Any eMTB experts

[JohnnyCanuck]

So, my trail/DH riding has tailed off a lot over the past two or three years and a couple of my riding buddies who had also lost a bit of the passion have both gotten eMTBs and have completely re-energized/recaptured their passion.

Got me thinking. I am debating whether to try and do a mid-drive conversion on my now old Rocky ETSX-30 or whether to take the plunge on a new ebike.

It won't be for road riding at all ... I have a road bike and will not go assist for that. Just xc/dh. The cheapest ebike from a brand I trust is the new Giant Stance E+ 2 (http://www.giantvancouver.com/ca/stance-eplus-2-2020).

Any thoughts, advice, suggestions?

[PoorLurker]

How "big" were you into riding before it tailed off.

My immediate response is a new bike.

Due to some of life's curveballs, I haven't been on my bike consistently. However, if I were to buy a new one - it would be hard for me to settle with an old "updated" one.

You live in Vancouver? You ride whistler and trails out there? Could you rent one? I am not sure how often you'll ride.


Trails around here are banning Ebikes.

I think they'd be awesome if they can be a 20% increase in crank power - will keep people within reality in terms of speed but can help those who aren't as athletic an ability to ride more

[dcpatters]

As someone who has owned eBikes, they have really cracked down on enforcement in Southern California.

"No eBike allowed" signs have literally been posted at all the trailheads, so the excuse, "Oh, I didn't know they are banned!" Won't work anymore.

Long before the signs were implemented, I have had personally had rangers track me down and tell me to leave the park.

I know in other countries or regions, e-MTB's are welcomed and embraced. I guess these regions could care less about Strava times.

Anyway, I had a 1st gen Levo FSR Comp and currently have a 2nd gen Levo Comp Carbon FSR. The latest, Turbo Levo Comp SL, literally looks like a regular MTB

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/turbo-levo-sl

Not sure what you're looking to invest, but the newest Levo is worth a look.

I totally agree, an e-MTB allow's riders to cover a lot of trail, whilst having a great time with each ride. And to add, if you run the motor at a lower assist, you can still manage a great workout. I run my Levo @ 15% power assist. Keep in mind, the motor is capable of generating 400% rider assist.

[JohnnyCanuck]

PoorLurker dcpatters, thanks both for the replies.

I think I have moved to the new bike. It's just too complicated to DIY without knowing how it will turn out in terms of rideability where I can test new ones.

I ride XC and for downhill more likely Burnaby Mountain or milder North Shore stuff than the extreme North Shore or Whistler stuff. I was pretty into it at one point (weekly or more) but in the past few years have been riding a lot of road. A lot of the road riding is my work commute once/twice a week for about the five months during the year I can handle the weather. Between COVID and working from home so much and getting a little bored with the road, I am hoping to substitute the MTB for that.

The trails around here are mostly OK for Class 1 eMTBs. The BC government has restricted Class 2 and 3 on public trails but considers Class 1 pedal assist to be the same as normal MTBs. Whistler allows eMTBs on trails except for the higher alpine. I don't believe there are restrictions in Squamish for Class 1 bikes and the NSMBA for around here has not really restricted Class 1 pedal assist at this point (merely seem lukewarm to them).

As for bikes, I've been doing a bit more research and have narrowed it down to 4 (the Levo is a great bike by all accounts, but the price point is more than I can justify not knowing just how much riding I'm going to get back into):

As above, the Giant Stance but also looking at the Trance E+ 2 Pro. Better components (not sure that I like that Suntour front fork) and it comes with a dropper seat which closes the price gap a bit. Have a test ride for both set up for Thursday.

The Cannondale Cujo Neo 130 also piqued my interest because it seems like a great value proposition, but another Suntour fork (albeit a slightly better one).

The last one is last year's Kona Remote CTRL which I can find on clearance for $5200 (CDN) which is a really good deal. It's only available in a medium and at 5'7" may be a bit big but I'll ride it as well to see.

[dcpatters]

JohnnyCanuck

Have you visited this site?

https://www.emtbforums.com/

[JohnnyCanuck]

I have, not much posted about some of these bikes. I have registered for an account to post the question, but it doesn't seem to want to give me posting privileges.