eMTB Options For 2024

So, it looks like Giant have released the details on their first 2022 model - the reign. Their advertising department needs a kick in the teeth 🤔 " new syncdrive pro motor" , reading between the lines I think its a mk 3 version , 2.7 kg so lighter than the pwx2 , and it looks a lot more compact. Sounds like 400% assistance now.

Looking forward to seeing one in the flesh, although it sounds HUGE looking at the geometry numbers
 
Prairie Dog said:
It would be nice to see one in the flesh whenever it arrives on our shores. In the meantime, I’ll have to settle with the Trance which I might add isn’t going anywhere for the time being. ;)

Video footage from yesterday’s ride along MacKenzie Bluff.

Click to expand...
Great trail! What assist level do you find yourself using mostly?
 
DaveMatthews said:
Great trail! What assist level do you find yourself using mostly?
Click to expand...
I pretty well have it set at PL 2 on most of the trails that I ride and find that sufficient enough to propel me up the majority of climbs we encounter with a few exceptions and then I’ll dial it up a notch. Where it really becomes challenging is when the climb becomes steeper near the top and there are also roots to negotiate. Too much momentum could have me launching the front wheel if I’m not careful in my judgment and too little could result in the bike dying out near the top. I’ll have my dropper seat almost fully lowered and try to lower my center of gravity hoping the torque of the motor gets me over the top.

In this footage, I simply couldn’t make it up this steep hill no matter how hard I tried. 🥺

 
1 x 12 spd - 36t/51 (.706)
-36t/10 (3.60)

I’m pretty happy with the stock configuration/gear range for my current needs. Perhaps a smaller chainring might have got me over the hump not that I’m going to lose any sleep over it.
 
Prairie Dog said:
1 x 12 spd - 36t/51 (.706)
-36t/10 (3.60)

I’m pretty happy with the stock configuration/gear range for my current needs. Perhaps a smaller chainring might have got me over the hump not that I’m going to lose any sleep over it.
Click to expand...

Good call to not loose sleep.

For what it's worth, I don't think 1st is any better than 2 nd for extreme steep technical climbs on my giant ( 1st is 46 t or 2 nd 37 t with a 34 r front ) - 2nd seems to be a sweet spot where I can keep the front down / minimise wheelspin. First is for super slow speed UNPOWERED riding. My fugle has short chainstays / wheelbase so not as good at climbing as the trances .
 
Interesting ride yesterday, with a really good opportunity to compare the relative merrits between full power, low power and no power mountain bikes

A super-fit work colleague has taken delivery of a Merida e160 (8000) , another work colleague has a memtb giant trance advanced x29, and I was on the levo sl. So 3 bikes with comparable spec running gear , all carbon frames , and similar geometry / suspension travel (150-160 mm) .We spent 2 hours on familiar trails - flowy rocky x country , with a few VERY technical rocky sections, the usual bike swapping meant lots of opportunities to compare.

merida has the shimano ep8 and a 630 wh battery - 3 bars left at the end ( half empty? ). Lovely motor. If I won the lottery tomorrow I'd buy an orbea rise for that motor in a light bike.....damn.
my spec sl with the mahle and 360 wh battery still had 60% battery !!! My legs had about 1 bar left....see above comments about an orbea rise, but I'd keep the sl for short rides. This bike is amazing.
The trance rider looked exhausted and was starting to make mistakes. Mr Super fit was letting him " try the merida " on any longer hills , plus we started taking longer breaks at intersections. He paid as much for that trance as I paid for my sl, it's a lovely bike, but I suspect his next one will have a motor.

We all had a ball, all the bikes are amazing machines and each had an area of excellence. Having said that, I was surprised at how much exhaustion made the trance rider slower down hill!!! My lighter / less powerful sl was still marginally quicker than the merida 99% of the time , although he gained 6/7 bike lengths on the climbing track ( 30 m climb over 700 m of switchbacks) . Half of that is his fitness / strength, although my ego is probably worth a few bike lengths.....

In the technical stuff, weight definitely matters!!! There is a steep technical rocky climb that I struggle to clear 50% of the time on my old giant - I'm clearing it most of the time on the sl despite only having half the torque. I seem to be able to pick my lines more reliably, which is surprising because the giant was shorter / steeper / more agile. Same goes for the technical down hills - I can balance / pop / drop off things at low speed that I used to walk my old giant down. Surprisingly, the trance rider struggled through these sections - possibly suspension tune, he had too much air in the forks and his rockshox pikes have more stiction than our fox 36's. The merida was a barge through the technical sections - plush, but that comes at a cost.

At the end of the ride, we all had smiles and that's what matters most. My biggest surprise was the safety difference - tired riders make mistakes, heavy bikes are less forgiving. Hmmmm....an orbea rise might be a safety investment?
 
Prairie Dog said:
I pretty well have it set at PL 2 on most of the trails that I ride and find that sufficient enough to propel me up the majority of climbs we encounter with a few exceptions and then I’ll dial it up a notch. Where it really becomes challenging is when the climb becomes steeper near the top and there are also roots to negotiate. Too much momentum could have me launching the front wheel if I’m not careful in my judgment and too little could result in the bike dying out near the top. I’ll have my dropper seat almost fully lowered and try to lower my center of gravity hoping the torque of the motor gets me over the top.

In this footage, I simply couldn’t make it up this steep hill no matter how hard I tried. 🥺

Click to expand...
Roots are a killer on traction.
I suppose that a different set of tires might give you better chance at it, but when you have a 50M section of a 20KM ride that gives you grief, you choose the rubber that suits the bulk of your riding.
My opinion anyways...
 
RandallS said:
Roots are a killer on traction.
I suppose that a different set of tires might give you better chance at it, but when you have a 50M section of a 20KM ride that gives you grief, you choose the rubber that suits the bulk of your riding.
My opinion anyways...
Click to expand...
You’re so right about selecting the right rubber for the bulk of one’s riding. Here’s how we rode five months ago when there was still ice on the trails. No other means of getting around without spikes. 😬


 
"Safety investment...". Dayum...I'll have to run that one by the wife...to justify spending another ten grand on a bike. 🤣

Lighter is always more maneuverable, confidence-inducing. Just take a look at what an observed trials bike can do as a 'motorcycle'.

2021-montesa-cota-301rr-gallery-03-750x750.jpg
 
Prairie Dog said:
You’re so right about selecting the right rubber for the bulk of one’s riding. Here’s how we rode five months ago when there was still ice on the trails. No other means of getting around without spikes. 😬


Click to expand...
It's why I run Johnny Watts currently. I ride with many non-MTB folks and prefer to be able to hear myself think when I'm with them, if you know what I mean.
My Maxis Forekasters are much better in the dirt, but there's no comparison with the JW's on other surfaces.

No point discussing Ice Spikers - they do what they do - extremely well!
Speaking of which, I'm dealing on a 2nd wheelset at an attractive price. Unfortunately I'm #2 in line on them.

I'd need to buy rotors, but I do have a second cassette ready to go.
It would be nice to be able to have the spring and fall covered with two sets to swap out for the conditions of the day.
 
Thanks for that glove link.

I can't think of ANY mountain bike gloves I'd like to be wearing in a high speed fall. Does anyone know of something with full cover perforated kangaroo leather that's not made too bulky by unnecessary armour?

Synthetic palms simply don't have the abrasion resistance I want , so I wear climbing gloves with pig skin palms in summer ( https://www.climbinganchors.com.au/metolius-sport-gloves-small-clearance ) , but for high risk activities nothing beats a decent set of dual sport motorbike gloves - preferably with kangaroo leather, but my previous source went out of business so I'm back to bmw adventure gloves - far from perfect.

Decades ago I had some fantastic kevlar mesh gloves that were super thin, stretchy, and had resisted multiple slides down the road, but my palms were tougher back then and now they just shear if I wear anything so coarse :(
 
PDoz said:
Thanks for that glove link.

I can't think of ANY mountain bike gloves I'd like to be wearing in a high speed fall. Does anyone know of something with full cover perforated kangaroo leather that's not made too bulky by unnecessary armour?

Synthetic palms simply don't have the abrasion resistance I want , so I wear climbing gloves with pig skin palms in summer ( https://www.climbinganchors.com.au/metolius-sport-gloves-small-clearance ) , but for high risk activities nothing beats a decent set of dual sport motorbike gloves - preferably with kangaroo leather, but my previous source went out of business so I'm back to bmw adventure gloves - far from perfect.

Decades ago I had some fantastic kevlar mesh gloves that were super thin, stretchy, and had resisted multiple slides down the road, but my palms were tougher back then and now they just shear if I wear anything so coarse :(
Click to expand...

Yeah, I get it...fifty years on motorbikes you get a different take on protection. When you go down the FIRST thing that hits the ground is generally your hands.
For cooler weather I got a pair of goat-leather driving gloves. They're really soft and comfy, good protection, lightweight, but tough leather. Surely more bulky than the performance gloves in the article. Deer leather is another option for a stretchy thinner but tough option.

I also have a pair of Giant branded leather fingerless gloves that I really like, with gel palm pads and mesh back. I got them for pavement riding, and wear them when it's hot, but man if you go down your fingers just get shredded. I also have a couple of pairs of those thin synthetic gloves, a pair from Dainese and from Giro, and they're comfy, but would shred easy in a crash offroad.


iu
 
Stefan Mikes said:
Not necessarily. Did you keep your hands on the grips during your unfortunate crash?
Click to expand...

Are you insane? Have you ever seen a finger that has had a handlebar grind it into the road at speed? Or a body that has bounced down a hill whilst still attached to a bike?

You might have touched a sensitive nerve for me....about 5 years ago I had a walking pace motorbike incident. I high sided but not with enough speed to land clear of the bike. Five crushed bones in my foot , multiple broken ribs, a punctured lung and broken shoulder

I've survived unscathed after ejections at speed in the bush , bouncing down rock strewn slopes knowing the bike is one bounce behind me.....no way will I do the death grip.
 
I’m quite fond of these knee/shin pads from 7idp. They extend down a bit further than their lite versions and appear to offer slightly more protection as they wrap a bit further around the knee. They don’t feel bulky and the compression fit along with the silicone strips hold them firmly in place. Nothing worse than wearing ill fitting pads that slip down during strenuous rides. They’re quite comfy and I don’t feel sweaty when wearing them all day long even under MTB pants.

https://7idp.co.uk/collections/knee-pads/products/sam-hill-knee
515T85duusS._AC_SL1000_.jpg
For elbow protection, I went with the POC air pads on the recommendation from a riding buddy. He has the air sleeves which extend further down the length of the arm. The air pads feel light as well perhaps offering slightly less coverage than full-on armor but they offer up great flexibility for those wanting a less bulky fitting pad. They are easy to put on and take off and the hook and loop straps keep them firmly in place.

https://na.pocsports.com/collection...ts/joint-vpd-air-elbow?variant=35593019097254

71UxEy7xTZL._AC_SX425_.jpg
 
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