How much power for Mountain riding?

Bufatutu

Member
I'm an old guy who's been riding regularly four to six days a week for many years. I moved to the mountains when I retired and love riding the old woods roads and riding up the long ascending notch roads. I'm not doing any serious mountain biking, but much of the terrain is quite hilly and sometimes rather steep. After 8 years here though, I have both knee and foot problems and so I'm getting an ebike and not giving up. As a serious rider, I've decided to go for a mid-drive and step through, for $2k US or a bit more. The two ebikes I've sort of focused on are the Specialized Como 2(last year's, on sale for $2500) and the Raleigh Venture 2(Last year's on sale for $2k.. The Raleigh has the Bosch Active Line Plus with a torque of 50nm; the Como has the Brose with 90nm. Will I feel a difference going up all the hills and mountain roads, on asphalt, gravel and a bit off-road? Or will I not notice the difference? (Are torque ratings accurate?) Unfortunately I can't test either bike up here. Though the Bosch has less torque, I like that it has shift easing. Thanks for your thoughts.
 
A mid-drive ebike is a good choice for hilly terrain. I ride a Vado 5 around our very hilly little town. I haven't found a hill it won't climb yet!

90Nm vs 50Nm of torque will be quite noticeable in hill climbing and acceleration. With that said the Specialized 1.3 and 2.1 motors peak at 90Nm. The 1.3 motor is offered in the current Como 5 model. I'm not sure that this motor has ever been offered in the Como 2. My understanding is that Como 2 has the 1.2 motor. From what I can find this motor peaks at 85Nm of torque, still a substantial increase.

The shift 'easing' feature of the Bosh motors can prevent drive train damage if you're prone to 'mashing' gears anyway. My Vado with a Brose motor does not have this feature. I've had no gear damage in over 1,500 miles of hill riding, but YRMV. Personally, I would prefer the higher torque over the shift 'easing feature.

Just one more thought, the motor outputs are all speed/rpm sensitive with peak torque usually available in a cadence range of 40-90rpm, depending on model.
 
You will definitely notice a difference in power between the Bosch and Brose. Between the two, I would recommend the Specialized for steep hills. Neither are designed for serious off-roading though.
 
Reading the EBR reviews of the two models the reviewer liked the Como 2’s sturdier 15mm thru-axle fork with larger 180mm brake rotor. The faster 4a charger would also cut down on charging time.
 
Old guy here too.
I'm a new fan of the Bafang Ultra drives. 2 big reasons, first being you can't buy any more power, so there's no wondering if you should have bought more. And 2nd, it's completely tuneable to it's owner's tastes. It can be dialed WAY back pretty easily for great low speed handling, with no hint there's a monster lurking under your hood. If you have an open mind on the topic, it's worth checking out....
 
I'm an old guy who's been riding regularly four to six days a week for many years. I moved to the mountains when I retired and love riding the old woods roads and riding up the long ascending notch roads. I'm not doing any serious mountain biking, but much of the terrain is quite hilly and sometimes rather steep. After 8 years here though, I have both knee and foot problems and so I'm getting an ebike and not giving up. As a serious rider, I've decided to go for a mid-drive and step through, for $2k US or a bit more. The two ebikes I've sort of focused on are the Specialized Como 2(last year's, on sale for $2500) and the Raleigh Venture 2(Last year's on sale for $2k.. The Raleigh has the Bosch Active Line Plus with a torque of 50nm; the Como has the Brose with 90nm. Will I feel a difference going up all the hills and mountain roads, on asphalt, gravel and a bit off-road? Or will I not notice the difference? (Are torque ratings accurate?) Unfortunately I can't test either bike up here. Though the Bosch has less torque, I like that it has shift easing. Thanks for your thoughts.
Since you are an experienced rider, you should be fine if you go with a mid-drive from the major OEMs ... Brose, Bosch, Shimano, and Yamaha (Bafang for others).
Take a look at the EBR list of Best Full Suspension Electric Bikes of 2020 for some specific recommendations. ;)

Here is our listing of the top five full suspension electric bikes of 2020. We’ve done the research to identify the best combinations of features and value on the market today. Beyond these recommendations, you can see all 307 of our detailed reviews of rull suspension ebikes listed here. Reviewing electric bikes is our specialty, and EBR has the most holistic and unbiased reviews in the industry. Since 2012, we’ve helped millions of people find the best ebike for their needs and budget. Let’s dig in!
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I'm an old guy who's been riding regularly four to six days a week for many years. I moved to the mountains when I retired and love riding the old woods roads and riding up the long ascending notch roads. I'm not doing any serious mountain biking, but much of the terrain is quite hilly and sometimes rather steep. After 8 years here though, I have both knee and foot problems and so I'm getting an ebike and not giving up. As a serious rider, I've decided to go for a mid-drive and step through, for $2k US or a bit more. The two ebikes I've sort of focused on are the Specialized Como 2(last year's, on sale for $2500) and the Raleigh Venture 2(Last year's on sale for $2k.. The Raleigh has the Bosch Active Line Plus with a torque of 50nm; the Como has the Brose with 90nm. Will I feel a difference going up all the hills and mountain roads, on asphalt, gravel and a bit off-road? Or will I not notice the difference? (Are torque ratings accurate?) Unfortunately I can't test either bike up here. Though the Bosch has less torque, I like that it has shift easing. Thanks for your thoughts.
Do you need a bike before Spring? Likely not if you live in the mountains. Check out this thread and maybe search this site for Frey. Or go to the Frey brand page on this site.

 
I'm no fan of the Specialized, they had a lot of issues for a while including frame cracking. They took care of everyone, but some had to wait a long time to ride again. I would not get anything less than a performance line Bosch. I'm a huge Haibike/Bosch fan. I ride 2 different models and both climb anything I want to try. I'm no spring chicken at 68 either.
 
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