eMTB Options For 2024

[FlatSix911]

Yeah, having to transport the bikes...what a hassle

Ah, all those car racks are so distant notion to me... I don't want to even understand that

Professional riders have to travel to races all over the country and world... mobility is essential.

That said, I usually ride from my home to local trails in the pacific coast mountains nearby.

 

[RandallS]

Ah, all those car racks are so distant notion to me... I don't want to even understand that

What about your Vado? Does it fit as is, or do you need to remove any parts? I suspect that if I wanted to put a bike in the back of my VW Sportswagen, I'd have to remove the front wheel, and if I had a bike with fenders, that would have to come off too.

In the past, when my wife could still ride, we transported 2 Townies in the back of a Volvo XC70, but front wheels and fenders had to come off, and a very slow and meticulous placement of the bikes was necessary.

Are Vado fenders easy on and off devices?

 

[PDoz]

That said, I usually ride from my home to local trails in the pacific coast mountains nearby.

I can ride single line from the tip of my block, but it gets a bit repetitive after a while - to be honest, it got a LOT repetitive during lock down and it's looking like we might be facing that again in a couple of weeks - so we're enjoying loading 5 bikes onto a rack and travelling with 3 kids whilst we still can!

We just returned from a seaside town - mostly walking but a bit of riding rail trails.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

What about your Vado? Does it fit as is, or do you need to remove any parts? I suspect that if I wanted to put a bike in the back of my VW Sportswagen, I'd have to remove the front wheel, and if I had a bike with fenders, that would have to come off too.

In the past, when my wife could still ride, we transported 2 Townies in the back of a Volvo XC70, but front wheels and fenders had to come off, and a very slow and meticulous placement of the bikes was necessary.

Are Vado fenders easy on and off devices?

No need to remove the fenders.

The original front axle of Vado is unscrewed with a 5 mm Allen key (mine is from The Robert Axle Project as a replacement for the damaged original axle, so I use the 6 mm key). Here is how I do it:

1. Open the trunk (the rear seats should be folded in advance)
2. Lift the bike with both hands and "ride in" with the rear wheel into the car, with the bike almost horizontal and leaned onto the non-drive side. The handlebars and the front wheel shall remain outside the car
3. Turn the handlebars 90 degrees so the front wheel points up but the bike "hangs" on the car's floor
4. Unscrew the front-wheel axle and remove it, still holding it in the left hand; the front wheel will pop out from its fork-sockets. Replace the axle and give it few turns so it stays in the fork
5. Place a spacer between front-brake pads, so inadvertent pressing the front brake lever cannot upset the brake pistons/pads
6. Turn the handlebars into the normal position and fit the bike fully inside the car
7. Place the wheel under the bike/fork so the rotor-side points up and is not touched by anything.

The bike removal procedure is just the reverse of the above but I use a torque wrench to fasten the axle properly.

With the Giant Trance E+, the procedure is even easier as there is a quick release for the through-axle (e-MTBs are being transported frequently). I'd love to show the procedure in photos and I will do it but for the Trance as I wouldn't like to waste time in the morning for the Vado (I'm setting off to the Holy Cross Mts).

 

[FlatSix911]

I can ride single line from the tip of my block, but it gets a bit repetitive after a while - to be honest, it got a LOT repetitive during lockdown and it's looking like we might be facing that again in a couple of weeks - so we're enjoying loading 5 bikes onto a rack and traveling with 3 kids whilst we still can!

We just returned from a seaside town - mostly walking but a bit of riding rail trails.

Beautiful coastline... remind again us where you are riding?

The shelter in place order is getting old... riding keeps us sane.

 

[PDoz]

Beautiful coastline... remind again us where you are riding?

The shelter in place order is getting old... riding keeps us sane.

Victoria, Australia - that particular walk is https://www.trailhiking.com.au/bass-coast-walk-and-rail-trail/

We rented a house in Cape Paterson , a small surfing town along an amazing coast. Thankfully to the east of where the stay at home orders came into effect this week - metro victoria has just started the second wave but we live in a rural region so are still free to travel outside the restricted region.

 

[FlatSix911]

Victoria, Australia - that particular walk is https://www.trailhiking.com.au/bass-coast-walk-and-rail-trail/

We rented a house in Cape Paterson , a small surfing town along an amazing coast.
Thankfully to the east of where the stay at home orders came into effect this week - metro victoria has just started the second wave but we live in a rural region so are still free to travel outside the restricted region.

I thought the country looked familiar... I spent a few years on the Gold Coast of Queensland.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@RandallS:

How To Pack An E-Bike Into A Station Wagon (a tutorial)

Many people use bike-racks on their cars to transport their e-bikes. A single person can easily transport a single e-bike in a station wagon; that is especially comfortable to carry an e-MTB to the trail. No fastest e-bike transport method by car exists. Step 1: Have rear seats in your car...

electricbikereview.com

 

[PDoz]

@RandallS:

How To Pack An E-Bike Into A Station Wagon (a tutorial)

Many people use bike-racks on their cars to transport their e-bikes. A single person can easily transport a single e-bike in a station wagon; that is especially comfortable to carry an e-MTB to the trail. No fastest e-bike transport method by car exists. Step 1: Have rear seats in your car...

electricbikereview.com

Sorry, but there are MUCH faster options for loading bikes - we can load all 5 in the time it'd take you to load just one!

1 Vertical rack - literally lift the front wheel into the hoop, step back then pull the 2 elastric straps through the tyres.( ours takes 5 bikes but there is s 6 bike option)

2 tailgate pad - lift the rear of the bike into the tub, run the strap across the frame

Both options make car shuttling easy - we have a few local tracks with 300-400 m descents, serviced by a 3-4 km dirt road

Or bulk bike transport on a trailer....in this case for driving up buller - before a 60 km / 2100 m descent

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Sorry, but there are MUCH faster options for loading bikes - we can load all 5 in the time it'd take you to load just one!

You pack 5 bikes in 3* minutes? Congrats...
-----------
*) I'm not as fast as I used to be but can bet I can pack my Trance in one minute.

 

[PDoz]

You pack 5 bikes in 3* minutes? Congrats...
-----------
*) I'm not as fast as I used to be but can bet I can pack my Trance in one minute.

Sorry, I thought you'd be quicker than that.

 

[FlatSix911]

Sorry, but there are MUCH faster options for loading bikes - we can load all 5 in the time it'd take you to load just one!

1 Vertical rack - literally lift the front wheel into the hoop, step back then pull the 2 elastic straps through the tyres. ( ours takes 5 bikes but there is s 6 bike option)

2 tailgate pad - lift the rear of the bike into the tub, run the strap across the frame

Both options make car shuttling easy - we have a few local tracks with 300-400 m descents, serviced by a 3-4 km dirt road

Or bulk bike transport on a trailer....in this case for driving up buller - before a 60 km / 2100 m descent

I agree and love the Peloton size trailer rack.

Peloton - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[TS25]

I agree and love the Peloton size trailer rack.

And I was afraid @Stefan Mikes would be gone shopping for another E-bike(s) after seeing that bulk bike transport trailer.

 

[FlatSix911]

And I was afraid @Stefan Mikes would be gone shopping for another E-bike(s) after seeing that bulk bike transport trailer.

So true... gotta have N+1 although we can only ride one at a time.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Yes, I think of the N+1. As long as my honey comes to Poland and expresses great interest in mountain biking

 

[PDoz]

There were FOUR of those trailers , each did 2 runs up the mountain - over 100 emtb's doing the same 60 km ride on the same day. A pretty amazing effort , with about 1/3 of those bikes being demo models that were offered at a discount price to the rider at the end of the day . From memory , organised by 4 enthusiastic bike shops and this was 18 months ago so emtb was just starting to take off in Australia - all of those 100 spaces were taken within a couple of days of the event being advertised.

My daughter was 13 at the time, riding a bike that belonged to our lbs' owner. It was the day I realised she was faster than me

 

[Browneye]

My daughter was 13 at the time, riding a bike that belonged to our lbs' owner. It was the day I realised she was faster than me

The 'no-fear' factor.
My son got pretty quick on the dirtbikes, but when it got really technical and difficult we would have to help him out. Pretty cool when they reach a good competency level, and really enjoy themselves.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I've just noticed my Trance sus fork used up all available travel on the wild trail in the Holy Cross Mts

 

[Browneye]

That's a 'G-out'.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@PDoz, your views on the pedals? I'm more and more disappointed with spiked platform pedals. While these ensure a fantastic grip, my calves have been bled by my Stamps for too many times...