New E-Curious rider

[JStrube]

Not new to mountain, road or gravel, but definitely E-curious when it comes to mountain. I find I'm just a bit older, slower & heavier than I want to be for the rides I want to take on the mountain. Hailing from Central California, I have to drive to ride mountain, and when I do, it usually involves a bit of climbing, and, as a Clyde, I find I don't enjoy it as much as I used to.

So, come this April, I'll be at the Sea Otter Classic trying bikes & looking to buy. Unless I break down before then. Going to rent a couple of Santa Cruz Hecklers when my wife & I go camping in Santa Cruz next month, then heading to Wilder Ranch to test them out. Though, I suspect, I'm more interested in the new SL class of bikes.

Cheers!

John.

Existing stable consists of a Lightspeed T-5G, and a Canyon Spectral. Wife rides a Giant Road-E, and has a Juliana MTB.

 

[KnollyBro]

Not new to mountain, road or gravel, but definitely E-curious when it comes to mountain. I find I'm just a bit older, slower & heavier than I want to be for the rides I want to take on the mountain. Hailing from Central California, I have to drive to ride mountain, and when I do, it usually involves a bit of climbing, and, as a Clyde, I find I don't enjoy it as much as I used to.

So, come this April, I'll be at the Sea Otter Classic trying bikes & looking to buy. Unless I break down before then. Going to rent a couple of Santa Cruz Hecklers when my wife & I go camping in Santa Cruz next month, then heading to Wilder Ranch to test them out. Though, I suspect, I'm more interested in the new SL class of bikes.

Cheers!

John.

Existing stable consists of a Lightspeed T-5G, and a Canyon Spectral. Wife rides a Giant Road-E, and has a Juliana MTB.

If I didn't have a Kenevo SL, the Heckler seems like a bike I could ride. Its a great idea you test them out on your trails. I like that Santa Cruz has more levels/options as I would change several components on most bikes I would buy. For me, the biggest issue would be I don't need such a big motor and battery and Santa Cruz picks the most atrocious colors I have ever seen! Case in point...

 

[RustyIron]

definitely E-curious

C'mon. Do it. You know you wanna. This is 2022, we won't judge you.

I suppose it's best to try a couple bikes. Philosophically, before I became a convert, I would have opted for a lighter bike. But now that I have a mid-weight bike (Heckler), I'm glad I got it.

 

[Overkillit]

I've got the full power Levo and ride 95% in Trail, which I have set for 60% of motor use. I want to work to get that exercise but I don't want to have to stop to keep my heart from exploding. Having that full turbo option is just awesome for those moments when I want the bike to do the most of the work or when I'm cruising to the trailhead. I don't have experience with other emtb's but the 2022 levo has been a lot of fun so far. In my area, I get some who will say cheater and others who will swoon over the ebike. ymmv. I was hooked the moment I pedaled for the first time but it will make all non-powered bikes feel like something is dragging just a little.

 

[JStrube]

C'mon. Do it. You know you wanna. This is 2022, we won't judge you.

I suppose it's best to try a couple bikes. Philosophically, before I became a convert, I would have opted for a lighter bike. But now that I have a mid-weight bike (Heckler), I'm glad I got it.

Oh, my wife & I both want to...

I'm wanting to test FF as well as light MTBs. So, you say the Heckler is a "mid-weight"? What others are in that class? I was thinking in terms of SL, and Full Fat, as the Europeans call it... I'll likely try as many as I can at the Sea Otter in April, but right now, am just wanting to give it a try and renting makes sense. I have been pretty happy with my Canyon Spectral, and when I was sub 200, 49 yrs old, and rode 5000 road miles a year, Didn't think I'd ever go E, but now 6 years later, and falling out of love with road since our group had a crash(thankfully when I was away), I need something to get me back groovin again.

One of the holdbacks, is that my son & I take a trip to Bend Oregon every year to ride mountain bikes, and, not only does Oregon about ban E-anything on all single tracks, they are fanatical about it. I mean, it isn't like around here, where a "you do you" attitude might fly, I get the sense they would tie you to a tree while finding a ranger to write a ticket and confiscate your bike.

 

[2WheelsNot4]

I find I'm just a bit older, slower & heavier than I want to be

Well join the club

Ebike will knock twenty years off you.

 

[Sid Duffman]

You might also want to check out the Specialized experience center in Santa Cruz. It has SL and FF available to demo and is very close to Wilder Ranch (and the, ahem, fun trails next to Wilder Ranch).

 

[JStrube]

You might also want to check out the Specialized experience center in Santa Cruz. It has SL and FF available to demo and is very close to Wilder Ranch (and the, ahem, fun trails next to Wilder Ranch).

I'll stop by there too, since we are staying a week.