Torn between a couple of bikes

Zuninet

Zuninet

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I'm in the market for a new bike, currently riding a Powerfly FS4 Gen 2, with upgraded fork and rear suspension. Although it's a great bike, it's not really made for some of the trails I ride. I generally ride in terrain with some elevation (Gatineau area near Ottawa), a mix of single track, some rock (Canadian Shield). Elevation gained on rides can be anywhere from 500 to 1000m at the very most, a mix 70/30 of XC downhill I'd say. I was originally going to go with a lightweight emtb, but am a bit torn as I weigh about 195lbs, and would like the option of supporting a few hours of riding if I want. I have an opportunity on three that are on sale and one that is full msrp,.

Prices in Canadian.

1. 2024 fluid vlt performance c2 ($7500) (Adore the blue frame)
2. Norco range vlt c1 ($6500) (is it too much bike?)
3. Norco VLT CX c3 ($8400) (MSRP gives me the Willys)
4. Rocky Mountain Instinct SL 50 ($6000) (Unsure about the company given the recent struggles, although love their bikes)
5. Trek Fuel+ EX TQ60 (but they are really hard to find in that trim) ($8300) (One of my favs, but tough to find one that isn't $12k)

I was all set on light weight, either the Bosch sx or TQ60 but rider weight and elevation has me re-thinking if it's the right bike. Also, I'm in my mid 50's, I'm in shape but not a climbing monster.
 
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Zed. (Justin is short) said:
As the owner of a Norco I'm slightly biased BUT I'll definately buy another :cool:

what gen Range (option 2) and what model is the option 3?

also, if you do go with Norco, they have the 'Ride Aligned' interactive setup guide that really is good:cool:

Setup Guide | Ride Aligned

www.ridealigned.com www.ridealigned.com
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It’s a 2024, so I think that’s gen2? (Purple frame)
 
It sounds like any of the SL EMTBs might suit your needs based on the terrain you plan on using.

Because I own a Fuel EXE TQ50, I lean towards the Fuel +TQ60. (The carbon one would be my dream bike).

The reviews for the Bosch Fauza motor seem …interesting.
 
Stihldog said:
It sounds like any of the SL EMTBs might suit your needs based on the terrain you plan on using.

Because I own a Fuel EXE TQ50, I lean towards the Fuel +TQ60. (The carbon one would be my dream bike).

The reviews for the Bosch Fauza motor seem …interesting.
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That was my first choice, but they are hard to find in the ex trim, and yeah carbon would be amazing … price.
 
Zuninet said:
That was my first choice, but they are hard to find in the ex trim, and yeah carbon would be amazing … price.
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On the flip side; there’s a guy on this mountain who just purchased the Fuel + carbon TQ 60. I haven’t seen it but apparently he plans on returning it for a new Trek Rail gen5. (800wh). Trek has a 30 day return policy, no questions asked.

Also, my neighbour just purchased the trek rail 800wh gen5. Looks like that will suit his needs on this mountain. It’s quite a bike …I’ll be doing a Magura mt7 brake swap with him. We both don’t think the SB8 brakes will cut it on this mountain…and he prefers MT7’s.
 
Stihldog said:
On the flip side; there’s a guy on this mountain who just purchased the Fuel + carbon TQ 60. I haven’t seen it but apparently he plans on returning it for a new Trek Rail gen5. (800wh). Trek has a 30 day return policy, no questions asked.

Also, my neighbour just purchased the trek rail 800wh gen5. Looks like that will suit his needs on this mountain. It’s quite a bike …I’ll be doing a Magura mt7 brake swap with him. We both don’t think the SB8 brakes will cut it on this mountain…and he prefers MT7’s.
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yeah the rail is another option, I’ve been looking at a few used ones that are in the 6k range 2021/2022 9.7/9.8. Trek fest is next week, maybe there will be some deals to be had on a rail+
 
The Trek would be the one. I'm in my 50s, reasonably fit and ride my regular MTbs along with a full-power eMTB. Just riding the eMTB (and I have my main mode tuned down a lot) tends to make my legs much weaker though cardio is fine. Since I want to keep riding my MTB with another couple of riding buddies, I need to be able to continue with my leg strength. The full powers are fine if that is all you want to do. My next bike will be be the Trek or the Yeti MTe. I may keep the Pivot for those occasional days where I will climb 6,000 ft in the backcountry. Think about how you will ride and what you want. The full powers can be tuned down but due to the weight, they never feel like a mid power bike.
 
The Rocky is a sweet deal for sure and they ride really well. Have you considered the Devinci E-Troy or a Santa Cruz Vala? Some great pricing on those too. Best advice is to take them all out for a test ride before making any decisions.

ps... the Norco range VLT C1 is a bit of a tank.


​

 
De$lo( said:
The Rocky is a sweet deal for sure and they ride really well. Have you considered the Devinci E-Troy or a Santa Cruz Vala? Some great pricing on those too. Best advice is to take them all out for a test ride before making any decisions.

ps... the Norco range VLT C1 is a bit of a tank.


​

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Yeah the range is out as far as what I ride anyway I think. Great price, but too much bike for the amount of downhill / shuttling I’d do. I plan to test some more soon and hang on to see what ends up on sale for trekfest. The instinct sl is on my short list as well as the fuel and fluid. A bit concerned with range on the fluid.
 
Honestly all over the place OP... Fluid, Range, full power, SL. Older gen Range is a pig, so unless your going to be smashing out gnar maybe reconsider.

I suggest a test ride on a SL and full power to narrow down your options. Then just pick a travel range appropriate for your riding style/terrain. Some folks really want that lightweight, more natural power delivery and more an extension of a regular MTB. Others want a self-shuttle DH bike (like the range) to blast up climbs and bomb down.
 
bmwpowere36m3 said:
Honestly all over the place OP... Fluid, Range, full power, SL. Older gen Range is a pig, so unless your going to be smashing out gnar maybe reconsider.

I suggest a test ride on a SL and full power to narrow down your options. Then just pick a travel range appropriate for your riding style/terrain. Some folks really want that lightweight, more natural power delivery and more an extension of a regular MTB. Others want a self-shuttle DH bike (like the range) to blast up climbs and bomb down.
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Yeah I agree. I was initially a bit concerned with range, but looking at ride length and terrain, SL will be fine. I rarely do downhill, much prefer XC. I’m settled on sl, just deciding on which one. Have a couple left to test
 
Except for #1, these are all stellar choices. You need to decide between full power and mid power and that's mostly based on terrain, your favorite trails, and even your riding buddies.
 
Suns_PSD said:
Except for #1, these are all stellar choices. You need to decide between full power and mid power and that's mostly based on terrain, your favorite trails, and even your riding buddies.
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Curious why you’re not a fan of #1
 
I ride Levos, a full fat and a SL. So I'll stay out of recommending. If you buy a full fat whatever, you will become a climbing monster. Good luck on your purchase.
 
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Zuninet said:
Curious why you’re not a fan of #1
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Actually I thought it was a different model. That said I don't like the SX motor. It's inefficient, loud, etc.
The Rocky SL and the TQ60 are the only mid power motors worth buying new imo. The Fazua also works well.
 
I ride a Canyon Spectral OnFly with the TQ50. I also have an Amflow PL Carbon Pro with (of course) the Avinox. I love riding both. The Canyon has the Fox 38 and is defiantly geared towards downhill and chunk and I’m more confident on this bike in that terrain. The Amflow is better on technical climbs because it is truly a trail bike despite everyone who owns one trying to turn it into something else which it is not.

My neighbor has the Trek with the TQ60 and it is a sweet bike but hard to find at a reasonable price.
 
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