This thing is a Drug

Stefan Mikes said:
Marci Jo, I'm leaning towards buying a Vado SL, or a Como
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I would never ever swap my Vado to a Como. But probably to this one (they aren't in PL yet):

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RandallS said:
@Stefan Mikes
That explains it. I would like to add to my stable too, but unlikely to happen. My Fathom has been a good all-rounder and other than riding with the lycra clad roadies, is suitable for group rides with friends.
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I needed another ride (much to my wife's chagrin) to keep up with fellow e-MTBers ^^^ ;) which is why I pulled the trigger on a Trance. Red Deer also has its own MTB park so it's a bit fortuitous that I won’t have to travel far for an off-trail fix.👍
Screenshot_2021-02-15 Publication2018 pdf.jpg


https://www.reddeer.ca/recreation-a...ctivities/biking/red-deer-mountain-bike-park/

https://www.reddeer.ca/media/reddee...atalogue/parks-and-trails/Publication2018.pdf

That being said, nothing beats the Cdn Rockies as the ultimate venue for MTBs. Spring isn’t that far off Randall and it would be great to organize a group ride even if it's just the two of us. :)
 
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GJACK said:
I think I came to Ebikes late in life which is really a good thing because unlike many experiential things arriving late mean you lose - . I quit using my MTB a couple of years ago because I got lazy. The uphill became a grind - hurt, etc. I lost my desire for MTB-ing.

E-MTBing is a drug. The bike has literally taken me from being 67 to 37 years old. I didn't get it to commute, I didn't get it to replace a car, I didn't get it to exercise. I got it (minus my 401K) because I like being outside and exploring. Eco mode is all I needed, although I burn watts towards the end of ride if any are left.










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Like all drugs, electric biking is not much good for you.
I noticed in my middle ages, that my father that sat down to read books when he retired died at 78 after 6 years of a memory that didn't work because of a stroke @ 72. A respected supervisor died 2 years after being forced to retire at 70. By contrast, a friend of my mother that chopped wood all year for his heat, lasted into his late nineties. I have another 98 year old friend that swims laps at the Y pool 4 times a week. Then there is all the UK health service data that people that exercise aerobically 4 times a week last 30 months longer than others. Of course cancer is a dice game, but it doesn't run in my family, so why save the government so much money by dying on schedule at 65?
I'm enjoying being paid to not work too much to give it up. So I ride a bike everywhere. The Y is 4 miles away, cost too much for the first 8 years of my "unemployment" and a pool makes my nose run anyway. I gave up driving a car when I quit working @ 58 for thrift reasons, also. But some fixed length bike trips could drag into 6 hours @ 4.5 mph and 140 bpm. Much TOO much exercise, caused by the winds of global warming. So I bought a geared motor that doesn't drag when I pedal myself. My trips last no longer than 3 3/4 hours now, whatever the wind is doing.
The good news in your case, the specialized levo como is listed as having a brose motor, which doesn't drag when pedaled unpowered. That gives you option of exercising aerobically as much as you can stand. I highly encourage 25 minutes every other day at bpm .8*(200-age) per Dr. Ken Cooper's Aerobics book. The endomorphine one builds from being in good shape is its own kind of drug, one that is good for you. Endomorphine allows me to walk without knee replacement, despite having knees with no cartlege and bone spurs besides. The more I ride, the better I walk. Don't dive into Dr. C's heart limit suddenly, ease bpm up to the limit gradually 1 bpm per week. I don't have a heart monitor, I use a sweep second watch.
Enjoy your life in the open, as much as possible.
 
Indianajo: With all respect, it is a myth you need to ride unpowered to work out aerobically. If that's a mid-drive motor e-bike (I assume 250 W nominal to disallow the motor just "ride you"), you get exactly the same workout when pedalling powered. You just ride faster and farther.
 
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TS25 said:
A top class allround bike of a fine German brand, Gates carbon belt system, you can even chose a 45 km/h Bosch motor, Rohloff if you wish, etc etc .
Specs? See the link above the picture.
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If I wanted a troublesome and heavy e-bike with noisy Bosch motor, poor smartphone connectivity, paying for possibility to tune the motor, waiting for Rohloff/Gates repair for three months and an e-bike not serviced in Warsaw, I would have bought an R&M :)

No offence meant. You see, the closest Specialized Brand Store is in e-bike range from my place ;)
 
Stefan Mikes said:
What's that?
P.S. I see it now. Nicolai. I don't need a SUV ;)
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Stefan Mikes said:
If I wanted a troublesome and heavy e-bike with noisy Bosch motor, poor smartphone connectivity, paying for possibility to tune the motor, waiting for Rohloff/Gates repair for three months and an e-bike not serviced in Warsaw, I would have bought an R&M :)

No offence meant. You see, the closest Specialized Brand Store is in e-bike range from my place ;)
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The HNF Nicolai XD3 is by no means a SUV.
Call it a crossover between city-/tour-bike and eMTB.

The weight is about the same as Vado or Como.
Bosch Gen. 4 isn't as noisy as prior Bosch generations.
The HNF Nicolai even has the choice of integrated smartphone connectivity.
It comes standard with continuously variable transmission Enviolo but you can upgrade to Enviolo AutomatiQ or Rohloff if that's your preference.
Combined with a Gates Carbon belt it's maintenance-free for a longer time than any other bike construction.
It comes with a fine 120mm RockShox suspension front fork.
Dual battery option with 1125 Wh.

No offence meant, but you should have looked at the specs prior to your statement which couldn't be wrong any more.
What's left: they aren't in PL - yet. As said before.
 
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Can't wait until you buy it and report, TS25!
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@TS25: An afterthought. The Nikolai All-Terrain e-bike is certainly no worse than the Vado, and it offers tons of options. I named it a "SUV" because most of SUVs are driven in cities or suburbs with very rare use off-road. No, that's not an e-MTB in the slightest sense. Hardtail e-MTBs are widely available. They sport proper geometry in the first place. They don't use carbon belt or Enviolo/Rohloff for simple reasons: Just imagine a stick getting into the the expensive belt and travelling all the way to the rear cog. Imagine field repair of the wheel.

It is an urban e-bike with possibility of riding it in mild off-road, same as Vado on proper tyres. Yes, the fork is better. Yes, dual battery makes it easy for long road touring. And there are no miracles: Dual battery must increase the bike weight towards 30 kg. No rear suspension?
 
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Stefan Mikes said:
It's improbably comfortable, Randall. I imagine a lazy bike gang: Katy Starr on my Lovelec, Anice on her Como, Jacek on my Giant, @Brix on her Vado, @Jerzy Bańkowski on his traditional bike, and I? Bear in mind: Vado belongs to Brix (when she comes over from London).
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Wow, tough decision, Stefan.
Have you tried the Vado SL? Way less torque than the regular Vado but so much more maneuverability. I'm curious to hear about the Mahle motor.
I have mixed feelings on trying one. What if I love it? I would have to somehow justify it. But on the other hand, I'm so addicted to the smooth, quiet power of my current Brose motor and very happy with it.
 
Marci jo said:
Wow, tough decision, Stefan.
Have you tried the Vado SL? Way less torque than the regular Vado but so much more maneuverability. I'm curious to hear about the Mahle motor.
I have mixed feelings on trying one. What if I love it? I would have to somehow justify it. But on the other hand, I'm so addicted to the smooth, quiet power of my current Brose motor and very happy with it.
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I'm waiting for a little bit warmer and dry time to rent the SL for a day and really try it. I made a symbolic ride inside the Specialized store and liked the bike. Lightweight! The experience is quite shocking. No problem to straddle the bike even if the top tube is seemingly high. Easy to maneuver. Beautiful. Yet I don't know how I would feel after some 40-50 km on the SL yet.
 
Stefan Mikes said:
Can't wait until you buy it and report, TS25!
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@TS25: An afterthought. The Nikolai All-Terrain e-bike is certainly no worse than the Vado, and it offers tons of options.

It is an urban e-bike with possibility of riding it in mild off-road, same as Vado on proper tyres. Yes, the fork is better. Yes, dual battery makes it easy for long road touring. And there are no miracles: Dual battery must increase the bike weight towards 30 kg. No rear suspension?
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That's why I called it a cross-over between city-/tour-bike and eMTB, or "all-purpose". If you're looking for eMTB -> not the right choice, I agree.

You don't need a rear suspension for that. Just puts on more weight.
Better than Vado in several points but NOT heavier. If you don't need the 2nd battery just leave it at home - same with your Vado.

As all "all-purpose" gear they can cope with a lot - but not as good as specialized gear in their respective niche.
If you're riding over sticks in your forest it's best to go for a hub gearing. ;)
 
TS25 said:
That's why I called it a cross-over between city-/tour-bike and eMTB, or "all-purpose". If you're looking for eMTB -> not the right choice, I agree.

You don't need a rear suspension for that. Just puts on more weight.
Better than Vado in several points but NOT heavier. If you don't need the 2nd battery just leave it at home - same with your Vado.

As all "all-purpose" gear they can cope with a lot - but not as good as specialized gear in their respective niche.
If you're riding over sticks in your forest it's best to go for a hub gearing. ;)
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It is certainly a very good e-bike. What is impressive is the number of options you can configure for extra money. Sometimes I think it is good to live in Germany "The Home of E-Bikes" :)
 
GJACK said:
I think I came to Ebikes late in life which is really a good thing because unlike many experiential things arriving late mean you lose - stocks and real estate, come to mind. Not with an EMTB, I have never owned a thing - where after every experience with this bike, I want to care for it - I clean it, wash it, oil it, get it ready for the next ride. I thought this feeling would wear off after awhile but it hasn't. Can't explain it. I have done a lot of things - avid river runner-started with kayaks -drift boats, now rafts - run a ton of rivers in the west. Love to fly-fish for trout, steelhead, salmon. Both sons are guides. Love to hunt for chukars with my sons, love to hunt duck with my sons, and love to train dogs to hunt. etc...etc....meaning - I mean-- I love being outside. Bikes-do that. I quit using my MTB a couple of years ago because I got lazy. The uphill became a grind - hurt, etc. even when doing it with my oldest son, I lost my desire for MTB-ing.

I had a friend delivering Christmas cards on her E-bike to get me interested in what these bikes were about. She said she was able to stay up with her husband, an avid roadie and that she loved it. That's when I began researching e bikes. I researched this forum and other places and ended up getting a EMTB. It was love at first ride. E-MTBing is a drug. The bike has literally taken me from being 67 to 37 years old. I didn't get it to commute, I didn't get it to replace a car, I didn't get it to exercise. I got it (minus my 401K) because I like being outside and exploring. Eco mode is all I needed, although I burn watts towards the end of ride if any are left. I just needed a little bit of a lift. These machines are amazing -Hey, Iike I said, I'm late to the party but that's okay. Does this drug ever wear off? I don't see it-outdoors -exploring using what strength you have - this bike is an Avatar. Okay time to oil my chain.

Liberating ain´t it.








O
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