New Guy, the torture of picking which bike

[Petegee56]

Hello All,

New convert to E bikes here, I have ridden mountain bikes for the last ten years, generally " Enduro" riding. What this actually means is a steep fire road climb to the top followed by a steep, rooty, rocky strip of mud to the bottom, rinse and repeat,. Generally around ladybower in the peaks, The wrekin in the midlands or the golfie whenever i can get up to scotland.

Usual reaction from my riding group to ebikes is as you can imagine but to me the make perfect sense for the type of riding i do, get me to the top so i can ride down again. More downs = more fun

However it is no easier to find the do it all bike in Ebike than it is non ebikes. I want something that is capable to eat up the steep technical descents but also not be as heavy as a oil tanker and be ok on more mellow stuff if i ride it,

I have test ridden the Santa cruz Heckler and the Merida E 160 2020 model, Im happy with a 504 Wh battery, like the idea of less weight and most of the time it will be more than enough range for me, my test rides got me 18 miles and 4000 - 4900 feet

I think prefer the Merida , which if i am honest surprised me, I would be happier if it was half a degree slacker and 10mm longer in reach but the numbers look about right, I guess what im looking for is comfort that people have used the E160 for similar riding to me and its fantastic before I bite the buillet and spend big money on one, I have watched more videos and read more reviews on bikes than i care to admit,

The extra advantage with the Merida is my local bike shop stocks it, they are giving me a hefty discount on an 2020 8000 model and i think its one of the best looking ebikes around.

Other bikes i an considering are the Focus Sam2 or YT Decoy Shred both slacker and a bit longer, but also heavier.


Anyway thanks for reading my rambles, im sure i will open my wallet and eventually and make a choice,

PS, can i wash my bike with a hose pipe or will i kill it !!

Pete

 

[mas]

Hello All,

New convert to E bikes here, I have ridden mountain bikes for the last ten years, generally " Enduro" riding. What this actually means is a steep fire road climb to the top followed by a steep, rooty, rocky strip of mud to the bottom, rinse and repeat,. Generally around ladybower in the peaks, The wrekin in the midlands or the golfie whenever i can get up to scotland.

Usual reaction from my riding group to ebikes is as you can imagine but to me the make perfect sense for the type of riding i do, get me to the top so i can ride down again. More downs = more fun

However it is no easier to find the do it all bike in Ebike than it is non ebikes. I want something that is capable to eat up the steep technical descents but also not be as heavy as a oil tanker and be ok on more mellow stuff if i ride it,

I have test ridden the Santa cruz Heckler and the Merida E 160 2020 model, Im happy with a 504 Wh battery, like the idea of less weight and most of the time it will be more than enough range for me, my test rides got me 18 miles and 4000 - 4900 feet

I think prefer the Merida , which if i am honest surprised me, I would be happier if it was half a degree slacker and 10mm longer in reach but the numbers look about right, I guess what im looking for is comfort that people have used the E160 for similar riding to me and its fantastic before I bite the buillet and spend big money on one, I have watched more videos and read more reviews on bikes than i care to admit,

The extra advantage with the Merida is my local bike shop stocks it, they are giving me a hefty discount on an 2020 8000 model and i think its one of the best looking ebikes around.

Other bikes i an considering are the Focus Sam2 or YT Decoy Shred both slacker and a bit longer, but also heavier.


Anyway thanks for reading my rambles, im sure i will open my wallet and eventually and make a choice,

PS, can i wash my bike with a hose pipe or will i kill it !!

Pete

I got my first ebike a few months ago and its a Merida e160 limited but has the same forks as the 8000 model. It is awesome but the only thing I dont like is that when it hits the restriction limit it becomes pretty hard to pedal against the motor which makes it a bit awkward for jumps I find. In Aus the limit is 25km/h so it might be different for you. From what I have seen they all seem to weigh around the same except for the Levo.
Good luck!

 

[steve_sordy]

........................The extra advantage with the Merida is my local bike shop stocks it, they are giving me a hefty discount on an 2020 8000 model and i think its one of the best looking ebikes around...................

PS, can i wash my bike with a hose pipe or will i kill it !!

That sentence above in red is what should sell it you!! What else can you possibly want? The most important part of that sentence for your first emtb is "local bike shop"!

You could use a hosepipe as long as it is not on jet and you don't aim at the seals, motor inlets, etc. It would be much better if you used a bucket of hot soapy water and a watering can to pre-wet and rinse.

 

[Gary]

At the moment (the situation with covid means) buying local isn't necessarily going to help you any quicker when your motor/battery/electrics go wrong as many spares are not readily available with the distributors. Plus if say your shimano motor does pack in. Any Shimano dealer can sort out your warrranty.

Yes you can use a hose, even a high powered one. Just use common sense with it. We're not all pensioners with enough time on our hands to mess about sprinklining water on our bikes with a watering can after every wet/muddy ride.

 

[steve_sordy]

You haven't seen my watering can!

Oh, and it's magic water!

 

[JoeBlow]

At the moment (the situation with covid means) buying local isn't necessarily going to help you any quicker when your motor/battery/electrics go wrong as many spares are not readily available with the distributors. Plus if say your shimano motor does pack in. Any Shimano dealer can sort out your warrranty.

I was told, and I really have no idea if this is true, that if you visit an approved retailer for warranty repairs but did not buy the bike from them they will still charge for labour.

Al

 

[Gary]

And so they should.
it's THEIR time, tools, bills and experience. not yours.

 

[JoeBlow]

And so they should.
it's THEIR time. not yours.

I'm not complaining, I totally understand, but it doesn't apply to cars for example.

 

[Gary]

Yes it does.
Take your car to an independent garage for repair and you'll be charged for labour.

for example

 

[JoeBlow]

Yes it does.
Take your car to an independent garage for repair and you'll be charged for labour.

for example

Yes you are right the key word is "independent". I bought my car in Bristol and had warranty work done in another town with no charges for labour. Even though they were a different dealer they might well be part of the same approved dealer chain. I hadn't really thought about it.

 

[Gary]

You can always buy your bike from the likes of Halfords or Evans if nationwide free warranty labour is of great importance to you.
But good luck with that.

 

[Petegee56]

That sentence above in red is what should sell it you!! What else can you possibly want? The most important part of that sentence for your first emtb is "local bike shop"!

You could use a hosepipe as long as it is not on jet and you don't aim at the seals, motor inlets, etc. It would be much better if you used a bucket of hot soapy water and a watering can to pre-wet and rinse.

Thanks for the reply.

I want to make sure I’m getting TB e right bike for me needs that’s all. I’m tempted to look at something with slacker angles and a 38 fork or similar but generallythen the weight goes up, it’s finding the balance

I take it from the need to local bike help that ebikes are still having a tendency to go wrong often. I have seen lots of failure post for motors but Shimano seems to fair better than others on that front

I’d the Merida had a 64 degree head angle and 10mm more reach I probably would not have questioned it

Pete

 

[steve_sordy]

........ I take it from the need to local bike help that ebikes are still having a tendency to go wrong often. I have seen lots of failure post for motors but Shimano seems to fair better than others on that front. ................

Mostly, the sad stories make it onto the internet. Many people have zero problems. Some problems may be caused by riders chipping their bikes and overloading the motor, others by water abuse. So I wouldn't be overly concerned about buying an emtb. BUT if you do have a problem with the motor, battery, charger, screen, wiring harness or software, then it's good to know that you don't have to parcel up the whole bike and send it back to Germany, Italy, Spain....... The fault may be easily fixed and without query by the supplier, but you will still be without the bike for weeks. You may also find that your emails go unanswered. If you ring them up, you will find the usual "If you want Sales, press 1, if you......" ie just like every other company you contact, expect it's in a foreign language and you have no idea which button to push and even if you do, the person you get through to may not speak your language, or you theirs.

Get one from a local supplier and all that goes away. You can explain in your own language to someone who is stood in front of you what the problem is, have a discussion and come to a conclusion about what the best thing to do may be. MUCH better! They may even just say something like "Oh, that's an easy one, all you do is this!"

Ref Shimano. I have the Shimano e8000 and it has been trouble free for the 21 months I've had it and still going strong. However, the e8000 is about to be replaced by a new motor (EP8 I believe). The new motor will only be in the 2021 bikes. That means that the 2020 bikes with the e8000 may have some deals, if there are any left!. The EP8 is lighter and has a higher peak torque, but it is not backwards compatible and is untried. There has already been a delayed launch and a recall, so I wouldn't be in a rush to get one and I sure wouldn't pay extra vs the tried and tested e8000. As I have the Boost turned down to Medium, I don't believe that I use the peak torque in the e8000, so even more in the EP8 may be wasted on me.

 

[Nicho]

Oh, and it's magic water!

Is that the M&S magic water with ground-up unicorn horns?

 

[t_j_oliver]

I bought a 2020 e160 8000 a few months ago and use it mostly going up fire roads and descending both flow and more technical trails. I've only been riding for less than two years so not hitting anything huge but am riding in my first enduro event today which includes 3 double black diamond stages in a steep rocky pine forest. I am looking for a slightly longer stem to put on but everything seems to be out of stock.
I wash mine with a hose and haven't had any trouble.
Hope this helps.

 

[Petegee56]

I bought a 2020 e160 8000 a few months ago and use it mostly going up fire roads and descending both flow and more technical trails. I've only been riding for less than two years so not hitting anything huge but am riding in my first enduro event today which includes 3 double black diamond stages in a steep rocky pine forest. I am looking for a slightly longer stem to put on but everything seems to be out of stock.
I wash mine with a hose and haven't had any trouble.
Hope this helps.

Thanks Oliver

that’s the exact bike I’m looking at, I would not rush to put an longer stem on it. Maybe 50mm max.

Pete

 

[Petegee56]

Mostly, the sad stories make it onto the internet. Many people have zero problems. Some problems may be caused by riders chipping their bikes and overloading the motor, others by water abuse. So I wouldn't be overly concerned about buying an emtb. BUT if you do have a problem with the motor, battery, charger, screen, wiring harness or software, then it's good to know that you don't have to parcel up the whole bike and send it back to Germany, Italy, Spain....... The fault may be easily fixed and without query by the supplier, but you will still be without the bike for weeks. You may also find that your emails go unanswered. If you ring them up, you will find the usual "If you want Sales, press 1, if you......" ie just like every other company you contact, expect it's in a foreign language and you have no idea which button to push and even if you do, the person you get through to may not speak your language, or you theirs.

Get one from a local supplier and all that goes away. You can explain in your own language to someone who is stood in front of you what the problem is, have a discussion and come to a conclusion about what the best thing to do may be. MUCH better! They may even just say something like "Oh, that's an easy one, all you do is this!"

Ref Shimano. I have the Shimano e8000 and it has been trouble free for the 21 months I've had it and still going strong. However, the e8000 is about to be replaced by a new motor (EP8 I believe). The new motor will only be in the 2021 bikes. That means that the 2020 bikes with the e8000 may have some deals, if there are any left!. The EP8 is lighter and has a higher peak torque, but it is not backwards compatible and is untried. There has already been a delayed launch and a recall, so I wouldn't be in a rush to get one and I sure wouldn't pay extra vs the tried and tested e8000. As I have the Boost turned down to Medium, I don't believe that I use the peak torque in the e8000, so even more in the EP8 may be wasted on me.

yeah I’m happy to go E8000 I will be in eco most of the time I would imagine unless I’m out for a quick blast so not too fussed about more power

I know what you mean about the direct sales stuff, I’m just so tempted by the decoys geometry all though I should know better then to just look at numbers on a page

Pete

 

[steve_sordy]

Is that the M&S magic water with ground-up unicorn horns?

Oh I wish!
It's actually nearly as good; rainwater from the waterbutt that collects from the house roof.

 

[steve_sordy]

I was told, and I really have no idea if this is true, that if you visit an approved retailer for warranty repairs but did not buy the bike from them they will still charge for labour.

Al

I bought my Focus from one dealer and take it to a nearer one for any work I can't do, or warranty claim (very few). They charge normal rates of course, but if it's a warranty claim they charge a £37 admin fee as long as it's a big job (new motor for ex). But if it's a small job, a new wire for ex and there is doubt over who is "at fault", then £37 does not compensate them for the time spent on the phone. In which case their advice is to take it back to the dealer I bought it from, or they will fix it at normal rates. Very fair I think.

 

[Nicho]

Oh I wish!
It's actually nearly as good; rainwater from the waterbutt that collects from the house roof.

So it's the acid from the acid rain that eats the dirt off your bike then.

 

[steve_sordy]

So it's the acid from the acid rain that eats the dirt off your bike then.

I don't know where you live, but no acid rain here. It's out in the country, with nothing but rainbows, bluebirds and apple blossom.
The worst thing around here is when the farmer does the muck spreading! ??