eMTB Options For 2024

[PDoz]

If you can find a merida e140/160 , they are awesome bikes and one of the best value bikes n the aus market. Warranty from merida is less than their other investment company ( they own a lot of specialized) , but the geometry is REALY nice - not quite as nimble as my levo sl but still VERY capable. Reasonably light for a full power emtb , and great spec for the price. One of the guys I regularly ride with bought an e160 8000 , awesome bike.

If there is any way you can justify keeping the giant as a commuter AND buying a merida, that would be the smartest choice. Back in my uni days I tried the road trail motorbike thing - weekdays flogging a dirt bike through traffic, weekends slithering through the bush, spare time spent changing tyres / desperately repairing damage sunday evenings / monday am.....it doesn't work well. Plus you get tempted to commute on dirt rubber - unsafe and expensive to shred, or worse still dirt ride on commuting rubber ( hospitals are busy at the moment)

Worst case scenario, you get hooked on emtb and have to fund an expensive hobby - you have been warned

 

[pmcdonald]

If you can find a merida e140/160 , they are awesome bikes and one of the best value bikes n the aus market. Warranty from merida is less than their other investment company ( they own a lot of specialized) , but the geometry is REALY nice - not quite as nimble as my levo sl but still VERY capable. Reasonably light for a full power emtb , and great spec for the price. One of the guys I regularly ride with bought an e160 8000 , awesome bike.

If there is any way you can justify keeping the giant as a commuter AND buying a merida, that would be the smartest choice. Back in my uni days I tried the road trail motorbike thing - weekdays flogging a dirt bike through traffic, weekends slithering through the bush, spare time spent changing tyres / desperately repairing damage sunday evenings / monday am.....it doesn't work well. Plus you get tempted to commute on dirt rubber - unsafe and expensive to shred, or worse still dirt ride on commuting rubber ( hospitals are busy at the moment)

Worst case scenario, you get hooked on emtb and have to fund an expensive hobby - you have been warned

You make a compelling argument. Sounds like i need to have an uncomfortable conversation with the CFO. And check if any stock are heading to this hemisphere this decade.

 

[PDoz]

You make a compelling argument. Sounds like i need to have an uncomfortable conversation with the CFO. And check if any stock are heading to this hemisphere this decade.

Have you looked on bikexchange?

Merida Electric Mountain Bikes for Sale | BikeExchange.com.au

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www.bikeexchange.com.au

Interstate transport might be cheaper than getting stuck on the wrong side of a political, sorry, state line.

 

[Browneye]

Yeah, there really isn't a good substitute for a reasonable eMTB. They're in a class their own. Once you experience REAL suspension you'll find the Explore just really isn't. I loved mine, but don't miss it a bit, but then I don't commute. And if I spent much time on the road then I WOULD miss it - it's great for that. IMO the front suspension on it isn't really useful or necessary - a balloon tire will do nearly as much to smooth out road bumps.

Mountain bike riding is the most fun thing I've done since I started riding motorcycles - actually mini-bikes - when I was 11. The adventure, the seeking what's around the next corner or over the next ridge, the dirt trail, scenery, fresh air, and the challenge you put to yourself to navigate over the trail, is unparalleled.

I can't speak to the specific bike options, nor have kept up with what's out there and available, but if you have the interest in a MTB and riding trails - do it.

 

[DaveMatthews]

This looks pretty cool...

 

[Browneye]

The Reign has always intrigued the hell out of me. More downhill oriented than my riding slant, but I'll bet it's just killer for that.

BTW, for any that follow along here, I had such a blast last year in AZ over Thanksgiving week that we are going back again this year. Managed to get a couple of nights booked at McDowell Mountain Regional Park campground - epic mountain bike terrain. And my best old dirtbike riding buddy - my grown son - is coming along. After a couple of days we'll park the RV in front of BIL's place and he backs up to South Mountain preserve just south of Phoenix. He's a MTB aficionado as well, with trails right out his back door. Whoot!

Gee...getting that Stance for the wife has worked out just grand, hasn't it??

From last year...

 

[Browneye]

Budget eMTB'S for 2022...the new Giant Reign is in here, Haibike, Canyon, YT, Trek, Orbea, Spcialized...LOTS of good options.
Don't ask ME if you can actually find any one of them.
Hard to watch these...makes me want to run out and buy another bike. We're just getting done paying for the ones we got. LOL

 

[DaveMatthews]

From what I'm reading you won't be seeing a 2022 Reign anytime soon if at all in USA. Very strange as we got them here in Iglooville a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

From what I'm reading you won't be seeing a 2022 Reign anytime soon if at all in USA. Very strange as we got them here in Iglooville a couple of weeks ago.

We can buy them in Poland, too.

 

[RandallS]

From what I'm reading you won't be seeing a 2022 Reign anytime soon if at all in USA. Very strange as we got them here in Iglooville a couple of weeks ago.

They look fantastic, but would be overkill for me. That really big battery (750w) on the E +0 is pretty enticing and if they could find a way to replicate the electronic lock-out of the Tero it would tick most of the boxes, but pretty spendy! $$$$ at >$9k Canuck bucks

 

[DaveMatthews]

They look fantastic, but would be overkill for me. That really big battery (750w) on the E +0 is pretty enticing and if they could find a way to replicate the electronic lock-out of the Tero it would tick most of the boxes, but pretty spendy! $$$$ at >$9k Canuck bucks

Yeah, more than I need as well. I'd be happy with a 625 or 750 battery.

 

[pmcdonald]

Awesome, awesome, awesome. So I've gone from the odd dabble on a firetrail to seriously considering a $7k eMTB.

So the Merida e-One Sixty 500 tops my list, coming in right on AU$7k (that's about USD$5k / E4.4k). I've also considered the Norco Fluid VLT A2 - it has a little less travel but better shocks (I think?). Trek Rail 5 caught my eye but more dollars for less battery than the otherwise similar spec Merida. The glowing reviews of the Merida geometry here and here do sway me - the top of the line e-One Sixty 10k tops the huge group test as a capable all-rounder. The Cube Stereo Hybrid 160 also looking compelling, but there's no local dealers. Giant is out due to the 9 month delay in delivery. I'm resisting the urge to look at Polygon offerings!

Anything else I should have on the shortlist?

 

[PDoz]

Focus are also worth a look, reasonably priced in Australia.

Their thron is like a higher quality giant stance - or even trek rail 5 , upright sitting, cruise geometry.
The jam is like a giant trance or merida e160 but with slightly mushy rear suspension.

I think polygon are mostly sold out, as are marin. Pushys have a couple of old yt's but they are asking big $ for an e8000 powered bike ($10 k)

With the norco fluid , make sure you factor in battery price - they list a price without battery and you then choose the size / price you want.

Suspension is relatively easy to upgrade at the budget end of the scale. As an example, my levo sl came with fox 34x150 mm forks, they're perfectly capable but I scored some fox 36x160's for $800 brand new ( taken off a new levo by an owner who wanted to upgrade)

 

[PDoz]

Spot the 13 yo son.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Yeah, there really isn't a good substitute for a reasonable eMTB. They're in a class their own. Once you experience REAL suspension you'll find the Explore just really isn't. I loved mine, but don't miss it a bit, but then I don't commute. And if I spent much time on the road then I WOULD miss it - it's great for that. IMO the front suspension on it isn't really useful or necessary - a balloon tire will do nearly as much to smooth out road bumps.

Mountain bike riding is the most fun thing I've done since I started riding motorcycles - actually mini-bikes - when I was 11. The adventure, the seeking what's around the next corner or over the next ridge, the dirt trail, scenery, fresh air, and the challenge you put to yourself to navigate over the trail, is unparalleled.

I can't speak to the specific bike options, nor have kept up with what's out there and available, but if you have the interest in a MTB and riding trails - do it.

Couldn't have said it any better. Most of my riding has been on my road bike this season but with fall in full swing I've been hitting the trails more frequently. After little less than a year of relatively trouble free riding, I'm pretty happy with the Trance and haven't felt the need at all to upgrade. Plenty of power to get me out of most any situation and with the suspension dialled in and the right choice of tires, it's a pretty formidable machine and so much fun to ride.

 

[PDoz]

great comparison - orbea rise vs levo sl - no real surprises, except perhaps just how close the call is

 

[PDoz]

The trail fairies have been busy - unfortunately it was raining so I whimped out today. This is down the bottom of a FAST black run. I suspect the fast riders treat it as 2 gap jumps.

 

[Browneye]

Cool. I don't jump.

 

[Browneye]

I didn't preview this, but seems worthwhile...

 

[PDoz]

I didn't preview this, but seems worthwhile...

surely we need a new thread ( or two)

which chain ?
psuedo science theory and practice.....

I remember devouring hours of "which chain" discussion after my first chain on fugly died at an absurdly short distance. It was a kmc ebike chain, and accepted wisdom at the time is they were pretty good - second only to connex . So I invested triple figures into a connex chain and realized I was the problem.

Now I run whatever chain is the right price to tip me into free postage when buying something else online. It's been a remarkably successful strategy - ignore the km , just measure the chain when I cringe at shifting feel. If it's under 0.75 then try and work out what else is causing poor shifting. That seems to equate to a new cassette every 3/4 chains.

Bonus - lots of chain junk for my 13 yo to learn to weld with