out' never stays that way.

The only thing I regret about having an ebike is that my manual mtb is such a lovely looking machine with it's three chain rings and 26 inch wheels, the ebike with it's thick frame tubes and 29 inch wheels looks a bit 'clunky' by comparison.

Oh, and the weight, I don't like the weight of my ebike. Lifting it over stiles is a feat of strength these days as it weighs nearly twice as much as my manual bike. Looking at really expensive ebikes shows that weight is a problem on them all; still, batteries gonna weigh what batteries gonna weigh I suppose.
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So to cut a long story short - No Regrets.
 
I bought a really nice full fat but while it was light (45-46 lbs) I still preferred the handling and technical capability of my regular mtn bike. I sold the Pivot Shuttle and then bought a 40 lb Levo SL. I enjoy the lighter Levo SL though I ride it as my secondary and "recovery ride" bike. I did lose a lot of strength when I rode the full fat a lot. I'm in my 50s so the regular MTB keeps my fitness up and I prefer the handling, by far. So no regrets but I would not go full time on the e-bike. Using the Levo SL as my recovery and long-ride bike has been helpful too. Since it is used as a secondary bike, my strength and climbing fitness are back.
 
Akiwi said:
I think if you are having more fun, you will be more on the bike, so the fitness will be better in the long run. You are right with the leg strength. I got on a normal MTB the other day and definitely noticed my legs were struggling going up a steep mountain.
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I suppose this is the key thing for me - I have been finding the regular bike to be more fun on the downs. The Rail has a bit too much weight and the motor drag above 25km/hr just takes the edge off the enjoyment for me. However, the Rail has been fantastic and really got me back into biking regularly, as well as improving my skill due to the ability to repeat a line many times. It's a "it's not you, it's me" kind of thing!
 
Mulletamoeba said:
I suppose this is the key thing for me - I have been finding the regular bike to be more fun on the downs. The Rail has a bit too much weight and the motor drag above 25km/hr just takes the edge off the enjoyment for me. However, the Rail has been fantastic and really got me back into biking regularly, as well as improving my skill due to the ability to repeat a line many times. It's a "it's not you, it's me" kind of thing!
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There's no motor drag when you go downhill.
 
rod9301 said:
There's no motor drag when you go downhill.
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I was thinking that coming from an S works Stumpy my current bike feels Like it Flys downhill and literally rolls over anything. In fact I am certainly faster downhill on my tank than stumpy but I am certainly not good enough rider to use as a yardstick.
 
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What I have noticed talking to friends and people I see on the trail rides is that if you come from a bike background, the eMTB weight thing see to be an issue and imported factor for rider control. Where as if you come from a Moto background the eMTB weight is not an issue and you get use to throwing the eMTB around. I know for a fact (Strava) that I am a lot faster on the DH on my eMTB, then on my MTB same amount of travel, for me the MTB just seem twitchy and the eMTB is just planted. It's all about rider preference, what works for one rider may not work for another rider.:geek:
 
I definitely notice my arms and upper body get more of a workout with the eMTB. I have had some long days where my upper body is aching just as much as my legs.
This is me. (Sorry for the borrowed image Dreamstime)

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Hell no. You still get a work out but it is all fun vs grinding up shit feeling like your riding though treacle hoping for a down. 😂
 
2WheelsNot4 said:
Ebike/analogue bike comparison is like comparing fillet steak to beef ham.
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Nah, it's like comparing Fillet Steak to a really nice Risotto. Love them both, wouldn't want to eat either one all the time, wouldn't want to not have the option of both.

Anyway, if you eat nothing but steak then you'll get fat and poor. 😂
 
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