Best bang for the buck

[VirgilCaine]

Assuming you were purchasing several bikes for rent, and every dollar counts,what is the best value out there for 2018 e-mtbs in these categories ?
Full suspension
Hardtail
Mid-drive
Hub-drive

 

[Nova Haibike]

I would approach it differently, I would want a fleet of all the same brand, with the same brand and type of drive. I would also want to buy from a company with a better than average warranty and service reputation. You want to make the fleet easy to service, both from an in-house perspective, but also when you need to deal with the supplier.

 

[VirgilCaine]

Yep. I agree completely that buying the same bike is the way to go. That's why I broke it down into categories to compare apple to apples.
I would prefer full-suspension mid-drive, but cost is a bigger factor when buying multiple bikes.

 

[Rakku]

I mean, it always depends I guess?

You can get pretty bad fully bikes with cheap components for less money, and the other way around.

I think this "comparison" does not answer any question.

As far as I saw, mid-drives tend to be more pricey then hub drives.
Then again, till now I only saw chinese brand hub drives like bafang.

 

[mrgold35]

Good thing about hub drives if you want to rent are:
- easy to learn to ride
- can be cheaper to fix because parts are plug-n-play repairs (no software updates or firmware version)
- throttle can help those that can't pedal as well as others or if you have hilly conditions
- can be 1/2 the cost of mid-drives, can purchase additional bikes and keep a larger fleet on the road during big weekends
- hardtail with front suspension springs and mechanical brakes would be similar to 99% of the regular bikes on the road.
- fat tire geared hub can have TQ the same or more than some mid-drives (hills and great for Plus size riders that can't pedal as well)
- easier to add a rear rack to hardtail usually and some can add front baskets.

Downsides are:
- range, might need to charge everyday and riders might be limited to 20 miles or less if they use a lot of throttle
- hubs are tail heavy, no technical trail riding
- rear hubs are usually heavier overall compared to mid-drives
- rear hubs are usually cheaper bikes made with cheaper parts and may not last as long as higher priced mid-drives
- direct drive rear hubs can have less tq compared to geared rear hub or mid-drives. Might not be best for really hilly terrain

 

[VirgilCaine]

Well, if i have to dumb it down, then what's the best 2018 e-mtb under 2k ?
Magnum Peak or Surface 604 Shred or ???

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Well, if i have to dumb it down, then what's the best 2018 e-mtb under 2k ?
Magnum Peak or Surface 604 Shred or ???

If someone who is new to e-MTB'ing, then Magnum may work. It has the throttle feature, a decent motor and average components for light-road riding.

But there may be better options like Easy Motion EVO Jumper Pro. It's on sale for $1999.
Most Easy Motion dealers can get this for you.

If the rider is really attuned, then they may enjoy Haibike Sduro Fullnine 5.0. It's a littlemore capable than both of the above options and it's on sale for $1999 as well.

 

[rich c]

Assuming you were purchasing several bikes for rent, and every dollar counts
You are going to rent emtb? Get ready for high maintenance and rider injury!!!! Renting any bike would scare me, but putting rookies on emtb sounds like suicide!

 

[Rakku]

Assuming you were purchasing several bikes for rent, and every dollar counts
You are going to rent emtb? Get ready for high maintenance and rider injury!!!! Renting any bike would scare me, but putting rookies on emtb sounds like suicide!

Well tbh, Im kinda a MTB rookie too, and I go hard.
Then again, here in germany the "flatlands" dont really have much to offer trail wise.

Depends where you live I guess?

 

[VirgilCaine]

I have a hard time trying to figure out at what point the cheaper bikes are a false economy... when you look at the shock,drivetrain and brakes.
Is it fair to say that the drivetrain quality is less important in a hub-driven bike than it is in a mid-drive ?

 

[jazz]

Easy Motion bikes are great and have a 5 year warranty if you register it online for frame, motor, controller & display, 2 years on suspension components and 2 years on the battery. This is unheard of in the ebike world. Crazy Lenny generally has great prices on Easy Motion bikes.

 

[WalkinTarget]

That SDuro FullNine 5 gets my vote for best bang for the buck, and its a close tossup for #2 between the Evo Pro 27.5 and the Surface. It really does depend on the trails that you ride, so that is the most important factor to keep in mind. Every guy is going to recommend the same bike that he bought (heh, I bought a FullNine ), simply because it was the best bike for them, but if you average out all facets of mountain biking and start plugging in quality components to look for on a bike, I'm going to stick with the Haibike mostly due to those deep price cuts on their leftovers.

 

[VirgilCaine]

That SDuro FullNine 5 gets my vote for best bang for the buck, and its a close tossup for #2 between the Evo Pro 27.5 and the Surface. It really does depend on the trails that you ride, so that is the most important factor to keep in mind. Every guy is going to recommend the same bike that he bought (heh, I bought a FullNine ), simply because it was the best bike for them, but if you average out all facets of mountain biking and start plugging in quality components to look for on a bike, I'm going to stick with the Haibike mostly due to those deep price cuts on their leftovers.

Yes, I agree that the closeouts don't really make it a level playing field...a definite edge for haibikes, if you want a mid-drive.
How are the shocks performing on your bike ?

 

[WalkinTarget]

How are the shocks performing on your bike ?

Hard to say. As of right now, they are still enclosed in a very large cardboard box (along with the rest of the bike !!), shipping out of Madison, Wisconsin sometime tomorrow. I am trying to be patient, but it's sooo hard knowing it's soon on its way. I plan on taking 2 days off work just to ride it.

In the meantime, I'm filling up my Amazon wish list with all manner of parts to accessorize the thing once I get it, and exploring trails well outside of my usual trails now that I have an FS bike on the way (I'm still making do with a '96 rigid Trek 850 - like going from a 90s era Mustang to a Porsche 911 GTS !!)