Purchase advice please

[zoumerela]

It's all about USABLE power and smoothness. No add-on system will ever reach the completeness of a system designed to work as a whole from a single serious manufacturer.
They have control over every motor aspect and their close bicycle manufacturers work on frame geometry, weight distribution, etc. So the eBike experience is a total system, not just a bolt-on afterthought.

Cheaper is one thing, quality as a system is another. This is a rule I follow on almost every option I have in my life. Go with the better one if you can. More quality, more enjoyment, more long time support.
Its a different thing if you have unlimited time and love to tinker with your tools. A bolt-on system can be a nice winter project. But for MTB (and even more full-suspension) use, Bosch, Shimano, Yamaha (alphabetical order) would always be my top options.

@zoumerela where do you live? There is a nice Cube dealer in my area who is a crazy eMTB rider himself too. He organizes some demo rides some points (at least before the Covid era

Thanks, I hear you. After COVID I will have access to dealers in Thessaloniki. I am sure I will love any eMTB I ride first time, because compared to my turtle speed going uphill while my lungs feel they are about to burst, I am sure it will feel like a superpower. But if I can't compare the options I will never know which one I like best.

 

[skritikos]

I live in Greece in an endless mountain forest with no soul around but me and my bike. So I am not worries about illegal. I want to explore every corner of our mountain so that is why I need the torque. But I thought that if i want to cozy ride around and exercise myself I can still set the motor for minumum pedal assist. Like I am thinking, I can turn a motor with 160 torque down, but I cannot get more out of a 85 torque motor, but still I am unsure of course cause I can't test ride any of them exactly on my terrain and have to purchase by guessing and asking around.

What I can safely say is that by using the Bosch CX Gen4 on a Cube FS bike I could climb whatever I can on my ultralight 9.5kg carbon hardtail even faster and smoother.
Torque or power will never be not enough with a motor of that level and design.

Correct gearing is always the key. The motor goes through your geared transmission.
Meaning that if you end up on a very steep and technical trail in a totally wrong gear you will have to do more work yourself (and kill part of your transmission's life).

My experiences with Bosch ebikes of all types and motors, starting on July 2020 when I first tested one, have all been perfect.
A friend with a Shimano EP-8 motor on a FS bike is enjoying himself more than when we were on our 20s (and we are both 44!).

 

[skritikos]

(Add to it Specialized/Brose. Specialized e-MTBs are iconic, though they are the most expensive).

Brose reliability has been a hit or miss and I don't like that on a premium product. Not when others are on a much better level.

 

[skritikos]

Thanks, I hear you. After COVID I will have access to dealers in Thessaloniki. I am sure I will love any eMTB I ride first time, because compared to my turtle speed going uphill while my lungs feel they are about to burst, I am sure it will feel like a superpower. But if I can't compare the options I will never know which one I like best.

Even if Covid era ends before 2022 (that I don't believe it will be possible) according to all info gathered from my cycling sources, whoever has not placed an order earlier this year, is looking directly to early 2022 models (around summer 2021) with a possible availability next spring/summer. If you want something faster than that you have to work with whatever is available at stores now (mainly Europe, then Greece).

I will have a look on some of the stores I know. Have you ever done any sizing for FS MTB bike?
Height, inseam, etc will be useful.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Brose reliability has been a hit or miss and I don't like that on a premium product. Not when others are on a much better level.

Specialized has identified the issues, fixed them, and greatly extended the warranty for existing e-bikes. The level of Specialized support and warranty handling can only be matched by that of Trek.

 

[zoumerela]

What I can safely say is that by using the Bosch CX Gen4 on a Cube FS bike I could climb whatever I can on my ultralight 9.5kg carbon hardtail even faster and smoother.
Torque or power will never be not enough with a motor of that level and design.

Correct gearing is always the key. The motor goes through your geared transmission.
Meaning that if you end up on a very steep and technical trail in a totally wrong gear you will have to do more work yourself (and kill part of your transmission's life).

My experiences with Bosch ebikes of all types and motors, starting on July 2020 when I first tested one, have all been perfect.
A friend with a Shimano EP-8 motor on a FS bike is enjoying himself more than when we were on our 20s (and we are both 44!).

Thanks, that is encouraging. I am at your age too and I have never been a fitness monster. But I love to pedal, I really do.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I'll be 60 this year, suffer from three chronic illnesses (ill legs being the biggest issue) but there was no hill to stop me with my Giant Trance E+ Pro

 

[skritikos]

Thanks, that is encouraging. I am at your age too and I have never been a fitness monster. But I love to pedal, I really do.

Even eBikes are better when fitness is high though. Especially respiratory condition. Leg power will come more or less with the increased km and some good nutrition.
If you still smoke, QUIT! No better gift will ever be gifted to you!

 

[zoumerela]

Even eBikes are better when fitness is high though. Especially respiratory condition. Leg power will come more or less with the increased km and some good nutrition.
If you still smoke, QUIT! No better gift will ever be gifted to you!

I do not smoke and I exercise outdoors more than the average person. I am just a low energy person and I can't handle high power exercise well. I am always left behind when hiking or mountain biking. But I love being outdoors for hours exercsing moderately. An eMTB might help me catch up with the rest of the group.

 

[skritikos]

I do not smoke and I exercise outdoors more than the average person. I am just a low energy person and I can't handle high power exercise well. I am always left behind when hiking or mountain biking. But I love being outdoors for hours exercsing moderately. An eMTB might help me catch up with the rest of the group.

The capacity can and will be increased as you train more and more. If your storage goes empty after sort intense efforts then you will have to include more on that on your training.
Similar with medium tempo long efforts, etc. The support from the eBike can be a great motivational boost to exhaust yourself more and more. So the gains will be larger.

Send some info on sizing so I can have a look to my usual suspect EU dealers.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Zoumerela: I and my brother were winning uphill "races" with road cyclists in Polish mountains. On that two specific rides, I rode Specialized Turbo Vado 5.0 and my brother rode Giant Trance E+ Pro (e-MTB). We also had a tour on the flat, where we were able to chase a roadie for 6 kilometres and overtake him. On that ride, my brother rode S-Pedelec Vado and I rode a 250 W hub-drive motor unrestricted Czech touring e-bike... Road cyclists were winning downhill -- we had no skill to ride that fast!

There was an extremely steep incline, a Strava segment called "Specialized Roll". I and brother were uphill so fast I had enough time to park my Vado, walk several steps downhill and take the photo of the roadie who was still struggling uphill!

The roadie and my brother (with Giant Trance E+ Pro) making friends at the top. The roadie was always winning downhill! Did we need "Monster E-bikes"? No.

 

[JackNCA]

Read through this thread in this a FORUM.
“The infamous Motobecane HAL E-MTB. I bought one.”

The infamous Motobecane HAL E-MTB. I bought one…

I bought the 42cm size. I am 5'10" with a 32" inseam. The size feels about right. I am 64 (hence the emtb; it's very steep and hilly where I live). Interesting that your 42cm HAL electric looks to be about 22.75" for the measured top tube to the seat clamp which should be about ideal for me...

electricbikereview.com

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Motobecane

In Greece?!

 

[JackNCA]

Just checked.. You are correct, not shipped outside USA..