Electric Bike Thread

How do you like your Bullit? I may be buying a low mileage X01 RSV this week.

My pedal bike is a Transition Spire and looking for something similar. I previously had an Orbea Rise but ultimately found it to be a touch too flexy in the rear and overwhelmed by chunk and only okay on jumps. And I wanted full-POWERRR. Sold the Rise a couple years ago and now ready to jump back in with a full-power long-travel eeb and there are a lot of cheap Bullits on the used market right now…


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Originally Posted by meter-man

How do you like your Bullit? I may be buying a low mileage X01 RSV this week.

My pedal bike is a Transition Spire and looking for something similar. I previously had an Orbea Rise but ultimately found it to be a touch too flexy in the rear and overwhelmed by chunk and only okay on jumps. And I wanted full-POWERRR. Sold the Rise a couple years ago and now ready to jump back in with a full-power long-travel eeb and there are a lot of cheap Bullits on the used market right now…


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I like the Bullit ALOT, 7 " of travel and slack angles, I find it handles well and everything is a berm

I had an Orbea on order but who knows when it would show up in the thick of covid so when I texted shop bro wondering if I should go big he shot me a pict of the Bullit so cha ching, no regrets

at the time the lowest spec Bullit with NX was still 11500 can $ so it cost me and actualy the NX works/ wears really well

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Originally Posted by Dantheman

Talk to me about commuter eebs. My distance to the office is about to jump from 6 miles to 15 miles so daily bike commuting will become impractical without a motor. I tested it out yesterday and in ideal conditions (high 50s, light tailwind, no traffic) it took 1:05. With an ebike I figure I can cut that down to 40-45 minutes which brings daily use back into the sphere of possibility and pretty close to driving or taking the train.

A super fancy rig like the SC Skitch is definitely not in the budget. What brands/models offer the best compromise between quality/performance and cost? Ideally I'm looking for a flat bar commuter style. No fat tires, folding, etc. type nonsense.

The Velotric T1 ST looks intriguing.
https://www.velotricbike.com/product...41729524039863

Is converting my current bike (Canyon Roadlite) with a hub drive wheel a terrible idea?

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The Velotric's battery isn't removable, which means it'll be difficult to charge at work unless you can bring it inside. But it has a torque sensor and everything else looks good. (Battery is only 350Wh, but for a bike that costs $1100 that's expected.) I wouldn't care about the lack of a speedometer or display, and it's super clean otherwise. If the nonremovable battery doesn't bother you, it's a solid option.

If it's a Bafang motor you can buy aftermarket dongles that bump the speed limit upward, but it's private branded so I can't tell who makes it.

The Aventon Soltera 2 is slightly less sleek, but has very similar specs:
https://www.aventon.com/products/soltera-2-ebike

If you have $2000+ a Yamaha CrossCore RC or Diamondback Current will stomp all over these.
Crosscore is normally $3100 but Yamaha is clearing them out and you can find them for $2000-2500. Yamaha mid drive motor, big battery, Class 3.
DB is down to $2500 with a Bosch mid-drive, which I believe is also Class 3.
https://www.diamondback.com/bikes/eb...s/current-4661

A converted bike will always be less usable than a purpose designed e-bike. There are cables zip-tied everywhere, and you can't leave it anywhere because people can walk off with your battery. And resale value on a conversion is basically zero. I don't recommend it unless you somehow find a kit with a decent battery and a torque sensor for <$400, which is unlikely.

What do the TGR EExperts think of Yamaha e-mtbs? Is the smaller battery and wheel size a deal breaker?


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Originally Posted by Spats

The Velotric's battery isn't removable, which means it'll be difficult to charge at work unless you can bring it inside. But it has a torque sensor and everything else looks good. (Battery is only 350Wh, but for a bike that costs $1100 that's expected.) I wouldn't care about the lack of a speedometer or display, and it's super clean otherwise. If the nonremovable battery doesn't bother you, it's a solid option.

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After reading a lot of reviews I think it would cover a flat 30 mile RT on one charge easily (at least until the battery starts degrading) so not too concerned about the non-removable battery.

The reviews are impressively positive. After looking around a lot more nothing seems to compare in terms of a total package of price, performance, and aesthetics. But, I think I'm going to hold off and give the new gig 6 months or so before I invest in one.


eta: One thing I can't figure out is why the T1 ST lists a 50 mile range but the T1 is listed as 70 miles. They have same motor, same battery, same drivetrain, and same listed weight--how can the range be that different?

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Originally Posted by joetron

What do the TGR EExperts think of Yamaha e-mtbs? Is the smaller battery and wheel size a deal breaker?


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I’m no E-Expertz, but I would imagine a 500wh battery, 27.5” wheels, and a 435mm reach on a size MD could spell trouble at the retail level.

85nm of torque sounds fun though and I don’t think Yamaha is going out of business any time soon.

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Originally Posted by joetron

What do the TGR EExperts think of Yamaha e-mtbs? Is the smaller battery and wheel size a deal breaker?

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I don't know anything about the Yamaha but you don't see much written about them

IMO If you wana go Ebike I can't figure out why anyone would not go full power 85nm with at least 630 W of battery, the shimano 630W battery gives me enough run time to do 3-4 hrs at the area, the 630W has been available for close to 3 yrs and a 27.5/ 29 mullet config makes everything a berm uphill or down

most of the motors put out around 85mn of power, alot of new e-bike wananbes shop for a motor that is attached to a bike,

I suggest you wana shop for a bike which also happens to have a motor & battery

I don't know about the bike itself, but the Yamaha motor is very reliable

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Originally Posted by XXX-er

IMO If you wana go Ebike I can't figure out why anyone would not go full power 85nm with at least 630 W of battery

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So, I had a 90nm ebike with 720wh battery, and "downgraded" to a 60nm / 430wh battery. The biggest reason is ride quality. I weigh <165 lbs without gear, and a full power ebike is 52+ lbs. That sort of weight rides dramatically different than a 35 lb enduro bike, especially when trying to pop off things or hit tight corners at speed. For someone closer to 200 lbs, a 50+ lb bike is proportionately the same relative to their body weight as my 44 lb "SL" bike, so it makes a lot more sense for them. Furthermore, range out of a battery is almost directly proportionate to rider+bike weight, so those heavier riders are going to need a bigger battery to go as far as a lighter rider. The final other consideration is how often you're really going to go out on a ride long enough to drain your battery. When I got the Levo, I envisioned that I'd be out draining the battery all the time. In reality, I typically only have about 1.5-2.5 hours of ride time after work or on weekend mornings due to family commitments. So while I could do ~5,500 ft in 3 hrs on Turbo with the Levo, I can do ~4,500 ft in 2:15 on the Heckler SL, and it is more fun to ride. 18% less range, 40% less battery.

In answer to Joetron's question, I haven't used or talked to anyone on a Yamaha-motored ebike. My recommendations for someone looking at getting a first ebike are:
1) get one that has local support for dealing with motor warranty work. None of the motors are perfect, and there's a high chance you'll warranty a motor within your time owning it.
2) get one that is actually a good bike too. All the motors will get you to the top - sure some will have a bit more torque for steeps, some will have better apps or displays, etc., but what you'll notice most over time is how fun the bike part is to ride (especially descend).
3) take an honest look at how much ride time you have, how much you weigh, and what your riding style is. If you're big (~200+ lbs) and want to do long rides with lots of assist, you're going to need a 700+ wh battery. If you're lighter (~160 lbs) and only are going to ride for a couple hours, something with a 400-500 wh battery is fine. The SL/mid-power (50-60 nm torque) ebikes are going to be better suited for lighter, fitter riders looking for a ride experience closer to a normal bike. The full power (85+ nm) ebikes are better suited for heavier or less fit riders, or doing lots of really steep climbs. Also, the full power motor is much nicer for hauling a bag full of tools when doing trail work.

I can see the advantage of the new sl/mid weight emtbs. Tighter trails and spinning up roads for dh laps. Im not sure i could part with my full fat though. Its just so stable at speed or in loose rock or sand and steep tech trialsy fun. In a perfect world i'd like both. As always n+1. I found my 38lb enduro bike soo twitchy when i first got on it after riding my full fat for a while. 44 does sound about right for a happy medium.
Recently heard a few good things on the yamaha. I thought the geo was kind of wack but ive been hearing they measure their seat angle differently. Havent confirmed it and maybe they dont list effective seat angle. Number listed seemed like 90's geo. I'd want to demo.
Motors are good. They haul the mail, rebuildable, easily accesible parts and support and they use battery power quite efficiently although not quite as efficient as bosch. I think tge thing to watch for is water ingress. I hear theyre not super sealed and reports of rentals get submerged and the rider having to wait a while for it to dry to restart. Not recommended for wet climate but its also suggested that can be addressed by the owner. Sounds like adding some seal around the, possibly plastic, external cover in front below the battery. Motor repair guys use a particular quality grease tp protect around the axle/bearing interface as well. Not sure if theyre adding seals on yammies like they are on other motors but possibly

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Originally Posted by meter-man

Oddball question: I have a Lolo rack because we have lots of bikers in our fam (4...).

For bikes with the handlebar-mounted computer (Shimano EM-800 only?), the Lolo hooks go right where the computer is - obviously not a good idea to wedge the computer into the hooks and have the bike suspended by the computer. Is there anyway to carry on a Lolo bikes with those computers?

I tried with my buddy's Repeater, and I could not figure it out. The wires appeared to be too short to unscrew the computer and move it down the bar. Typically, I would just do that for handlebar-mounted stuff - just unscrew and take it off. But it did not appear that there was excess wire on the computers to allow me to loosen and remove it.

Options:
1) Is there excess wire within the frame that allows you to loosen and pull the computer down the bars? It didn't look like it, and that would be a dumb way to build a computer interface.
2) Or can you simply "unplug" the Shimano computer, take off, put back on, and plug back in without any issues? I expect that is the answer but did not want to try it on my buddy's bike without knowing for sure.

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So...Lolo now sells a DH hanger that I think will accommodate the stem-side computer. I just ordered it and will report back. https://loloracks.com/products/dh-compatible-hook

Important, because I'll be hauling this beauty around!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...1b7b3b8841.jpg

Nice van

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Originally Posted by meter-man

Important, because I'll be hauling this beauty around!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...1b7b3b8841.jpg

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so you bought the Bullit

All the cables and wiring are cable tied securley in that down tube and they must be snipped to do anything with cables or wiring, if you kack a wire ( I did ) there is a label on the wire, i also broke the charge port they are all easy enough to order on line

IME one those mucky nuts fenders you cable strap on the swingarm makes a big difference for keeping smoo off the shock and the area around the shock, I liked it enough i bought one for the front fork, if you don't like their logos on the fenders just run them upside down

after a couple of years the battery latch might loosen off from holding the weight of that battery inside the down tube so keep an eye on the 6 or 8 bolts, DON'T break the battery latch getting the battery out cuz while the latch does use a allen bolt head the latch does not unscrew like an allen bolt, it turns a 1/4 turn I forget which way but people fuck it up so I mention it

no real problems in >2 yrs, just replace shit that wears out and its a great bike IME

I really like the mullet handling, its better than the 29x29 yeti 5.5 which was the last bike

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I’ve had a Transition Repeater for the last year, and really enjoy it. I alternate riding it with my Transition Spire.

Both are really fun, the Repeater is great when I feel like focusing on the riding instead of the pedaling, and it’s basically eliminated shuttling for me.

I’ve actually seen my fitness markably increase because of the ebike, it allows me to go out and do rides where my HR is 130 - 150bpm and I can hold the tempo for hours whereas on a regular bike our trails up here are so steep that couldn’t sustain hours of 170+ bpm grinding up steep trails. I’d just get gassed and only be able to do a few miles of that and then have to stop, take breaks, walk, etc.

after a year of ebike I now can sustain a more enjoyable hr on the regular bike.

The ebike also opens the door to ride moto trails and steep hiking trails that otherwise wouldn’t be fun on a bike.

Attachment 493866

Plus the ability for the human to climb at 15-20mph makes the GSP very happy.

After a year of use, I want to:

Bump the front travel to 170mm from 160mm (and maybe upgrade to a 2nd gen Zeb or Fox 38 grip 2 or an Ohlins 38 - the first gen Zeb feels a little mushy or overly firm and I can’t seem to find the happy balance.)

Swap the Magura MT7 for TRP DHR Evos (don’t like the lever feel of the MT7)

Otherwise the bike has been flawless. You learn to ignore the shimano rattle.

My apologies. I tried to do a quick search, but this is kind of time sensitive. I’m not an E-mtb guy at all so my knowledge is very thin here. Have a chance to pick up a 2018 Levo fattie with the Brose 1.3. 9000 km. Lady driven.

Any feedback? price seems very good 2100 Canadian.

Probably cuz even new bikes are heavily discounted specialized is a good brand but now you are talking about a 7 yr old bike with what I would call a lot of kms on it

re: the fattie bit, is that a true fat bike or when some bikes came with ovesized 3 " tires, a trend which i think fizzled ??

Not a true fattie. 27.5+/29

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Originally Posted by powking12

Not a true fattie. 27.5+/29

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which is a mullet and it looks like plus tires ( plus tires never really took off in popularity ? ) 504 W mtr whcih is on the small side but not too much so

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/me...=240244-129008

so here is the link

duno what to say

Not a bad bike to test the waters, and have a loaner for friends

They do make studded 3”. Not ideal, but they can be ridden in the winter.

My biggest concern would be the batteries condition. 7 years and a lot of km’s. Once the battery is shot, that bikes worth zero.

App says battery is “healthy” and has 100% charging capacity. 91 charge cycles I hope it’ll be a decent intro for her. Price was too good to pass.

Good luck, I hope she enjoys riding!
Probably will.

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Originally Posted by Shredhead

They do make studded 3”. Not ideal, but they can be ridden in the winter.

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It really depends on conditions. Around here, a 3 inch studded bike will get your through 80% of the winter.

If you get thaws and then refreezes it will lead to solid, icy trails which the studded 3 inch tires are perfect.

My plus bike is my preferred winter bike, I only use the fat bike if the trails are soft/fresh and the skinny ice spikers if the trails are ice.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/t...es-of-the-road

So as oposed to wnaking about with the existing class 1, 2, 3 the province of BC has written new laws calling an E-bike either " standard " or " light "

Standard looks to be pretty much what is now class 1 and light is half as many watts and slower than standard, if you now have or sell class 1 e-bikes you got no worries

But I supose anything else as in what was 2 or 3 or an electric moped snuck in as E-bike is an MV

I don't imagine the new laws stop the end loser from buying all kinds of stuff on-line for which Johnny Law will continue to write > 600 $ worth of tickets at one shot

so no matter where you live those are the laws one gov in N.A. has written for E-bikes


edit: So you probably give zero fucks about that ^^ cuz yer in america so who gives a fuck about anything but I
found another hit which does talk about America

https://www.fasken.com/en/knowledge/...itish-columbia

where buddy is saying " As the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission has now stated its intent to formally regulate the design and safety of e-bikes, it is hoped that the Health Canada Consumer and Hazardous Products Safety Directorate will take similar steps.

Starting to plan for a knee replacement which is ramping up rationalizing an ebike. Soft pedaling is the only thing that doesn’t hurt this year.

Other than who knows when they’ll have stock, any reason not to do one of these?

https://us.yt-industries.com/product...coy-29-core-2/


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Originally Posted by ticketchecker

Starting to plan for a knee replacement which is ramping up rationalizing an ebike. Soft pedaling is the only thing that doesn’t hurt this year.

Other than who knows when they’ll have stock, any reason not to do one of these?

https://us.yt-industries.com/product...coy-29-core-2/


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The first reason that comes to mind: decoy MX

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you will be the anti-christ

but only in America

I find the battery choice a little confusing

I think you want at least the 630W battery which has been around for almost 3 yrs

I went e-bike after blowing the ACL and its been great

I’m comfy with the anti christ role in ‘murica

Decoy MX is probably for the rider I used to want to be, agreed on the battery choice confuserartion.

I’m not usually the guy who buys the cheap one of anything but the $3500 price tag on that Core 2 is more palatable to add onto what my out of pocket costs for the knee might be.

Sort of intrigued by the Alloy relay but seems like the heavier bike defeats the gains from the lightweight SL drive system fazua bikes


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Yeah so where ever you are riding make sure you have social license to ride an E-bike, like I ran into the builder this AM and he was also on an E-bike so no worries here

I'm on a mullet, a santa cruz Bullit and so I really like mullet configuration

IME usually stuff is cheaper cuz its older tech so an outfit like YT might have got some 504 W batteries cheap so you get them cheap, if you could go 504 and get a spare 504 that would be great for your range

I have the decoy mx. 540w battery. Unless your 6"3'+ or even 6" with long legs id probably go mx. No reason not to have long travel with the eeb. Mine is 180f/165r and still faster than any xc bike ive ever had in my 20's. Maybe 35% of the time i would like the 720w battery they have on some of their decoys. Im debating just getting the 2nd 540w battery. Decent price. Really happy with the bike and yt service. Check the reach numbers. I like a half size smaller to keep the eeb weight agile, along with mx. Their sizing runs about a size smaller than typical sizing

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Goes without saying but be careful with sizing. I am 5'9" with 30" inseam pants. A size large mx fits me just about perfectly. The 540 batt is enough for the riding we do in the northeast. I am not sure if will be enough for the pnw after we move there this summer. I'll have to do a full battery run here shortly to get a better idea.

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I'm probably a solid MD from YT at 5'6 and 29 inseam.

You guys are probably right on the MX

That sounds about right. Im 5'7 w 29 inseam on a medium. 1degree works headset and the fork at 180 does shorten the reach prob 5 or 6 mm so i wonder about a large. On the medium i the seat tube has plenty of room for the 150 dropper and pretty sure i could have a 170. The large would limit that

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Originally Posted by ticketchecker

. Sort of intrigued by the Alloy relay but seems like the heavier bike defeats the gains from the lightweight SL drive system fazua bikes

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missed that question on the first go-round which appears to ask full power vs medium power ?

No matter what they advertise the full power is gona be 52lbs

The lightweight E-bike i have seen advertised at 40lbs which is suposed to make the light bike more sprightly ?

but i think it also might make the lightweights slower ?

I canceled a medium power Orbea when the full power SC showed up at the shop during the mid covid bike drought and I have no regrets on that,

if you got a bad knee ( which i also had ) I think you want full power

double post, see post further down.

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Originally Posted by ticketchecker

Starting to plan for a knee replacement which is ramping up rationalizing an ebike. Soft pedaling is the only thing that doesn’t hurt this year.

Other than who knows when they’ll have stock, any reason not to do one of these?

https://us.yt-industries.com/product...coy-29-core-2/


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I have a YT decoy. Great bike.

RE: full power vs. midpower
I rode my Heckler SL (Fazua 60) this weekend with 3 guys on full power ebikes (1 YT Decoy w/ 540wH battery, 2 guys on Levos). I ran in my full power mode and put in a good amount of effort, was the second one up the hill each lap. The guy who was fastest was unsurprisingly a skinny guy on a Levo running in mid power, but also a very strong climber (used to do 400k vert per year before he got an ebike). The other Levo guy was heavier and was running at 80% power and struggling to keep up, burning battery at a similar pace to me. The guy on the Decoy wasn't very strong, was in turbo the whole time, slowest up the hills, and ran out of battery at 3,400'. The rest of us did 4,200' in 1:30 of moving time.

The point I took a long time getting to is that rider fitness and weight makes a huge difference in range. Then of course rider weight relative to the weight of the bike makes a big difference in how they handle descending. At <165 lbs, my 44 lb Heckler SL still handles well enough that I actually prefer it to my 35 lb Nomad on loose trails because the extra weight down low adds a lot to the grip.

On the alloy Relay, check out the recent Vital SL ebike roundup. They reviewed both the Relay (carbon) and the Heckler SL. https://www.vitalmtb.com/features/vi...ght-sl-e-bikes
Transition's spec lists the alu GX PNW version as 5.9 lbs heavier than the carbon GX. Alu NX is 4.3 lbs heavier than carbon GX (looks like same spec other than NX vs GX drivetrain and fork). Some of that is heavier components (38 vs 36, coil vs air) but that's still a lot of weight for only $1,000 savings. Especially if you have any intent of riding it without battery. On that regard, the Fazua 60 motor is indeed very low drag. I've pedaled it up for a lap with the motor off and didn't notice any drag, just the weight of a heavy bike. At 44 lbs, I'd never want to pedal it for more than about 1,000' with the motor off. Shaving off another 4 lbs (i.e. carbon with battery removed), I could see maybe doing 2,000' but that'd be about it.

Specific to the Fazua 60 reviews, lots of people bitch about the ring controller. The "stickiness" comes when the clamping bolt is over tightened. It doesn't stick if you just barely nip up the bolt.

I definitely wouldn't run wimpy tires on any ebike - the added weight down low makes it super easy to fold them in corners. Minimum I'd run would be Maxxis DD / Conti Enduro. I did try running both a Zeb and Lyrik on the HSL and preferred the Lyrik. At 160mm travel paired with carbon wheels and a stiff frame, the Zeb just felt too stiff. Lyrik is stiff enough for my weight. When I had a Levo, I ran the Zeb with alu wheels instead of carbon for a similar reason. I haven't run a 36 recently since they redesigned the CSU, so can't speak to their stiffness.

This seems very close to perfect. Geo numbers fit exactly where i want to be and 43lbs seems ideal for an eeb, without having tried a bosch sx

https://mondraker.com/ca/en/dune-xr65f31c4a64df7

Attachment 494485

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Headset cable routing can fuck right off.

Ya im not a big fan. It is clean though and i think i can live with it. As it is i dont change my housing much at all and no need with this bike. Wireless post and shifting. I wonder how mondraker are as a company to deal with?

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