Hi all new bikes questions

[mik76ish]

Well we have finally taken the plunge and ordered = Giant 2019 trance E+3 Pro E-,Bike for me and for my wife = Liv 2019 Intrigue E+ 2 Pro E Bike.
I made enquiries which was the cheapest option for dual shock and the guy in the shop recommended Giant, so we decided to go for that.
Please don't knock our choice as its a bit limited here in NZ and thes 2 bikes fitted our budget.
I'm 76 and my wife is 74 so we are looking to have some fun, I was asked if I need tubeless tyres and I said yes is that the right choice and they have knobbly tyres do I need to change for a smoother tyre ? for our sedate type of riding.
Although they are mountain bikes, we certainly won't be doing any mountains!

 

[R120]

Good choice from the sound of things - bear in mind that most Emtb's have a decent level of spec on them no matter what the cost, for general trail riding they will serve you just fine, make sure the shop sets the suspension up on the bikes for you when you collect them.

Tires are a personal choice and very dependent on conditions too, if the shops good and you trust them I would take three advice on the right tyre, though pretty sure what they come with will do just fine.

 

[Mad Mark]

WELL DONE MIK
To me it doesn't matter what bike you've bought, the main thing is you've been out a bought one.
The giant is a great value for money bike and I'm sure you will be happy.

It depends where you are riding ..... but I should see how you get on with the knobbly's .....if you are mainly on roads or fire tracks then perhaps some gravel type tyres might be better for you

Again well done the pair of you - get out there and enjoy yourselves

And mik at your age not to much jumping ? We don't want you having an accident ?

 

[ChrisB NZ]

Welcome Mik and well done on the purchase! You're going to have a lot of fun.

I'd be inclined to try out the standard tyres and see how you get on. My wife and I use our MTB tyres on the road a bit and they are fine. Maybe not in the wet so much but we don't do much riding in the wet. Having those grippy tyres is very reassuring when you do trails or even on the grass etc.

We don't run tubeless and we've never had any issues. It is better for serious mountain biking but involves a bit faffing around.

 

[akarob]

Congratulations. I predict that after your first real ride, you and the Mrs will both have BIG smiles on your faces and know you made a good lifestyle choice. I found it to be a LOT more fun than I expected.

 

[Andy A]

Hi Mik

Great choice of bikes I nearly got the Giant myself so I know you will love them, we do a fair bit of quiet road riding and we have good off road knobbly tyres on our bikes and they feel great on road, we have tubeless tyres and have had tubeless for years and they work really well for us especially if they have cut the hawthorn bushes as you can pull out any thorns and the tyres just seal themselves

Enjoy

 

[RobNevyn]

Welcome Mik, You'll love the Giant bikes, they are a great bike and the important thing is that Yamaha motor is the same across the range so you won't need to worry about the spec of E+3 which is still a very good bike anyway.
See how you go with the standard tyres, they should be fine for most tasks. I do a bit of road riding on mine just to keep the legs in shape and have had no issues with the standard tyres.
Fun times ahead.

 

[Bonz]

Well we have finally taken the plunge and ordered = Giant 2019 trance E+3 Pro E-,Bike for me and for my wife = Liv 2019 Intrigue E+ 2 Pro E Bike.
I made enquiries which was the cheapest option for dual shock and the guy in the shop recommended Giant, so we decided to go for that.
Please don't knock our choice as its a bit limited here in NZ and thes 2 bikes fitted our budget.
I'm 76 and my wife is 74 so we are looking to have some fun, I was asked if I need tubeless tyres and I said yes is that the right choice and they have knobbly tyres do I need to change for a smoother tyre ? for our sedate type of riding.
Although they are mountain bikes, we certainly won't be doing any mountains!

Hi mik and welcome.
A couple of nice bikes you have there. I’m sure you will have a great time on them.
They take a bit of time to get used to but your bike shop will help with setting you up comfortably. Even things like handlebar width and rotating your brake and gear controls to suit you both.
In what part of NZ do you live.

 

[mik76ish]

Hi mik and welcome.
A couple of nice bikes you have there. I’m sure you will have a great time on them.
They take a bit of time to get used to but your bike shop will help with setting you up comfortably. Even things like handlebar width and rotating your brake and gear controls to suit you both.
In what part of NZ do you live.

We live in Tauranga and really getting excited hope to pick up from Hamilton today mine was in stock but the wife's small had to be shipped from Auckland.

I rode moto trials for about 35 years and sold my gasgas 125 about 3 years ago I have a torn rotator cuff and tended to fall on the the same side every time I had an off, been fine ever since stopped riding. And I now know my limits plus its a bonus as we have been riding mtb ever since we moved here in NZ total life change yay.

 

[Bonz]

We live in Tauranga and really getting excited hope to pick up from Hamilton today mine was in stock but the wife's small had to be shipped from Auckland.

I rode moto trials for about 35 years and sold my gasgas 125 about 3 years ago I have a torn rotator cuff and tended to fall on the the same side every time I had an off, been fine ever since stopped riding. And I now know my limits plus its a bonus as we have been riding mtb ever since we moved here in NZ total life change yay.

After riding moto for 35 years I predict you will be off to try out all the tracks in Rotorua in no time.??

 

[HikerDave]

Well we have finally taken the plunge and ordered = Giant 2019 trance E+3 Pro E-,Bike for me and for my wife = Liv 2019 Intrigue E+ 2 Pro E Bike.
I made enquiries which was the cheapest option for dual shock and the guy in the shop recommended Giant, so we decided to go for that.
Please don't knock our choice as its a bit limited here in NZ and thes 2 bikes fitted our budget.
I'm 76 and my wife is 74 so we are looking to have some fun, I was asked if I need tubeless tyres and I said yes is that the right choice and they have knobbly tyres do I need to change for a smoother tyre ? for our sedate type of riding.
Although they are mountain bikes, we certainly won't be doing any mountains!

Just wear out the knobby tires on the road; they will probably last 2500 km. If you’re going slowly the extra wind and rolling resistance over a road tire will not be noticed except for a few miles reduction in range.

I rode a Trance E+ Pro on a rough trail after riding my Haibike SDURO; Giant Trance was a class above; the traction is much better on the Trance E+ with less shock from the trail getting through.

You made a great choice. Your new bikes with the Maestro suspension will work well everywhere; I really don’t understand why people want to take a pounding on the road when full suspension is available.

 

[Julio]

The benefit of going tubeless is that if you run over a nail or thorn, etc the goop that they put in your tyre will seal the hole and you can generally keep riding. Also the bike will be slightly lighter (less weight of tubes, plus weight of goop). The negatives are that you need to change or top up the goop (sealant) from time to time.

The tyres that come on a Trance / Liv are (from memory) a fairly knobbly front and a slightly less knobbly rear. They are "tubeless ready" so can have the tubes removed, valves replaced and goop added. With the assistance that you will get from the motor, they will probably be fine and you won't notice the slight drag that you get from the knobbly tyres. Also, if you do find yourselves exploring a bit further into the trails, the knobbly tyres will grip well in the dirt and mud.

As others have said - do ensure that you get the bike shop to set up the suspension to suit your weight and the contact points (handle bars, control levers, grips, seat height, pedals, and seat) so that you are comfortable. The seats that come standard on Giant bikes are not to everyone's liking, so each get a seat that suits you (and don't be afraid to try many different seats).

PS. Sorry to hear that you have given up moto trials. I am a keen twinshock trials rider (Fantic 200 and SWM TL320). Our last event was at the Masters Games in Whanganui. Our next event will be with the Ixion MCC club at the first round of their "Not Just Twinshocks" series.

 

[flash]

I don't know why anyone would say tyres don't make a difference on an eBike. They most certainly do. I have a second set of wheels for my bikes with different tyres and they difference is huge. Not just in battery range but also how secure the bike feels on different surfaces. A knobbly tyre on wet asphalt isn't fun.

If you're riding hard surfaces and some gravel/dirt then look at a gravel type tyre. Maybe like a Schwalbe Matathon Plus. I'm running a set of those on my Merida hardtail and they're really great as an all rounder for non technical terrain and road use. Pedalling is vastly different to a knobbly tyre.

Tubeless is definitely the way to go. It's much better than tubed but do read up on it (or watch GMBN on youtube) as it still requires some maintenance (new sealant every few months etc). Maybe get a tube for emergencies and a good multitool and a pump.

Also make sure the shop sets up the bike for the type of riding you want to do. If you're just wanting comfort and not for technical descents the suspension can be set up to be a more forgiving ride. Also spend some time in the shop getting the cockpit setup the way you like it. A good shop will spend some time helping you be as comfortable as possible and bar set up is essential to not getting any pain in your hands, etc.

Gordon

 

[pegasus]

Pump up the knobbly's and wear then out, then go get some slicker ones once you've worn them out.

 

[skyfree]

Tires are always a compromise. I used Schwalbe Super Moto-x tires all last summer and they can handle reasonable pitched ascents/descents on dry dirt pretty well, and are fantastic on pavement. When I switched back to my knobbies for wet stuff last fall I felt like I had dragging brakes on pavement rides. I decided that compromise is bad so I ordered a 2nd set of wheels so I can always have the right tool for the job.

 

[Pug907]

Hi Mik, 2nd choice on my list was the Trance E+1. Nice looking bikes imo. Slightly noisier motor than on the Fantic ( I'm still waiting to arrive ?), but the wind in your ears will kill that hahaha. Enjoy ?

 

[mik76ish]

Unfortunately where we ordered the bikes from couldn't source the wife's bike so we cancelled our order. I have since had a price match from Evo bikes here in Tauranga and they can supply the bikes, so we have to wait another week or so for these to be shipped from the south island in New Zealand.

So both bikes will come with tubed tyres I'm happy with that will save faffing around with sealant etc and I will carry spare tubes. I have a spare from my wife's existing 27.5" will these fit the fatter tyres that are currently on the bike? Even temporally to get you home.

 

[Akiwi]

Hi Mik, congratulations on getting 2 bikes. I firstly got one, then made the stupid mistake of letting my wife try it ;-) so all of a sudden I had to bus a second bike.
Was the best thing ever as we have done loads of trips together. I wish we had got her a fully, but we can change that at some time. She also uses the bike for traveling to work and shopping so has a carrier and basket on the back.
After reading your comments I can appreciate what a luxury it is living near Munich in Germany. There is absolutely no shortage of bike shops with all brands possible here. definitely a luxury situation.
Hope you enjoy the bikes. I lived for a short time in Tauranga, the Mount and Te Puke, unfortunately that was before the mountain bike days (In the 80's) but I'm sure there is loads of great biking there. Have Fun!!