eMTB Options For 2024

[Stefan Mikes]

One more question. The Giant website reads Shimano SLX / Deore drive train. Have you got SRAM on your Trance?

 

[Browneye]

Deore XT.

I need to find out what the little 'on' lever does.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

You mean, the "Shadow" clutch in the derailleur?

 

[PDoz]

Awesome.
Those ixs are nearly $100. How are the g-form for knee/shin? They're half the cost.

How does $62 us sound ? https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/au/en/ixs-flow-evo-knee-guard-2018/rp-prod167197. Remember to use the first purchase discount offer +/- get a bunch of things so postage is free - just remember you have a silly 35 mm stem / bar so if ordering normal 31.8 bars you'll also need a stem

The g form knee guards are a weird cut - I think they're designed for standing up sports rather than cycling

 

[PDoz]

Deore XT.

I need to find out what the little 'on' lever does.

It's a clutch, so when " off" you can swing everything back for remiving the wheel but whilst" on" it doesn't flop around. If you accidentally leave it off, the chain flops around like a cheap bike.

ps shimano skx levers, xt derailier , deore cassette. It's a great combination.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

ps shimano skx levers, xt derailier , deore cassette. It's a great combination.

I completely agree to that, having the same on my Vado (only I have got the SLX 11 cassette).

EDIT: Your opinion on Giant Stance E+ 2, friends? Any good? Just casually looking for an FS e-bike for a beginner, MSRP <= US$3600

 

[PDoz]

I completely agree to that, having the same on my Vado (only I have got the SLX 11 cassette).

My full e was supposed to have a sunrace cassette but ended up having a shimano - not sure if it was deore or slx but definitely not xt ( I went up to xt when it wore out ) . Being completely honest , the main benefit of the xt is it's easier to fit. By the time everything has been soaked in mud and bounced off a few rocks, anything except a rohloff is sacrificial.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I've added an additional question, PDoz. Any thoughts?

 

[PDoz]

I haven't ridden the stance but had a look at one in the shop - lots of cost cutting .

Sport motor rather than pwx

130 mm suspension and relatively low spec - marginal for an emtb dualy - even the trance 1 has forks that would be considered marginal on a mid budget non e mtb. My old norco optic had 130 mm recons and they were ok for about a year with my 14 yo daughter , but I doubt I'd want them on an emtb.

The rear is half a maestro - less linkages so you don't get the torque cancelling / progressive suspension that makes giant so planted.
The brakes are only twin puston so you'll chew through pads

I dunno, I guess it looked like one of those kids bikes trying to look like a real mtb but ending up being less effective than a hard rail?

Disclaimer - I think beginners need reasonable suspension MORE than intermediate riders. Once you have some basic skill it's possible to compensate for a bikes weakness,.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Thank you. So that would be a wrong choice. It looks an e-MTB cannot be inexpensive (unless you live in the United States and have Crazy Lenny around)

 

[PDoz]

Thank you. So that would be a wrong choice. It looks an e-MTB cannot be inexpensive (unless you live in the United States and have the Crazy Lenny around)

Time the purchase - you want last seasons bike but just as the manufacturer is offering discounts. Or a lightly used demo model. Both options have incentives from the manufacturer that help the dealer clear the floor for the latest ( and not necessarily greatest ). If you research well, sometimes you get a better bike. As an example, everyone has jumped on the 12 sp fashion wagon for 2020 but 11 sp is more robust. Same goes with 27.5/29 wheels

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Or,. perhaps, give up the thought of the FS and find a good hardtail, then invest in a good suspended dropper post such as the PNW Coast?

 

[BillH]

Okay, finally got home, got some dinner, bike is in the garage. Whoot!

Thank you everyone for so much input and ideas, opinions. I got a pretty quick education on these things, so when we wandered into this little bike shop out at the beach, and they only had one eMTB - this leftover '19 Trance E+2, it seemed too good to be true. I did not realize there was such a model. I did a quick search for reviews and comment on my smartphone, and sure enough, this model was the middle line for 2019, and outstanding reviews on it. The sales guy immediately said they would drop the price as a close-out, $4099 out the door with a pedal set and sales tax, all in. That's quite a savings from similarly styled bikes we've been looking at here, and just a tad more than the mail-order ones.

This is obviously a price-point offering, but I think adequate for the most part for what I'll do with one.

That was a good negotiated price. I see I can order one on Giant site and pick up from nearby LBS (I'd have to drive 450 miles to Maine ) for $5100 including tax......so yeah, you did well.

Deciding to buy a bike that fit your needs rather than spend stupid money was a smart move. Enjoy and go feel like your 20 something again, to a point of course.

 

[Browneye]

I was initially attracted to the Stance as it had 29" wheels and a good price. My Giant dealer explained a few of the things Pdoz mentions, but surely not to that extent. He's our giant guru - we're glad you're here!

@Stefan Mikes and @BillH - why I wanted to do a lot of comparison shopping. As a novice and noobie on what's involved with these things, and such a wide price spread, I didn't want to just jump on the first thing. Usually there's good reason for the price spread, but it's so confusing when you don't know what to look for or what stuff is or what it does, it's easy to get sucked into a good price point and miss other good options. Resale on ebikes in general isn't very good, so it's best to get a good match initially. Making a purchase mistake can be kind of expensive. I would have loved to get a bike for under $3K, so I was stretching a little here. Six thousand and over just wasn't in my realm. And I may still need to buy another bike for wifey - we'll get a new controller tomorrow so hopefully that will get hers rolling again.

Thanks for all the thumbs-ups guys. I'm going to try to get out for a easy loop today and try it out. I got the RideControl connected and the firmware update done on both bikes - didn't realize my other one needed the update too. But the app wouldn't connect to the new one 'till it got the update. Took about 3 minutes, painless. It also shows my other bike has had 6 charge cycles, not sure what qualifies as a cycle cuz it's been ridden and recharged quite a few more times than that. Must be a full discharge and recharge cycle. Battery capacity at 97%, the new one of course 100%. No errors on either. Surprising the new one comes fully charged - 93% and 80mile range projection. I'm sure I'll eat that up. LOL

Thanks for the link and gear advice Pdoz - I'll check that out. Good to know on the derailleur clutch thingy.

One thing I'm curious about is mountain bike footwear. The bike shoes surely have a firm sole, but gee, the tops are like tennis shoes. Why isn't something more protective used? Like hiking boots, or in my case I like to ride with RedWing work boots. They're comfortable, good traction, not too heavy, and good foot and ankle protection. Perhaps the bikes shoes are more nimble?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Gentlemen,
Have you ever heard of the Specialized Turbo Levo Hardtail 29"?
Strange thing about it is I cannot find this model on the Specialized website...

Elektryczne rowery górskie - damskie i męskie - SklepRowerowy.pl

Rowery z dodatkowym napędem elektrycznym znacznie ułatwiają jazdę. Sprawdź nasze rowery elektryczne damskie i męskie, wybierz dla siebie idealny rower!

skleprowerowy.pl

Oh, here is the 2019 model:

Męski Turbo Levo Hardtail 29

Jeżeli liczy się dla Ciebie głównie prędkość, nie znajdziesz lepszej maszyny niż Turbo Levo Hardtail 29. Szybkość, efektywność i radość z jazdy, którą z...

www.specialized.com

Your comment @PDoz? Any good?

 

[PDoz]

Gentlemen,
Have you ever heard of the Specialized Turbo Levo Hardtail 29"?
Strange thing about it is I cannot find this model on the Specialized website...

Elektryczne rowery górskie - damskie i męskie - SklepRowerowy.pl

Rowery z dodatkowym napędem elektrycznym znacznie ułatwiają jazdę. Sprawdź nasze rowery elektryczne damskie i męskie, wybierz dla siebie idealny rower!

skleprowerowy.pl

Oh, here is the 2019 model:

Męski Turbo Levo Hardtail 29

Jeżeli liczy się dla Ciebie głównie prędkość, nie znajdziesz lepszej maszyny niż Turbo Levo Hardtail 29. Szybkość, efektywność i radość z jazdy, którą z...

www.specialized.com

Your comment @PDoz? Any good?

In 2017/ 2018 the levo hardtails seemed to be big sellers, but they seemed to drop off the radar after that. As an off road motorbike rider I struggle to ride hard tails so never paid them much attention, sorry

 

[PDoz]

One thing I'm curious about is mountain bike footwear. The bike shoes surely have a firm sole, but gee, the tops are like tennis shoes. Why isn't something more protective used? Like hiking boots, or in my case I like to ride with RedWing work boots. They're comfortable, good traction, not too heavy, and good foot and ankle protection. Perhaps the bikes shoes are more nimble?

Take a look at a set of five ten freerider pros - mine feel like a reasonable compromise between function and protection. Impact absorbing foam in the footbox , grippy soles with almost enough flexibility to allow pedal feel / control. They're a bit hot and not even close to being waterproof , but the best compromise I could find . If you want even more protection, look at the impact pro .

I should probably clarify, though, that my feet aren't normal - the left copped 5 brocken bones under my motoguzzi , the right got crushed under a tree brach motorbike riding in the snow...both ankles were sacrificed at various times during my ultimate motorbike boot research phase....right foot has been speared by a branch.....I actually got back into mtb riding because I couldn't walk further than 1.5 km....it's been fantastic rehab for my feet!

I've tried riding in old style leather bushwalking boots and low cut adv motorbike boots - there wasn't enough pedal feel and I was smashing my foot everyride, plus they were horribly inefficient to pedal in.

Next I tried the x country runner thing ( soloman xa pro goretex lined beasts ) - they were functional but the chunky tread was limited in options for foot placement - ie they would lock into the pedal pins. I need to move my foot around during rides as it fatigues / starts complaining, plus I have a few habits carried over from the bmx era so move my foot for jumps / berms etc.

I dabbled in skate and sailing shoes but felt naked. Sprogette wears five ten districts which look like skate shoes but provide better soles / a very small amount of protection - I don't have anything resembling fashion sense so went for better protection.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Just ordered the Five Tens per your recommendation @PDoz. Need to ride my e-bike with MTB platform pedals. During the wintertime I'm riding it in Bavarian mountain boots but taking into account I now also use e-socks, the 5-10 might do. If not, these will be ideal for warmer seasons anyway.

 

[PDoz]

Starting to feel like a social media influencer here....

I hope the 510's work for you - let us know

 

[Stefan Mikes]

It is good to listen to experienced friends. This Forum gave me a wealth of useful information. If at least two users recommend the same ware and are excited about it, it is a mark the product is worth a try. I usually make wrong decisions on purchases. The advice from the Forum pals has never failed so far.