Trek Allant 7s or 8s or 9.9s

[Wasatch mts]

I'm a 65 yr old casual bike rider. I exercise regularily and I like to ride casually on hard surfaces. I have no interest in trail riding. I only recently looked into ebikes and decided I like the looks of the Trek Allant series. The specs tell me the difference between the 7s, 8s and 9.9s. Given that I am not a hard core rider, would I notice the difference between the three models for casual riding? I like the looks of the 9.9s best. If you ignore the cost, is the 9.9s that much better than the 8s? I don't want to buy the 7s just to save money if the other two significantly out perform. I am willing to pay if performance and durability come with the higher prices. I would appreciate any thoughts or opinions. Thanks.

 

[Nova Haibike]

Given that I am not a hard core rider, would I notice the difference between the three models for casual riding?

You might notice some subtle differences. The 9.9s is a full carbon fiber frame; the other two are aluminum. The 7s has a suspension fork while the other two do not. The 9.9s has 12 gears and has a broader range; the high gear is higher and the low lower.

I like the looks of the 9.9s best. If you ignore the cost, is the 9.9s that much better than the 8s? I don't want to buy the 7s just to save money if the other two significantly out perform. I am willing to pay if performance and durability come with the higher prices.

The extra cost of the 9.9s over the 8s is primarily the frame and fork. You would have to ride it to decide if carbon is worth it. All three use the same motor, so the 7s won't be any slower or less powerful. IMO the 8s is the best value of the three. It has the bigger battery and the same lights as the top model. The much brighter lights make night riding more fun, and they are bright enough to add to daytime safety.

 

[Mulezen]

I recently bought an Allant9s. My other bike is the last Trek iteration...Super Commuter7. The Allant for me, a casual rider, is far superior...comfort, speed, power etc. I’ve been able to compare the two rides a great deal lately since the Allant has been down at the LBS a few times.
There are threads on issues...mostly resolved but still...
A new interesting release of Pushcar’s belt driven bike. Looks pretty impressive for $3200. Watt Wagon

 

[Johnny]

I'm a 65 yr old casual bike rider. I exercise regularily and I like to ride casually on hard surfaces. I have no interest in trail riding. I only recently looked into ebikes and decided I like the looks of the Trek Allant series. The specs tell me the difference between the 7s, 8s and 9.9s. Given that I am not a hard core rider, would I notice the difference between the three models for casual riding? I like the looks of the 9.9s best. If you ignore the cost, is the 9.9s that much better than the 8s? I don't want to buy the 7s just to save money if the other two significantly out perform. I am willing to pay if performance and durability come with the higher prices. I would appreciate any thoughts or opinions. Thanks.

I think people can help you more if you can tell more about what kind of riding you will be doing, the distances you are planning to cover and the terrain you will be riding on.

For allant,

-8s and 9.9s has the same frame geometry , the difference in looks is mostly due to a different color scheme.
-Both are 52+ pounds, not light , the weight difference of 2-3 pounds between them doesn't mean much with the given weights.
-The comfort difference of carbon will mostly be perceivable with light road bikes with narrow tires(<28mm). These bikes are coming with wide 2.4" tires (61mm), and you can run them around 30-35psi at which carbon frame will not bring much if anything in terms of comfort.
-Both are non-suspension bikes and none are good for rough terrain or broken pavement.
-Power, speed, acceleration etc. will be identical since they have the same motor/battery.
-8s can take a front fork suspension since it has a regular tapered headset, 9.9s can not.

Allant 7s (which also seem to share the geometry) can be a good choice, It is coming with 500wh battery instead of 625wh though and somewhat entry level components. 9.9s is way too overpriced, you can get very good full suspension bikes with high end components and having similar weight that are far superior to 9.9s for less. 8s seem to be the better choice between them and will most likely give identical riding experience.

I think you should try to ride different bikes not just just focus on Allant series(for example Vado from specialized) to have a better idea on what you like.
You should also try full supension offerings like Trek's own rail 7 which has the same weight and price as allant 9.9 yet it is a far superior and more capable bike due to the good suspension it comes with. If you decide to ride on rough cross country roads then you may greatly appreciate having it.

Good luck

 

[Wasatch mts]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I didn't notice that the lights were different on the three models. I think the 8s would be just fine for my 10-20 mile street rides. However, I am going to look into bikes with suspensions. I thought that was something just to consider if you were trail riding. I am 6'3" so I need an XL frame. The bike I ride now, which is not electric, has a 60 cm seat tube. Again, thanks for all the comments.

 

[Mulezen]

A seat post suspension like ThudBuster or Kinect Bodyfloat is all that you need