New riders-how do you convince yourself to buy an e bike?

[RebornRider]

Anything which convinced them just to jump in?

I rented an ebike in Zermatt while in Switzerland for a combo business/vacation trip. First time riding one. I could not have ridden as far nor climbed as much on my analog bike. Was amazed! Came home, sold my Stumpy, and bought a Turbo Levo (Not many options available in California at the time).

Edit: One more pic to demonstrate the distance I rode that day:

 

[Gyre]

This sort of thing mostly I think. As the years pass, the climbs intrude in ways they didn't before. Although I would argue the reward of mountain biking is found in the climbs as much as the descents but let's leave that there for now.

There's also the virtuous circle and the downward spiral. If you're open to climbing and have the time, you climb more, get fitter, enjoy climbing more. If time becomes a problem, you lose fitness, struggle more, enjoy it less, do it less often. I'm hoping the eMTB will help me get back on the virtuous circle.

For me personally, I was trying to work out buying a high pivot bike. Things were going slow in the process and then one day I asked myself, "What am I doing? What's going to have the bigger impact on enhancing my riding experience? A frame with an interesting take on rear suspension, or an eMTB?" The light bulb turned on and here we are.

 

[RustyMTB]

For the record, I think I'm being understandably misunderstood on the climbing thing. Understandably because I didn't elaborate, which is fair enough. What I meant was climbing is effort & effort gets rewarded by endorphins & endorphins make you feel good, ergo, climbing makes you feel good...eventually.

So much of MTB culture is around downhill. DH gives you adrenaline & excitement it's magic but it's possible to argue exertion is an equal reward. It all depends on what you value most from your ride.

 

[lightning]

For me it was the thought that an ebike was "cheating"
"that's not a mountain bike" l would say to myself as an ebike passed me on the trail.
l resisted it for six years but then one of my friends lent me his Cube Ebike for a
ride.
Within a month l was in the bike store paying for a Kona Remote E160
Sod the "cheating" argument, l don't care whether it's cheating or not, the fun factor far outweighs any doubts that lingered in my mind.
My bike is a NOS 2020 and so a bit outdated but l don't give a damn, l am getting twice as far on my rides and haven't had so much fun on a bike in years

 

[Tonybro]

It all depends on what you value most from your ride.

Easy, SURVIVAL! ?

 

[Slymobi]

For me, Always had a bike since as far back as i can remember. Love the rush, freedom and challenges but after enduring over a year of absolute agony a few years back ( wont bore you will all the details ) i was given a choice of 1. Wait it out ! The pain may get better 2. Continue with your meds that are doing fuck all for the pain but sending you into lala land or 3. Take spinal surgery option that could do more harm than good

I couldnt go on the way i was, missing out on my kids growing up and seeing my missus near breaking point trying to manage everything so made more sense to go all in and take option 3. Tough 8 months later snd i was back up on my feet and ready to build up my core again, my choice was some easy riding so went and got a new scott hardtail 29er as my current bike was a tad heavy and full suspension was not advised for my condition.

Absolutely loved my time on my 29er and it really got me back riding with a passion but i just cant get the fitness to manage the hills and where im located you hit some hard hills whichever direction you go lol so it made my rides very limited and really got repetition boredom.

Got me looking at conversion kits !! Now last time i looked im certain they were not this expensive !! Yep totally shite timing to want an ebike kit, thanks Covid for yet another kit in the balls. So with conversion kits being high priced i now started thinking more towards a manufactured ebike. Came to learn quickly that ebikes have come a long long way over a relatively short time and are also very expensive but after waying up the benefits i would gain it became very clear i needed one....

Easier said than finding lol, again timing is all out and almost every bike i set my heart on was just not available until i found a little local web advert ( Google big bro come up trumps with that ad ) which was advertising a Haibike i had been searching so decided on making direct contact with the shop and yep they had them in stock and ready to go Now my budget was not restricted but my justification on spending thousands of pounds on an untested form of transportation was so i opted for maybe the lower end ebike but felt i was still getting a good looking and functional emtb with my Haibike of choice ?

I will be honest even though i have zero regrets, the only bike available locally was Haibike. I had a realistic choice of the tourer ( i felt i had to be a tad older to go for this lovely looking bike but i just couldnt do it ), a £7000 full suspension model ( sorry i cant remember the model ) or the hardseven sduro 2.5.

I went with the latter with no hesitation as for me it looks stunning and i have fallen in love with this thing from day 1. I am on 340 miles to date and more so im on cloud 9 mentally each ride, just being able to go where i didnt even know existed, seeing my country side in its element, riding them rocky boggy terrains that i wouldnt even walk on is just a blast and a new rush each time.

Got a modified shot gun seat set up for rides with my youngest lad too which is going to create great memories for the boy and without that assistance there is no way he would be getting them.

So to sum all that ramble up.... My health, HILLS and being able to take my lad out shotgun are my reasons

So thats my life story. Sorry for the long post

 

[John B]

My advice would be look into some think like the new trek e-caliber. It’s a cross country bike with a smaller motor and battery, plus u can take it all out and you have a normal mountain bike. If you not going to be smashing out bike parks and enduro tails then this would be perfect. A lot of the roadies I know have ordered one as there into there fitness and just want to smash out some off road miles

 

[lightning]

Yes l like the look of these new lighter slightly less powerful ebikes.
Best of both worlds?

 

[Marcelfacd]

Whyte are probably the most reliable BUT bear in mind that Whyte are one of the only companies not to allow transfer of warranty !!!

Why on earth would a Bosch motor in a Whyte be more reliable than in any other bike....

 

[Zimmerframe]

Why on earth would a Bosch motor in a Whyte be more reliable than in any other bike....

I think he means as a whole. The Whyte's normally use fairly high quality bearings so are generally accepted as "good for use in the UK weather" .

You also get a lifetime warranty on the pivot bearings, from Whyte :

"The Main Pivot Bearings fitted to Whyte Full Suspension bikes are warrantied for life (original owner only)."

 

[Housenotes]

I would sum it up in 3 words: Funner, Faster, Further!

 

[Christy]

Like jimbob said : there are no pockets in coffins.
You can’t take it it with you and you only live once.
I am hitting 40 now and I notice the years creeping up on me. I had to sell off tools and other things I had that were worth something to buy my ebike but I knew I was going to get the value out of it . 0ver 450Km on it now in 5 wks.
I also got some fomo when the bike shop told me they were selling like never before and had one levo left so it was a case of now or never. If there was a better selection of bikes I might have bought something else but that’s all they had and I am delighted with it .
500w battery would be better for me as I am bagged after 2.5 hrs and I only used 30% battery. 30% assist is what I mainly run too unless I hit a big hill
That’s my 10c

 

[Scott5297]

A big determinant in deciding to buy an bike is age I think.

I bought my ebike in 2018 at the tender age of 49.

It was truly a fantastic purchase.

I have done the best part of 4,000 miles visiting all manner of countryside locations that I probably wouldn't have had the energy to visit before.

The ebike give you superhuman strength at times. you can ascend hills that you would avoid like the plague before.

When you get tired a few miles from home you just crank up the assistance and sail back.

I am still getting a cardio workout, according to my Apple Watch.

Most of all, I really enjoy riding it. I can't wait for the weather to improve.

Some people say we are cheating.

Would you say that to an old gentleman with a walking stick? Or someone the wrong side of 80 in a mobility scooter?

No you wouldn't.

ebikes are the future.

You don't believe me? Try to buy one.

 

[brizi2003]

I started looking at e-mtbs 6 months ago, as a stablemate to my road bikes. Fairly regular roadie, can knock 100k out easily enough, ride some gravel stuff also. Only done the odd bit of MTBing in the last 20 years.

Ive tried a few ebikes over the last 3 or 4 years and I've generally found them entertaining although they've been generally short stints.

I've seen a few choices of full sus bikes come and go from the LBS - Cannondales, Treks and Whytes and each time I've had the opportunity to go for it, the concerns about reliability, cost, ongoing maintenance to keep it going, and distance to trails (30 mins minimum) have always won over. I think the financial commitment to dip my toe into it has been too great. It's a fair bit more faff too, I've got a road bike which I can ride from the door..

My first choice of a Whyte has presented in my lap and again I'm going around the houses trying to convince myself not to buy it.

Anyone else have similar thoughts before getting into it? Anything which convinced them just to jump in? I know you're a long time dead......

I think you hit the nail on the head in your final statement - live now! I have road bikes too and can say without any doubt that road bikes are more reliable, cost less to buy, have far less on-going maintenance but then I don't take my road bikes up/down 20% gradients over rough terrain, jumps etc. in all weathers! 30mins to the trail is a bit of a bummer - I ride on 'boring' trails to the 'interesting' trails in about 30 minutes so I just trundle mainly in ECO mode to the trail then use TRAIL/BOOST for more entertainment/fun and extending my offroad skills more quickly. Having a motor powered bike also provides a useful tool for doing 'recovery' rides between hard road efforts, if your so inclined. In terms of offroad use, an EMTB will do most things a normal MTB can do and allow you to ride 'more' (Not great for lifting over fences, hike-a-bike trails or river crossings!). Use the max power and have a mad fun filled 1 hour or turn down the assistance to minimum and thrash yourself a bit over a longer distance/time. Persuade a riding buddy to get one too and I guarantee you'll have a great time discovering new trails and amaze yourself at what an EMTB can get you up and down! Can't comment on the Whyte EMTB but I have a Whyte hardtail MTB that is solid. I personally have a Specialized Kenevo which is good for every kind of MTB and I love how the motor power can be tuned using the phone app to make the bike more compatible when riding long distances with regular MTBs or set to MAX for TURBO rides with other EMTBs. My younger son convinced me, he got one and I couldn't keep up any more, whereas previously I'd often be waiting for him! - But a whole new world has opened out since then!

 

[Chaser]

Well due to the fact that by procrastination I missed out on it (And pretty disappointed that I did) that one has gone however, I can get my hands on a couple of demo's.
I'm going to take a Levo out next week solo and just see how I get on with it. It'll probably convince me one way or another that it'll be a worthwhile investment.

 

[Mikerb]

Maybe one misconception is that to have fun on an EMTB you do not have to ride for miles. One small area in a forest with drops/climbs/ramps etc can be sessioned and burn lot of energy because every muscle in the body is being used not just leg power.

 

[brizi2003]

Well due to the fact that by procrastination I missed out on it (And pretty disappointed that I did) that one has gone however, I can get my hands on a couple of demo's.
I'm going to take a Levo out next week solo and just see how I get on with it. It'll probably convince me one way or another that it'll be a worthwhile investment.

I don't think you'll be disappointed with the Levo, it's a great all round EMTB. Specialized warranty is fantastic in my experience too! Stocks and Shares are an investment, bikes are financial liabilities but feel-good investments!

 

[Chaser]

I don't think you'll be disappointed with the Levo, it's a great all round EMTB. Specialized warranty is fantastic in my experience too! Stocks and Shares are an investment, bikes are financial liabilities but feel-good investments!

Only needs to be an entertainment investment!

 

[mak]

I was MTBing 20+ years ago,


I like riding bikes. I like exploring. I like being outdoors.

There will be very few people who could set the same times that an eMTB rider could up a steep technical section.

I packed in about 20 years ago, i bought into the EMTB just over a year ago and am now on my second more expensive bike .

You would not believe how many new trails and routes an EMTB can take you too and discover on your door step within a 30 mile radius that you would avoid on a normal bike.

Im 53 years of age now and although not massively over weight or unfit before starting out on my EMTB journey i am cosiderebily fitter. 1.5 stone lighter and fitter. Ride modes are another story altogether and don't forget these bikes peddle fine with the motor off.

Interesting with regards to comment on times with regards a steep climb and an EMTB, Garmin logs segments on my rides of challenging climbs and even blowing a lung out my arse in turbo mode on a climb registering 16 over a decent length i only seem to ever be 3rd against a normal Mtb according to Garmin database . I keep my profile private but cant help but think there's some super fit super humans out there or its some chav riding up on an MX bike lol.

 

[CBSTD]

For me, I had race enduro (dirt bikes) and used MTB for fitness then enduros got a bit samey , I was rding more and more MTB and was looking to replace my Yeti SB 6 c at the time I was looking a high end MTB was roughly the same cost as an Emtb so no brainier really but it comes down to recreational time, I have a Emtb, a 990 KTM, and a KTM enduro bike the dirt bike hasn’t turned a wheel in 3 years and the 990 has gone for its mot for 2 years total mileage I also have a hard tail for the odd commute but the Emtb makes you time more laps in the same time and we are all not getting any younger, old age doesn’t come by itself, you’re along time looking at the lid ....... and other such words of wisdom ( currently sitting here with 2 weeks to run on my bike band chiropractor police ?.... what do they know

 

[chrismechmaster]

Why on earth would a Bosch motor in a Whyte be more reliable than in any other bike....

I did mean the COMPLETE BIKE generally looking through the forum the Whyte brand generally has less issue that other manufacturers

 

[KEV7950]

I had an original specialised rock hopper and have kept it looking and working well, and still ride it. However after thinking it would be wrong to spend 5k on something for myself, I decided sod it, I'm going to make memories and I'll take them to the grave rather than my money. Life's way too short. I am not the rider many on the forum are, I'm not going hard at anything, but want to get up and down many of the smaller mountains on my doorstep. I live in the Highlands and I can ride from my door, just 2 miles and I have hills to climb, I love it, it gives me greater freedom to do more.

 

[olde-mtber]

I had done some mountain biking a few years ago, mostly X country style stuff with a few visits to a trail centres and really enjoyed it. As I got older however I was finding that the downhill reward was out weighed by the uphill effort and I simply stopped enjoying it and packed in. I then tried an e bike, just in the car park, and saw the potential. I'm almost 73 it was a no brainer. I bought an e bike, upgraded to a higher specced e bike 10 months later and have never looked back. I'm enjoying riding more now than I ever did in the past.

Al

Much the same here health issues basically stopped me from riding as it was no longer enjoyable even on flat trails and on the road. So I bought a e-mtb and haven't looked back my health is now improving and ride a mixture of flat trails, road and slowly getting back into off road albeit fire roads and grade 2 trails off them I'll be 70 in a couple of months. Had the e-mtb 18 months

 

[Janc]

I had been looking at ebikes for ages, but I was in two minds while I still had an ordinary Scott bike..
I even contemplated modding it and adding a motor.
After it was stolen, it made my decision easier

• Stolen normal bike was my catalyst.
• Only having riding buddies that could ride twice as far as me especially up hills was my driver.
• Longer, more exploring, sessioning the same technic section to improve my skills, a leveller in fitness, not seeing a road ride to an offroad start as so much of a drag, enjoying bigger less technical rides because the hard climbs and slogs are no longer hard, finding I can ride mixed terrain and choose level heart rate or HIT rate mixes independent of the terrain because of power modes, saving some battery for those last few miles when the tank is mostly empty to finish on a high. Are some of the benefits I've discovered.

 

[Janc]

I'll also ask my 22 year old fit son to say why he's ordered one, I've always offered to push him up the fire trails......

 

[jeanmarc]

There is a bit of a “leap of faith“ when you DO purchase an e-mtb. I’ve never looked back, got one for my wife this year. ?

The story of e-mtbs is still young however, technology keeps pushing forward and the rate of improvement is fast paced so I wouldn’t break the bank for the “Ultimate $$$ bike” on the first one which will likely be outdated in a couple of years.
My 2 cents
?

 

[Garry]

I agree with most of what has already been said. I'm 66 and got my EMTB 2 weeks ago. I'm still fit enough to ride my non-emtb to a reasonable standard and ride a gravel bike on and off the road, too. I had a go on a friend's Focus and decided I had to have one. Put simply - it is more fun! As I climbed up the horrendous track from Horton Gill over to Yockenthwaite yesterday in e-mtb mode I couldn't stop grinning. That climb nearly killed me last time I attempted it on my 26lb carbon fibre Intense Primer.

 

[Shinn]

I bought mine without hesitation after having a pacemaker installed.

 

[DrStupid]

I find the climbs to be more rewarding on an e bike as I can now ride all of them.

I want to agree with this, but It would be a lie, as I've never truly riden a traditional mtb in more than jest.

I was a decent off-road motorcyclist at one time, and I find emtbs- risk for reward- more satisfying than I did with the motorcycles.

It seems, that once a climb is no longer challenging, either for fitness or for technicalities, we can always find a more precarious route.

There are a few climbs, around the property, that I may never clean from top to bottom, but it's still fun trying.

Adding new challenges as fitness and technique improve, has kept this emtb thing very compelling, even though I ride almost exclusively the same basic trails daily.

 

[Janc]

I want to agree with this, but It would be a lie, as I've never truly riden a traditional mtb in more than jest.

I was a decent off-road motorcyclist at one time, and I find emtbs- risk for reward- more satisfying than I did with the motorcycles.

It seems, that once a climb is no longer challenging, either for fitness or for technicalities, we can always find a more precarious route.

There are a few climbs, around the property, that I may never clean from top to bottom, but it's still fun trying.

Adding new challenges as fitness and technique improve, has kept this emtb thing very compelling, even though I ride almost exclusively the same basic trails daily.

If the climb lacks challenge - drop the amount of assist. Eco still requires a lot of prior planning.