Upgrade my Pioneer Allroad for harder trail use, or sell for Haibike?

[jrb5j]

My Pioneer Allroad is about a year old and has roughly 300 miles. It's tons of fun and I've had zero problems. The issue is that I've been riding it on offroad trails more than I expected and It has very entry level components (Suntour XCT fork, Shimano Altus drivetrain, rims, etc). I am concerned about the durability of this set up. So the question is, do I upgrade the fork, groupset, rims and so forth, or sell my current bike and look to something like Haibike? Is the Allroad's frame "worthy" of premium components and harder off road use, or would it be wasting money to upgrade?

To clarify, I'm no hardcore rider, I just like to hit the trails knowing that my bike is more capable than I am. I'm pretty sure that's not the case with the current set up.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Allroad is built as an E-bike, so I'm positive it will hold up.
@ 300 miles a year... any setup would hold for couple of years
If you think you're going to hit 3000 miles/ year, then all those matter.
Fork, derailleur, rims all can be replaced fairly easily. If you try to sell your bike right now, you will have to absorb a huge premium cost.

 

[jrb5j]

Yes, not a lot of miles yet, but I'm working on that!
So, would you say the difference between this bike being a good commuter and being a good trail bike is just upgrading the discussed parts? Just wanting to make sure I've got a strong enough platform (and motor) before I start spending money on upgraded fork, drivetrain, etc.

 

[grench]

Yes, not a lot of miles yet, but I'm working on that!
So, would you say the difference between this bike being a good commuter and being a good trail bike is just upgrading the discussed parts? Just wanting to make sure I've got a strong enough platform (and motor) before I start spending money on upgraded fork, drivetrain, etc.

I am taking the Allroad path...upgrading front fork...haven't had any issues with the shifters so I prob will leave them for now. I am also going to raise the front of my bike about 2". 1" from forks and 1" from tire size. I am curious how this will alter the feel of the bike. The frame on this bike is ridged. Much stronger than several higher priced bikes I have ridden.

 

[jrb5j]

Good to hear. Have you decided which fork to get?

 

[jrb5j]

Does anyone know if there are any restrictions to changing cranks and chainrings on the Pioneer Allroad? Can the stock triple chainring be replaced with another triple or double chainring? I'm not sure if the stock setup is specific to the motorized bottom bracket or the pedal assist sensors. I'd bring it to my LBS and let them have a look but they look at my bike like it's an alien being. Ebikes are pretty much unheard of around here.

 

[Optibike_Austen]

I would say upgrade your Allroad, I wouldn't worry about the frame durability at all ether, if anything I would say the frame is somewhat overbuilt being an E-bike, and just getting it to flex is a challenge compared to a lightweight mountain bike. You can put any chainrings on it that are the right bolt pattern, but the spider is specific to the Allroad. Ill have to check on the crank arms and get back to you.

Here's a picture of one of our Allroad Limited models with a Fox Talas 36 fork if you want some inspiration. They handle great with a taller front end, especially if you're a taller rider

 

[Allroad Commuter]

I upgraded my Allroad for better off-road handling: fork, seat post, tires.

I have to add that I ended up getting another set of wheels (thinner tires - 26 x 1.5) exclusively for commuting. I find that they roll better and give me more range with the same battery than the offroad wheelset, which I swap in for my weekend trail rides.

 

[jrb5j]

Very nice. That is a great fork. How many miles on your Allroad? Any issues? Are you still using the stock drivetrain?

 

[Allroad Commuter]

Thanks. I'm at a little over 2000 miles on the odometer. So far only bent chainrings from trying to shift on climbs when in the wrong gear..but that's my fault. Now I just step down, flip down the kickstand and tilt the bike so that the rear wheel is off the ground and shift to the correct gear using the throttle. Afterwards, I use the throttle to get the bike rolling before I resume pedaling. As for the derailleurs, I only changed them when I found a used XTR derailleur set. Otherwise, the stock derailleur performed fine to me. For me, the fork and wider offroad tires made the most difference. When looking for forks, look for straight 1 1/8" steerer tube(not tapered), disc brake mount, QR not thru-axle.

 

[Allroad Commuter]

This a trail ride from last weekend:

 

[J.R.]

@Allroad Commuter

Nice! Like the video ride stats. I skipped big chunks, viewed about 15 minutes and your park ride looks like some of the country roads I live and ride on Kidding aside, that's a real eMTB test course.

Nice job, keep 'em coming.

 

[Allroad Commuter]

@Allroad Commuter

Nice! Like the video ride stats. I skipped big chunks, viewed about 15 minutes and your park ride looks like some of the country roads I live and ride on Kidding aside, that's a real eMTB test course.

Nice job, keep 'em coming.

Thanks J.R. This is my first video that I'm satisfied with the camera mounts and video tools. Yeah, sorry about the length but I'm too lazy to do more than syncing up the 2 cameras and gps data. I figure people can skip to the downhill portions if they like that, or watch me suffer during the initial steep sections. Some might wonder why I'm still exerting so much effort on an ebike. The answer is that I *choose* to dial in the assist level just enough to avoid hitting the "wall" but still giving a good workout. When I started, I had it at "level 5" assist, now I only need "level 3" for the steep sections. Love the flexibility that the Allroad is giving me.

-Phuong

 

[grench]

This a trail ride from last weekend:

@Allroad Commuter my bike is a pampered pooch. You are giving the allroad some good testing. My experience is the same...I started on level 4 (no steep hills) and now ride on 2-3.

The recommendations I would make is to upgrade the front forks and put the Schwalbe Big Ben w/green gaurd tires (stromers use these) on. The ride quality is night and day. I love how rigid the frame is on this bike. It doesn't flex.

Anyway keep the vids coming. It will help push us lazy guys!

 

[Allroad Commuter]

@Allroad Commuter my bike is a pampered pooch. You are giving the allroad some good testing. My experience is the same...I started on level 4 (no steep hills) and now ride on 2-3.

The recommendations I would make is to upgrade the front forks and put the Schwalbe Big Ben w/green gaurd tires (stromers use these) on. The ride quality is night and day. I love how rigid the frame is on this bike. It doesn't flex.

Anyway keep the vids coming. It will help push us lazy guys!

@grench, Actually it was your videos that inspired me make videos of my ride, especially adding the GPS information overlay.

 

[Greg A]

@Allroad Commuter Nice video and upgrades.
I installed a suspension seatpost on my Allroad as well (the Suntour) and really like the ride now. It takes the bite out of trail riding and really saves my back!
I needed to use an adaptor, but it works perfect.

Your trails look nice! Where are you riding?

 

[J.R.]

Thanks J.R. This is my first video that I'm satisfied with the camera mounts and video tools. Yeah, sorry about the length but I'm too lazy to do more than syncing up the 2 cameras and gps data. I figure people can skip to the downhill portions if they like that, or watch me suffer during the initial steep sections. Some might wonder why I'm still exerting so much effort on an ebike. The answer is that I *choose* to dial in the assist level just enough to avoid hitting the "wall" but still giving a good workout. When I started, I had it at "level 5" assist, now I only need "level 3" for the steep sections. Love the flexibility that the Allroad is giving me.

-Phuong

Well if this is your first, look out Martin Scorsese! "Raging Opti"

 

[Allroad Commuter]

@Allroad Commuter Nice video and upgrades.
I installed a suspension seatpost on my Allroad as well (the Suntour) and really like the ride now. It takes the bite out of trail riding and really saves my back!
I needed to use an adaptor, but it works perfect.

Your trails look nice! Where are you riding?

Nice seat post..looks like my thudbuster. The trail is in San Jose, CA (i.e. Silicon Valley). You can import the track (.gpx format) to your gps device or app from here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1Un-_NPTqlgMEtqbTE0alF4U1U/view?usp=sharing

 

[Greg A]

@Allroad Commuter
Great area for riding - still looking very parched though! I know you could use some rain down there.

I lived in Marin for a number of years back in the '80's and would hike the fire trails a lot. Miles and miles of them - perfect for our Allroads if I had one then.
We have a lot of trails to ride up here in the Puget Sound area, but nothing like the endless supply you have down there!
Enjoy!

 

[Allroad Commuter]

Last Friday's ride with co-workers:

This is my last post of rides here. Out of respect for @jrb5j, I want to leave this thread for people to share their off-road upgrades.
However, I'll continue to upload my rides to youtube from time to time; just go there and search for the following keywords: "MTB ride", "Optibike", "Phuong".