Mullet musings

[MrsBean]

I’m contemplating a new e-bike. I have a couple of must haves, specifically a mullet and a removable battery.
I want a mullet because I prefer them and the steep, technical stuff I love is better, for me, on a mullet because of my shortish legs and tyre buzz.
Ideally I want a removable battery because I travel most weeks and I could keep the bike in my car and charge the battery in the hotel room.
Candidates so far are the new Trek Rail+, an outgoing Levo Turbo and, erm, that’s it!
My ideal budget is £5k tops, I don’t care about specification because I’ll build what I want from existing kit/bikes.

Yes the new Rail+ is a bit challenging aesthetically but I don’t really care about that, it certainly looked better in the flesh!

Any suggestions on what should be considered?
Cheers

Rail all day mate. I have rail 9.5 whi have had from new 4 years ago, hubby is in process of changing his 5yr old rail 7 for a 9.7, wouldn't have anything else. Rail 5's are a good price in your budget. Just upgraded forks on mine to Zebs. Got me doing stuff I never thought I would ever do and I absolutely love her.

 

[Bogdan_CH]

The new Rail even in 9.7 variant has a really weak build and comes at £6500 which is steep. There are better options out there.

 

[MrsBean]

The new Rail even in 9.7 variant has a really weak build and comes at £6500 which is steep. There are better options out there.

Each to their own. No weaknesses in either the 5yr old 7 or 4yr old 9.5, but there are other options. Just going from personal experience.

 

[rzr]

I ride Levo g3 carbon for 2.5y now, just week ago Spec changed motor second time (on avg. sprag bearing survives 4kkm), bike has a bit more than 8000km, with Zeb 170 and Cascade long link, no other problems.
I can feel bike a bit more maneuverable with short CS and 27.5 (I run it with 29" wheel at the bacl sometimes too)

 

[Raptor]

Cube 177 slx

 

[Growmac]

Candidates so far are the new Trek Rail+, an outgoing Levo Turbo and, erm, that’s it!

I just had a Rail+ 8 as a loaner for a week while my own 2021 Rail 9.8 was being repaired, so got to do about 75 km on it.

I was really impressed. It's lost none of the stability and speed of the full 29er, but feels more agile and playful. My Merida e160 was a mullet but was terrible on really steep climbs and horrible on stairs, so I was apprehensive; I shouldn't have been, the Rail+ went straight up two flights, and straight up a steep, Rooty climb, just as easily as my own bike. No worries at all, practically like it wasn't there. I'm also sure it has more torque than the Gen4. I could easily keep with friends on a steep, stepped paved climb when they were going hard.

Might not be relevant to you, but I was also really impressed with the Zeb fork. They were horrible when they first came out, but they appear to have completely sorted it. It was probably a combination of the fork and the alloy frame, but the bike was an absolute missile through fast rough stuff, didn't get knocked off line at all.

So yeah. It's not radically different to my own bike, but they've made a lot of small improvements that really impressed.