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what kind of ebike for a flat area....

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panda

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guys, as i am fed up with all those reviews, posts, videos, sales ;) i need to ask you for advice. I have pivot firebird for bike parks, but as i live in a flat area - at least 6h drive to nearest bike park, i am thinking about getting a trail bike with engine. I live in a completely flat place (nearest tiny hill is 3h drive away). i have a forest a few km away, not a single bike path there, but i am thinking, maybe an ebike would give me some fun there. Was thinking about something with tq50/60 as light and agile is a prio, but now i am a bit confused. would full power in a forest, riding pretty much fire roads make any sense? do not want to copy firebird, so was thinking about vala, whyte elyte, regulator cx. anything that is agile, playful, not a dh rig. need something that encourage me to go for a ride, not get exhausted (do not care about fitness, etc, got road bike for that ;), something that i could go to the forest and play, try to find anything i can jump over, simply ride as fast as possible, maybe build a drop... use the bike. pivot sits most of the time in the garage... (atlhough it is a great bike for dh paths)... what would you suggest to someone who wants to waste up to 7k ;) and have a playful bike that is gonna be used in a place not design for it with every person who has brain saying, mate this sport is not for you - go buy a road bike ;)
 
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I would suggest the Amflow. It's full power and about 21kg in a trail bike frame.
Plenty of fun that's lightweight for an electric bike . Great for trail finding around the woods.
This is from someone who won't even entertain one for myself 🤔
I've just bought a mondraker crafty rr and it's on the scales at 26kg, despite what the bullshit advertising 24kg says. But it suits my riding area, but I reckon it's too heavy for what you need.
 
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The surrounding terrain may indeed be flat, but I doubt that the forest floor will be flat. Trees fall, vegetation grows. If there are no trails, then you are going to have to make your own! Buy a small folding saw and put it in your backpack. I carry one of these:

Highlander Wolverine Folding Saw | Lomo UK. Wetsuits & Dry Bags

If you are a heavy guy, then go full power. It's a flat area so you will be pedalling all the time. No descents to give the battery a rest. If you are a light guy then you may be able to get away with an SL type bike and still get the range as many appear to do.

I met a light guy in the woods recently, he had an Amflow, probably with the 600W-hr battery and he had replaced just about everything on the bike except the frame, motor and electrics with smaller or lighter stuff. I think he'd gone too far, but it depends upon what he was using it for. He got it to below 18kg.

In fact the Amflow might be a good choice even if you are a heavy guy, but go for the 800W-hr battery.

I do not have an Amflow, I have ridden one, they are light and deliver the power in a very smooth manner. I doubt that I will be buying one, my heart lies elsewhere.

Do they make electric gravel bikes?
 
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If you have the fitness, I would suggest an unmotorized XC bike. I have a Specialized Epic with 100mm travel since 2011 and like it much more than a gravel bike even for relatively flat terrain. It is simply much more comfortable (even over potholes) and more playful. But I recently invested in a TQ50 bike (Rotwild R.X275) with 130/120mm travel that is light enough to be driven with motor off, but will assist on climbs (and maybe in cases of strong wind). That is mostly luxury, but at 60+ I m enjoying luxury from time to time...
 
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Hawk13 said:
With 7k I'd be buying a 1k XC bike an spending the other 6k on beer and vacations.

If it is flat (ish), why do you need a motor?
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laziness, i have xc already, want to treat myself, maybe will go to some local bike parks and do not want to push the bike uphill, even if it is gonna be rare.
 
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As someone who owns both a 24kg full fat 160mm eBike with Gen 5 Bosch CX motor and 800Wh battery and a lighter weight 20kg eBike with 140mm travel and Bosch SX motor and 400Wh battery... The lighter weight, shorter travel bike is a lot more fun on the flatter, more flowy terrain, and feels much closer to a normal MTB too...
Like you I also still have a lightweight XC bike too, so would still ride that on occasion that the ride doesn't warrant any electrical assistance too... I save the full fat eBike for rides with other mates on full fats on bigger, steeper terrain now, and use the lighter eBike for more traditional "trail" riding in general...
Subjectively, I actually prefer the more natural feeling of how the SX motor delivers its power too, and I have a high cadence pedalling style anyway so revving the nuts off the motor to access its power really suits me. And whilst it does chew through the 400Wh battery quickly in eMTB or Turbo modes, in Tour its a lot better and in Eco it'll go for days! In fact, even with the motor off, it's barely any worse to pedal than my XC bike, certainly not really any extra drag like there is with a full fat bike, you notice the few extra kg's of weight for sure but that's it.
As for which motor on a lighter bike...? Well personally, avoid the TQ HPR50... I've known too many people have serious issues with them. The HPR60 seems to be a lot better, but it's very new still so less feedback on it. Levo SL is still playing catchup (though for how much longer?), the Fazua motor is popular amongst riders who haven't had any issues with them, though again there does seem to be a few that do, and then the Bosch SX does have a bit of a rattle when descending (but it's less than a Shimano EP8 for instance, it doesn't bother me at all but some people want absolute silence) but is arguably the strongest and most reliable "mid power" motor...
 
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96kg - that's what worry me when it comes to mid assist motors.... rode once trek with tq50, was fun, did not feel it helps me until the battery wend dead ;) never rode sx... as somebody said, i am aware that on completely flat area, it would make more sense to ride xc, but then, with middle age crisis cant afford a porshe or a mistress so why not ebike ;)
 
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Saw someone else say it but my locals swinley forest which is pretty flat, only bike i take there is my "downcountry" XC bike. Transformed place makes it alot of fun. If i had to have a ebike for flat areas it would be a levo sl/trek/canyon TQ motor based bike, but for me personally down country bike is alot of fun on flats/limited trails.
 
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Hawk13 said:
With 7k I'd be buying a 1k XC bike an spending the other 6k on beer and vacations.

If it is flat (ish), why do you need a motor?
Click to expand...
I concur. I lived in an (almost) completely flat area in Italy for a few months (until October) and to be honest there I preferred a muscular one, by far. Lighter, cheaper, simpler, no range anxiety, much higher maneuvrability.
 
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The new Specialized has the class 3 option (28mph) for connecting to trails on streets. Not sure if this is available outside the USA?
 
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panda said:
96kg - that's what worry me when it comes to mid assist motors.... rode once trek with tq50, was fun, did not feel it helps me until the battery wend dead ;) never rode sx... as somebody said, i am aware that on completely flat area, it would make more sense to ride xc, but then, with middle age crisis cant afford a porshe or a mistress so why not ebike ;)
Click to expand...
93kg here... But I can spin fast, and am not afraid of putting effort in... The key is not to let the motor labour and let it do all the work...

Regardless of with a motor or not, a lighter, shorter travel bike with faster rolling tyres, is more fun on flatter more flowing terrain than a heavier, longer travel bike with beefier tyres...
 
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With two full power emtbs, one at 26kg and the newer Vala at 22kg, I find that weight doesn’t make much difference on flat terrain. I would go for big battery, possibly the Amflow or Levo 4. Happy shopping! Oh, and spring is when bike prices are highest here… 😄
 
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