If I Was Buying A New eBike... | What To Consider When Buying An eMTB
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- Опубліковано 26 чер 2024
- Buying a new MTB or EMTB can be incredibly challenging due to the variety of brands, battery capacities, motor styles, torque levels, sizing, and component specifications. Steve Jones, who started his MTB career as a downhill racer in 1997 and was a member of the GB World Championship team, has two national masters championship DH titles and a bronze from the World Championship masters in 2016. He launched EMBN in 2017. With over six years of experience riding EMTBs, he can hopefully help you make the right decision.
⏱ Timestamps ⏱
00:00 - Intro
00:45 - Budget
02:50 - How to buy
03:27 - Type of eMTB
04:14 - Compatibility / Attraction
04:44 - Motor / Battery
05:45 - Material
06:28 - Sizing
08:48 - Geometry
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Are you thinking about buying a new bike? If you have a bike what were the main questions, concerns, or areas of thought before you made a decision.
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Are you thinking about buying a new bike? If you have a bike what were the main questions, concerns, or areas of thought before you made a decision.
What do you think about brands locking units and charging punitive fees to unlock motors? Or ultimately saying they cannot be repaired, you need to buy a new motor. There are many reports of giant locking motors when they have not been speed tampered with. Purchasing from a company that’s not working agains consumers is the 1st priority!
There are two things i opt for, that have not been mentioned, - if i wanted to buy a new eMTB: ease of battery release and an easy-to-use charging port in/on the frame. When you need tools and three hands to get the battery charged - i'm out.
That’s the reason I bought Trek Rails - the battery is side mounted in the down tube and can easily be released with a key.
Means the battery can be very easily removed for loading into the car.
@@SDK2006bThis was also one of the reasons I opted for a Rail
After riding and owning a few ebikes my advice to anyone is buy a bike from the closest shop to your house if at all possible ! Their help and knowledge is invaluable 😊
At 27 miles away, I chose the most competent and accommodating shop for my emtb needs. Three other shops carrying the same bike brand are physically closer (being 6, 12 & 15 miles away respectively). But, this decision took into account my past experiences of dealing with all of the area shops carrying my specific brand over time.
Just buy a canyon and be done. They have all the range you could ever need and their bikes are solid.
Unless it's Evans... bike broke twice within weeks of spending 5 grand.. had to replace my own rear wheel when mine just collapsed.. 1 full day to repair dropper post cable!! I go to my local bike shop now, gets done within a few hours and amazing prices
If you already have an ebike (like me), wait until the new generation of bikes are out with the motor gearbox unit. If not, consider a good pre-owned one from a shop as a stop gap. MGB unit = the future of e-mtb.
Got to agree @stuartrathbone5403 No use buying technology that will quickly become obsolete. Motors + internal gearboxes are on the horizon.
@@bruce.KAY-bike-drifter How far away are they? Presumably they will be pricey for the early adopter?
Steve, 4 years ago you got my wife and I into mountain biking with a video similar to this.
After watching your video “Should you choose an E Bike or MTB? (4 years ago), it was the catalyst that saw us purchase from our local MTB shop in Australia 2 x Merida E160 8000s with the then new Shimano EP8 motor. Lots of gear purchased since, mostly through our local bike shop and it has been well worth it.
Certainly, I feel brands that feature strongly in your respective country are better when needing servicing, parts and general tech support. A removable battery is so convenient when travelling that I probably would not consider one without this feature.
At 63 years of age now, we have both been retired for a few years and it’s because of the E Bikes we are constantly planning holidays, have been to places and explored bike parks, trails and remote mountains in Tassie, Vic and NSW we had never heard of.
The golf clubs and surfboards still come along as many places to ride have good surf and a golf course not too far away, but it is mountain biking that keeps us exploring. Looking forward to some international riding holidays soon.
To all there at EMBN and the sister channels, keep up the good work.
Local service center availability is most important I believe. The biggest issue with brands like in this ad, is if you are having anything more complex and local bike shops wont mess with carbon or warranty, you will have to send to whole bike to continent on you own expense, waiting for a repair for weeks without the bike.
Well that goes to all brand they arent selling.
Full power, big battery, enduro eMTB…… perfect!
i wanted this and got the wild h10, best decision ever
I turned off at '6000 is plenty'. The industry needs a dose of reality.
I'm in NZ, the economy has slowed and it's winter as well. Bike shops are having sales at the moment, I'm only seeing a few people in them (during the week). It will be interesting to see where prices go.
Certainly prices are silly for what u are getting and they can cost a fortune to repair.
I agree! I bought my first EMTB (Trek Powerfly FS4) 11 months ago for Canadian $4300 ($3100 USD) on sale. It is not a hardcore EMTB, but perfect for me (commuting and light trail riding… I am 65 years old). The point is that it was a LOT of money for me… in reality, more than I could really afford. Fortunately, I am overjoyed at my experience with the bike, but couldn’t buy anything else even if I had to. My Trek dealer has been amazing to work with and I can highly recommend buying from your local bike shop, if possible.
I saw your video filmed in Mount Tianping, Jiangsu Province, China, about the Bafang M510 motor yesterday. Looking forward to your coverage!
Great video as always, I bought my very first e-bike last February, I researched loads of bikes. Important to me was lifetime frame warranty, local bike shop to buy it from, components. I finally went with the 2024 Orbea Wild M-Team, I see it won the best 2023/2024 best e-bike, I did a test ride with my local bike shop, it felt perfect, it wasn’t cheap and well over £6000 price bracket mentioned in the video. But well worth the money.
searching for my first ebike now !
Got a hardtail emtb Aventon Ramblas. Been a joy and has brought me into Mtb world and i love it.
Just ordered my first full sus and first ebike. Got the specialized turbo levo and can't wait
Good video! 👍
I look at Geometry numbers in this order: 1- Top Tube Length (riding seated); 2- Reach (standing on the pedals); 3- Stack; 4- Head Tube angle; 5- Seat Tube angle; 6- Chainstay length; 7- Wheelbase
You can correct a wrongly fitting geo with raised bars, stem length and seat adjustment but it will remain wrong for as long as you have that bike. My 2 cents 😊
I agree. With being 6’9” the discussions on a few lbs of weight, looks and details of the suspension or other stuff get negligible. Whether or not there is any eMTB with a geometry that remotely fits is the core question.
My next bike will be the Pinion MGU, but the problem is none of those German brands are available in Australia. There are a lot of us waiting for someone to pick up on this and meet the market. It is the future and we are keen to get on board.
I have seen references that Zerode are going to bring one out. Although NZ based, you should be able to get them in .au.
Same here. Just waiting for them to hit the US.
@@ibeardsleewhat's the expected timeline?
Give it some time. More brands will offer bikes. There was a product lock for a year on MGU, now it is out of it so other brands are free to adopt it.
Although on the pricey side but isn’t Nicolai shipping internationally?! They will offer a frame set soon as far as I know
So glad I found your channel. I’ve just started toying with the idea of switching to an e-mt bike. As a 63 yr old woman I’m finding my power isn’t what it used to be. Climbing and getting over obstacles is diminishing the length of my rides and types of trails I can ride. I’m still in decent shape and would really like to keep riding as long as I can. The one thing I don’t want is to be riding a modified dirt bike up hills and not having any cardio or strength challenges. I hear so many different experiences. I guess my question is, will I be able to still feel challenged physically with an e-bike? I’ve just started your series of videos, but would love to hear others experiences. I do plan on test riding but figure I’ll start here.
0:28 "Ride sheep tracks"! I had to rewind it. We follow deer tracks here in South Texas. Ride on! Love it!
Battery sizes
I ride a 750 & my son rides a 625 and we have found the remaining % at the end of our rides is very close.
He weighs about 52kg and I weigh 90kg (with backpack), both riding Trek Rails
Thank you
Hi Steve, really good informative film, the basics to buying an emtb! One thing that pricked my ears as someone who is looking to buy their first e bike, you said power basically comes down to how big (heavy) a person is and how they're going to ride! So as a big guy 186cm and 110kg you would recommend going for as much power as possible? Thanks in advance?
The weilier e903 I brought a few months ago at a reduced price of 3k for me has been brilliant
Bought a GASGAS trail 3 for $3750 Canadian which is 45% off. Fox factory suspension, Yamaha motor, code r 4 piston brake, Carbon frame, nx gear set, nobby nic tires. 690km in 3 months and totally happy. No problems yet other than lots of stuff was loose on bike when new.
Just brought my first , saw a bargain and grabbed it , giant reign e+1 2024 at a massively reduced price , I wanted enduro based and reviews were all good , not my first choice but I’m more than happy with the deal I got .
Try before you buy, what you think you will like might not be the right one.
I was lucky enough to try the Whyte E150 works and E140 works at the weekend and it reaffirmed what I learnt on demo rides last year.
I currently ride a T130 2018 in large, I shortened the stem and put a 150 fork on as I always felt like I was being pulled too far forwards, even considered getting a Medium as a next bike.
The E150 first in Large, it felt heavy, the 2nd thing I noticed was my lower back hurt when in the attack position, the same was true on an E160 in Large last year.
The next thing, the brakes, Hope Tech4 v4 were stunning, simply the best brake I've ever used.
Sadly it used a DHF and I hate these because I always end up in the dead zone of the grip as you lean over, I'm not good enough to get really on those side knobs. This just left the ride feeling a little nervous and not enjoyable when the back ache was included.
Motor wise you need to spin then it's like a motor bike, but the assist cut off is like someone put the brakes on, it hits hard and isn't easy to push through when you're on a flow trails incline, you're simply going to slow back to assist speed.
I returned the bike if anything slightly early from my allotted time.
Then the 140 in XL, this shouldn't fit me but like a E180 xl last year it felt right from the moment I sat on it ( other than a high seat post with that silly high seat tube conning tower thing they have going on )
Even with the Escape tyre I was warned wouldn't grip as well as the 150's before I went out I was immediately faster, I had trustworthy grip, I had a motor that was much more subtle in the cut off and could be pushed over the assist limiter but still pulled just as hard if spun up.
It was playful and fun to throw about, the XL size didn't seem to make it cumbersome in tight turns.
This one didn't go back early and given how quiet it was at the tent I maybe could had another couple more cheeky runs.
The let down, the big let down was the brakes, the Levels didn't just not cut it over the Hopes, they didn't even cut it over my own Shimano Deore 4pots which always feel soggy.
As much as I loved this bike There's not a chance I'm blowing 11k on it, Not even a glimmer rock bottom end of season sub 8k prices would make we twitch and I'd not even consider a lower spec because even the works needs those Hopes.
But demo days have taught me I can't just see a bike I like the look of and hope it's ok, it needs to fit me to have the confidence to reach the limits of my ability. Their size guide isn't going to nail it for you, you're only going to know that with a demo ride.
I've always aimed for good frame geo, motor, and battery the rest I'm not fussed with as I've always swapped those out, which are straight forward.
A big part of one's buying decision should also include the available backup and support of your chosen bike both from a brand perspective as well as your local dealer.
I would say if your coming from MTB you may actual want to change what category of bike you look at like say going from trail to enduro because the ride characteristics aren't quite the same as MTB and the longer travel may come in handy without the negatives of the bikes of the past and also you may be hitting things harder with EMTB. As well as branching out to ride stuff you didn't before.
I'm struggling to choose between Spectral:ON CF 9 / Neuron:ON CF 9 / Strive:ON CFR.
I'll ride on the roads a lot (most likely with derestrict) but also I'll have no pity on him in the trail parks.
Im not sure what Canyon to get, the Underdog or CRF mid range one?
I bought a trek powerfly for my first back a year ago, full suspension
I got the poor man's version...the hardtail rides like a truck but a solid ol nail. Was my brother's, he bought a full suspension Merida
You prefer Mullet or full 9r?
It's easy go full fat 750w/h battery last years model 30% off. done.
I just picked up a new GT eForce Current for just $2,500!
Turbo Levo, please.
Best way to really figure out what fits you and rides how you enjoy it. Along with price. Go to a local bike shop and test ride. Cause without your body helping, which is a large part of your answer, the research isn't really all it's cracked up to be.
Got myself Gen 4 Trek rail 9.8. Incredible bike for about 7000 dollar(without sale 10k dollar). I will do some upgrades overtime as i wish. But sick looking bike, huge battery and bosch motor and boy does look nice. Sure i maybe pay a thousand extra for the looks and brand name. But at this price point i dont care that much. I get huge warranty and local bikeshop support which is awesome. People always say you should not consider those big brands to save money and skip the looks. But honestly if i buy 10k dollar bike i want it to look nice aswell.
I love the canyong bike price and looks, but they have some of the worst color choices for a bike. Their canyon strive on CFR with bosch cxr motor, what an incredible bike. But didnt buy it because of awful color choice. Their torque on, incredible bike, but terrible water bottle design choice. Trek was best choice for me. Nice price, brand name, warranty and incredible bike in looks and performance.
Ok that all motor are good enough, but there's a function that make one the more satisfying or capable than others?
Research the cost of battery pack add ons and replacment chargers. Like Giants, $250 bike charger. $500 battery extender and $100 plastic bottle cage holder. And the need to buys abother charger to charge the battery extender and the bike at the same time (like overnight). Giant add on battery and charger = $850. Usd.
+1 on motor repairability out of warranty. -1 on Fazua.
Hi guys! Would you wait to see what full power light weight bikes come out I’m looking at getting the strive at the moment, then Orbea brought the new rise out 😅
The new Rise looks almost perfect in my book. The only problem is the price tag...I can't afford $10k bike.
Steve,
I've saved up about 5500 usd. My primary concern is weight limits. I weigh about 140kg. Any brands out there that would suit? Or, anything I should be prioritizing due to my weight? Primary riding is trails w/ fair bit short/steep climbs and descents. Thanks.
Mid power. Around 150/160mm . Frame material doesn’t matter. I really think I’m going with the new Devinci E Troy lite.
I would love to see a few more hardtails, full suspension looks good but………..
Are there any emtb's with thumb or grip throttles or are they all strictly pedal assist?
I’m planning on buying an EMTB and want an automatic transmission, what do you suggest, SRAM or SHIMANO? The tipe of trails I ride is pretty much long trails with a bit of everything, no jumping around yet.
Thanks for the advice. If any. I enjoy your videos.
I would definitely try before buying... Automatic transmissions on e-mtb, not sure about that 🤨
I like the idea of shifting without pedaling, but no convinced yet on the bike shifting better than I can assess which gear I need.
How standardized and or replaceable are the frame mounted batteries? Are there battery sizes/models that are compatible across brands or is it just a free for all? When the battery eventually goes is the bike gone too?
Unfortunately, there are NO standards. So yeah, once your manufacturer moves on to supersede the battery you paid for, you will be left high-and-dry.
@@bruce.KAY-bike-drifter The aftermarket mid drive conversion kits seem to have more standardised and easily replaced batteries, plus easy to get a 900wh+ and potentially stronger motors.
@@bruce.KAY-bike-drifter IMO its time they standardised sizes and connections between brands. Imagine being able to buy off the shelf batteries that fitted any bike.
The whole Full/mid/low power makes no sense. You wouldn't go into a car sales and ask for a full power car. Just get a bike that suits your needs.
Hi Steve,
Would really appreciate some help choosing a EMTB cause i'm trapped between lack on EMTB experience/knowledge and availability (i'm in Greece).
Backgound:
Had a Trek EX7 for the last 15 years, fitter a Hope steering damper to help
Most common routes are 15k with 300m of climbing
Goal is to regain fitness to get back up to my long route 31km, 930m climbing
I'm 55 and have 1 arm (left arm paralysed) and only 1 working diaphragm
I need something stable as it's really reeallllyyyyy rocky here, but not with steering geometry slack enough to be ahhheemmm "floppy"
Ideally budget is around 3k to 5k
For some reason Canyon aren't showing any bikes on their Greek site, so maybe delivery problems, at the min i'm only seeing YT Decoy available to deliver to Greece
Worry is, the zero market here for MTB's never mind EMTB's so resale isn't really an option
Any thoughts?
What about 29 inch front and rear vs 29 front and 27.5 rear?😊
I got my first mid drive bike last year for 16.000 sek = 1.397 eur. Lyfco 27.5" front cheap fork but works, Ananda mid motor. Low the bike
Hey! You say that you are about 182cm. Looking at the geometry number specs you are showing and the geometry numbers of the displayed bike (Canyon Strive ON CFR - Size L), shouldn't you be using a size M? Theoretically, obviously.
Look out for old stock,picked up a suduro haibike 7 2018 for 2 grand that at retail was 4,
I was thinking about buying my first EMTB until I did a little research and realized a lot of my favorite trails do not allow EMTBs. Are the laws different in the UK? Here in the US it is region specific. I’m gonna wait until the laws of my local trails change. 😢
In the UK you can ride them on any trails
Pick up a bargain towards end or beginning of season I.e. just saved £1500 on a 24 cube..
Canyon advertise ?
Canyon commercial!
Make sure your dealer is close if you ride a lo as motor failures can be a put off and spoil the journey.
Bikes with headset routing is an absolute no go.
Why people dont care about autoshift 😢?
I ride every day. To and from Pickleball play venues. About 20 miles a day. I'm constantly wearing out my rear sprocket. About once a month I get a flat tire on the road.
So...
What's the best rear sprocket?
What's the best tire repair kit?
If you're starting out, buy used. Plenty of husbands buy wives E-bikes that are ridden once. $5K bike for $500. Or less. Give 'em cash, they'll fell better.
Yer naughty...a common problem is flogging out the two smaller sprockets. You are probably using the higher assistance levels and using the motor to do a lot of work creating extra torque (load) on the drivetrain. Some cassettes have the option to change the first 2 sprockets which maybe helpful
Hi guys, being an eMTB rider and mechatonic engineer, 6 grand spent anywhere other than your local bike shop will end in tears. Spending more money does not buy you reliability, just more bits to go wrong. My advice is keep it simple, if you already have a mtb and want to go electric consider upgrading it with the latest low drag Tong Shen 48v motor, add on an integrated gear hub on the rear end. A Shimano if you live in a hilly area or a 3 speed SA 100% efficient in the middle gear. The Shimmy 11 speed is great and the SA hub 10 times more reliable than a derailleur. Use a a single speed chain and middle size battery, That will be USD 600 to 750, I strongly advise you fit hydraulic brakes as this outfit rocks!
After you buy one there won't be any $$$ left for your heirs!!!!!
When I buy new EMTBs:
1. Power. Bosch, Bafang, Yamaha.
2. Battery 750+
3. Geo + Size
4. Travel 150 rear minimum.
5. Aluminum or carbon doesn't mean THAT much to a weekend rider.
6. Cost. The cheapest one is meeting all the above and is available in stock.
7. Weight, under 60lbs. The difference between 60lbs and 40lbs, obviously 20lbs. Place a 20lbs weight in your hand, now ask yourself how much does this cost.
Don't buy hype. Don't buy race results. Both are overpriced.
E-Bikes are motorcycles and because if that to be banned from trails.
My opinion
Because of e bikes trails like in Finale are overcrowded,because every hipster means to ride mtb
No they're not
@@sdavies840 Yes they are