I picked up my first ebike yesterday! All my riding throughout my life has been on mountain bikes, including my current ride, a Stumpjumper Comp6 Fattie. I recently rented some ebikes with friends and we had a blast riding along paved roads/trails and dirt roads. This got me thinking it might be time to expand my horizons and pick one up for myself. I was torn as to whether or not I wanted to do something like a Turbo Levo to replace my Stumpy, but I worried I wouldn't ride it as much since it's not best suited to paved roads and lite trails. Then I started thinking about some sort of "hybrid" bike but I worried it would be too simpy compared to what I'm used to (I'm also a young, relatively fit 30-something year old).
As you can see, in the end, I settled on a hybrid bike (Specialized Turbo Vado 4.0) in hopes it would get me out riding on days I don't want to schlep my Stumpy to the trails/woods. I took it out for a 25-mile ride after work yesterday and had a blast. I tooled around in "eco" mode for most of my ride, with occasional bursts in "sport" on the steepest of hills.
Initial impressions: it's fun, easy to ride, and is likely to get me out riding on those days I don't feel like loading up and heading to the rough trails with the Stumpy. The tires want to understeer and wash out on loose surfaces such as dirt and gravel. I may have to look into some upgrade options. I'm used to riding on super aggressive fattie tires so I never worry about grip. I really hate the look of the fenders. I would love to remove them but have concerns as to whether or not the front fender is actually needed to protect the motor/battery. I see mixed opinions on this. I have no concerns about getting wet/dirty/muddy (it's something I'm used to and expect while riding a bike). I will also consider fork and drivetrain upgrades down the road as they're not quite what I'm used to.
Final verdict: I'm very happy with my purchase and am looking forward to many happy miles of riding and exploring!
As you can see, in the end, I settled on a hybrid bike (Specialized Turbo Vado 4.0) in hopes it would get me out riding on days I don't want to schlep my Stumpy to the trails/woods. I took it out for a 25-mile ride after work yesterday and had a blast. I tooled around in "eco" mode for most of my ride, with occasional bursts in "sport" on the steepest of hills.
Initial impressions: it's fun, easy to ride, and is likely to get me out riding on those days I don't feel like loading up and heading to the rough trails with the Stumpy. The tires want to understeer and wash out on loose surfaces such as dirt and gravel. I may have to look into some upgrade options. I'm used to riding on super aggressive fattie tires so I never worry about grip. I really hate the look of the fenders. I would love to remove them but have concerns as to whether or not the front fender is actually needed to protect the motor/battery. I see mixed opinions on this. I have no concerns about getting wet/dirty/muddy (it's something I'm used to and expect while riding a bike). I will also consider fork and drivetrain upgrades down the road as they're not quite what I'm used to.
Final verdict: I'm very happy with my purchase and am looking forward to many happy miles of riding and exploring!
