Upgrade from a Trek Powerfly 5 to .......what would you suggest & why?

[Cricket23]

Hi folks,

I love my Powerfly 5 which I got in May 2020, but it's a hardtail, and on reflection I should have bought a full sus, so I'm thinking of upgrading it.

My two main criteria is that it must be a full sus and it must have a Bosch motor. Beyond that I'm open to suggestions. So what does the great collective think? BTW, my budget is c5.5k

I'm quite taken by the Trek Rail 7 and will be trying out a demo bike in a couple of weeks.

If it helps, I ride most types of terrain and love gnarly trails as well as 'touring'. I'm not brave enough for jumps yet, but do have a go at drop-offs.

Thanks in advance.

C23

 

[Stihldog]

Hi folks,

I love my Powerfly 5 which I got in May 2020, but it's a hardtail, and on reflection I should have bought a full sus, so I'm thinking of upgrading it.

My two main criteria is that it must be a full sus and it must have a Bosch motor. Beyond that I'm open to suggestions. So what does the great collective think? BTW, my budget is c5.5k

I'm quite taken by the Trek Rail 7 and will be trying out a demo bike in a couple of weeks.

If it helps, I ride most types of terrain and love gnarly trails as well as 'touring'. I'm not brave enough for jumps yet, but do have a go at drop-offs.

I have the PowerFly5 also. (His/hers) and they are great for bike trails, the flats and roads.
I mainly use the Rail 9.7 but the Rail 7 is very popular around here for our MTB trails. I think there are five Rail 7’s on my street but they are a bit pricey now.

 

[Mteam]

Why just limit yourself to bosch? I think bikes with the new shimano motor are also worth looking at, and by looking at bosch and shimano bikes you get a much wider range to choose from.

I say this as the owner of a bosch powered bike , I dont have shimano- so I'm not just being biased.

 

[Yoak]

Get a Rail. I’m biased as I own one, but they do get good reviews.

 

[Cricket23]

Why just limit yourself to bosch? I think bikes with the new shimano motor are also worth looking at, and by looking at bosch and shimano bikes you get a much wider range to choose from.

I say this as the owner of a bosch powered bike , I dont have shimano- so I'm not just being biased.

Partly becuse the bosch seems to come out best (albeit marginally) in most reviews, plus I'm very happy with it and partly because I've got to narrow down the field somehow.

 

[Cricket23]

Get a Rail. I’m biased as I own one, but they do get good reviews.

Thanks. Did you own an ebike previously, and if so what was it and in what ways is the Rail better? Cheers, C23

 

[Yoak]

Sorry, no. It was my first ebike.

 

[Sirwincealot]

Another Rail owner here.. first emtb so can't offer any comparisons unfortunately. But have been really pleased with it so far.. it just feels like a really well-sorted bike.

The other major factor was my local bike shop has been helpful with everything. I think that and availability would be my biggest considerations if I was buying again now.

Whereabouts in Surrey are you based? I'm in the Surrey Hills and planning to get out a fair bit over the next few weeks. If you're local'ish I'm more than happy to hit a few trails together if you'd like to compare notes between bikes.

 

[Doomanic]

I think that as a paid up member of the forum I am legally obliged to suggest you buy a £13K Levo, it is afterall a "technological masterpiece"...

However, I'm a bit of a rebel (without a clue) so I'm also going to suggest a Rail. Or a Whyte. Or even a Cube. In that order.

 

[Yoak]

It seems the best ebike you can buy this year is the one you can actually find in stock. At least around these parts

 

[Cricket23]

I think that as a paid up member of the forum I am legally obliged to suggest you buy a £13K Levo, it is afterall a "technological masterpiece"...

However, I'm a bit of a rebel (without a clue) so I'm also going to suggest a Rail. Or a Whyte. Or even a Cube. In that order.

Thanks Doomanic. I was thinking about a Whyte as I would like to 'buy British', but I was put off by the absurb battery removal process.

 

[Cricket23]

Another Rail owner here.. first emtb so can't offer any comparisons unfortunately. But have been really pleased with it so far.. it just feels like a really well-sorted bike.

The other major factor was my local bike shop has been helpful with everything. I think that and availability would be my biggest considerations if I was buying again now.

Whereabouts in Surrey are you based? I'm in the Surrey Hills and planning to get out a fair bit over the next few weeks. If you're local'ish I'm more than happy to hit a few trails together if you'd like to compare notes between bikes.

Good to hear that you like the Rail, and would be happy to meet up, but I wouldn't want to hold you back though. So, to set expectations, I'm 60 years old, and whilst I'm pretty fit, I won't be charging aroung ripping up any trees - unless I hit them of course! How about yourself?

 

[sunstoner]

Hi folks,

I love my Powerfly 5 which I got in May 2020, but it's a hardtail, and on reflection I should have bought a full sus, so I'm thinking of upgrading it.

My two main criteria is that it must be a full sus and it must have a Bosch motor. Beyond that I'm open to suggestions. So what does the great collective think? BTW, my budget is c5.5k

I'm quite taken by the Trek Rail 7 and will be trying out a demo bike in a couple of weeks.

If it helps, I ride most types of terrain and love gnarly trails as well as 'touring'. I'm not brave enough for jumps yet, but do have a go at drop-offs.

Thanks in advance.

C23

I went from a Haibike Hardseven 8 to Haibike Allmtn 5. Another £200 wud have had me on the much better spec'd Allmtn 6 with the yamaha PW-X2 motor but I went with the Allmtn 5 because of the bosch rightly or wrongly.

Yamaha float your boat?

 

[1oldfart]

Get a Yamaha/Giant if you find one.
They are reliable and affordable.

 

[olde-mtber]

Hi folks,

I love my Powerfly 5 which I got in May 2020, but it's a hardtail, and on reflection I should have bought a full sus, so I'm thinking of upgrading it.

My two main criteria is that it must be a full sus and it must have a Bosch motor. Beyond that I'm open to suggestions. So what does the great collective think? BTW, my budget is c5.5k

I'm quite taken by the Trek Rail 7 and will be trying out a demo bike in a couple of weeks.

If it helps, I ride most types of terrain and love gnarly trails as well as 'touring'. I'm not brave enough for jumps yet, but do have a go at drop-offs.

Thanks in advance.

C23

I have stuck with Trek went from a 2014 X Calibre 6 to a 2019 Powerfly FS5 and I'm really loving my Trek so saw no reason to change brands. But to be sure tried out other brands and at the end if the day Trek fitted me perfectly I felt at home on it.

 

[Cricket23]

Hi folks,

I hired a Rail 7 demo bike last Saturday and went to Surrey Hills with one of my sons and @Sirwincealot. It was super fun.

I've now managed to buy one and take delivery next week. FYI, if you're looking for a Rail, Evans have two medium (I think) left in stock.

I also spoke to Trek. They said that they are now taking orders from bike shops which they (Trek) won't be able to fulfill until Aug '22!

Cheers,
C23